This article contains spoilers for Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc.
demon slayer It reached its peak with the start of the film trilogy, which officially marked the adaptation of the Infinity Castle arc and the Sunrise Countdown finale. Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1 was released in 2025, and now all that remains is to wait for the release of part 2, which is scheduled for release in 2027.
What we are most looking forward to in the next film is the continuation of the battle with Doma, which was interrupted after the death of insect Hashira Shinobu. In this battle, a new Hashira-level character, Tsuyuri Kanao, appears. After mastering Flower Breath, Kanao finally gets the chance to unleash one of the Demon Slayer Corps' most powerful abilities as he showcases his power in spectacular style against Doma.
Kanao enters battle in Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 2 as a new Hashira level character.
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1: The Return of Akaja It was released in Japan in July 2025. The film was very well received and broke box office records in Japan and around the world. The film's success is due to the exciting battles in which Zenitsu defeats Kaigaku and Tanjiro defeats Akaza with Giyu's help. Meanwhile, Shinobu fought Doma. Sadly, she died in this battle, but the fight should continue after the series returns. At the end of Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1, we saw the appearance of Kanao, Shinobu's adopted sister. This film sets her up to continue the fight in the next film where her sister left off. In Infinity Castle Part 2, Kanao is now joined by Inosuke, one of our beloved protagonists, and both get their time to shine.
It must be said that Kanao's first major battle that we will all witness will officially showcase her true power as a character worthy of being called a Hashira-class warrior. When Kanao was adopted by the Kocho sisters, she learned the flower breathing technique from Kanae, a former flower hashira. Even after Kanae's death, Kanao continued to develop and was chosen as Shinobu's Tsuguko. Strictly speaking, as Tsuguko, Kanao would have been officially chosen as the new Hashira of the Demon Corps after her retirement or death.
Looking at her skills during the Battle of Doma, it's clear why Kanao was chosen to be the next Hashira. In this fight, she fought with all her might and was even able to kill him with the help of Inosuke and Shinobu's poison. Of note is that Tōma himself stated that Kanao was technically superior to Shinobu in combat. Kanao is definitely a character that can beat Hashira like Shinobu and Tengen in battle, and this is all without awakening her Demon Slayer Mark.
Kanao's upcoming battle with Doma will unleash Flower Breath's full potential
Kanao's greatest strength is flower breathing, a sword technique he learned directly from Kanae Kocho. Flower respiration is derived from water respiration, which in turn is derived from solar respiration. Flower breathing relies on speed, dexterity, and vision. Strictly speaking, we never saw Flower Breath in action until Infinity Castle Part 2, and this will be fans' first true introduction to the sword fighting style. So far, there are seven forms of flower breathing, five of which we have already seen work.
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Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum
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Fourth form: Crimson Hanagoromo
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Fifth Form: Peony of Uselessness
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Sixth Form: Swirling Peach
Of course, we can forget its most powerful form, its final form: the Equinox Scarlet Eye.
“Why did you say that? Why are you worried about my eyesight when you are ready to sacrifice your life? She was such a good person, so precious to me! I wanted to protect her. I wanted to risk my life for her. I wanted to go home with her. Flower Breathing Final Form: Bunjujuan.” — Kanao from Demon Slayer Episode 162
Kanao is now set to use its final form at the end of the Doma battle. The Vermillion Eye allows Kanao's eyesight to reach its full potential, focusing all blood flow to the eyes and allowing her to see the world in slow motion. Using this power, Kanao is able to deliver a final attack that defeats Doma and finally decapitates the demon. If she achieved this feat, Kanao would definitely have been promoted to a position such as Hashira or Tsuguko within the organization. Unfortunately, by the time the sun rises after the battle with Muzan, the Demon Slayers as a whole cease to exist, and the organization is no longer needed due to Muzan's death and the extinction of the Demons. This is why Kanao and Tanjiro are not promoted to Hashira rank at the end of the story.
Kanao's Hashira level skills will also shine on Muzan.
Kanao's greatest fight remains the Battle of Doma, through which she will finally get revenge on her sisters and allow their souls to rest in peace after years of suffering. However, Kanao's Hashira level skills will shine even after Doma's death. She can be seen shining brightest during the Battle of Doma as part of Infinity Castle Part 2, but fans will later see her return in the third and final film, which will cover the Sunrise arc. In this episode, we see the final showdown against the Demon King Muzan.
Muzan is much stronger than his superiors. Because of that, every remaining capable Demon Slayer will once again take up arms and fight him until the sun rises to finish him off. Hashira and Tanjiro bear the greatest burden and suffer the greatest injuries and loss of life. That means Tanjiro's allies Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Kanao will also appear towards the end of the battle to further stop Muzan. Kanao may not play a major role in the victory, but every little contribution helped defeat Muzan.
Kanao will shine especially after the Battle of Muzan, giving author Gotouge one more chance to show off her skills. This is because Kanao is responsible for stopping the demon king Tanjiro, who is currently being corrupted by Muzan's cells. While Nezuko holds Tanjiro and tries to talk some sense into him, Kanao saves the situation by injecting Tanjiro with the last remaining anti-drug that Shinobu gave her. To accomplish this feat, she uses the Vermillion Eye once again and becomes completely blind in the process. Without Kanao, the battle and invasion against the demons would have definitely failed. Thomas would have survived, and the Demon King Tanjiro would have been born and destroyed humanity itself. This shows her true importance, and we can't wait to see it all come to life in the next Demon Slayer release.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 will be officially available to stream on Crunchyroll starting July 28, 2026.
