“The all-out war begins.”   

The bold declaration appears on the first poster for the next installments of blockbuster Japanese animated series "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba."   

Following the release of the 40-minute eighth and last episode of Season 4, covering the “Hashira Training” arc, on Monday (Manila time), the anime announces its return to the big screen with three films for its final storyline, the “Infinity Castle.”   

"’Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle’ will be coming exclusively to theaters globally as an epic trilogy of films!" the announcement says.   

Anime site Crunchyroll said that in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, it will distribute the three-part movie series worldwide, except for select Asian territories.

Poster of the "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" film trilogy announcement. 📸 @DemonSlayerUSA/X

The poster shows the main character Kamado Tanjiro plunging into the “Infinity Castle,” the seemingly bottomless headquarters of the antagonist, demon king Muzan Kibutsuji. The demon stronghold with shifting rooms becomes the ultimate battleground for Muzan's legion of blood-seeking monsters and Tanjiro with the rest of the Demon Slayer Corps. 

In the reference manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, “Infinity Castle” is the longest arc, spanning 47 chapters, significantly surpassing the second-longest “Mugen Train” comprised of 31 chapters. The storyline features the Corps’ elite members called Hashiras fighting separate battles against the highest-ranking demons called Upper Moons. All fights happen simultaneously in a single night. 

The upcoming trio of movies would seek to replicate the success of “Mugen Train,” an earlier film in the franchise which remains the highest grossing anime movie of all time despite being released at the height of the pandemic in October 2020. It has a worldwide box-office record of USD507 million.

Developed by animation studio Ufotable, “Demon Slayer” won the Best Animation award at Crunchyroll’s Anine Awards 2024 for its season 3 about the“Swordsmith Village” storyline.  

LIST: Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024 winners  

Beyond crisp and stunning visuals, the “Demon Slayer” franchise courted a massive following for its rich world-building, compelling storytelling, and overall positive message. The saga follows Tanjiro who becomes a demon hunter after his family was massacred and his sole surviving kin, Nezuko, turned into a demon.  

Episodes of “Demon Slayer” are now streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix.   

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