Every Demon Slayer Season, Ranked Worst to Best

Excluding the movies, which are powerhouses in their own right, the Demon Slayer anime currently consists of four seasons. Before the Infinity Castle trilogy, however, each movie was also reformatted into a proper television season. As a result, ranking the seasons allows us to cover every major story arc leading up to the Infinity Castle Arc without skipping any content.

That said, not every season is equally strong. In fact, some of the earlier story arcs pale in comparison to what comes later in the series. So, with that in mind, let’s see where each season ranks.

4 Demon Slayer Season 1: Unwavering Resolve Arc

The very first season of Demon Slayer laid the groundwork for the entire storyline quite well, but it was also extremely slow-paced. As it turns out, Season 1 is also the longest season of the anime. The primary focus was on Tanjiro and Nezuko’s bond, along with the introduction of other iconic characters.

That said, near the end of Season 1, things did pick up pace. Characters like Zenitsu and others also received their spotlight moments. Still, compared to everything that follows the first season, it simply wasn’t the absolute peak of the series. The animation was top-notch, though.

3 Demon Slayer Season 4: Hashira Training Arc

The most recent Demon Slayer season is the fourth one, which adapts the Hashira Training Arc (after the movie adaptation). Though it only adapts nine chapters into eight episodes, many might think it’s also slow-paced. However, right from the get-go and up to the end, the stakes could clearly be felt.

This season seamlessly connects the explosive third season to the lore-heavy Infinity Castle trilogy of movies. Thus, it works wonderfully as a connector season. That said, there aren’t too many action-focused episodes in this season, which is why it ranks third on this list.

2 Demon Slayer Season 3: The Swordsmith Village Arc

Season 3 deserves the second spot on the list because it has it all, from action and lore to fearsome villains. The introduction of two of Muzan’s Upper Rank demons, Hantengu and Gyokko, was slick. The reunion with Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji, as well as Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and his surly fellow new recruit, Genya Shinazugawa, was also pulled off well.

The Swordsmith Village Arc also introduces some important elements to the series, such as the Mark. We even get to see significant character development for Muichiro, who happens to be one of the most influential characters in the anime. Thus, overall, Season 3 was enjoyable throughout.

1 Demon Slayer Season 2: Mugen Train & Entertainment District Arcs

First, it reformatted the record-breaking Mugen Train movie into the first few episodes, and then it continued to build on the existing hype with the even more action-packed Entertainment District Arc. The Mugen Train Arc was a masterpiece in itself, especially with Rengoku facing a terrible fate.

Then came two of the most iconic villains of the series during the Entertainment District Arc, Gyutaro and Daki. The introduction of the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, was also simply top-tier. Thus, watching Tanjiro and his squad face life-threatening challenges back-to-back was simply the peak of the anime.

The chronological release order of each Demon Slayer season and their MyAnimeList scores:

SEASON	EPISODE COUNT	AIR DATE	MAL SCORE (as of June 5, 2026)
Demon Slayer Season 1	26	April 6, 2019 – September 28, 2019	8.40/10
Demon Slayer Season 2	7 + 11	October 10, 2021 – February 13, 2022	Mugen Train: 8.34/10 Entertainment District: 8.69/10
Demon Slayer Season 3	11	April 9, 2023 – June 18, 2023	8.15/10
Demon Slayer Season 4	8	May 12, 2024 – June 30, 2024	8.01/10

Well then, how much do you agree with this ranking? Sure, it’s subjective since everyone has their own favorite parts of the story, but considering the overall fan reception and our own discretion, this ranking should be pretty fair. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Demon Slayer anime is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.