Demon Slayer could give fans an anime original ending, and season 4 will decide it

The Demon Slayer series shot to fame when the anime adaptation first hit screens. While the manga sales were good, the anime really put the series on the map, and it soon became the hottest modern shonen anime series. There are plenty of reasons why this series is successful, some of them being characters that are well-written, animation that is top-tier, and pacing, which fans find incredible.

There are two main reasons why the pacing in the anime adaptation is great. The first reason is that it strictly adapts what has been shown in anime. The second reason is that it’s a seasonal anime and, therefore, doesn’t create any filler episodes or filler arcs.

However, there is a slight chance that the series could go against the very formula that they perfected and potentially give fans an ending that is different from the manga. This could be decided in season 4. Fans are keen to understand why the anime could potentially diverge from the manga and how season 4 plays an integral role in this regard.

Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers for the Demon Slayer manga chapters.

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How Demon Slayer season 4 could be an indicator of whether or not fans might get an anime-original ending

Key visual of the fourth season of the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

Before we get into speculations about season 4, let us understand why the anime might shift its path from the manga despite animators religiously adapting the source material. Those who have read the manga will remember the time the final arc was taking place. At that point in time, fans weren’t particularly happy with how the manga concluded.

While Kibutsuji Muzan died at the hands of demon hunters, the manner in which it was done wasn’t particularly satisfying. At that time, the manga was releasing chapters on a weekly basis. This is why the contents shown in the manga felt a tad bit rushed.

In fact, characters like Kokushibo, the Upper Moon 1 demon, barely received any screen time in the manga series. While he is involved in one of the most entertaining fights in the story, this character could have been fleshed out more.

Additionally, the fight against Muzan didn’t last as long as fans expected. The final fight felt far from satisfactory, and it missed an element of grandeur and visual spectacle that is typical of any shonen final battle. Since these were some of the weak points of the story, Ufotable could flex its creative muscles and potentially give fans an anime-original ending.

So, how does season 4 play a role in this regard? It has been announced that the upcoming season will be adapting the Hashira Training arc of the manga series. This is one of the smallest sections of the overarching story. However, given that an entire season is dedicated to this, it could indicate anime-original episodes. Since there are only nine chapters in total, its contents would likely be covered in about three episodes, given the first episode is one hour long.

If the season showcases enough anime-original content, there is a very high chance that the ending could also deviate from what the manga shows. If not an entirely different ending, fans can certainly expect Ufotable to add more to the existing content that is available in the source material.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

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