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Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village arc key visual was first released in February, with the trailer for the upcoming season appearing in April 2022. The series initially announced that new material would be released on October 15, however, this was then pushed back to December 10, 2022.
This has fueled suspicion among fans that Ufotable will drop another longer trailer in December, along with finalized release dates for the upcoming season 3. But with no new information available, this article discusses clues and references to the Swordsmith Village arc provided in the anime up till now.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer anime. All external media in this article are the property of their respective owners.
What fans can expect from the upcoming Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc anime?
What the teaser trailer reveals
The Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village arc teaser trailer depicted a chronological summary of events, dividing them into three separate scrolls. The edges of the first scroll were painted the same color as Tanjiro’s haori, signifying that the first season of the anime focused on Tanjiro’s origins and his journey towards becoming a demon-slayer and awakening his true potential by performing Hinokami Kagura for the first time.
The second scroll, encapsulating the Mugen Train arc, carried the same design as Rengoku’s clock and summarized Rengoku’s fight against Akaza and his death. The scroll was also accompanied by clips appearing on a camera film, symbolic of the first movie of the franchise.
The third scroll was embroidered with an elaborate floral pattern, similar to the ones appearing in the opening sequence for the Entertainment District arc.
The upcoming arc is depicted as a new blank scroll, with its edges decorated with the signature colors of Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, and Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji.
The trailer then showed Tanjiro watching hot metal being molded into a blade, confirming Swordsmith Village as the destination for their next assignment. Tokito and Kanroji were revealed as the Hashiras who will dominate the following arc, and the trailer finished with Tanjiro wearing only his demon slayer costume and wielding a sword.
Clues left in previous seasons of the anime
The very last episode of Demon Slayer: Entertainment District arc anime showed the Upper Moons gathering at Muzan’s Infinity Castle after Daki and Gyutaro were killed. This suggests that a new Upper Moon demon will become the primary antagonist of the upcoming arc, especially because it is unlikely that Muzan will kill off the Upper Moons as flippantly as he had dealt with the Lower Moon demons.
The Entertainment District arc also introduced Demon Slayer Mark for the first time, and as Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu, accompanied by the two Hashiras, face off against even more powerful enemies, it is only a matter of time before the Mark appears again. Tanjiro's similarity to Yoriichi in Muzan's recollections, paired with the Mark, indicates that Tanjiro will someday confront the Demon King and constitute a major threat to his existence.
The parallels between Yoriichi and Tanjiro are very significant in the series. Rengoku's father revealed that Yoriichi was the first Sun Breather, which is thought to be the forefather of all other Breathing Styles. Sun Breathing, also known as Hinokami Kagura by Tanjiro, is the most powerful Breathing Style, capable of momentarily stopping demons from regenerating and healing grievous wounds.
Although Tanjiro can use Sun Breathing to inflict significant damage to demons, he only uses it as a last resort due to the effect it has on his body. The upcoming arc might show Tanjiro making more progress in his mastery of Sun Breathing.
Another reference to the upcoming arc, which appeared in the Demon Slayer: Entertainment District arc opening, was Kyojuro Rengoku’s Nichirin sword handguard. After the Flame Hashira’s death, Rengoku’s younger brother passed the handguard on to Tanjiro. Tanjiro has a propensity for breaking his sword, and his latest sword was heavily damaged at the end of the battle against Daki and Gyutaro.
Tanjiro's attempt to appease the enraged swordsmith Haganezuka will most likely result in him receiving a new sword, complete with Flame Hashira's embellished sword guard. It is also a very fitting addition to his weapon, since Rengoku accepted him as his Tsuguko and Flame Breathing is the closest to Tanjiro’s Hinokami Kagura.
Final thoughts
The upcoming Demon Slayer season 3, animating the Swordsmith Village arc, will also likely elaborate on why Nezuko as a demon was able to survive and even develop a Blood Demon Art despite not eating humans.
Apart from developing the storyline, fans can also expect some exceptional voice acting from the main cast and some phenomenal animation in the hands of Ufotable studios.
