Buckle up Demon Slayers fans. The anime’s fourth season has just begun its exciting run, but with its shorter episode count, fans are already looking ahead.

Fear not, for we’re here to pierce the veil of the unknown and shed some light on what might lie beyond in Demon Slayer season 5.

All hashira in Demon Slayer and its main characters in ONE Esports featured image for article "Who is the strongest Hashira in Demon Slayer?"
Credit: ONE Esports, ufotable
Who is the strongest Hashira in Demon Slayer?

Speculation is rife about what the future holds for the series, but we have some answers that could shed light. 

We delve into the details from potential plot developments to release date predictions to keep you informed. We explore the next potential arc and what you can expect from the Demon Slayer anime as it continues its run.

All the reasons why Demon Slayer Season 5 could arrive ahead of schedule

Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer season 1, a featured image for ONE Esports article "Here are all Demon Slayer episodes from every season and where to watch them"
Credit: ONE Esports, uftotable, Koyoharu Gotouge
Here are all episodes of the anime from every season

At the time of writing, Demon Slayer Season 4, which adapts the Hashira Training arc, reportedly has at least seven episodes. The Japanese animation studio ufotable has yet to reveal the exact number of episodes in the season.

This suggests that season 4 might include filler scenes not present in the manga, similar to the season 4 premiere where we saw the Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro, and the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, raiding a demon stronghold.

Demon Slayer's Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa and Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro with two other hunters about to seige a demon base
Credit: ufotable, Shueisha, Koyoharu Gotouge

This new scene, where the Hashira catches a glimpse of the Infinity Castle, was created specifically for the anime.

While the number of episodes in season 4 is comparable to Demon Slayer season 3, which adapted the Swordsmith Village arc, there is a significant difference in the source material. Season 3’s Swordsmith Village arc had 30 chapters, whereas season 4’s Hashira Training arc has only nine.

Tanjiro Kamado holding and looking at Nezuko's box in ONE Esports featured image for article "Does Tanjiro become a Hashira in Demon Slayer?"
Credit: ONE Esports, ufotable
Does Tanjiro become a Hashira?

The Hashira Training arc is a crucial period for Demon Slayer’s heroes, providing time for reflection as they train, work together, and plan the downfall of Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji.

The real action, however, lies in the next and last arc of the series, the Final Battle arc, which is divided into two parts. If season 4 includes the beginning of the Final Battle arc, fans are in for an exciting ride.

MORE DEMON SLAYER STORIES
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Who is Muzan Kibutsuji? Story, personality, first appearance
Who is Mamoru Miyano, the voice of Demon Slayer antagonist Doma?
How did Tanjiro learn the strongest Breathing Style? We explain his connection to this key character 

The gap between the release of season 1 and season 2 was two years, but the wait time has shortened with each subsequent season.

Season 2 was released in 2022, only a year after season 3, which aired in 2023. Season 4 followed this pattern, premiering just one year later.

Given that season 4 has fewer chapters to adapt, the interval between season 4 and season 5 could be even shorter. If there are no movies released between seasons 4 and 5, we could potentially see season 5 premiere this year, especially if season 4 concludes around July.

READ MORE: Is the Demon Slayer manga finished? Here’s how to start reading the manga