The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba franchise is in the midst of its Infinity Castle trilogy, with the first film already the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. A full-series rerun is airing weekly on Fuji TV, and the second season of the Gosho Aoyama adaptation Shin Samurai-den YAIBA will begin broadcasting on BS12 Twelli in July 2026.
The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba franchise is currently defined by the Infinity Castle trilogy. The first film, released as Infinity Castle Arc - Chapter 1: Akaza's Return, has grossed $722 million worldwide, including $134.5 million in North America, making it the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. Crunchyroll is releasing it on over 3,300 screens in North America, and projections from Anime By The Numbers indicate it will become the highest-grossing anime movie in US history, surpassing Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back. The prior Demon Slayer film, Mugen Train, earned just under $50 million in 2021.
Producer Hikaru Kondo of ufotable discussed the trilogy's production with The Hollywood Reporter, describing his role as sending creative prompts to the studio's roughly 300 in-house staff. When asked about a reported $20 million budget, Kondo declined to confirm the figure but noted that a Hollywood sequel with similar box office performance would justify a budget of $100 million to $150 million. Aniplex producer Yuma Takahashi said he would "sincerely try my best" regarding budget for future installments. Kondo also addressed ufotable's history of receiving offers from Hollywood studios, stating the company evaluates each project individually without changing its fundamental production approach.
Beyond the films, the franchise continues to expand through merchandise and broadcast. The GARRACK mechanical watch line added two new models inspired by Genya Shinazugawa and Kanao Tsuyuri, using Kanazawa gold leaf in collaboration with Demon Slayer. Rakuten Group launched a second collaboration campaign to promote the Blu-ray and DVD release of Infinity Castle Arc - Chapter 1: Akaza's Return, offering exclusive merchandise. A full-series rerun of the anime began on April 5, 2026, airing weekly on Fuji TV. Separately, the second season of the Gosho Aoyama adaptation Shin Samurai-den YAIBA will begin broadcasting on BS12 Twelli's Anime 26 block on Fridays starting July 2026.
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BS12 Twelli's late-night anime block Anime 26 will broadcast two series starting July 2026: Captain Tsubasa (Elementary School Arc) on Mondays and Shin Samurai-den YAIBA on Fridays. The Captain Tsubasa arc covers Tsubasa Ozora's elementary school years, while Shin Samurai-den YAIBA is the second season of the Gosho Aoyama adaptation.
Two new mechanical watches inspired by Genya Shinazugawa and Kanao Tsuyuri have joined the GARRACK lineup, which uses Kanazawa gold leaf in collaboration with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Pre-orders open June 5, 2026, with a release date of July 3 and a price of 74,800 yen each.
Crunchyroll announced its Anime Expo lineup for July 3-4 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, featuring over 20 programming blocks. Highlights include a Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle event with the voice cast and ufotable footage, panels for The Apothecary Diaries Season 3, Gachiakuta Season 2, and new acquisitions like Goodbye, Lara and Tomb Raider King.
Rakuten Group has launched a second collaboration campaign with Demon Slayer to promote the Blu-ray and DVD release of Infinity Castle Arc - Chapter 1: Akaza's Return. Participants across Rakuten services can win an original drawstring bag featuring a newly drawn illustration of the Shopping Panda with Demon Slayer characters. The campaign runs until August 31.
Crunchyroll is releasing Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle on over 3,300 screens in North America, six times the average for an anime release over the past decade. According to Anime By The Numbers, even the most conservative estimates project the film will become the highest-grossing anime movie in US history by box office receipts. The previous record holder among anime films in the US is Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back, which earned $85 million in 1999. The prior Demon Slayer film, Mugen Train, earned just under $50 million in 2021, helped by its timing as the first wide anime release after COVID lockdowns. Infinity Castle has already broken records internationally: it is the second-highest grossing film in Japanese box office history, the best-performing animated film ever in Taiwan, and the third best-performing animated film in South Korea. The newsletter notes that Crunchyroll and GKIDS have recently pushed for longer theatrical runs for anime, with Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye nearly doubling its box office after opening weekend. Deadline is cited reporting that anime moviegoers buy tickets upfront and attend early, with little walk-up business.
The full-series rerun of the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba aired episode 9, titled Handball Demon and Arrow Demon, on May 31, 2026. In the episode, the demon Kibutsuji Muzan sends the Handball Demon Susamaru and the Arrow Demon Yahaba to attack the house of the demon doctor Tamayo. The Handball Demon's ball strikes Yushiro's head, blowing it off, and Nezuko's foot is severed by an attack. Both demons are members of the Twelve Kizuki, the direct subordinates of Muzan. Yushiro, also a demon, regenerates his head and lends his Blood Demon Art to Tanjiro, allowing him to see arrows that indicate the direction of attacks. The Handball Demon is voiced by Mikako Komatsu, known for roles in Jujutsu Kaisen and Star Twinkle PreCure. The Arrow Demon is voiced by Jun Fukuyama, known for Code Geass and Osomatsu-san. Fukuyama commented that the animation layout made him question how it would move. The rerun began on April 5, 2026, and airs weekly on Fuji TV.
Hikaru Kondo, founder and producer of ufotable, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the production of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, the first film in a planned trilogy adapting the final arc of Koyoharu Gotouge's manga. The film has grossed $722 million worldwide, including $134.5 million in North America, making it the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. Kondo described his role as sending creative prompts to the studio's roughly 300 in-house staff, with storyboards serving as a launch pad for animators to experiment with action sequences and camera motion. When asked about a reported $20 million budget, Kondo declined to confirm the figure but noted that a Hollywood sequel with similar box office performance would justify a budget of $100 million to $150 million. Aniplex producer Yuma Takahashi, who joined the conversation, said he would "sincerely try my best" regarding budget for future installments. Kondo also addressed ufotable's history of receiving offers from Hollywood studios, stating the company evaluates each project individually without changing its fundamental production approach. He emphasized that the studio's strength comes from long-term staff retention and a trial-and-error process blending 2D and 3D animation.