Demon Slayer season 2: How to watch in the US, everything to know

In case you weren't aware, the Demon Slayer franchise is kind of a big deal.

Demon Slayer has been a monumental hit over the last two years. It soared to new heights during the pandemic with the release of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, which became the fastest movie to make over 10 billion yen at the Japanese box office (that's more than $100 million). The film's cumulative earnings surpassed $313 million in December 2020, dethroning Hayao Miyazaki's magnum opus, the critically acclaimed animated fantasy film Spirited Away, which had held the spot since its 2001 release.

Excitement is bubbling now as new Demon Slayer season has arrived! Here's everything you need to know about Demon Slayer season 2.

Demon Slayer season 2 release date

Instead of kicking off with the already announced Entertainment District Arc, as everyone expected, the Mugen Train Arc was adapted into a seven-episode arc that started airing on Oct. 10. This arc included 70 new scenes, new music tracks, episode previews, a new theme song and a never-before-seen episode of Kyojuro Rengoku. The Mugen Train Arc connected season 1 with the Entertainment District Arc (season 2), which'll be an adaptation from the original source material, the manga written by Koyoharu Gotouge. 

The Entertainment District Arc premiered on Sunday, Dec. 5, with an hourlong episode. The Arc will continue from there to broadcast every Sunday in the winter season on Fuji TV, a Japanese television station, giving fans half a year's worth of sword-slashing action.

The news announcement came on Sept. 25 at the conclusion of Fuji TV's special airings of season 1, which culminated with a showing of the Demon Slayer movie, Mugen Train, for the first time on TV. These airings included newly cut footage unseen by those of us who wish we could join the Demon Slayer Corps.

How to watch Demon Slayer season 2 in the US

The Mugen Train Arc and aired episodes of the Entertainment District Arc are now streaming on Funimation Huluand Crunchyroll in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Funimation, Crunchyroll and Hulu are all subscription video-on-demand homes for Demon Slayer, with Funimation leading the pack.

Funimation will release the subbed episodes for English-speaking territories alongside the fall and winter Sunday airings in Japan. The dubbed episodes will come to Funimation and Crunchyroll at a later date.

Where we left off: Recap of season 1 and Mugen Train 

Demon Slayer season 2 will pick up after the events of the fiery clash on the Mugen Train -- the setting for the Demon Slayer movie, where it was rumored that 40 passengers disappeared at the end of season 1. 

The swordsmen trio Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira are dispatched to the train at the end of season 1 to investigate the disappearances, after their rehabilitation training is complete at the Butterfly Mansion The trio is accompanied by Tanjiro's sister-turned-demon Nezuko, as always, and the Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku. (The Hashira are an elite group of Demon Slayer swordsmen.)

Without entering into spoiler territory, let's just say that the Demon Slayers face off against Enmu, a demon of the Twelve Kizuki who's been terrorizing passengers on the Mugen Train. The Twelve Kizuki is the strongest group of demons assembled by Muzan Kibutsuji -- the original demon, who alone can turn humans into demons. 

What's next for the fledgling members of the Demon Slayer Corps? The Entertainment District Arc

The trailer for Demon Slayer season 2 shows Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke and Nezuko heading to Yoshiwara for their next mission, which involves a town with dazzling bright lights and nocturnal tendencies that's "awash in vanity and desire of men and women." Perhaps the perfect place for a demon. 

The Entertainment District Arc will introduce a new major demon, named Daki, the Upper-Rank Six demon, who our bold adventurers must contend with. Daki will be voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro.

A big emphasis is placed on the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, in the trailer and promotional poster, and so we can expect to learn more about his backstory as he leads the mission through the streets of Yoshiwara.

Will there be more stellar music to add to the soundtrack?

Yes. LiSA, who sang the original Demon Slayer themesong, Gurenge, returns to sing the theme songs for the series. The opening theme is called Akeboshi, and the ending theme is called Shirogane. The theme songs for the season 2 opening episode will be performed by Japanese singer Aimer. They're called Zankyo Sanka and Asa ga kuru.