- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle became the first anime movie to finish the year in the box office Top Ten after earning over $700 million.
- The film, which picks up where the series left off, was praised for its animation quality but criticized for its pacing, with some viewers noting lengthy flashback sequences during fights.
- Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle out-earned major 2025 superhero movies, becoming the most successful international film in United States history and paving the way for more anime films to receive major theatrical releases.
There’s no use denying the popularity of Demon Slayer. The anime has become one of the most popular on the planet in the last few years, culminating with the record-setting launch of the film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle in August of 2025. For the first time, an anime movie finished the year in the box office Top Ten after earning over $700 million. It was more successful than any superhero movie of 2025, and now, it’s available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Infinity Castle Is Demon Slayer’s Endgame
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle picks up right where the series ended, with the united Hashira raiding the interdimensional headquarters of the Demon Lord Muzan. Tanjiro, Giyu, and Zenitsu hold their own alongside the more experienced and more powerful Hashira as the Upper Rank demons try picking them off amid the maze structure of the Castle. As usual for the series, the actual plot description can be “Demon Hunters and Demons have gorgeous duels” but anyone who’s seen the series knows, it’s going to be a lot deeper than that.
At the time of its release, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castlewas knocked by some for its poor pacing. Viewers complained that during the middle of a fight it would shift to a lengthy flashback sequence about one of the combatants. That’s a sign that they never watched the show which did the exact same thing in every single arc. And it works as well in the movie as it did in the series by adding layers to even the most heinous of demons, specifically this time, Akaza, the Upper Rank Three demon from the Mugen Train arc.
Demon Slayer Beat Every 2025 Superhero Movie
Defying all expectations, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castleearned $793 million worldwide, setting records for the largest opening day release in Japan, and becoming the most successful international film in United States history. UFOTABLE’s masterpiece out-earned Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, and Supermanwhile it cost only $20 million to make. Amazingly, the movie also managed to look even better than the series itself, which already had the smoothest animation ever seen.
The success of Demon Slayer jumping from a series to movies in order to finish the story has helped pave the way for more anime films getting major pushes in U.S. theaters. There’s continued talk of Solo Leveling, which released two episodes in theaters, getting a new movie, and special one-night event viewings of classic anime, including Akira and Ghost in the Shell, keep bringing in massive crowds.
Yet, the problem with Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is that it is the start of the final arc and the worst possible entry point for new viewers. The next two movies will be even worse, and can you imagine someone watching Infinity Castle Part 3 as their first Demon Slayer experience?
Infinity Castle Part 2 is expected to arrive in 2027, and then be available on streaming in 2028, while Infinity Castle Part 3 will debut in 2029, and hit streaming in the made up year of 2030. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castleis now on Crunchyroll for anyone who missed its historic theatrical run. The traditional anime series is available on both Crunchyroll and Netflix in case you need to get caught up.
