The Demon Slayer Season 4; the Hashira Arc, introduces and showcases a different kind of pacing from the previous seasons. While the previous seasons had nonstop action, the Hashira Training Arc provides a much-needed focus on the characters.
Up to episode 6, the season provides more time with the Hashiras, some of who we knew next to nothing about, such as Gyomei Himejima, the stone Hashira. He is confirmed to be the strongest current Hashira in the demon slayer corps and we finally learn more about him beyond his calm nature. He is extremely strong as part of the training Tanjiro underwent in episode 6 involved pushing a massive boulder.
We’re also introduced to some character conflicts, like Sanemi Shinazugawa’s poor relationship with his younger brother. While previously shown why in season 3, his brother, Genya Shinazugawa, tries to talk to him and the wind Hashira shuns him. Tanjiro tries to help mend things with them but is beaten by Sameni.
It’s a refreshing change of pace and relatively low stakes as the point of the season is for Tanjiro to come into his own as a Hashira in training. He shows remarkable potential as he completes their training in each episode, outpacing the other members of the demon slayer corps likely due to battling and defeating upper-rank demons previously.
The season, however, shows Muzan Kibutsuji’s desperation to find Tanjiro’s sister, Nezuko, as she is the only demon to conquer the sun. He uses one of the upper-rank demons to spy on the Hashira training grounds but is unable to locate Nezuko as she’s hidden away entirely elsewhere while Tanjiro completes his training.
While we haven’t seen him in recent episodes, Giyu Tomioka finally gets much-needed development despite being the very first Hashira we meet in the show, all the way back to season 1, episode 1. He feels he doesn’t belong in the Hashira ranking as his friend went into training with him only to die protecting him. That’s why his kimono is split into two patterns; to commemorate his friend. Tanjiro tries to convince him to join in on the training but we haven’t seen this play out. I wonder if we’ll be seeing his training in the last two episodes of the season.
Speaking of which, while only two episodes remain of the season, it’s rumored that they’ll be longer in length. Instead of the usual 23-minute runtime, it’ll be twice as long to wrap up the season.
After this, there are only two more arcs left, and presumably, the anime will only have one or two more seasons left. While I’m sad the series will be coming to a close soon, I’m excited for the next arcs to come. I’m not a manga reader, but I know we’ll be entering the highly anticipated Infinity Castle Arc, where I imagine the demon slayer corps will infiltrate the demon’s headquarters and by extension, Muzan’s place.
After that, the final arc is the Sunrise Countdown Arc, which I hadn’t heard of until recently and as an anime-only watcher, I’m nervous about what that entails. I, unfortunately, know a major spoiler that I won’t divulge here, but I’m eager to see how things play out in the end for Tanjiro and his friends.
For now, I’m enjoying the slower pacing of this season and getting to really know the rest of the Hashiras and further character development before the final major battle. Some of these Hashiras desperately needed this development and after multiple seasons of nonstop action, it’s a nice reprieve before the storm that will be the final two arcs. We’ll have to see where this season leaves us and beyond!
