Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has always been a mix of heart breaking tragedy and action packed and the first film of the grand finale trilogy, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle, jumps right into the chaos of the climax. Directed by Haruo Sotozaki and animated by Ufotable, this film picks up where the 4th season left off: Tanjiro and the remaining members of the Demon Slayer Corps are thrown into Muzan Kibutsuji’s hellish castle, a ever changing dimension that twists and turns like a living hell. What follows is 2 and a half hours of non stop battles, emotional punches and revelations that will change the fate of humans and demons alike. But does this film live up to the hype of the previous ones, or does it collapse under its own weight?
If you’re new to Demon Slayer, it’s about Tanjiro, a kind boy turned demon slayer after his family is slaughtered by demons, with his demon sister Nezuko by his side. The series has become a global phenomenon with its smooth animation, beautiful soundtrack and themes of loss, redemption and unbreakable bonds. Infinity Castle drops us into the endgame, scattering the Hashira (the elite slayers) and their allies across Muzan’s ever changing domain. Here they face off against the remaining Upper Rank demons, each battle a brutal test of will, skill and buried traumas. The movie starts with a dizzying freefall into the unknown and immediately throws us into high stakes battles that feel both personal and epic.
Visually, this is Ufotable at their best, pushing the boundaries of what anime can do to create a world that’s alive and terrifying. The Infinity Castle is a work of art: infinite corridors that twist and collapse, Escher-like architecture and fluid dreamlike transitions. Battles erupt in bursts of color and motion—Tanjiro’s Breathing techniques send water ripples like silk, Kyojuro Rengoku’s successors flames like infernal fury. The blend of traditional hand drawn and seamless CGI makes every sword clash a symphony of destruction, the choreography so fluid you feel every parry and thrust. The sound design amplifies the spectacle: the ring of Nichirin blades, the demon roars, Yuki Kajiura’s score swells to fill IMAX screens and turn the theater into a battlefield. No wonder early screenings in IMAX are selling out; the film is too big for anything less than the biggest screen.
But for all its tech, Infinity Castle struggles with the curse of the source material—the Infinity Train arc of the manga, condensed into a feature length. The runtime stretches out like the castle’s endless corridors, bogged down by flashbacks that interrupt the flow every five minutes. Just as a fight is getting good, we’re yanked into a demon’s backstory or a slayer’s memory and the tension just melts away like ink in water. Akaza’s origin story is a standout sequence that explores the seductive cruelty of demonhood and humanity’s own savagery. It humanizes the monster without excusing his actions, and the fight is both exhilarating and heartbreaking. Zenitsu Agatsuma sheds his comic relief skin for a raw heroic arc that finally silences his critics and turns him into a pillar of quiet strength.
Other highlights include Shinobu Kocho’s duel with Doma, a poisonous and poetic showdown, and Inosuke’s feral rage in the chaos. These moments work because they balance spectacle with soul, and remind us why we love these imperfect heroes. Tanjiro is the emotional centre, his empathy clashing with the horrors he faces, and Giyu Tomioka’s stoic support adds a layer of quiet friendship. The voice cast, led by Natsuki Hanae as Tanjiro and featuring powerhouses like Takahiro Sakurai as Akaza, are intense, and their Japanese delivery is so raw that the subtitles can only try to keep up.
But the film’s not complete. As the first of a trilogy, Infinity Castle ends on a cliffhanger, with alliances formed, demons defeated and Muzan just out of reach. It feels more like an extended episode – or three – stitched together for the big screen, like the promo films of old. Newbies will be lost; this isn’t an entry point but a victory lap for fans. Pacing issues aside, the violence is non-stop and graphic: severed limbs, impaled eyes and explosive deaths paint a bloody picture that’s fun for teens but maybe too much for younger kids. Themes of sacrifice and resilience hit hard but are sometimes buried under too much exposition.
In the end, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is an imperfect success—a visually beautiful entry point to the climax of the series that fails in execution but succeeds in concept. It’s why Demon Slayer has so many fans: in a world of demons, it’s the humanity of the slayers that gets us. Viewers will leave the cinema feeling pumped and ready for the next one, casuals will see the craftsmanship, but want a shorter story. As an anime series, it really earns its title: an endless journey of wins and losses, forever etched into the lore of the franchise. If Ufotable can tighten up the pacing for the second and third one, this trilogy could top Mugen Train. For now, it’s an experience that’s worth it—tiresome, brutal and flawed.