Fans have started comparing Demon Slayer: To The Swordsmith Village to the previous significant Demon Slayer cinematic event, Mugen Train, now that it has had some time to settle in. The general feeling has been that Swordsmith Village is a disjointed film. However, when taken into account in its overall setting, Swordsmith Village actually excels in some areas.
Any anime fan would find it to be an incredible experience to watch the action from the Entertainment District arc on a large screen. Swordsmith Village still has strengths that will excite fans of the show about the upcoming season, even though it can't be said to be a better cinematic experience than Mugen Train.
10 It Doesn't Consume The Entire Season
While Mugen Train was a celebrated movie in many aspects, one issue it presented was the amount of the arc that it covered. Following the release of the movie, fans really had little reason to watch the first half of season 2 as it was already covered in the film.
This is especially important for the Swordsmith Village arc considering the important reveals this Season 3 is sure to have. Condensing everything that happens in the Swordsmith Village arc into an hour plus movie just wouldn’t do the arc's events justice.
9 The Demons Are More Cruel & Terrifying
While the Lower Rank 1, Enmu, is definitely one of the creepiest demons around, the brother-sister combo that make up the Upper 6 are even more sadistic in their brand of violence and evil. Gyutaro and Daki aren't just extremely powerful, they are willing to use that power to make their victims suffer.
One of the hardest scenes to watch in the Season 2 finale was Gyutaro torturing Tanjiro, both verbally and physically. In Mugen Train, Rengoku's skill as a Hashira gave an air of hope to everyone around him, but in the Entertainment District arc, the demons prove far more destructive.
8 The Best Character Never Perishes
Rengoku’s death was the most tragic aspect of the Mugen Train arc and really hit fans in the feels in context of the film. While some would suggest that it made the movie better due to his amazing impact, fans who watched season 2's finale definitely let out a sigh of relief when Tengen was saved by Nezuko.
Tengen still suffers a difficult fate that leads him to retire as a hashira, but it's better than certain death. While making the decision to quit can't have been easy, Tengen's work speaks for itself – he's the first to dispose of one of the Upper Rank demons in the over 100 years.
7 One Hashira Is Not As Good As Three
As opposed to only Rengoku’s appearance in Mugen Train, the end of the Entertainment District arc and the first episode of the Swordsmith Village arc contain multiple Hashira. Specifically, everyone's favorite flashy Shinobi, Tengen, makes his explosive big screen debut.
Similarly, Kanroji makes a splash in one of the most talked about scenes in the series. Finally, in the premiere episode's closing moments, fans even get a sneak peek at Tokito, The Mist Hashira, standing in front of a shadowy figure that looks a lot like Yoriichi.
6 It Provides a Preview of One of the Series' Most Significant Arcs
The Swordsmith Village arc has a ton of huge reveals for the series that can’t be understated. While the Mugen Train arc was awesome and set up Rengoku’s character perfectly, it doesn’t really have the same impact on the story as the Swordsmith Village arc.
Making the Mugen Train arc a full length movie was entirely reasonable given the nature of the subject and the action that took place. However, the same wouldn't really be the case for the Swordsmith Village arc because it covers too many important pieces of information that would make the story suffer if removed.
5 The Entertainment District Arc Had Higher Stakes
While Mugen Train puts the lives of a train full of people at stake, The Entertainment District arc took things a step further. When the duo of the Upper Rank 6, Gyutaro and Daki, release their power, the entire the city is put in danger.
Eventually, the entire city is completely destroyed, revealing the true scope of the Upper 6's power. They all face death at the hands of a demon more closely than ever before, and this is by far the most difficult battle Tanjiro and his friends have had to endure.
4 Tanjiro's Character Shines
In the first episode of the Swordsmith Village arc, Tanjiro's personality comes out in ways that weren't seen in Mugen Train. In contrast to Mugen Train's serious atmosphere and emotional moments, Swordsmith Village's first episode shows the more light-hearted, humorous aspects of Tanjiro that fans know and love.
Tanjiro has a way of being both mature and innocent, both intelligent and naive. His moderate nature contrasts perfectly with Inosuke and Zenetsu, who tend to consistently be on the opposite end of the spectrum.
3 Nezuko Plays A Greater Role
To The Swordsmith Village is a treat for Nezuko fans as it reveals a significant portion of her character outside of her role as a demon. Having her experience a brief moment of respite after the reaction is a much-needed break for her character, even though her strength was unquestionably demonstrated in the battle with the Upper Rank 6.
Nezuko also seems to develop a younger sister relationship with Kanroji in the new season's premiere. It's heart-warming for fans to see a Hashira accept Nezuko so easily despite her condition, as most others tend to respond to her in an understandably hostile way.
2 The Higher Ranks Were Disclosed
The awesome opening moments of the Swordsmith Village arc show fans an inside look at Muzan's secret lair: The Infinity Castle. This scene was beautifully done in the perfect mix of CGI that doesn't overdo it in the wrong places.
As the infinity layers of Muzan's Castle are shown, the remaining Upper Rank Demons are also finally revealed in their totality. The most important of these reveals is the Upper Moon 1, Kokushibo, who bares a striking resemblance to the first Demon Slayer, Yoriichi.
1 The Resolution Is More Optimistic
Mugen Train's ending was infamously depressing, but that was also one of its strengths. Swordsmith Village ended on a much more upbeat and uplifting note, though, after getting the difficult topics out of the way early.
Tanjiro is embarking on a new journey, and the movie made that fact abundantly clear. A serious cinematic experience may have disappointed some moviegoers, but fans of Demon Slayer who wanted to see a preview of one of the most popular anime series of this generation won't be.
