Demon Slayer’s third season spanned the entire Swordsmith Village story arc, picking up where the Entertainment District arc left off. This short but exciting story arc made a serious effort to flesh out the world of Demon Slayer and the characters who live in it, and even if Season 3 often stumbled, it still had some cool tricks up its sleeve.
Demon Slayer Season 3 had some exciting plot twists in store, some of which were a total game-changer in the battle against demons. Other plot twists in Season 3 were more minor and affected just one or two characters, but these intriguing twists still kept viewers on their toes and made Season 3 a blast to watch.
10 Hotaru Haganezuka Was Unmasked At Last
The character Hotaru Haganezuka was introduced early in Demon Slayer as a passionate crafter of katanas. He personally delivered Tanjiro Kamado’s first sword, and when he did, Tanjiro was taken aback by Hotaru’s colorful mask. Tanjiro soon got used to it and evidently accepted that he’d never see Hotaru’s actual face.
Demon Slayer fans certainly looked behind the mask in Season 3 when Gyokko was on a rampage. At great risk, Hotaru finished sharpening a blade, and his mask came off, showing fans his surprisingly handsome looks, including his long hair and vivid eyes. In fact, his real appearance is now a bit of a meme.
9 Everyone At The Swordsmith Village Wore Masks
Hotaru may have been unmasked in Demon Slayer’s third episode, but that was the exception. When protagonist Tanjiro Kamado arrives at the Swordsmith Village, he learns that everyone there wears masks like Hotaru’s, and even the mayor welcomes Tanjiro while wearing one.
Tanjiro and Demon Slayer fans didn’t expect absolutely everyone in the village to wear these masks, but it was a necessary precaution. Even Tanjiro’s young friend, Kotetsu, kept his mask on, not even removing it to wipe his eyes while crying.
8 Genya & Sanemi Were Revealed As Bitter Rivals
Tanjiro met the aggressive demon slayer rookie Genya Shinazugawa back in Season 1, and in Season 3, Genya returned and got more character development. Tanjiro also learned that Genya and his older brother, the Wind Hashira Sanemi, don’t get along at all.
Tanjiro and Mitsuri Kanroji were both dismayed to learn that the brothers were so hostile to one another, but it couldn’t be helped. This also made Genya’s character more compelling and sympathetic than before, and that was far from his character’s only twist in Season 3, either.
7 Genya Used A Shotgun In Combat
Genya Shinazugaewa shocked everyone when, in response to Hantengu’s ferocious attack, he produced a double-barreled shotgun and opened fire. Until then, no firearms had been seen in Demon Slayer, but Genya was perfectly comfortable using one, and that opened up new possibilities for the combat system.
Genya’s shotgun wasn’t enough to kill Hantengu, but his specialized ammo still hurt, and demons don’t have natural defenses against such weapons. It’s possible that if Genya returns in a future season, he’ll bring that shotgun and blast away the remaining Upper Moons, too.
6 Genya Became A Half-Other
In Demon Slayer Season 3, Genya Shinazugawa was full of surprises, including his ability to become an unofficial half-other. He didn’t gain true demon powers like Nezuko did, but he could use a special breathing technique to get the strength and appearance of a proper demon.
That helped Genya even the odds against the mighty Hantengu, and even Tanjiro was taken aback. Genya could even “cannibalize” Hantengu’s flesh to regain strength and heal himself somewhat, which might remind anime fans of Ken Kaneki’s ghoul cannibalism in Tokyo Ghoul.
5 Nezuko Kamado Survived The Sun
Season 3’s single biggest plot twist concerned Tanjiro’s beloved little sister, Nezuko. Until now, Tanjiro took great care to shield Nezuko from the sun, and in Season 3, Nezuko finally saw the sun’s rays. She started to burn away, and a reluctant Tanjiro abandoned her to go finish off Hantengu.
To Tanjiro’s astonishment, Nezuko survived the sunlight and healed herself. From that moment on, Nezuko became Japan’s first sun-resistant demon, and her demonic attributes were toned down, too. It was a miracle in Tanjiro’s eyes, and it also means he no longer has to carry Nezuko around in that wooden backpack.
4 Muzan Decided To Target Nezuko Kamado
The villain Muzan Kibutsuji spent centuries seeking a way to become immune to sunlight, and his best lead was the mysterious, elusive blue spider lily. The Upper Moons had a job to find that flower, but Muzan abruptly abandoned it once he heard about Nezuko’s sunlight immunity.
An intrigued Muzan decided at once to find and capture Nezuko at all costs, which made her a target for the first time. Until then, Muzan cared little about Nezuko the demon, but now she is his singular goal, and that should ratchet up the tension in future Demon Slayer episodes.
3 Muichiro Tokito Was Convinced To Fight For Others
At first, the stoic Muichiro Tokito was surprisingly callous toward other people, treating them roughly while acting entitled as the Mist Hashira. He pushed around Kotetsu and didn’t intend to protect him from Gyokko, but then Tanjiro Kamado spoke up and changed his mind.
Muichiro was convinced to fight not just for duty’s sake but to protect the innocent, and he took this to heart. In a matter of seconds, Muichiro became a compassionate, idealistic fighter who wasn’t afraid to show and act on his strong feelings for the people who needed him the most.
2 The Yoriichi Type Zero Doll Was Introduced
Demon Slayer’s third season briefly introduced the Upper Moon 1, Kokushibo, then introduced what appeared to be his twin in the Swordsmith Village. It was a false alarm — this being was not Kokushibo but a mechanical doll based on someone named Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
The Yoriichi Type Zero is an advanced training doll designed to challenge high-ranked demon slayers, and Muichiro made good use of it. The doll was also falling apart, and after its head came off, Tanjiro and Kotetsu saw a hidden treasure inside — an old, rusted sword from a bygone era.
1 Mitsuri & Muichiro Used Their Demon Slayer Marks
Mitsuri Kanroji and Muichiro Tokito are both powerful Hashira, but even they struggled against Gyokko and Hantengu, both Upper Moon demons. During moments of extreme distress, Mitsuri and Muichiro turned it all around with the activation of their demon slayer marks, an important plot twist in Season 3.
These marks ensured Mitsuri’s and Muichiro’s survival, and Muichiro even slew Gyokko single-handedly with this power. Now the question is when and if other Demon Slayer heroes like Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu can also activate these marks before facing the remaining Upper Moons.
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