Demon Slayer Has Ended, But Its True Successor Is Already Here

Demon Slayer debuted in 2019 and instantly took the anime community by storm. It quickly cemented its place as one of the greatest titles in the shōnen genre, chronicling the journey of Tanjiro and his sister, Nezuko Kamado. Safe to say, it has built a dedicated fanbase around the world, and now it is enriching the lore with a trilogy of movies.

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By  Rei Penber

The first installment of the three-part Demon Slayer movie called Infinity Castle Part 1 — Akaza’s Return, premiered this year across Japan, Korea, Thailand, and several other countries, amassing huge profits at the box office. It is set to release today in the United States, and is hoped to rake in huge numbers. But even as Demon Slayer is committed to expanding its legacy, its reign is nearly ending. With that in mind, a new anime will reach Crunchyroll and claim the title of its successor.

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 Is A Global Phenomenon

Pre-booking for Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 — Akaza’s Return opened last month, and generated over $10M in pre-sales. The numbers are astounding, especially considering that outside its strongholds of Japan and Korea, the anime industry faces stiff competition from Hollywood in Europe and North America. So, essentially beyond its home turf, the pool of competition widens with English-language blockbusters and other foreign-language films.

However, it is worth noting that Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 — Akaza’s Return garnered $10 million in pre-sales within just 3 days in the United States, whereas Superman (2025) took 4 weeks to reach the $20 million mark. The stark contrast between these numbers highlights the extraordinary demand for Demon Slayer. It also indicates the space anime industry has an established space for itself in the American market.

Bidding farewell to the Demon Slayer franchise is no easy task, as it inevitably stirs a wave of nostalgia. Tanjiro captured the hearts of viewers with his compelling underdog journey. Like many shōnen heroes, Tanjiro battles numerous odds to rise above the rest. His story begins in tragedy, with him losing his family in a Demon massacre and his sister, Nezuko’s transformation into a demon. Tanjiro, driven by grief and retribution, joins the Demon Slayer Corps with an aim to end the reign of terror unleashed by the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji.

Demon Slayer remains an unforgettable anime, with Tanjiro and Nezuko standing as equally unforgettable characters. Since it is easily accessible on platforms such as Crunchyroll and Netflix, it will invite a new generation of fans in the upcoming years. Yet, even with Demon Slayer’s compelling tale of sacrifice, retribution, and compassion, the time has come for a new title to rise and claim its place as its next successor.

The True Successor To Demon Slayer

The new manga comes from the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist and is currently in production. The anime industry is well acquainted with the name Hiromu Arakawa, who is behind the acclaimed shōnen manga series, Fullmetal Alchemist. Arawaka went to create Silver Spoon (2011) and later, began working on the ongoing Daemons of the Shadow Realm. So far, it has been collected in 10 volumes.

The anime adaptation of Daemons of the Shadow Realm was officially announced during Crunchyroll’s Anime Expo 2025 industry panel. This reveal came alongside a teaser visual and trailer, with Crunchyroll confirming that it will stream the anime across North America, Europe, Central and South America, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent.

Daemons Of The Shadow Realm: What We Know About Hiromu Arakawa’s Manga So Far

In 2021, Arakawa began serializing Daemons of the Shadow Realm in Square Enix’s Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine, with nine volumes released in Japan to date. The English-language edition of the manga, published by Square Enix, has been described as:

In a world where certain humans command mighty supernatural duos called Daemons, it is the birthright of “the children who sunder day and night” - twins Yuru and Asa - to rule over these powerful entities.

Separated from a young age and unaware of the truth of their birth, brother and sister must fight to make their way back to each other, claim their birthright, and save the world…

Those even remotely familiar of Arakawa’s works will recognize that Daemons of the Shadow Realm is a return to her signature brand of fantasy storytelling, echoing many themes of her previous work, in Fullmetal Alchemist. While there are differences between the two, at its heart, Daemons of the Shadow Realm also follows the story of two siblings, drawing a clear parallel to Edward Elric and Alphonse from Fullmetal Alchemist.

The core difference between the siblings Yuru and Asa in Daemons of the Shadow Realm and Ed and Al in Fullmetal Alchemist lies in the nature of their bond. Ed and Al were completely dependent on each other, and their relationship was marked with unwavering trust, while Yuru couldn’t place the same level of trust in Asa. Ed and Al didn’t have much besides each other, which made their relationship one of absolute trust and mutual dependence. By contrast, Yuru was raised in the safety of a village, while Asa has more knowledge about the world beyond hinterlands.

In essence, Arakawa offers a complete inversion of Ed and Al’s relationship from Fullmetal Alchemist in Daemons of the Shadow Realm.

How Daemons of the Shadow Realm Compares to Demon Slayer

Fullmetal Alchemist can very well be regarded as the defining work of the past decade, while Daemons of the Shadow Realm has a much more modern flair in its storytelling. Beyond the obvious Fullmetal Alchemist comparison, Daemons of the Shadow Realm has fairly in common with Demon Slayer. First and foremost, both titles are defined by sibling relationships which are tested by demonic, evil forces.

As such, Daemons of the Shadow Realm is well-positioned to step into the vacuum left behind by Demon Slayer. Even their titles have a certain resonance, and more than most, one of the best-known animation studios, Bones spearheading Daemons of the Shadow Realm adaptation, will ensure the same level of quality it has delivered over the years. From one mega-hit shōnen to the next, the current streaming cycle is packed with many contenders. With Demon Slayer’s story entering the culmination stage, Arakawa's storytelling will win over the audiences once again.

The Notable Works Of Bones Over The Years

The legacy of studio Bones shines through its diverse catalog, which includes titles such as Bungo Stray Dogs, Soul Eater, Darker than Black, Carole & Tuesday, Eureka Seven, Mob Psycho 100, Space Dandy, My Hero Academia and most notably, it delivered a near-faithful adaptation of Arakawa’s beloved manga with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

There is no doubting Bones’ flair, with an impressive portfolio spanning both manga as well as original anime. Over the years, Bones has delivered everything ranging from slice-of-life stories to action-packed adventures and comedic sci-fi. Arakawa’s original Fullmetal Alchemist adaptation arrived in the year 2003. It followed Ed and Al’s journey but gave their story a different ending, thus becoming quite different from the original manga. While loved by many, in 2009 and 2010, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood offered a truer conclusion to Ed and Al’s tale, leading many to pick it over the 2003 adaptation.

Despite the announcement, Daemons of the Shadow Realm does not have a release date yet. In the meantime, fans waiting for this Demon Slayer successor can dive into the manga to find out how Yuru and Asa were separated, the events leading up to their eventual reunion, and the story onward.