WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba #205, by Koyoharu Gotouge, John Werry and John Hunt, available in English from Viz Media.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has come to an end after 205 chapters, and while fans are sad to say goodbye, the finale gives them a glimpse at the hopeful future Tanjiro and his friends fought to achieve. The ending comes in two parts, the 204th chapter that focuses on the survivors of the series' final confrontation with Muzan Kibutsuji and the 205th that looks several decades ahead.
The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga Ends With a Time Jump
The penultimate chapter, which picks up three months after Muzan's defeat, shows Tanjiro, who has recovered from his near transformation into a demon. The injuries he sustained before his transformation have lasting effects now that he is again human, with his left arm and right eye permanently damaged. During Tanjiro's recovery, the young Kiriya Ubuyashiki, the current leader of the Demon Slayers Corps, holds a final Hashira meeting to disband the organization. After several heartfelt reunions, Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu and Inosuke head to the Kamado family home, with the chapter ending on an image of modern-day Japan.
The 205th chapter, "Life Shining Across the Years," is a time skip that introduces a new generation of characters. Zenitsu's great-grandchild, Yoshiteru, reads a book titled "The Legend of Zenitsu" and discusses the idea of reincarnation with his sister Toko, saying "I believe that everyone who fought demons and died for a peaceful world was reborn into a happier life." This hopeful thought is the backbone of the final chapter of Demon Slayer as the many descendants/reincarnations of our favorite characters make their debut.
The Ending of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Is Hopeful
Kanata and Sumihiko Kamado are the first to be introduced, and it's clear by their appearance that they are Kanao and Tanjiro, respectively. Kanata tries to get his brother out of bed for school, but the lazy Sumihiko continues to sleep. Kanata later meets up with Yoshiteru and Toko, the great-grandchildren of Zenitsu and Nezuko, and the three walk to school together. Just about every panel of this chapter contains some sort of nod to other character's reincarnations, with former Hashiras Uzui, Kanae, Shinobu, Himejima, Tokito, Iguro and Kanroji all making cameos during the trio's journey to school.
Uzui has just won a gold medal for Japan in gymnastics, honoring his lineage as a shinobi, but apparently, he's got a bad-boy attitude. Kanae and Shinobu attend Sekirei Women's Academy, Himejima is a kindergarten teacher and Tokito is seen along with his twin as two babies in a stroller. As Toko and Kanata discuss what to do after school, they mention visiting a diner run by Iguro and Kanroji, meaning the two got their wish of being together in another life.
Meanwhile, Sumihiko finally wakes up and realizes that, if he doesn't hurry, he will be late and ruin his chance at receiving a perfect attendance award. As he acrobatically leaps out his window and sprints to school, the reincarnation train continues with even more characters from the past making an appearance. As Sumihiko runs through a yard, we see Urokodaki and Kuwajima playing a game of Shoji with a TV in the background that mentions Ubuyashiki as the longest living Japanese person ever, breaking their family curse of short life-spans. Sumihiko continues his mad dash to school by jumping over the hood of a patrol car with the Shinazugawa siblings inside, likely playing out the buddy cop comedy that fans deserve. He even runs past Giyu, Sabito and Makomo before eventually joining up with Tojuro, a clear descendant of Rengoku's.
The botanist Aoba Hashibira, Inosuke's descendant/reincarnation, has discovered the Blue Spider Lily - the flower Muzan believed would grant him the perfect immortal body. Also seen is Yushiro, who is still alive and known as a mysterious artist that paints beautiful portraits of Tamayo. Even the swordsmith Haganezuka and rank-and-file members of the Demon Slayer Corps like Murata and Goto make small cameos.
As Sumihiko and Tojuro continue running to school, and away from the Shinazugawa siblings, Tojuro tries to convince Sumihiko to join the Kendo club, believing he would be great at it. While the two make it to school in time, we see Sumihiko's mother receive a phone call notifying her of what her son did. As she speaks on the phone, we see Tanjiro's sword, earrings and a photo of all those who assisted and survived in the great battle against Muzan, whose defeat brought about the bright future they always hoped for.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was a story steeped in the pain and loss suffered by its characters during their journey to make the world a safer place. While nailing a unanimously loved ending is difficult for any series to do, Demon Slayer's hopeful conclusion is a testament to the sacrifices made for a brighter future.
