This article contains spoilers from the final manga arc of Demon Slayer.
When it comes to the biggest hit anime series of modern times, no series has managed to achieve success on the same scale as Demon Slayerespecially with the release of his brand new movie, Infinity Castle Part 1: Akaza's Return. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle broke all anime theatrical film records, both in Japan and in some overseas countries. Now we eagerly await the next episode, which will continue the trilogy – Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 2. Infinity Castle part 2 doesn't have a release date yet, but through the manga content available for all of us to consume, we know that a beloved Hashira makes a brief comeback from the dead. This Hashira is none other than Shinobu Kocho, and she will have one last moment to shine and send Doma to hell after her death.
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 2 will officially bring Shinobu back from the dead
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 made its debut in Japan in August 2025. It then began its global release a month later, and fans worldwide were able to enjoy some of the most high-stakes battles and intense battles in all of anime. Tanjiro and Giyu vs. Akaza stole the show, but the second biggest battle that stood out to all of us was that of Shinobu Kocho against Doma, Upper Rank 2. Not many fans expected to see a Hashira die as early as they did when this face-off happened. However, Shinobu was doomed from the start due to Doma's overwhelming strength.
Now, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 2 will continue this battle even after Shinobu's death. The fight will be taken up by Kanao, her adopted sister, as well as Inosuke, one of the main trio of Demon Slayers. As you can see, the two fight bravely and give it their all. Due to Shinobu's poison and Doma being greatly weakened, Demon Slayer Chapter 163, which was officially released in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #30 on June 24, 2019, saw Kanao and Inosuke finally being able to land the final blow on Doma and decapitate him. It is precisely this that causes the beloved Hashira to return from the dead in Infinity Castle. Doma goes on to meet Shinobu again in the afterlife in manga chapter 163.
Shinobu: Oh… did you finally die? Good. Now I can rest in peace.
Doma: Ah, you're Shinobu, aren't you? Or Kanae?
Shinobu: Oh, it's okay. You don't have to remember my big sister or me. You make me sick, so don't say my name.”
— Shinobu and Doma's conversation, Demon Slayer Chapter #163
After suffering immensely, Shinobu waited before moving on, as she wanted to see Doma's fall first. This beautiful touch from the author gives us another look at Hashira as she sends Doma to Hell. Doma and Shinobu's conversation is quite emphatic, and needless to say, even he was definitely impressed by the skills and tricks of Hashira the Insect, so much so that he develops romantic feelings for her despite his apathetic nature before. That said, with only hatred in her heart for him, Shinobu was only offended by this confession. Regardless, as fans of Hashira, we found this moment in the manga absolutely brilliant, as the return of a beloved Hashira would always be great to see, especially someone as determined as Shinobi, who sent the Upper Rank 2 Doma to hell with his own great sacrifice.
“Oh, I don't have a heart anymore… but I feel it beating. Is this what people call love? You're cute, Shinobu. This feeling really exists, doesn't it? So does heaven and hell? Hello, Shinobu? Do you want to go to hell with me?” — Doma to Shinobu, Demon Slayer Chapter #163
It is only after their conversation that Shinobu is at peace and can finally move on. Kanao will also have a brief vision of Shinobu joining her older sister Kanae and their parents in the afterlife after several years apart due to Doma.
Demon Slayer's next release will highlight Shinobu's key role in defeating Doma
Insouke and Kanao were both incredibly strong when fighting Doma, with Kanao wielding Flower Breathing to the level of a Hashira and Inosuke harnessing his Beast Breathing to great effect. Both could be said to be Hashira level warriors; however, this alone should not have been enough to defeat Doma. Doma greatly underestimated Shinobu, as her true goal was always to die, and through her death and being consumed by Doma, she always planned to destroy him with 37 kg of the Wisteria poison from the inside.
Without the powerful poison from Shinobu, Doma would have fought Inosuke and Kanao at full strength, and his regeneration would have been so great that he could potentially even regrow his head if he had been decapitated, as seen with Upper Rank 1 Kokushibo and Upper Rank 3 Akaza. Even when he was in an already weakened state, Inosuke and Kanao almost didn't make it. Without Shinobu, this plan would most certainly have failed, and the remaining Demon Slayers would have had to waste more energy and numbers fighting Doma, which could have doomed the entire operation and the final battle against Muzan.
Shinobu's actions will greatly affect the final battle of Demon Slayer
Shinobu met his end in Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1or i Demon Slayer Chapter 143 of the manga. Despite dying so early in the Infinity Castle saga, she remains a central figure in the final war. Besides just poisoning Doma and leading to his eventual demise, there are other ways the Demon Slayers wouldn't have succeeded without her. First, Shinobu was already key in the development of the cure against Muzan, which she created with the help of Lady Tamayo. Without the anti-Muzan drug, the Demon Slayers would have had no chance, as they would have had to fight a full-power Muzan with the greatest regeneration seen in the entire series. The Anti-Muzan drug affected his regeneration and allowed the Demon Slayers to stop him until sunrise.
Shinobu will also have a morality play in the final film, Infinity Castle Part 3. At the end of the Demon Slayer story, Tanjiro is transformed into the next Demon King by Muzan. But thanks to Shinobu giving Kanao a vial of anti-demon medicine to use if things go south, the day is saved. Had Shinobu not given Kano this bottle, the Demon Slayers would have had no way to turn Tanjiro into a human. Tanjiro would have become the official next Demon King, and since he was immune even to the sun, the wrath of the demons would have destroyed all of humanity. In that sense, Shinobu was arguably the MVP of the entire trilogy, as even beyond death her role cannot be underestimated.
At the moment we don't know when Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 2 and Part 3 will premiere. However, the projected dates to see these movies hit theaters are around 2027 and 2029 respectively. The wait is still long, but it will be well worth it with the exciting content ahead, especially when it comes to Hashira Shinobu.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 will be available to stream on Crunchyroll starting July 28, 2026.
