This article contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc.
Demon Slayer has peaked with the start of its film trilogy, which officially marked the adaptation of the Infinity Castle arc and the Sunrise Countdown finale. Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1 was released in 2025, and now we just have to wait for the release of the second movie, which is expected to be released in 2027.
When it comes to the next movie, what we are most excited about is the continuation of the fight against Doma, which ended after the death of the insect Hashira Shinobu. In the upcoming battle, we will see the entrance of a new Hashira-level character, Kanao Tsuyuri. Kanao has mastered Flower Breathing, and she will finally get the chance to show off her strength against Doma in flashy style while revealing one of the strongest abilities of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Kanao will enter the fray in Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 2 as a new Hashira tier character
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1: Akaza's Return was released in July 2025 in Japan. The film was extremely well received, and it went on to break box office records both in Japan and globally. The success of this movie can be attributed to the exciting battles that were showcased, where Zenitsu defeated Kaigaku and Tanjiro, with the help of Giyu, took down Akaza. Meanwhile, Shinobu battled Doma. Unfortunately, she died in this fight, but the fight must continue after the series returned. At the end of Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1, we saw the entrance of Kanao, Shinobu's adopted sister. This film made her pick up the fight in the upcoming film where her sister left off. In Infinity Castle Part 2, Kanao is now joined by Inosuke, one of our beloved main characters, and they will both get their time to shine.
It must be said that Kanao's first major battle that we are all about to witness will officially showcase her true strength as a character worthy of being called a Hashira fighter. When Kanao was adopted by the Kocho sisters, she was trained in the art of flower breathing by Kanae, the former Flower Hashira. Even after Kanae's death, Kanao continued to evolve, and she was chosen as Shinobus Tsuguko. As her Tsuguko, technically, after the former's retirement or death, Kanao would have been officially chosen as a new Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps.
Looking at her skills on display in the Doma battle, we can definitely see why Kanao would have been chosen as the next Hashira. In this battle, she fought with all her might, and she was even able to kill him with the help of Inosuke and Shinobu's poison. It must be noted that Doma himself stated in his fight that Kanao, skill-wise, was superior to Shinobu. Kanao is definitely a character that can even beat some of the Hashiras in battle, including the likes of Shinobu and Tengen, and that's all without awakening her Demon Slayer Mark.
Kanao's upcoming fight against Doma will unleash the full potential of flower breathing
Kanao's greatest asset is her Flower Breathing, a sword art she learned directly from Kanae Kocho. Flower Breathing derives from Water Breathing, which in turn derives from Sun Breathing. Flower Breathing relies on speed, dexterity and vision. Technically, until Infinity Castle Part 2, we had never really seen Flower Breathing in action, and this will be fans' first real introduction to the sword art style. So far, Flower Breathing has 7 forms, 5 of which we have already seen in action, and they are:
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Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum
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Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo
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Fifth Form: Peons of Futility
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Sixth Form: Swirling Peach
Of course, we can forget its strongest form, which is its final form: Equinoctial Vermilion Eye.
“Why did you say that? You prepared to sacrifice your own life, so why would you worry about my sight? She was such a kind person, so precious! I wanted to protect her. I wanted to risk my life for her. I wanted to go home together. Final Form of Flower Breathing: Equinoctal Vermillion Eye.” — Kanao in Demon Slayer Chapter 162
Kanao is now set to use the final form at the end of the Doma battle. The Vermillion Eye allows Kanao's vision to reach its maximum potential, concentrating all blood flow in her eyes and allowing her to see the world in slow motion. By using this power, Kanao will be able to defeat Doma and finally land the final strike, which will decapitate the demon. With such a feat, Kanao would definitely have been promoted to the rank of Hashira, Tsuguko or not, among the organization. Unfortunately, after the battle against Muzan until sunrise, the Demon Slayers as a whole cease to exist, as there is no longer a need for the organization with the death of Muzan and the extinction of the demons. This is why Kanao and Tanjiro were never promoted to Hashira at the end of the story.
Kanao's Hashira Level Skills will shine against Muzan as well
Kanao's biggest fight remains the Doma battle, which will see her finally avenge her sisters and ensure their souls rest in peace after years of torment. However, Kanao's Hashira-level skills will shine even after Doma's death. While the Doma battle, which is part of Infinity Castle Part 2, will see her shine the most, fans will still see her return later in the third and final film, which will cover the sunrise arc. In this arc, we get to see the last stand against Muzan, the Demon King himself.
Muzan is much stronger than any of his upper ranks. Because of that, every remaining capable Demon Slayer will take up arms again and fight him in hopes of stopping him until the sun rises and ends him. Hashira and Tanjiro bear the brunt of the burden, bearing the heaviest damage and loss of life. That said, Tanjiro's companions, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Kanao, will also make an entrance near the end of the battle to stop Muzan further. Kanao won't be crucial to victory, but every little contribution helped defeat Muzan.
Kanao will especially shine after the Muzan battle, with Gotouge, the writer, giving her another moment to show off her skill. This is because Kanao will be responsible for stopping the Demon King Tanjiro, who is currently corrupted by Muzan's cells. As Nezuko clings to Tanjiro and tries to talk sense into him, Kanao will save the day by injecting him with the last remaining anti-demon drug given to her by Shinobu. To achieve this feat, she will use her Vermillion Eye once more, completely blinding herself in the process. Without Kanao, the battle and invasion against the demons would undoubtedly have failed. Doma would have survived, and the Demon King Tanjiro would have been born and judged humanity himself. This shows her true meaning, and we absolutely cannot wait to see it all brought to life in the next Demon Slayer release.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 will be officially available to stream on Crunchyroll starting July 28, 2026.
