This article contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle arc.
Demon Slayer Officially marking the transformation of the Infinity Castle arc and the Sunrise Countdown finale, the film reaches its climax with the start of the trilogy. Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1 was released in 2025, and now, all that's left is to wait for the release of the second movie, which is expected to release in 2027.
When it comes to the next movie, what we're most excited for is the continuation of the fight against Doma, the insect left behind after the death of Hashira Shinobu. In the upcoming battle, we will see the entrance of a new Hashira-level character, Kanao Tsuyuri. Kanao is adept at Flower Breathing, and she will finally have the chance to demonstrate her power against Doma in impressive fashion, revealing the Demon Slayer Corps' strongest ability.
Kanao will go into battle as a new Hashira level character in Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 2.
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1: Akaja's Return It was released in Japan in July 2025. The film was well received, and went on to break box office records in Japan and worldwide. The film's success can be attributed to the exciting battles shown, in which Zenitsu defeats Kaigaku, and Tanjiro takes down Akaza with Giyu's help. Meanwhile, Shinobu battles Douma. Sadly, he died in this battle, but the fight must continue when the series returns. At the end of Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1, we saw the entrance of Kanao, Shinobuki's adopted sister. This movie set her up to continue the fight in the upcoming movie where her sister left off. In Infinity Castle Part 2, Kanao will now be joined by Inosuke, one of our beloved main characters, and they'll both get their time to shine.
It must be said that Kanao's first big fight that we're all about to see will officially showcase his true strength as a character worthy of being called a Hashira-level fighter. When Kanao was adopted by the Kocho sisters, she was trained in the art of flower breathing by former flower Hashira Kanai. Even after Kanae's death, Kanao continued to develop, and she was chosen as Shinobu's Tsuguko. As her suguko, technically, after the former's retirement or death, Kanao was officially chosen as the new Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Looking at her skills shown in the Doma battle, we can definitely see why Kanao was 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 should be noted that Douma himself stated during their battle that, skill-wise, Kanao was superior to Shinobu. Kanao is definitely a character that can defeat some Hashira in battle, including the likes of Shinobu and Tenzen, and that's all without awakening her Demon Slayer Mark.
Kanao's upcoming battle against Doma will unleash the full potential of Flower Breath
Kanao's greatest asset is her Flower Breathing, a swordsmanship style she learned directly from Kana Kocho. Flower breathing is derived from water breathing, which in turn is derived from sun breathing. Flower breathing depends on speed, dexterity, and vision. Technically, we never really saw Flower Breathing in action until Infinity Castle Part 2, and this will be fans' first real introduction to the swordsmanship style. So far, there are 7 forms of Flower Breathing, 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: Peonies of Vanity
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Sixth Form: Twisted Peach
Of course, we can forget its strongest form, which is its final form: the Equinoctial Vermillion Eye.
“Why did you say that? You were ready to sacrifice your life, so why worry about my vision? 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. Flower Breath Final Form: Equinoctal Vermillion Eyes.” – Kanao in Demon Slayer Chapter 162
Kanao is now set to use the final form at the end of the Doma War. The Vermillion Eye allows Kanao's vision to reach its maximum potential, concentrating all blood flow to his eyes and allowing him to see the world in slow motion. Using this power, Kanao will be able to defeat Douma and finally land the final strike, which will cut off the monster's head. With such an achievement, Kanao would definitely have been promoted to the rank of Hashira, Tsuguko, or the middle of the organization. Unfortunately, after the battle against Muzan until Sunrise, the demon slayers cease to exist as a whole, as there is no need for an organization with Muzan's death and the extinction of the demons. This is why Kanao and Tanjiro were never promoted to Hasira at the end of the story.
Kanao's Hashira level skills will also shine against Muzan
Kanao's greatest battle remains the Doma battle, which will finally avenge his sisters and ensure their souls rest in peace after years of torture. Kanao's Hashira level skills, however, would continue to shine even after Douma's death. While the Battle of Infinity Castle Part 2 will see her shine the most, fans will still see her return in the third and final movie, which will cover the Sunrise arc. In this arc, we will get to see the last stand against Muzan, the king of demons.
Muzan is much stronger than any of his superiors. Because of that, every remaining capable demon slayer will once again take up arms and fight against him, hoping to stop him until the sun rises and finish him off. Hashira and Tanjiro bear the heavy burden of suffering heavy injuries and loss of life. That said, Tanjiro's friends, Genitsu, Inosuke, and Kanao will also make their entrance near the end of the battle to further deter Muzan. Kanao would not play a significant role in the victory, but every little contribution helped defeat Muzan.
Kanao would shine especially after the Muzan battle, giving Gotouge, along with the author, one more moment to show off his skills. This is because Kanao will be responsible for stopping the Demon King Tanjiro, who, at the moment, has been corrupted by Muzan's cells. As Nezuko captures Tanjiro and tries to talk sense into him, Kanao saves the day by injecting him with the last remaining anti-demon drug given to him by Shinobu. To achieve this feat, she will use her Vermillion Eye and become completely blind in the process. Without Kanao, the battle and attack against the demons would undoubtedly fail. Doma would survive, and the Demon King Tanjiro would be born, destroying humanity itself. It shows his true importance, and we can't wait to see it all brought to life in the next Demon Slayer releases.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 will officially be available to stream on Crunchyroll starting July 28, 2026.
