In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kind-hearted and intelligent boy who lives

with his family in the mountains. He has become his family's sole source of income
after the passing of his father, making trips to the nearby village to sell
charcoal. Everything changes when he comes home one day to discover that his family
has been attacked and slaughtered by a demon. Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko are the
sole survivors of the incident, with Nezuko being transformed into a demon, but
still surprisingly showing signs of human emotion and thought. After an encounter
with Giyu Tomioka, a demon slayer, Tanjiro is recruited by Giyu to also become a
demon slayer and begins his quest to help his sister turn human again and avenge
the deaths of the rest of his family.[9]

Production
In 2013, Koyoharu Gotoge debuted in the 70th Jump Treasure Newcomer Manga Awards
with his work Ka Gari Gari (?????).[10][11] His next works were three one-shot
series; Monju Shiro Kyodai (??????) published in the 2nd issue of Jump Next! in
2014, Rokkotsu-san (????) published in the 39th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump in
2014, and Haeniwa no Zigzag (???????) published in the 21st issue of Weekly Shonen
Jump in 2015.[12] After Haeniwa no Zigzag failed to become a serialized series,
Tatsuhiko Katayama, Gotoge's first editor, suggested to start a series with an
"easy to understand theme".[13] Gotoge debut work Ka Gari Gari would be the base
for a first storyboard titled Kisatsu no Nagare (?????), since it had concepts like
swords and demons, which the Japanese audience is familiar with.[13] Due to its
serious tone, lack of comic relief and dark story, the storyboard did not make the
cut for serialization. Katayama asked Gotoge if he could write a brighter, a more
normal character in the world that has been created.[13] The original title was
planned to be Kisatsu no Yaiba (????), but they felt the character "satsu" (?, lit.
"kill") was too strong. The word "kimetsu" (??) seemed an easy to understand word,
and although it does not have a real meaning, Gotoge thought it would be
interesting to abbreviate the series' title that way, while the word "yaiba" (?,
lit. "blade") implies a Japanese sword.[13]

Media
Manga
Further information: List of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba chapters
Written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotoge, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba started
in the 2016's 11th issue of Shueisha's shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump on
February 15, 2016.[10] In April 2020, it was announced that the series would reach
its climax in the 23rd issue of Weekly Shonen Jump on May 11, 2020.[14] The series
finished in the 2020's 24th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump, published on May 18, 2020.
[15][16] Shueisha has compiled the manga chapters into individual tankobon volumes,
with the first volume being published on June 3, 2016.[17] In April 2020, it was
announced that volume 20 has been delayed to two weeks due to the COVID-19
pandemic.[18] As of May 2020, twenty volumes have been released.[19]

Shueisha began simultaneously releasing the series in English on the Manga Plus
service in January 2019.[20] Viz Media published the first three chapters of the
series in its digital magazine Weekly Shonen Jump as part of the "Jump Start"
program.[21][22] During their panel at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20, 2017, Viz
announced that they had licensed the manga for the North American market.[22]

Spin-offs
A side story for the manga was published in the first issue of Shonen Jump GIGA on
July 20, 2016.[23] Kimetsu no Yaiba: Tomioka Giyu Gaiden (???? ???? ??), a two-
chapter manga spinoff, was published in the 18th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen
Jump in 2019. Gotoge is credited with the original work, and Ryoji Hirano drawn the
manga. The manga follows the character Giyu Tomioka.[24]

Kimetsu no Aima! (???????!), a colored 4-koma spinoff by Ryoji Hirano, was

serialized between April 7 and September 29, 2019, on Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ app
and website. The manga featured chibi versions of the characters from the main
series.[24][25]

In May 2020, after the main series finished, a spin-off titled Kimetsu no Yaiba:
Rengoku Gaiden (???? ????), illustrated by Ryoji Hirano and centered on Kyojuro
Rengoku, was announced to be released.[16]

Light novels
A light novel, titled Demon Slayer: Flower of Happiness (???? ??????, Kimetsu no
Yaiba Shiawase no Hana), by Gotoge and Aya Yajima, was published in Japan on
February 4, 2019. It chronicles the lives of Tanjiro and Zenitsu before the start
of the main series, as well as glimpses into the lives of Aoi and Kanao.[26] It
also features a single chapter of an alternate universe where the characters of the
series are attending an ordinary high school.

A second light novel, titled Demon Slayer: One-Winged Butterfly (???? ????, Kimetsu
no Yaiba Katahane no Cho), by Gotoge and Yajima was published in Japan on October
4, 2019. It details the lives of Shinobu and Kanae Kocho before and soon after they
joined the Demon Slayers after Himejima Gyomei saved their lives.[27][28]

A third light novel, titled Demon Slayer: The Wind's Telltale Signs (???? ??????,
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Kaze no Michishirube), centered on Sanemi Shinazugawa, will be
published on July 3, 2020.[29].