Demon Slayer: The 7 Big Differences Between Season 2 & Manga!

Find out what's different about this part of the anime compared to the manga!

Kimetsu no Yaiba is one of the most beloved anime by otaku since its release in April 2019. The work impresses with the quality of its animation and its faithfulness to the manga created by Koyoharu Gotoge, something that has been increasingly praised by the general public.

But even though the work has followed the events of the original material as closely as possible, there are some differences in Demon Slayer in terms of animation. Want to know exactly where the second season departed from the manga in order to make use of a little creative freedom? Stick with us and we'll explain it to you!

Which scenes did you miss

It's important to note that although there are differences in Demon Slayer when comparing the manga and the second season of the anime, almost nothing has actually been removed or changed. Fans of both versions of the work often express their satisfaction with the final result of the material, which is not usually the case.

The second season covered the entire Entertainment District arc and lasted 11 episodes in total, two of which were extended. In the end, 30 entire chapters of the manga were represented as faithfully as possible, with a few creative liberties added here and there. Check out the differences between the manga and the second season below:

The swords of Tengen

A very important secret has been omitted from the anime
A very important secret has been omitted from the anime

This isn't exactly one of the differences in Demon Slayer, but it could be considered a kind of omission. As the manga has the possibility of exploiting narration boxes, there is a page where it is explained that the nunchako swords used by the hashira of sound have a high explosive power that few people have come out alive after facing, but this detail doesn't appear at any point in the anime.

This is probably because the producers of the animated version couldn't find a practical way of inserting this information into the animation, but if you pay close attention, you can see that this detail hasn't been completely excluded.

Throughout Tengen's fight against Gyutaro there are several very powerful explosions, which indicates that the hashira was using all of his weapons to get the better of the fight.

The start of the arc

Nezuko and Tanjiro's fight against Spider Woman only exists in the anime
Nezuko and Tanjiro's fight against Spider Woman only exists in the anime

Instead of cutting important parts of the manga, the second season has a series of scenes added to enhance the story itself. A great example of this is the beginning of the Entertainment District arc, which is the one adapted by the anime, where Tanjiro returns from a mission before everything starts to happen.

The point is that this mission is only mentioned in the manga, while in the anime, the boy and his sister are shown fighting a spider demon. In the story itself, this change makes no difference and doesn't detract from understanding, but it's always nice to be able to see the well-animated fights that this work brings to fans, so it was a very welcome addition.

The introduction of Tengen

The way Tengen appears at the beginning of the arc is also different in the manga
The way Tengen appears at the beginning of the arc is also different in the manga

Another difference in Demon Slayer is the way Tengen is introduced in the arc. In the manga he and the boys just go straight to the House of Glycinia, while in the anime there is a scene of Inosuke and Zenitsu getting up to mischief while Tengen ends up acting as a sort of babysitter for the two.

The scene in which he has to chase them is also an addition exclusive to the anime, but it helped to better establish the relationship between the hashira and the boys. All in all, it was a fun addition that generated humor and helped the plot progress.

The flashback at the Uzui family tomb

The additional flashback served to bring the audience closer to the character
The additional flashback served to bring the audience closer to the character

Another of the differences between the second season and the manga is present in Tengen's flashback where he and his wives visit the Uzui family tomb. Although this scene doesn't exist in the manga, it helps the viewer to understand the love that exists between them and the hashira of sound and also to get closer to him as a character.

For many people, Uzui may seem like a shallow, womanizing character at first glance, but this addition to the plot has given him several more layers than in the manga. The character's depth becomes more visible and his relationship with his wives much clearer.

The time of the battle between Tengen and Gyutaro

The final fight is considered one of the best in Demon Slayer
The final fight is considered one of the best in Demon Slayer

The highlight of the entire second season is certainly the final battle where the hashira of sound faces Gyutaro. But what in the anime is shown as an epic battle, with explosions and uses of the most diverse techniques, in the manga is much shorter and more direct, which becomes one of the most crucial differences in Demon Slayer.

In the original, Tengen masters his score technique, attacks Gyutaro and Tanjiro finishes him off by beheading him. Just like that. The fact that there is more time in this fight makes it all the more interesting and well-crafted, making the viewer cheer and consider it one of the best battles ever presented in anime.

The blades from Gyutaro's corpse

Gyutaro's death has less impact on the manga
Gyutaro's death has less impact on the manga

The issue of the blades that left Gyutaro's corpse after his death was also much more elaborate and epic in the anime. In the animated version, the explosion generated by this almost wiped out the entire city and if it hadn't been for Nezuko and his blood technique, everyone would have been dead.

In the manga, on the other hand, these blades were on a much smaller scale and simply didn't hit anyone. As Gyutaro was a very strong opponent, it was only fair that his death should end up generating gigantic chaos when it was finally carried out, one of the differences in Demon Slayer that was best executed along with the fight itself.

Nezuko's participation

Nezuko is much more involved in the anime
Nezuko is much more involved in the anime

As seen above, Nezuko played a key role when the blades from Gyutaro's body almost destroyed the district and this is one of the differences in Demon Slayer compared to the second season and the manga. She used her blood technique to get rid of some of those blades and keep a lot of people safe by doing so.

In the manga, on the other hand, she was in her box the whole time and didn't play much of a role. This is among the best differences in Demon Slayer presented, as it gave the girl a well-deserved spotlight in the epic fight.

Conclusion

In the end, all the changes made in the second season served to enhance the flow of the story, much more than hinder anything presented by the original material, even if they were differences in Demon Slayer. Fans couldn't be happier with what they've been given!

But what about you? What are your expectations for the fourth season of Demon Slayer? Let us know in the comments! Also check out our article on Artificial Intelligence and take a look at the video below about the Hashira of sound:

YouTube video
Nick Narukame
I got my degree in Literature from the Fluminense Federal University and, since 2011, I've been contributing articles and essays on geek culture to various specialized online and print publications. My interest extends to areas such as dramas, manga, cosplay, games and, of course, chocolate. I am currently an active contributor to Nerd Popular and other digital platforms.

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