Summary

Demon Slayer's Infinity Castle trilogy promises intense battles and emotionally-charged storytelling.
Solo Leveling Season 3 faces challenges with repetitive storytelling and lackluster fight scenes.
To compete with Shounen giants like Demon Slayer, Solo Leveling needs to give side characters more development.

Demon Slayer has been a massive success and is widely regarded as one of the best Shounen anime of all time. As the series enters its final few arcs, the story is becoming more emotionally-charged. With the Infinity Castle arc being adapted into a film trilogy, the hype for the show has never been more intense.

The three films will be released over the course of the next 3-4 years, which is interesting considering it will clash with the release of Solo Leveling Season 3. Both anime are expected to adapt their most intense battles and unravel secrets that will surprise their fanbases. But since Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has a more established legacy, a bigger fanbase, and much better animation, fans probably wonder if Solo Leveling has what it takes to compete with one of the most iconic anime ever made.

Solo Leveling Season 3 Is Already Confirmed, But Big Concerns Have Now Emerged

Season 3 of Solo Leveling will be huge, but there might be some huge concerns.

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By Rei Penber

Demon Slayer is Set to Peak With the Infinity Castle Trilogy

Tanjiro and His Friends Face Muzan's Strongest Underlings

Demon Slayer has always delivered an unforgettable experience to its fans, thanks to its cinematic fight sequences and brilliant storytelling that keeps viewers engaged. Every arc explores stories that capture the struggles and challenges that characters have to overcome while also humanizing the villains who, because of a cruel twist of fate, have ended up as tragic figures, not just wicked antagonists. Until now, the series has adapted several crucial storylines, but fans are in for a treat as Demon Slayer explores its longest and perhaps the most intense arc.

Muzan Kibutsuji! No matter where you go, I promise you won't escape me! You can run as far as you want! I'll follow you to the ends of Hell, and my blade will be the last thing you see! I'll never forgive you for what you've done!

The Infinity Castle trilogy pits the Demon Slayer Corps against Muzan's strongest underlings, some of whom have remained undefeated for well over a century. Unlike previous arcs, where manifesting a mark was enough to guarantee a victory, bringing down demons like Akaza, Kokushibo, and Doma will demand sacrifices and tough decisions. The high-stakes battles are beautifully set up in a manner that will leave an unforgettable impression on the viewers.

Perhaps the greatest aspect of the overall experience will be Ufotable's brilliant animation, that is already been praised since the trailer for the first film dropped. It should not come as a surprise that the studio has invested heavily in the trilogy and is destined to redefine anime storytelling forever. Demon Slayer's wild success is all but guaranteed, which brings us to the original question: Is Solo Leveling's upcoming installment going to catch up, or is Infinity Castle going to set the bar impossibly high?

Can Solo Leveling Season 3 Compete?

While Solo Leveling might not be as popular as Demon Slayer, it has amassed a significant fan following in a short time. Fans find the series quite entertaining and are eagerly waiting for its upcoming installment to witness where Jinwoo's journey leads next. The hype for the anime is unreal, and it's quite impressive what the series has achieved already. But as great as anime has been so far, will it be able to live up to the hype in season 3?

Demon Slayer: Nezuko’s Role In The Final Arc, Explained

Nezuko plays a major role in the final arc of Demon Slayer. But what exactly does she do?

Posts

By Laura Gassert

Solo Leveling is liked by anime fans for quite a few reasons, but the series is far from perfect. It has some serious flaws that put a question mark on its long-term success. Perhaps the most concerning aspect is its repetitive storytelling that hyperfocuses on Sung Jinwoo to the point that other characters barely get the development they deserve. This makes the series quite predictable and takes away the thrill. While it's true that the show's simplistic approach has made it more accessible and, in some ways, entertaining, it is also true that such storytelling is not going to guarantee continued success.

Solo Leveling Season 3 will only remain competitive against Shounen giants like Demon Slayer if it adopts a radically different approach. While the series can remain true to its title, it can also broaden its narrative scope by offering side characters opportunities to shine. Even brief moments focusing on the supporting cast's backstories and their struggles will add more emotional depth to the story. Interestingly, the series has quite a few exciting characters who are loved by the fans and deserve more attention. The anime only stands to gain by putting them in the limelight, albeit briefly.

A screenshot of Solo Leveling protagonist, Sung Jinwoo, in the final scene of season 2.

While this will certainly address some core issues with Solo Leveling's storytelling, the biggest hurdle in the show's path to being taken seriously alongside top-tier shounen is the fight scenes. Although the battles so far have been exciting, they lack the emotional depth necessary to leave a lasting impression on the viewers. To make matters worse, Solo Leveling's fight scenes are nowhere near as well-animated as the ones in Demon Slayer.

This gap is only going to become more substantial as Demon Slayer peaks with the Infinity Castle trilogy. A-1 Pictures has done a great job so far, but they will have to pull off something special in Solo Leveling Season 3 to make the anime memorable; otherwise, the series will never become anywhere near as popular as top-tier Shounen anime of the last few decades.

Solo Leveling Season 3 is expected to release sometime between 2026 and 2028.