If anyone is waiting impatiently for the Demon Slayer movie following season one's conclusion, they're not alone. Just about every fan of the series is waiting with bated breath for its release in October, but what is there to do until then?
Fans could read the manga in the meantime, but they'd be spoiling the story for themselves if they wanted to go into the Demon Slayer movie fresh. However, there are plenty of classic Japanese films fans can watch to scratch the itch left by Demon Slayer. Whether it's animation or horror, in black and white or in color, if anyone enjoyed Demon Slayer, they're sure to enjoy these classics of Japanese cinema.
10 Ninja Scroll
Kicking off this list is Ninja Scroll, an anime movie from 1993 that follows a mercenary swordsman who battles a team of ninjas with supernatural abilities called the Eight Devils of Kimon, in order to stop them from overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate.
A single warrior fighting against demonic forces is right up any Demon Slayer fan's alley, but be warned that the film is of a very adult nature and is extremely graphic.
9 Battle Royale
Though Battle Royale has a wildly different story than Demon Slayer, it's still a film that fans of the anime would enjoy. Battle Royale is a dystopian action film about a class of junior high-school students forced to fight to the death by a totalitarian government.
The film is dripping with bloody, over-the-top violence and has enough sociopolitical commentary thrown in to make viewers feel less bad about watching a bunch of teens kill each other. There might not be any demons, but some parts are reminiscent of the Final Selection and Natagumo Mountain story arcs.
8 Throne Of Blood
Throne of Blood, from acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa, follows a hardened general who, urged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become the lord of Spider's Web Castle in this adaptation of Macbeth set in feudal Japan.
Story-wise, Throne of Blood and Demon Slayer don't share many similarities, but Demon Slayer's Muzan Kibutsuji shares a similar lust for power and subsequent paranoia that Washizu, Throne of Blood's protagonist, also feels.
7 Princess Mononoke
No one can go wrong with any Studio Ghibli film, but for this entry let's focus on Princess Mononoke. Like Demon Slayer, Princess Mononoke is a personal story on a grand scale.
Princess Mononoke follows a young prince named Ashitaka who gets caught up in a struggle between gods of the forest and the humans who consume its resources. Though it differs greatly from Demon Slayer, if anyone is looking for a personal story with supernatural elements, this film is perfect.
6 Kuroneko
While Demon Slayer is not strictly a horror series, it certainly has elements of the genre. The demons are terrifying creatures, so why not watch a classic of Japanese horror cinema such as Kuroneko.
Kuroneko has everything viewers want in a horror movie: spooky spirits, fog-laden forests, and a tale of revenge. Don't expect a series of jump scares though, Kuroneko is more of a slow burn with an eerie atmosphere throughout.
5 Ringu
Keeping with the horror movies, anyone who enjoyed Demon Slayer is likely to enjoy Ringu. Most are familiar with the American remake, and while that version is a great horror movie in its own right, the Japanese original is even spookier.
Both the original and the remake follow the same basic story of a reporter racing to investigate the mystery surrounding a cursed videotape that causes anyone who watches it to die seven days after watching it. There may not be any demons in this film but Sadako/Samara might as well be one.
4 Lone Wolf And Cub
A traveling swordsman wandering the Japanese countryside, going on adventures with an adorable sidekick in tow. That description could fit Demon Slayer just as easily as it could fit this next entry, Lone Wolf and Cub. Plus, both Lone Wolf and Cub and Demon Slayer were adapted from manga.
Where Tanjiro travels with his demon sister, Ogami Ittō, this film's protagonist, travels with his infant son. Lone Wolf and Cub is actually a series of six films, starting with Sword of Vengeance in 1972.
3 Ju-On: The Grudge
The final horror film on this list, Ju-On: The Grudge is also arguably the scariest film among the horror films mentioned on this list. The film is about a vengeful spirit that haunts and attacks anyone who dares to enter the house that it resides in. It's a terrifying film and a mainstay of Japanese horror.
Like Ringu, The Grudge saw an American remake, and like Ringu, The Grudge is likely to scratch the itch left by Demon Slayer, despite neither film having many similarities to the anime.
2 Grave Of The Fireflies
Grave of the Fireflies should be required viewing, not just for fans of Demon Slayer, but for everyone. Grave of the Fireflies is an anti-war film that follows a young boy and his little sister desperately struggling to survive in Japan during the final months of World War II.
The film deals with the repercussions war has on society as a whole as well as the individuals living therein, while Demon Slayer touches on how demons affect society, with demons being a potential stand-in for various things. It's a fantastic film but be prepared to be emotionally drained by the end.
1 Seven Samurai
The Japanese classic to end Japanese classics, Seven Samurai is often hailed as Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, and for good reason. The premise of the film is simple, a poor village recruits seven unemployed samurai to defend them from bandits, but it's a powerhouse of a film.
If anyone enjoyed the action of Demon Slayer, the memorable and quirky cast of characters, and the humor, than it's impossible not to love Seven Samurai. If Demon Slayer fans haven't seen it yet, go watch it and see why it's considered one of the greatest films ever made.