Does Shirayuki return to life in Sword of the Demon Hunter? Explained

With the rising popularity of the new spring 2025 anime, Sword of the Demon Hunter by Yokohama Animation Lab, fans have started flocking to the series after being intrigued by the roster of unique characters. Among several characters from the series, one of the more iconic characters was Shirayuki.

With her being featured in the pilot episode of the anime and playing one of the most pivotal roles in the series, fans of the anime who were disheartened by her death in the episode have been asking the question, "Does Shirayuki return to life?" Shirayuki does not return to life in the Sword of the Demon Hunter series.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the series, Sword of the Demon Hunter. This article also contains canon typical mentions of violence/gore/sensitive topics.

Shirayuki's narrative in the Sword of the Demon Hunter anime explored

Shirayuki meeting Jinta and Suzune for the first time (Image via Yokohama Animation Lab)

Introduced in the very first episode of the Sword of the Demon Hunter anime, Shirayuki was the daughter of the Itsukihime, Yokaze, and the Sentinel, Motoharu of the Kadono village. One day, Motoharu found a runaway Jinta and Suzune hiding from the rain and decided to bring them to his house to make them a part of his family.

This is when Shirayuki saw Jinta and Suzune for the first time and immediately became close to them. They were seen spending days happily together and eventually grew up. While Shirayuki took the role of the Itsukihime after her mother's death, Jinta replaced Motoharu as Shirayuki's sentinel after Motoharu's death.

Both Jinta and Shirayuki had grown feelings for each other, but knew that their relationship had no future due to their respective roles in the village's social structure. Shirayuki was engaged to Kiyomasa, the son of the chieftain of the Kadono village. Despite both of them loving each other deeply, they agreed to let the marriage happen for the sake of the village.

Shirayuki confessing her love for Jinta in the Sword of the Demon Hunter anime (Image via Yokohama Animation Lab)

Meanwhile, Suzune was approached by the female demon, Tomi no Kijo, who claimed she could see into the future and told Suzune that Shirayuki would betray Jinta with another man. Despite being reluctant to believe her, Suzune agrees and follows the female demon to the shrine to verify the truth.

While they were making their way, Kiyomasa forced himself on Shirayuki when Jinta was away. Despite fighting at first, Shirayuki gave in to Kiyomasa's desire and agreed to him saying she is doing this for the future of the Kadono village. At the very moment, Suzune and the female demon also arrived at the shrine and saw what was going on.

Shirayuki's death in the series

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After being manipulated by the female demon, Suzune started thinking that Shirayuki was betraying her brother, Jinta, behind his back, and went into a rage. After watching her with Kiyomasa, Suzune transformed and decided to kill Shirayuki, blaming her for taking everything away from Suzune. In the meantime, Jinta also arrived at the shrine.

Despite making it in time, Jinta could not protect Shirayuki, as she was beheaded by Suzune moments later. Upon realizing this, Jinta went into a rage and decided to kill Suzune, who was protected as the female demon sacrificed herself and took Jinta's blow. Suzune exited the shrine, leaving Jinta with the determination to search and eliminate Suzune for killing Shirayuki.

Final thoughts

Suzune decapitates Shirayuki in the Sword of the Demon Hunter anime (Image via Yokohama Animation Lab)

Shirayuki's death in Sword of the Demon Hunter marks a significant change in the plot of the story, igniting the fire within Jinta to become a demon hunter and ultimately defeat and kill Suzune. Despite only being featured briefly in the series, Shirayuki sets the base for the anime, leading to its success.

With the anime up to episode 4, at the time this article is being written, the series has become highly popular among fans, while being considered as one of the best anime to come out in spring 2025.

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About the author

Ribhu Ghosh is an Anime writer at Sportskeeda. With a degree in Journalism under the Calcutta University, his deep-rooted passion for anime and manga led him to pursue a career in writing about the same.

Along with his 6 years of experience as an illustrator and digital artist for various overseas anime studios and companies, he also aspires to write storylines. Ribhu's creative journey has been profoundly influenced by renowned mangakas such as Sui Ishida, Masashi Kishimoto, Kohei Horikoshi, and Koyoharu Gotouge.

Ribhu's enthusiasm for storytelling and illustration is evident in his meticulous approach to reporting. He values accuracy and relevance and always prioritizes thorough research.

If given a chance, he would return to 2014 and be a part of the Tokyo Ghoul series, as he admires its action scenes, story, plot twists, art, and adaptation from the manga.

When he's not writing, Ribhu enjoys illustrating, playing chess, and engaging in outdoor activities like badminton. His diverse interests extend to music, cooking, reading, and gaming, all of which complement his passion for entertainment.

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Edited by Bharath S