Breath Styles, or simply Breaths, are styles of sword handling practiced and taught by demon slayers, based on the way of breathing. They are able to allow their users to fight on a par with demons and are typically used with Sun swords to kill demons with a few exceptions. Breathing Styles are an essential part of the Demon Slayer series and here are the strongest among them.
There are 14 Breathing Styles in total that have been revealed so far. Of course, there are more Breathing Styles in the world of Demon Slayer, but a list of known ones includes only those 14 that have been revealed in the manga. New Breathing Styles are always being created to suit a Demon Slayer’s combat needs, which results in new weapons being utilized in demon hunting. The known Breathing Styles are going to be ranked from last to first place, based on their strengths.
How Many Breathing Styles Are There in Demon Slayer?
As stated, there is no finite number of Breathing Styles in Demon Slayer, as new ones are constantly being created. Still, the series has revealed a total of 14 Breathing Styles used by Demon Slayers. The Breathing Styles are:
| Breathing Style | Number of Techniques | Known Users |
|---|---|---|
| Flower Breathing | 7 | Kanae Kocho, Kanao Tsuyuri |
| Love Breathing | 6 | Mitsuri Kanroji |
| Flame Breathing | 9 | Shinjuro Rengoku, Kyojuro Rengoku |
| Sun Breathing | 13 | Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Sumiyoshi, Tanjuro Kamado, Tanjiro Kamado |
| Sound Breathing | 5 | Tengen Uzui |
| Thunder Breathing | 7 | Jiguro Kuwajima, Kaigaku, Zenitsu Agatsuma |
| Wind Breathing | 9 | Sanemi Shinazugawa, Masachika Kumeno |
| Water Breathing | 11 | Sakonji Urokodaki, Giyu Tomioka, Murata, Sabito, Makomo, Tanjiro Kamado |
| Insect Breathing | 4 | Shinobu Kocho |
| Serpent Breathing | 5 | Obanai Igure |
| Moon Breathing | 16 | Kokushibo |
| Stone Breathing | 5 | Gyomei Himejima |
| Mist Breathing | 7 | Muichiro Tokito |
| Beast Breathing | 11 | Inosuka Hashibara |
Strongest Demon Slayer Breathing Styles Ranked
The Breathing Styles are going to be ranked based on how strong they are compared to the others. The list is going to start with the weakest, going all the way to the strongest.
14. Flower Breathing (7 techniques)
Known users: Kanae Kocho, Kanao Tsuyuri
Flower Breathing is a Breathing Style derived from the Water Breathing, used by the former Pillar of the Flower, Kanae Kocho and her adopted sister Kanao Tsuyuri. The Breath of the Flower is a style of Breath deriving from the Breath of Water. Nevertheless, there are styles of Breath deriving from the Breath of the Flower such as the Breath of the Insect.
13. Beast Breathing (11 techniques)
Known users: Inosuka Hashibara
Beast Breathing is a Breathing Style developed by Inosuke Hashibara after living in the mountains. It is said to be distantly derived from the Breath of the Wind. Thanks to his over-developed sense of touch, Inosuke can use multiple movements.
12. Love Breathing (6 techniques)
Known users: Mitsuri Kanroji
Love Breathing is a Breathing Style developed by Mitsuri Kanroji, the Pillar of Love. The movements and techniques of this breath can only be executed successfully by Mitsuri due to the unique constitution of her body which makes her incredibly flexible and agile, but still possesses inhuman strength due to her muscles eight times denser than those. of a normal human, allowing him to deliver quick and powerful blows and to move unhindered because his body is not physically bulky.
Love Breathing is a Breathing Style that is based on the feeling of love. Most, if not all, known techniques form a combination of medium to long range whip-like attacks that utilize the user’s own flexibility, dexterity, agility, and speed.
11. Insect Breathing (4 techniques)
Known users: Shinobu Kocho
Insect Breath is a style of Breath created by Shinobu Kocho. Shinobu designed it to make up for his lack of physical strength to cut off a demon’s head. The main objective of this Breath is to stab, push and make shallow cuts with a specially coated and crafted sword to inflict multiple wounds on the intended target in order to inject various lethal wisteria poisons into the intended target.
Insect Breathing is a Breathing Style that mimics insects, especially their deadly stings and movements, and mimics them with the movements, techniques, and skills of the user.
Most, if not all, known techniques and forms involve stabbing, thrusting, and shallow cuts with a specially coated/crafted sword to inflict multiple wounds and inject the target with various deadly Wisteria-based poisons. Users of Insect Breath portray themselves as insects (mainly butterflies) when using the techniques.
This Breathing Style is the personal creation of Shinobu Kocho, who developed it to compensate for her lack of physical strength and decapitate a demon. Therefore, this sword style can only be performed by her and only with a unique katana with a needle-like tip that resembles an insect’s stinger in appearance and function. The “stinger” is meant for injecting Wisteria poisons into demons.
10. Serpent Breathing (5 techniques)
Known users: Obanai Iguro
Serpent Breathing is a Breathing Style derived from Water Breathing.
Serpent Breathing is a Breathing Style that mimics snakes, especially their slithering movements, and mimics them with the movements, techniques, and skills of the user. Most, if not all, known techniques and forms focus on twisting and bending the sword as a snake slithers.
The attacks are not direct, but constantly slither and can eventually hit anywhere. Users of the Serpent Breath portray themselves as white serpents that accompany them as they unleash their techniques.
As this technique can currently only be used by Obanai Iguro, it can only be used with a twisted blade that resembles an Indonesian kris sword, the shape of the sword being based on the physique of a snake.
9. Mist Breathing (7 techniques)
Known users: Muichiro Tokito
Mist Breathing is a Breathing Style derived from Wind Breathing. Mist Breathing is a Breathing Style that mimics mist, especially the darkness of mist, and mimics it with the movements, techniques, and skills of the user.
Most, if not all, known techniques and forms involve swift strikes and movements executed in a unique pattern that fogs the opponent’s senses and surroundings as if the battlefield were shrouded in mist. Users of Mist Breathing also imagine that they appear to be creating and manipulating mist as they unleash their techniques.
Based on the only known user of Mist Breath, Muichiro Tokito, who wears loose clothing that covers his arms and legs to disguise his movements, it can be assumed that most other users must also wear clothing that hides their limbs from their opponent in order to fully utilize the potential of this breathing style.
8. Water Breathing (11 techniques)
Known users: Sakonji Urokodaki, Giyu Tomioka, Murata, Sabito, Makomo, Tanjiro Kamado
Water Breath is one of the five main Styles of Breath directly derived from Sun Breath. This breath was originally created by one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s students who attempted to learn Sun Breath, but due to the fact that he was not as good as Yoriichi, the latter gave them rather taught and trained in an alternative personalized style focused on their strengths and weaknesses, becoming the Breath of the Water.
It is the most represented breath in the anime. It is based on versatile and fluid movements adapting to a lot of situations and allowing the opponent’s force to be turned against him. The main trainer of this breath in the Demon Slayer Army is Sakonji Urokodaki, although there are likely others. The Breath of the Water is a style of Breath derived from the Breath of the Sun.
However, there are styles of Breath that derive from the Breath of Water. In the anime the breath of mist is indeed described as deriving from that of water. Some say that the Breath of the Snake but also the Breath of the Flower, itself having a derivative called the Breath of the Insect also derive from it.
7. Flame Breathing (9 techniques)
Known users: Shinjuro Rengoku, Kyojuro Rengoku
Flame Breath is one of the five main styles of Breath directly derived from Sun Breath. This breath was originally created by one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s students who attempted to learn Sun Breath, but due to the fact that he was not as good as Yoriichi, the latter gave them rather taught and trained in an alternative personalized style focused on their strengths and weaknesses, becoming the Breath of the Flame.
It seems that the student who developed this breath is a distant ancestor of the Rengoku family. Since then, this particular style of breath has been passed down and taught to his descendants as well as future members of the Demon Slayer Army.
The Breath of the Flame is a style of Breath deriving from the Breath of the Sun. Nevertheless, there are styles of Breath deriving from the Breath of the Flame such as the Breath of Love.
6. Sound Breathing (5 techniques)
Known users: Tengen Uzui
Sound Breathing is a style of Breath unique to Tengen Uzui. This breath uses a combat strategy called “score”, which consists of reading the movements of his opponents and deconstructing them into sound by analyzing the rhythm of their movements. Thanks to this, he is able to take advantage of their openings for a much greater effect by hitting in a manner similar to interrupting the beat of a song.
Along with this, he uses small but powerful demon bombs made with special gunpowder that are able to briefly overpower an Upper Moon. The Breath of Sound is a derivative of the Breath of Thunder.
5. Thunder Breathing (7 techniques)
Known users: Jiguro Kuwajima, Kaigaku, Zenitsu Agatsuma
Thunder Breath is one of the five main Styles of Breath directly derived from Sun Breath. This breath was originally created by one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s students who attempted to learn Sun Breath, but due to the fact that he was not as good as Yoriichi, the latter gave them rather taught and trained in an alternative personalized style focused on their strengths and weaknesses, becoming the Thunder Breath.
It focuses on channeling force through the user’s legs. The main trainer of the Demon Slayer Army is Jigoro Kuwajima Thunder Breath is a style of Breath deriving from the Breath of the Sun. Nevertheless, there are styles of Breath deriving from Thunder Breathing such as Sound Breathing.
4. Wind Breathing (9 techniques)
Known users: Sanemi Shinazugawa, Masachika Kumeno
Wind Breath is one of the five main Styles of Breath directly derived from Sun Breath. This breath was originally created by one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s students who attempted to learn Sun Breath, but due to the fact that he was not as good as Yoriichi, the latter gave them rather taught and trained in an alternative personalized style focused on their strengths and weaknesses, becoming the Breath of the Wind.
Breath of the Beast, although it was independently developed by Inosuke Hashibira, is a derivative of Breath of the Wind, so it can be assumed that both breaths use an enhanced sense of touch in their techniques.
Breath of the Mist is also known to be originally a derivative of Breath of the Wind The Breath of the Wind is a style of Breath deriving from the Breath of the Sun. However, there are styles of Breath deriving from the Breath of the Wind such as Breath of the Beast and Breath of Mist.
3. Stone Breathing (5 techniques)
Known users: Gyomei Himajima
Stone Breath is one of the five main styles of Breath directly derived from Sun Breath. This breath was originally created by one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s students who attempted to learn Sun Breath, but due to the fact that he was not as good as Yoriichi.
The latter gave them rather taught and trained in an alternative personalized style focused on their strengths and weaknesses, becoming the Stone Breathing Style. It is not known who is the main trainer of this breath within the Army of Demon Slayers.
2. Moon Breathing (16 techniques)
Known users: Kokushibo
Moon Breath is a style of breath that mimics the moon and reproduces it with the user’s movements, techniques, and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques and shapes are standard but varied sword techniques that focus on quick, powerful strikes that always follow the shape and pattern of a crescent moon.
Due to the great variation in techniques of these styles of breaths, this form of fencing is a great mix of attack and defense, very similar to Sun Breath.
It was revealed that like all of the other original styles of breaths, Moon’s Breath also originated from Sun’s Breath. When its creator, Michikatsu Tsugikuni, attempted to learn Sun Breath from his twin brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he discovered that he was unable to master it and therefore was trained in another style of breath that became later the Moon Breathing.
1. Sun Breathing (13 techniques)
Known users: Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Sumiyoshi, Tanjuro Kamado, Tanjiro Kamado
Sun Breathing, also referred to as Original Breathing, is a style of sword-wielding used by the first Demon Slayer, Yoriichi Tsugikuni and serves as the basis for other Breath styles derived from it which were originally developed by the of the Yoriichi students who attempted to learn Sun Breathing
But due to the fact that they were not as good as Yoriichi, the latter instead taught and trained them in an alternative custom style focused on their strengths and weaknesses, becoming the main Breath Styles.
Before his death, Kokushibo mentions that all swordsmen who knew about Sun Breath were killed by him and Muzan Kibutsuji.
