Strongest Breathing Styles in Demon Slayer (Ranked) 

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is undoubtedly one of the hottest anime series to watch. Being a shounen genre anime, it needed to set itself apart from other high-action-packed anime with the way they do their fight scenes. This is where the Demon Slayer Corps Breathing Styles come in.

Swordsmanship is an integral part of the Demon Slayer series as the Breathing Styles history is an essential plot point of the series. Regardless of the user, the Sun Breathing Style is the first and strongest Breathing Style in the series. Meanwhile, the other Breathing Styles derive from the Sun Breathing. 

So what are the Breathing Styles featured in the anime? Which ones are the strongest, and what are the breathing styles closest to Sun breathing? This article explores the different Breathing Styles and their ranking from weakest to strongest.

16. Insect Breathing

Insect Breathing is a style created by Shinobu Kocho. She designed this style to compensate for her lack of strength to cut down demons. Instead of slaying demons by cutting off their heads, the Insect Breathing mimics a stinging insect movement. Shinobu thrusts her sword toward demons in the anime to inject lethal amounts of Wisteria poison.

15. Sound Breathing

Sound Breathing is another unique technique that was a personal creation of Tengen Uzui. The technique makes use of Tengen’s superior sense of hearing. Through sound, Tengen is able to predict his opponent’s movements.

14. Beast Breathing

Beast Breathing is a Breathing Technique created by Inosuke Hashibara. His style imitates the movements and attacks of beasts and wild animals. Given how Inosuke was raised, this is probably how he learned to fight. The technique is similar to its name as it is wild and unpredictable.

13. Mist Breathing

While the user may have been one of the strongest in the anime, the Breathing Style doesn’t fare well when it comes to a competition of power. The Mist Breathing Style imitates the properties of mist, often obscuring the user from their opponents. It involves a lot of quick, swift, and precise movements. The only known user for this style is the Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito.

12. Love Breathing

Even though this style is used by the most physically strong member of the Demon Slayer Corps, the style isn’t as versatile as other Breathing Techniques. The style is derived from Flame Breathing and was created by Mitsuri Kanroji. The style makes use of the wielder’s own physical capability and is performed with a whip-like weapon. So far, only Mitsuri is known as the only one who can make use of this Breathing style due to her body’s unique density. She is probably the only person who can pull this style off.

11. Serpent Breathing

This is the Breathing Style utilized by the Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro. The style can only be used if the user wields a twisted blade. The technique mimics the movements of snakes. The sword’s shape has a crucial role in performing the method since it should be able to twist and bend along with the user.

10. Flower Breathing

Not only is the Flower Breathing Style one of the strongest, but it is also one of the most graceful Breathing Styles in Demon Slayer. Flower Breathing has a lot of forms and techniques that deliver elegant attacks that focus on the user’s ability. The two known users of this technique are Kanae Kocho and her adopted sister Kanao Tsuyuri.

9. Wind Breathing

Since this breathing style is derived directly from the Sun Breathing Style, it is stronger than most techniques further from the Sun Breathing Style. Instead of calm winds, the Wind Breathing Techniques take on the more aggressive storm-like qualities of the wind. The user will take on a more offensive role and utilize rotating whirlwind-like movements to deliver blows to their opponents.

This breathing style is similar to a real-life swordsmanship style called Jigen-Ryu.

8. Stone Breathing

Similar to the Wind Breathing Style, the Stone Breathing Style is another style directly derived from Sun Breathing, making it one of the five main Breathing Styles. The style focuses on making use of the swordsman’s surroundings. Using the landscape, the user will be able to create both powerful and sturdy attacks.

7. Thunder Breathing

In a lot of Demon Slayer promotion material, we see the Thunder Breathing style in use. This is because one of the main characters uses this style. The Thunder Breathing Style was created by a student of Yorichi Tsugikuni who attempted to learn the Sun Breathing Style. Unable to reach his teacher’s skills and utilize the style, the student decided to create his own style using the Sun Breathing style as a base.

According to Zenitsu, the Breathing Style will channel strength into the user’s legs and maximize muscle output. The style looks very similar to Iajutsu, a type of quick-draw sword technique.

6. Water Breathing

This Breathing Style is remarked as the most common Breathing Style used among the Demon Slayer Corps, being the easiest to learn. However, just because it’s the easiest Breathing Style to learn doesn’t mean it is the weakest. The style is versatile. The user mimics the properties of water; flow, flexibility, and adaptability.

5. Flame Breathing

One of the closest derived from Sun Breathing. The style mimics and replicates flames. Usually, one powerful strike is able to ‘burn’ their opponents. Users of this style visualize themselves as being able to manipulate fire when doing their techniques and forms.

4. Moon Breathing

The closest to Sun Breathing Style, the Moon Breathing Style, makes use of swift crescent-shaped strikes and patterns and has various techniques similar to Sun Breathing. This technique was created by Michikatsu Tsugikuni when he learned he could not learn the Sun Breathing technique. 

3. Demon Thunder Breathing

It is the Thunder Breathing Style enhanced by Blood Demon Art. If the user is a strong demon, they will be able to manifest and manipulate actual lightning and electricity into their attacks. This significantly improves the users’ offensive powers and the capabilities of the techniques. According to the known user in the manga, Kaigaku, he managed to surpass Thunder Breathing.

2. Demon Moon Breathing

Similar to the Demon Thunder Breathing Style, this is also another Breathing Style enhanced by Blood Demon Art. However, the base Breathing style of this particular technique is Moon Breathing. This Breathing Style is unique to the Upper-Rank One demon, Kokushibo. Using this technique, he is able to materialize crescent moons from his swords, each as sharp as his sword. 

1. Sun Breathing

A lost style that was passed down in the form of a dance called the Hinokami Kagura by the Kamado Family. The Sun Breathing style is the original Breathing Style. The techniques and patterns are highly varied, making it a versatile technique against more intelligent demons. According to Tanjiro, the last person to use this technique for swordsmanship, the style allows the user to pace themselves so the user will never get exhausted.

However, the Hinokami Kagura was only a guise for the sword technique, thus having several unnecessary movements. Tanjiro noticed the difference when watching Toriichi perform the Sun Breathing Style through Sumiyoshi’s memories. After witnessing the proper use of the style, Tanjirou was able to use the sword technique in its purest form. Accordingly, the Kamado family managed to preserve the Hinokami Kagura in the present time, once again in the guise of a ritual dance to ward off evil spirits.