With its own take on the classic convention of “elemental” fighting, the Demon Slayer franchise showcases different Breathing Styles through its diverse cast of characters. Within each style is an array of Forms, each with a specific number and name. Whereas Styles differ in their broader approaches to swordsmanship, Forms differ in their contextual use.
There are a few metrics to determine how strong each Form is: how adaptable it would be for any situation and how demonstrably effective it is in the manga and anime. To some extent, Forms that are invented by (and are extensions of) particular characters can also be gauged by the strength and personality of their creators. From a wide range of Breathing Styles, here are some of the strongest Forms in Demon Slayer.
10/10 Beast Breathing, Seventh Form: Spatial Awareness
Having invented Beast Breathing by himself, the lone user of this style—Inosuke Hashibira—is very much like the style itself: erratic, aggressive, and highly adaptable. Practically all the Forms in Beast Breathing are incredibly aggressive, except the Seventh Form.
This Form enhances Inosuke’s natural sense of space, allowing him to identify the positions of his enemies. Whereas the other Forms are somewhat interchangeable, this one is notable for its wide-reaching tactical value; however, this form is ironically held back by Inosuke’s aggressive nature, as he rarely uses this Form.
9/10 Sound Breathing, Fifth Form: String Performance
Tengen Uzui, the only known Sound Breathing user, was the prominent Hashira in Demon Slayer’s second season. His Style is characterized by flashy, explosive moves that thematically reject his past as a silent shinobi. As the high-octane Entertainment District Arc came to a close in the second season, Tengen’s fighting was a crucial factor in keeping the crew of main characters alive.
Of his three known Forms, his Fifth Form: String Performance effectively overpowered the Upper Moon, Gyutaro (if only for a moment). Tengen’s ability to match the demon’s speed allowed for Tanjiro to assist at a crucial moment. Despite this technique’s inability to stop Gyutaro, String Performance certainly stands out as one of the better known offensive Forms, though its limitations are rather clear.
8/10 Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm
With ten primary techniques, Water Breathing boasts a versatile array of offensive and high-speed Forms for most situations. The Water Hashira, Giyuu Tomioka, unveils the Eleventh Form during the Mount Natagumo Arc. As his personal addition to the Forms of Water Breathing, Giyuu uses this technique as a masterful defense strategy: although he appears to be motionless on a still lake, he is functionally moving at immense speeds to block all incoming attacks.
Although this seems to be a “perfect” defense, this Form has inherent limits. There are a set number of attacks that Giyuu can take before the technique breaks. This is the only major aspect holding this technique back.
7/10 Mist Breathing, Seventh Form: Obscuring Clouds
Much like Beast Breathing, Mist Breathing only has one known user: Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Pillar. Although Inosuke invented the whole discipline of Beast Breathing, Muichiro did contribute this form, Obscuring Clouds, to his school of swordsmanship.
Similarly to Inosuke’s Spatial Awareness, Obscuring Clouds is more of an environmental move than a direct attack. By manipulating his movements, Muichiro effectively produces a cloud of mist that conceals his presence from enemies. Even when Muichiro is in the sight-line of his enemies, the technique still confounds their perception, since his movements appear to be immensely slow or supernaturally fast. He uses this technique to great effect in the Swordsmith Village Arc by dispatching an Upper Moon. The only limits to this ability are the potential counters, such as the environment being shifted against Muichiro (which happened during his fight against Muzan).
6/10 Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash
Any fan of Zenitsu knows this Form, perhaps more than Zenitsu consciously knows the Form himself. That he only knows this one Form in the whole discipline of Thunder Breathing is a testament to his master’s patient ideology: one particular thing must be developed and mastered.
Indeed, Zenitsu masters this form to an incredible degree, going so far as to adopt different levels of speed for different situations (Sixfold, Eightfold, and Godspeed). This technique defines both speed and power, allowing Zenitsu to decapitate demons before they are aware that he even moved. Although he can only use it while he is unconscious, Zenitsu’s utter commitment to this Form makes it one of the more devastating sword techniques.
5/10 Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux
Constant Flux was the technique that effectively ended the Mount Natagumo Arc (the end of the first season). Combined with his father’s Hinokami Kagura, Tanjiro creatively combines two techniques into one tremendously aggressive sequence of attacks. Pressing forward and continuously rotating, Tanjiro ends his fight with the Lower Rank Five demon, Rui.
This move both demonstrably kills a Lower Rank demon and is the threshold to Tanjiro’s understanding of Sun Breathing, thereby unlocking the strongest Breathing Style. As evident in both the Mount Natagumo and Entertainment District Arcs, however, the combination of these two Styles in Constant Flux takes a significant toll on Tanjiro’s stamina.
4/10 Flame Breathing, Ninth Form: Rengoku
Once Tanjiro begins his attunement to Sun Breathing, he naturally takes an interest in the closest relative to Sun Breathing: Flame Breathing. The Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, takes center stage during the Mugen Train arc, tragically dying as he saves the central cast of characters.
Even while injured, Kyojuro takes on one of the strongest Upper Moons, Akaza. In a final act of heroism, Rengoku unleashes his personal Form of Flame Breathing. Adopting the combustive power and speed of a dragon, Rengoku’s technique critically injures Akaza at a crucial time. Despite the practical efficacy of this technique, it still falls short against the strength of Upper Moons like Akaza.
3/10 Stone Breathing, Third Form: Stone Skin
The Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, is a formidable warrior. Regarded by Tanjiro and Inosuke as the strongest Hashira, and by Oyakata (the head of the Demon Slayer Corps) as one of the most loyal and reliable, he is clearly a true pillar of strength.
This strength is demonstrable during the Infinity Castle Arc, wherein Gyomei single-handedly fights Muzan, the primordial demon. Given Muzan’s strength and resilience, one of the greatest factors is for the Demon Slayers to be resilient themselves. As such, the Stone Breathing technique known as Stone Skin is crucial for this moment. This technique offers defensive measures comparable to Giyuu’s Dead Calm, but coupled with a broad offensive capacity as well. Ultimately, the only meaningful counter to this technique would be someone as strong as Muzan.
2/10 Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon
Not all the Breathing Styles are suitable for the humans of the Demon Slayers Corp. Of the Styles that directly derive from Sun Breathing, Moon Breathing is the only one not to be used by a Demon Slayer. The strongest Upper Moon Demon, Kokushibo, is the sole user of this Style; its strength is embodied in Kokushibo’s rank as the highest of the Upper Moons.
Indeed, many Hashira can individually duel a member of the 12 Kizuki, yet Kokushibo can comfortably fight several Hashira at once. Using the Sixteenth Form, Kokushibo launches a barrage of crescent-shaped down on several Hashira, effectively striking at them before they can even muster a single Form of their own. This Form lacks only versatility, since it is a highly specialized technique that requires literal centuries of training to accomplish.
1/10 Sun Breathing, Thirteenth Form
The strongest ability is that which can strike down the strongest demon: Muzan Kibutsuji. Unlike much of this list, this Form has no versatility—there is only one, singular purpose. The strength of that purpose, however, outweighs this.
Not only is Sun Breathing the first and strongest Style, but the Thirteenth Form is an amalgamation of the preceding twelve forms. In other words, this technique is twelve other techniques executed in a perfect, final sequence. Due to the sheer strength and narrative significance of this one Form, this is surely the ultimate form that any Demon Slayer could hope to accomplish.
