Thunder Breathing

Thunder Breathing (の) is one of the five main Breathing Styles directly derived from Sun Breathing.

Overview
Thunder Breathing is a Breathing Style that mimics lightning, specifically swift strikes and movements akin to lightning ripping through the sky, and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques and forms involve utilizing blinding speeds and immensely fast attacks to overwhelm the enemy in an instant. Users of Thunder Breathing also visualize themselves seemingly creating and manipulating lightning and electricity when unleashing its techniques.

It has been remarked by Zenitsu Agatsuma that this Breathing Style focuses on channeling strength into the user's legs, and maximizing the output of every single muscle and blood vessel in them. Users also mimic lightning to such high fidelity that they cause the air to vibrate when poised to unleash a technique and create immensely loud sounds akin to thunder with their mere footsteps. This Breathing Style is also very reminiscent of a swordsmanship style practiced and utilized in real life known as Iaijutsu, a famous quick-draw sword technique.

This Breathing Style was created from one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's students who attempted to learn Sun Breathing, but due to not being as innately powerful as Yoriichi, they were instead taught an alternated personalized Breathing Style that focused on their individual strengths and weaknesses, which eventually evolved into Thunder Breathing.

A known cultivator of Thunder Breathing in the Demon Slayer Corps is the former Thunder Hashira, Jigoro Kuwajima.

Known Techniques
Thunder Breathing has 6 standard forms in total, with the first form said to be the foundation for all the other forms. However, Zenitsu Agatsuma developed a Seventh Form in order to stand on equal ground with Kaigaku, his former senior disciple under Jigoro who had become the Upper Rank Six of the Twelve Kizuki.

Note: The second to sixth forms of Thunder Breathing have only been displayed by Kaigaku, who uses actual lightning in conjunction with his swordsmanship. While the forms are presumably still similar to the original style, it is currently unknown how a normal swordsman would perform these techniques, or if mastery of the first form would alter how the others are executed.


 * First Form: Thunderclap and Flash (ノ) - The user unsheathes their katana, dashes forward at blinding speeds and decapitates their opponent faster than they can react, before sheathing it back. This technique is extremely reminiscent of Iaijutsu and its movements are described to be akin to "lightning ripping through the air".
 * Sixfold - An extension of the Thunderclap and Flash technique created by Zenitsu. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash six times in quick succession while slightly augmenting the power and speed of his dashes.
 * Eightfold - An extension of the Thunderclap and Flash technique created by Zenitsu. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash eight times in quick succession while slightly augmenting the power and speed of his dashes.
 * Godspeed - An extension of the Thunderclap and Flash technique created by Zenitsu. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash while greatly augmenting the speed of the technique. During the first display of this technique, an unconscious Zenitsu remarked that he mustn't perform this technique more than 2 times, otherwise his legs would be rendered useless due to muscle fatigue and exhaustion. However, during the battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, Zenitsu has shown improvement in the proficiency of this technique, allowing him to use it more than 2 times while still maintaining the power and speed of the technique.


 * Second Form: Rice Spirit (ノ) - Kaigaku releases five arched slashes accompanied by lightning in quick succession.


 * Third Form: Thunder Swarm (ノ) - Kaigaku surrounds the enemy with waves of arched lightning and attacks them from all directions.


 * Fourth Form: Distant Thunder (ノ) - Kaigaku generates a ball of electricity that releases waves of strong multi-directional lightning bolts from afar.


 * Fifth Form: Heat Lightning (ノ) - Kaigaku unleashes a long-ranged upward sword slash accompanied by lightning.


 * Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash (ノ) - Kaigaku releases a series of powerful long-ranged lightning attacks that strike his opponent from afar.


 * Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami (ノ) - The personal creation of Zenitsu Agatsuma. The user dashes forward at blinding speeds and unleashes a singular forward slash at a low stance, which is seemingly accompanied by a yellow Japanese dragon shaped like a lightning bolt.

Game Exclusive Techniques

 * Air Spin - The user delivers a circular spinning slash to send an opponent upwards. Typically, the technique is used to rebound after executing Thunderclap and Flash.


 * First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Prime (ノ　・) - A variation of the Thunderclap and Flash created by Zenitsu. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash with such strength that they crack and uproot the ground beneath them, and tear up the ground afterwards trying to arrest their momentum. This move can be performed mid-air, which launches the user at an angle towards their opponent as they strike.


 * Encompassing Slash (り) - The user unleashes a 360° horizontal slash that creates a ring of blue electricity around them.


 * Lightning Burst (りい) - The user unsheathes their blade and performs three arching horizontal slashes at blinding speeds in quick succession. This technique is extremely reminiscent of Iaijutsu.

Demonstrations

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 * -|Manga =

Trivia

 * A Thunder Breathing user that reaches the rank of Hashira is dubbed the Rumble Hashira.
 * In the manga, whenever a Thunder Breathing user performs their techniques, they visualize themselves creating lightning that is bright yellow in color with a white outline. However in the anime, the lighting is light blue in color with whitish yellow outlines instead.
 * The First Form: Thunderclap and Flash is stated to be the basis for all the other forms; this was all Zenitsu could learn and hone, while Kaigaku couldn't learn it despite learning the other forms after it. Two unnamed Demon Slayers stated that because of this, Kaigaku wouldn't be able to successfully master the other forms in Thunder Breathing.
 * The naming of Second Form: Rice Spirit is based on a belief in Japan that when a rice field is hit by lightning, it assures a bountiful harvest and fertilizes the rice plants in the area.
 * The naming of Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami is based on the Shintō kami Honoikazuchi, one of the eight thunder gods born out of Izanami's rotting body in Yomi (the Underworld) after she was witnessed by her former husband Izanagi. Honoikazuchi was born from Izanami's chest/breasts and along with his brethren and 1500 men, were released from Yomi to attempt to prevent Izanagi from escaping. This caused the cycle of birth and death of humanity along with the spirits of thunder.
 * Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami may be a reference to Hinokami Kagura's Dancing Flash created by Tanjiro as both incorporate elements of lightning and fire into their techniques.
 * This technique could also symbolize Zenitsu's friendship with Tanjiro and Inosuke as the naming of this form is closely tied to the Hinokami Kagura Tanjiro uses, while the dragon could be a reference to Inosuke's animalistic behavior and Breathing Style.
 * In the English dub of both anime and videogame, Thunderclap and Flash, Godspeed is called Thunderclap and Flash, Godlike Speed instead.