Water Breathing

Water Breathing (水 (みず) の呼 (こ) 吸 (きゅう) , Mizu no kokyū^?) is one of the five main Breathing Styles directly derived from Sun Breathing.

Description

Water Breathing is a Breathing Style that mimics water, specifically the flow, flexibility and adaptability of the liquid and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques involve the user bending their body, arm and weapon in a flowing motion. Users that have mastered Water Breathing visualize themselves seemingly creating and manipulating water when unleashing its techniques.

This Breathing Style was originally created by one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's students who attempted to learn the Sun Breathing, but due to not being as innately talented as Yoriichi, they were instead taught and trained an alternative personalized breathing style that focused on their strengths and weaknesses, eventually becoming Water Breathing.^[1]

It is said to be the most common Breathing Style among Demon Slayers due to being the easiest to learn for beginners. A known Cultivator of Water Breathing in the Demon Slayer Corps is Sakonji Urokodaki, though there are other Cultivators as well.^[2]

Breathing Style Relationship Chart

Sun

Water

Flower

Serpent

Insect

Known Users

Known Users

Sakonji Urokodaki (Cultivator)	Giyu Tomioka	Murata^[2]	Sabito

Makomo	Tanjiro Kamado	Aoi Kanzaki^[3]

Known Techniques

Water Breathing has 10 techniques, with an eleventh one created and exclusively used by the current Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka along with numerous modified versions of pre-existing forms.

First Form: Water Surface Slash (壱 (いち) ノ型 (かた) 水 (みな) 面 (も) 斬 (ぎ) り, Ichi no kata: Minamo Giri^?)^[4] - The user generates enough momentum to create a powerful single concentrated slash.

Second Form: Water Wheel (弐 (に) ノ型 (かた) 水 (みず) 車 (ぐるま) , Ni no kata: Mizu Guruma^?)^[5] - The user leaps and vertically spins forward in the air while releasing a flowing attack in a circular motion.
- Second Form: Improved, Lateral Water Wheel (弐 (に) ノ型 (かた) ・改 (かい) 横 (よこ) 水 (みず) 車 (ぐるま) , Ni no kata kai: Yoko Mizu Guruma^?)^[6] - An alternate variation of Second Form: Water Wheel created by Tanjiro Kamado that unleashes a horizontal spin instead of a vertical one.

Third Form: Flowing Dance (参 (さん) ノ型 (かた) 流 (りゅう) 流 (りゅう) 舞 (ま) い, San no kata: Ryūryū Mai^?)^[7] - The user swings and bends their blade in a winding motion along with their body and dances in a flowing pattern, slicing everything in its path.

Fourth Form: Striking Tide (肆 (し) ノ型 (かた) 打 (う) ち潮 (しお) , Shi no kata: Uchishio^?)^[8] - The user makes multiple consecutive slashes while twisting their body and sword in a flowing fashion to deliver multiple blows simultaneously.
- Striking Tide: Turbulent (打 (う) ち潮 (しお) ・乱 (らん) , Uchishio - Ran^?)^[9] - An improved version of the Fourth Form: Striking Tide. The user increases the quantity of consecutive strikes and slashes along with improving its accuracy in order to contact a specific target during a chaotic situation.

Fifth Form: Blessed Rain After the Drought (伍 (ご) ノ型 (かた) 干 (かん) 天 (てん) の慈 (じ) 雨 (う) , Go no kata: Kanten no Jiu^?)^[10] - The user changes the grip on their sword and decapitates the opponent in a single flowing strike that causes little to no pain. It is a “sword strike of kindness” used when the enemy willingly surrenders.

Sixth Form: Whirlpool (陸 (ろく) ノ型 (かた) ねじれ渦 (うず) , Roku no kata: Nejire Uzu^?)^[11] - The user fiercely twists their upper and lower body, creating a whirlpool of air that cuts anything caught in it. Its effect and efficiently is enhanced underwater, where the user can draw water around their weapon to enhance their slashes.
- Twisting Whirlpool: Flowing Water (ねじれ渦 (うず) ・流 (りゅう) 流 (りゅう) , Nejire Uzu - Ryūryū^?)^[12] - A combination of Third Form: Flowing Dance and Sixth Form: Whirlpool created by Tanjiro Kamado. The user combines the footwork from Flowing Dance and the twisting movements of Whirlpool, resulting in the swordsman to perform an attack around the user and conjure a twisting, swirling, vicious flow of water to redirect projectiles from multiple angles.

Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust (漆 (しち) ノ型 (かた) 雫 (しずく) 波 (は) 紋 (もん) 突 (づ) き, Shichi no kata: Shizuku Hamon Tsuki^?)^[13] - The user performs a fast and accurate stab, capable of reducing the impact of a moving target.
- Drop Ripple Thrust, Curve (雫 (しずく) 波 (は) 紋 (もん) 突 (づ) き・曲 (きょく) , Shizuku Hamon Tsuki - Kyoku^?)^[14] - A modified strike that hits from a specific angle corresponding to the sword's structure which nearly nullifies the impact and momentum of a moving object.

Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin (捌 (はち) ノ型 (かた) 滝 (たき) 壼 (つぼ) , Hachi no kata: Takitsubo^?)^[15] - The user cuts the target vertically in a flowing motion which is most effective when they are falling downward.

Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow (玖 (く) ノ型 (かた) 水 (すい) 流 (りゅう) 飛沫 (しぶき) , Ku no kata: Suiryū Shibuki^?)^[16] - The user changes their footwork in a way that minimizes the landing time and surface needed when landing, allowing the user to move without limits. Ideal when fighting in a place with no solid foothold.

Tenth Form: Constant Flux (拾 (じゅう) ノ型 (かた) 生 (せい) 生 (せい) 流 (る) 転 (てん) , Jū no kata: Seisei Ruten^?)^[17] - The user performs a continuous flowing attack which seemingly takes the form of a water dragon that increases in strength and power with each rotation due to momentum.

Eleventh Form: Dead Calm (拾 (じゅう) 壱 (いち) ノ型 (かた) 凪 (なぎ) , Jū Ichi no kata: Nagi^?)^[18] - The personal creation of the current Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka. The user ceases all body movements and enters a state of complete tranquility, deflecting, blocking and cutting any incoming attacks with imperceptible speed with his blade. However, its effectiveness is limited as fast and numerous attacks can break through.

Demonstrations


Demonstrations

First Form	Second Form	Second Form: Improved	Third Form

Fourth Form	Fifth Form	Sixth Form	Sixth Form & Third Form (Combo)

Seventh Form	Eighth Form	Ninth Form	Tenth Form

Eleventh Form