Summary
Demon Slayeris one of the most popular shonen series right now, and it’s easy to see why this is the case. The combination of excellent storytelling in the manga coupled with the anime’s stellar animation has helpedDemon Slayerbecome the hottest shonen property around, and fans can’t seem to get enough of it. The fact thatDemon Slayer: Mugen Trainbecame thehighest-grossing movie ever released in Japanis a testament to how much of a massive phenomenon this series is, and one can only imagine the records that Infinity Castle will break when this trilogy comes out in theaters.
Watching Tanjiro and Giyu utilize their Water Breathing techniques is quite a blast, and many fans can’t wait to see how thisamazing sword-wielding techniquewill evolve over time.All forms of Water BreathinginDemon Slayerare powerful in the right hands, taking out most lesser demons without a fuss.
Updated on Jun 27, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Demon Slayer drew many fans in after Tanjiro managed to learn Water Breathing just enough to take out the many heinous demons that stood in his way. This breathing style was an introduction to the many techniques that powerful demon slayers and the legendary Hashira would use to take out their foes. While Tanjiro was a decent practitioner of this style, Giyu’s abilities as the Water Hashira made it clear that this breathing style had way more to offer. In the right hands,all forms of Water Breathingwill give the strongest demons a run for their money, and fans can’t wait to see Giyu shine using this beautiful style during the Infinity Castle film trilogy.
Water Breathing 101
Most people consider Sakonji Urokodaki to be the master of the Water Breathing technique, having taught many notable students, including Tanjiro and the current Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka. The technique is the most beginner-friendly, which is perhaps why Tanjiro was able to pick up this breathing style without having any knowledge of fighting beforehand.
Tanjiro relies almost exclusively on Water Breathing for the majority ofDemon Slayer’s first season, allowing him to take care of most tough demons by remembering his teachings and understanding when to pull off the techniques he’s learned. While Water Breathing does help Tanjiro out in the early stages, he reaches his limit with this styleduring his fight against Rui, where the Lower Rank Four demon shows just how hopelessly outclassed the protagonist is.
While this was indicative of the fact that Tanjiro would eventually shift to his natural Hinokami Kagura style sooner rather than later, it in no way proves that Water Breathing is going to become an obsolete breathing technique. If anything, Giyu Tomioka’s imposing presence in the series has made it clear that this Demon Slayer will be utilizing the full potential ofall Water Breathing formswhen things take a turn for the worse.
A powerful concentrated slash
Second Form
Water Wheel
A spinning vertical sword slash in midair. It was improved by Tanjiro by incorporating a horizontal sword slash
Third Form
Flowing Dance
The user moves and bends their body like a dancer while attacking with their sword in one fluid motion
Fourth Form
Striking Tide
A move similar to the first one with multiple consecutive slices. It was improved by Tanjiro by unleashing more strikes with greater accuracy
Fifth Form
Blessed Rain After the Drought
A painless attack meant to decapitate enemies, giving them a graceful death
Sixth Form
Whirlpool
A twirling strike where the user spins their entire body like a whirlpool. It was improved by Tanjiro by combining the movements of Flowing Dance with this technique
Seventh Form
Drop Ripple Thrust
A quick and accurate stab meant to slow down the momentum of anyone or anything. It was improved by Tanjiro by tilting the angle of the stab and completely halting said momentum
Eighth Form
Waterfall Basin
A downward slash that is more effective with the appropriate momentum
Ninth Form
Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent
A footwork technique that allows users to land and launch off surfaces without taking too much time or effort
Tenth Form
Constant Flux
A continuous flowing attack that becomes deadlier by generating more speed and momentum
Eleventh Form
Dead Calm
The user becomes calm as water while countering any attack with incredible speed and finesse
11First Form: Water Surface Slash
A Powerful Concentrated Slash
The first form of Water Breathingis also the most simple of the lot. This is the case with most breathing techniques, whose first forms tend to be simple attacks meant to kickstart a tidal wave of onslaughts.
First Form: Water Surface Slash is a simple yet powerful move that can serve as a great opener in battle. The user puts all their power into a single concentrated slash that easily decapitates most lesser enemies.
10Second Form: Water Wheel
A Spinning Vertical Sword Slash Midair, Improved By Incorporating A Horizontal Sword Slash
The second form of Water Breathing is a pretty smooth and devastating attack that is a perfect tool against a powerful demon. It involves the user jumping and spinning in the air, carrying out a vertical sword slash in the process.
Not only is this move quite effective, but it also looks pretty dazzling in execution. It offers a taste of how graceful and amazing Water Breathing really is.
Second Form: Improved, Lateral Water Wheel
Tanjiro expanded on this moveto make it more usable in battle. Instead of a vertical slash, Tanjiro uses a horizontal one to attack an enemy from a different angle.
It’s indicative of how talented Tanjiro is and displays his latent potential. If he’s already this adept at using Water Breathing, then he can shine even brighter with a breathing style that comes naturally to him.
9Third Form: Flowing Dance
The User Moves And Bends Their Body Like A Dancer While Attacking With Their Sword In One Fluid Motion
From the third form onwards, fans will notice just how smooth and beautiful this Water Breathing technique is. It’s fittingly called the Flowing Dance and looks breathtaking when in motion.
In this form, the user twists and bends their body like a dancer while unleashing a powerful attack with their weapon. If executed properly, it can slice and dice through most enemies with relative ease while also looking fairly graceful to boot.
8Fourth Form: Striking Tide
Multiple Consecutive Slices, Improved By Unleashing More Strikes With Greater Accuracy
The fourth form of the Water Breathing technique can be considered to be an extension of the Flowing Dance. However, instead of a solitary attack, the fourth form involves a multitude of blows instead.
Unleashing consecutive attacks in this motion requires immense mastery of Water Breathing as a whole. Tanjiro put in a lot of work to honehis swordsmanship skillsso he could fight against the demons who took his family from him, preventing other innocents from sharing the same fate.
Striking Tide, Turbulent
There’s an improved version of this attack that sees the user increase the number of slashes while simultaneously maintaining a greater degree of accuracy. This technique is perfect for fighting in a chaotic battle.
A ton of focus is involved while increasing the ferocity of this attack. A single lapse in judgment can lead to users getting lost in the chaos, leaving themselves wide open for a fatal hit.
7Fifth Form: Blessed Rain After The Drought
A Painless Attack Meant To Decapitate Enemies, Giving Them A Graceful Death
The Water Breathing technique is known for being elegant and graceful. This extends to its moves and the mercy that can be given with the same.
The fifth form accomplished exactly that. Called the Blessed Rain After the Drought, it’s an attack meant to decapitate enemies without causing any pain, which allows enemies who have surrendered to die a graceful death without feeling any unnecessary pain.
6Sixth Form: Whirlpool
A Twirling Strike Where The User Spins Their Entire Body Like A Whirlpool
Given the name of Water Breathing’s sixth form, its function should be obvious. The user of this move twists their body around and creates a whirlpool that will lacerate anyone within range.
The efficiency of this move is further enhanced if the user is underwater. It’s one of the most thematically fitting moves in this Breathing Style.
Whirlpool, Flow
Just like the Water Wheel, this move was alsoinnovated and improved upon by Tanjiro. He combined the footwork of Flowing Dance along with the twists and turns required to execute the Whirlpool technique to perform a devastating attack.
This move is so powerful that it can even deflect projectiles. Only the most skilled Water Breathing users have the faintest chance of pulling this advanced technique off, which makes it quite impressive that Tanjiro was able to pull off such a complex technique even though Water Breathing wasn’t his natural style.
5Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust
A Quick And Accurate Stab Meant To Slow Down The Momentum Of Anyone Or Anything
Given all the fancy move sets that have been discussed above, the seventh form of Water Breathing seems rather tame in comparison. It’s a quick and accurate stab that is able to reduce anyone’s — or anything’s — momentum if they’re hit by it.
There’s another upgraded version of this form called Drop Ripple Thrust, Curve. Here, the user must nail the angle of the stab so that they can completely stop the momentum of a moving object.
4Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin
A Downward Slash That Is More Effective With The Appropriate Momentum
The eighth form of Water Breathing uses an opponent’s momentum against them. It releases a downward slash that can easily decapitate enemies if executed properly.
Waterfall Basin is particularly effective when the user is falling downwards. This allows them to generate maximum force behind their attacks for a devastating slash.
3Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent
A Footwork Technique That Allows Users To Land And Launch Off Surfaces Without Taking Too Much Time Or Effort
During his fight against Kyogai,Tanjiro found himself at a disadvantagedue to the revolving room where he had to fight this powerful demon. However, in a bid to work around this lack of footholds, Tanjiro unleashed a devastating attack that took advantage of Kyogai’s power.
He unleashed the Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent technique, which allowed him to deliver powerful slashes without having to stay still on the ground for too long. This complex footwork is hard to execute, but Tanjiro’s zeal allowed him to get the better of his foe and deliver a fatal slash that decided the victor of the battle once and for all.
2Tenth Form: Constant Flux
A Continuous Flowing Attack That Becomes Deadlier By Generating More Speed And Momentum
One of the coolest Water Breathing techniques was pulled off by Tanjiro in his fight against the psychotic Rui. After being pushed to his limits, Tanjiro unveiled his powerful Constant Flux technique. This tenth form allows users to execute a continuous flowing attack, taking on the form of a water dragon as they do so. Each consecutive sword slice became more and more powerful due to the force of the momentum that increased with each rotation.
However, even this technique wasn’t enough for Tanjiro to tackle Rui, and it was only after he rememberedhis father’s Hinokami Kagura dancethat he channeled enough power into this movement and cut Rui’s blood-powered threads and left him open for a finishing blow. He may not have landed this attack, but this display of power showed Tanjiro’s potential as one of the most powerful demon slayers of all time.
