Thunder Breathing (雷かみなりの呼こ吸きゅう Kaminari no kokyū?) is one of the five main breathing styles directly derived from Sun Breathing.
Description
Thunder Breathing is a breathing style that mimics lightning, specifically the lightning-like strikes and rapid movements that tear the sky apart, and replicates them with the user’s moves, techniques, and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques and forms involve the use of blinding speeds and immensely fast attacks to overwhelm the enemy in an instant. Thunder Breathing users are also seen creating and manipulating lightning and electricity when using their techniques.
Zenitsu Agatsuma noticed that this style of breathing focuses on channeling force into the user’s legs, and maximizing the output of every muscle and blood vessel. Users also imitate lightning with such fidelity that they vibrate the air when ready to trigger a technique and create immense thunder-like sounds with their simple steps. This style of breathing is also reminiscent of a sword style practiced and used in real life, known as Iaijutsu, a famous quick-draw sword technique.
This breathing style was created by one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s students who attempted to learn Sun Breathing, but since he was not as powerful as Yoriichi, he was taught an alternate and personalized breathing style. which focused on his individual strengths and weaknesses, which eventually evolved into breathing thunder.
A known Thunder Breath cultivator in the Demon Slayer Corps is former Thunder Hashira, Jigoro Kuwajima.
Known users
- Jigoro Kuwajima
- Kaigaku
- Zenitsu Agatsuma
Known techniques
Thunder breath has 6 standard forms in total, the first being considered the base of all other forms. However, Zenitsu Agatsuma developed a seventh form in order to be on equal footing with Kaigaku, his former senior disciple under Jigoro who had become the sixth senior rank of the twelve Kizuki.
Note: Since the second through sixth forms have only been shown by Kaigaku who uses lightning in conjunction with his sword, it is currently unknown how a normal swordsman would perform these techniques.
- First Form: Thunderbolt and Lightning (壱いちノ型かた 霹へき靂れき一いっ閃せん Ichi no kata: Hekireki Issen?) – User draws their katana, dashes forward at blinding speed and decapitates his opponent before he can react, before sheathing him. This technique is strongly reminiscent of Iaijutsu and its movements are described as being similar to “lightning splitting the air”.
- Sixfold (六ろく連れん Rokuren?) – An extension of the Thunder Clap and Flash technique created by Zenitsu Agatsuma. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash six times in a row while slightly increasing the power and speed of their dashes.
- Eight (八はち連れん Hachiren?) – An extension of the Thunder Clap and Flash technique created by Zenitsu Agatsuma. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash eight times in a row while slightly increasing the power and speed of their dashes.
- God Speed (神しん速そく Shinsoku?) – An extension of the thunderclap and flash created by Zenitsu, and the fastest version of the technique. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash while dramatically increasing the speed of the technique. During the first demonstration of this technique, an unconscious Zenitsu remarked that he should not perform it more than 2 times, otherwise his legs would be rendered useless by muscle fatigue and exhaustion. However, during the fight against Muzan Kibutsuji, Zenitsu showed improvement in mastering this technique, allowing him to use it more than 2 times while maintaining the power and speed of the technique.
- Second Form: Spirit of Rice (弐にノ型かた稲いな魂だま Ni no kata: Inadama?) – Kaigaku unleashes five arcing thunderbolts in rapid succession.
- Third Form: Thunder Swarm (参さんノ型かた 聚しゅう蚊ぶん成せい雷らい San no kata: Shūbun Seirai?) – Kaigaku surrounds the enemy with waves of arcing lightning and attacks them from all directions.
- Fourth Form: Distant Thunder (肆しノ型かた 遠えん雷らい Shi no kata: Enrai?) – Kaigaku generates a ball of electricity that releases waves of powerful multi-directional lightning from afar.
- Fifth Form: Heat Lightning (伍ごノ型かた 熱ねつ界かい雷らい Go no kata: Netsu Kairai?) – Kaigaku unleashes a long-range upward sword strike made of lightning.
- Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash (陸ろくノ型かた 電でん轟ごう雷らい轟ごう Roku no kata: Dengō Raigō?) – Kaigaku fires a series of powerful long-range lightning bolts that strike his opponent from afar.
- Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami (漆しちノ型かた 火ほの雷いかづちの神かみ Shichi no kata: Honoikazuchi no Kami?, lit. Flaming Thunder God) – Zenitsu Agatsuma’s personal creation. The user dashes forward at blinding speed and fires a singular forward slash, which appears to be accompanied by a yellow lightning-shaped Japanese dragon.
Exclusive game techniques
First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Prime (壱いちノ型かた 霹へき靂れき一いっ閃せん・極きわみ Ichi no kata: Hekireki Issen – Kiwami?) – An expansion of Thunderclap and Flash created by Zenitsu . The user performs a Thunder Clap and a Flash, then causes a lightning bolt next to them, causing the ground to crack. The user then dashes forward six times and slashes their opponent before unleashing a continuous bolt of lightning that electrocutes them.
Air Spin (空くう転てん Kūten?) – The user spins their opponent in the air.
Triviality
- The first form: Thunderbolt and Lightning (壱いちノ型かた 霹へき靂れき一いっ閃せん Ichi no kata: Hekireki Issen?) is stated to be the basis of all other forms, which was all Zenitsu could learn and refine, while Kaigaku couldn’t despite learning the other forms after her. Two unnamed demon slayers said that because of this, he would not be able to successfully master other forms of the Breath of Thunder. The name of the second form: Spirit of Rice (弐にノ型かた 稲いな魂だま Ni no kata: Inadama?) is based on a belief in Japan that when a rice field is struck by lightning, it ensures a bountiful harvest and fertilizes the rice plants in the region.
- Seventh form: Honoikazuchi no Kami (漆しちノ型かた 火ほの雷いかづちの神かみ Shichi no kata: Honoikazuchi no Kami?, lit. Flaming Thunder God) may be a reference to Dancing Flash (円えん舞ぶ一いっ閃せん Enbu Issen?) created by Tanjiro as both incorporate lightning and fire elements into their techniques.
- This technique could also symbolize Zenitsu’s friendship with Tanjiro and Inosuke, as the name of this form is closely related to the Hinokami Kagura used by Tanjiro, while the dragon could be a reference to the animal behavior and breathing style of Zenitsu. ‘Inosuke.
