Tanjiro’s Sun Breathing: The Ultimate Power Revealed!

In “Demon Slayer,” a young boy named Tanjiro Kamado embarks on an incredible quest for vengeance after his family is cruelly murdered by demons. This world is plagued by these monstrous creatures, with Muzan Kibitsuji leading them all as their ruthless leader. To combat these demons, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps, a group dedicated to fighting against them. Over the course of his training, he discovers just how strong he truly is.

In the Demon Slayer Corps, members harness unique powers through distinct breathing techniques. Each slayer specializes in different methods based on their specific attunement. Notably, Tanjiro stands out with a greater array of forms and abilities than most demon slayers. Although all are formidable in combat against demons, none can compare to his supreme ultimate form, revealed in the climactic arc of the Demon Slayer manga.

Proceeding text may reveal key details from the conclusion of the Demon Slayer manga. If you prefer to wait until the anime adaptation is over, please exercise caution before reading further.

Character Tanjiro Kamado
Series Demon Slayer
Chapter 193

Why Does Tanjiro Have an Ultimate Form?

What Makes Him So Strong?

Tanjiro stands out among the Demon Slayer Corps in numerous ways. A key factor contributing to his strength and ability to battle powerful demons despite less extensive training than the senior Hashira is his mastery over multiple breathing techniques. Unlike characters such as Zenitsu, who can only wield Thunder Breathing, or Inosuke, limited to Beast Breathing, Tanjiro demonstrates proficiency in Water Breathing (though this initially appears to be the case), and he also incorporates aspects of other breathing styles to enhance his fighting capabilities.

In the anime, Tanjiro initially employs Water Breathing moves that appear typical, yet as the story unfolds, his skills progress significantly. Initially, all his techniques are water-based, but they later develop further. Remarkably, he manages to exploit aspects of Zenitsu’s Thunder Breathing alongside his own strengths to vanquish Hantengu. Following a near-fatal battle with Rui, Tanjiro unexpectedly unlocks an extraordinary and enigmatic technique from an obscure figure in his recollections.

In the storyline, we find that the method is known as Hinokami Kagura, or Dance of the Fire Deity. As the narrative unfolds, the peculiar figure that appears in Tanjiro’s fragmented recollections is revealed to be none other than Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the inventor of the original breathing technique, Sun Breathing, which is deeply connected to Hinokami Kagura. This ancient technique has been passed from father to son within clans over generations. Interestingly enough, Tanjiro’s father had imparted this form upon him, along with his Hanafuda earrings.

Since Sun Breathing was the initial breathing technique utilized to combat demons, it holds immense power. Despite Hashira like Rengoku mentioning it to Tanjiro, they assume it’s been lost forever. However, Tanjiro challenges this belief by reviving Sun Breathing through his ancestors’ memories. In his first attempt using it against Rui, though, his body was not yet adapted, and the strain almost proved fatal.

What is Tanjiro’s Ultimate Form?

Sun Breathing, Explained

As Tanjiro becomes adept at mastering his Sun Breathing skills, he taps into powers greater than any he had during his Water Breathing training. This is due to the fact that a slayer’s peak performance occurs when they wield the Breathing Technique they’re most in harmony with, and Tanjiro finds himself more attuned to Sun Breathing because of his ancestry. In the later part of the series, he increasingly relies on this technique, showcasing moves that share resemblance to Fire Breathing.

Yet, Sun Breathing differs from Flame Breathing. Instead of replicating flames, it embodies the sun itself. As per the Kimetsu no Yaiba Wiki, the form (including Hinokami Kagura, where Tanjiro initially starts) portrays not flames but the essence of the sun.

…Sun-Mimicking Respiration Techniques that synchronize with the sun’s movements, incorporating the user’s actions, skills, and unique styles. The techniques and forms are highly diverse and lack a fixed pattern, making it adaptable and powerful against supernatural entities like demons. Practitioners of Sun Breathing envision themselves controlling solar flames as they execute its abilities.

As Tanjiro delves deeper into mastering the twelve styles of Sun Breathing via Yoriichi’s memories, he spots redundant actions within its historical application. He effectively discards those superfluous steps, refining Sun Breathing down to its essence. This newly developed method came to be known as the Thirteenth Style, a previously unseen application of Sun Breathing that repeatedly cycles through the initial twelve forms in sequence. This newfound technique grants Tanjiro an unprecedented power and is his ultimate expression of Sun Breathing.

When Does Tanjiro Use His Ultimate Form?

An Epic Conclusion

In the “Demon Slayer” comic book series, Tanjiro employs the Thirteenth Form of Sun Breathing just once, and it’s when it matters most. As the story reaches its climax, the Demon Slayer Corps storm the Infinity Castle with the goal of vanquishing Muzan and all demons forever. However, Muzan decimates their ranks, leaving Tanjiro wounded, blinded in one eye, and poisoned by a high-ranking demon’s attack.

As he recovers from the ordeal, it’s then that I witness Tanjiro decipher and master the Sun Breathing techniques of Yoriichi. In our next encounter with Muzan, though crippled by his missing eye and poison coursing through his veins, Tanjiro deftly employs the Thirteenth Form of Sun Breathing to buy us some time. It’s only Yoriichi and Tanjiro who have managed to stand toe-to-toe with Muzan in a one-on-one battle.

Through countless repetitions, Tanjiro masterfully cycles through the twelve techniques of Sun Breathing, growing more precise with each strike against Muzan. His blows target Muzan’s critical areas: twelve vital organs, seven hearts, and five brains. At times, even Muzan perceives Yoriichi rather than Tanjiro during their battle, as Tanjiro taps into the full potential of Sun Breathing. By employing this refined technique, Tanjiro manages to keep Muzan at bay until dawn, ensuring that the sun’s rise would finally put an end to the demon leader for good. It is doubtful that the Demon Slayer Corps could have triumphed in the Infinity Castle without Tanjiro’s ultimate form, but thanks to him, Muzan was vanquished, along with the rest of the demons.

Currently, you can only find Tanjiro’s ultimate form in the Demon Slayer manga, which debuts in Chapter 193 of the Infinity Castle arc. But don’t worry, as this arc is being turned into a trilogy of movies due out in 2025, so we won’t have to wait long to witness the Thirteenth Form of Sun Breathing come alive on screen through anime too! With Tanjiro mastering Sun Breathing, the other characters in the Demon Slayer universe can finally live peacefully, thanks to his extraordinary power.

Watch Demon Slayer now on Crunchyroll.

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2025-02-20 22:25