Kamado Tanjiro is the main protagonist of theDemon Slayer series, who originally lived the peaceful life as a regular coal burner. However, after most of his family was slaughtered by the demon king Kibutsuji Muzan, the young protagonist sought out the former hashira Sakonji Urokodaki and armed himself with powerful techniques under the Water Breathing style.
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Breathing styles allowindividuals to enhance their physical capabilities and perform powerful attacks facilitated by unique breathing patterns. Over the course of the series, Tanijiro unlocks multiple breathing styles, but only two have been shown in the anime so far. This list contains all the styles that Tanjiro has performed in the anime and the different techniques classed under them.
17Water Breathing: Fourth Form – Striking Tide
After completing histraining under Urokodaki, Tanjiro took part in the Final Selection, a test to determine if an individual would become a demon slayer or not. The test required its participants to stay alive for seven days in a demon-infested mountain, meaning they’d either have to fight or avoid demons for the entire period.
While on the mountain, Striking Tide was the first form Tanjiro used. It uses flowing movements, allowing its user to perform multiple consecutive strikes to overpower their opponents. Using this form, he was able to take down two demons, an impressive feat considering how little experience he had up until that point.
16Water Breathing: Second Form – Water Wheel
While on the Final Selection mountain, Mount Fujikasane, Tanjiro also encountered the vengeful Hand Demon. This demon resented Urokodaki for capturing him and took out his anger onall of Urokodaki’s discipleswho had ever participated in the final selection. He had managed to kill thirteen disciples so far and was determined to make Tanjiro his fourteenth victim.
As the Hand Demon was about to devour a random participant on the testing mountain, Tanjiro temporarily sliced off some of its hands using the Water Wheel. This form allows its user to generate significant force by jumping into the air and spinning in a vertical motion, effectively slicing anything it comes into contact with.
15Water Breathing: First Form – Water Surface Slash
Tanjiro’s fight againstthe Hand Demonwas difficult, as it was by far the strongest demon he had faced up until that point. The demon could attack over a long distance with an unnatural number of hands, all of which could regenerate immediately after being cut. In addition, it had an incredibly tough neck, as shown in the flashback where Sabito’s sword broke upon contact with it.
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Despite this, Tanjiro still put up a good fight against it and eventually decapitated the demon with his Water Surface Slash. When using this form, he is seen approaching his target at incredible speed, after which he performs an extremely powerful horizontal slash.
14Water Breathing: Eighth Form – Waterfall Basin
After surviving the final selection, Tanjiro embarked on his first job as a demon slayer, journeying to a town where young girls have been disappearing at night. The disappearances were revealed to be caused by the Swamp Demon, a demon able to duplicate itself and drag others into its personal dimension through a movable opening in the regular world.
While fighting the evasive demon,Tanjiro finds a way to pinpointthe spot at which it would appear from its pocket dimension. However, he is surprised by the number of demons that emerge, so he uses the Waterfall Basin to escape their clutches. With this form, he unleashes a powerful downward slash, creating the optical illusion of a waterfall, with enough power to sever the hands of each duplicate.
13Water Breathing: Sixth Form – Whirlpool
While fighting against the different bodies of the Swamp Demon, Tanjiro decides to enter the demons’underwater swamp dimensionto seal off their escape route. Believing he had made a foolish decision to fight them in their territory, two of the demons catch up to him and engage him in battle.
The demons originally outmaneuver Tanjiro, but after considering what technique would be the best fit for the situation, Tanjiro decides to use Whirlpool. This form is said to be more effective underwater than above ground. It involves the forceful twisting of one’s upper and lower body in order to create a powerful maelstrom. Using this technique, Tanjiro was able to defeat two of the Swamp Demon’s duplicates, severing not just their heads but multiple other parts of their bodies.
12Water Breathing: Seventh Form – Drop Ripple Thrust
After abrief encounter with Muzanin Asakusa, Tanjiro is led to the demon doctor, Lady Tamayo’s house. He agrees to assist her in her efforts to find a cure for demons but soon after finds himself under attack by the two demons Yahaba and Susamaru.
Susamaru could throw temari balls with tremendous force, and with the help of Yahaba, have them move in unconventional ways. In order to counter these fast-moving balls, Tanjiro’s first move was to use the Drop Ripple Thrust. This form involves a swift stab at a target and was used to reduce the impact of an oncoming temari. It is also known to be Tanjiro’s fastest thrusting technique.
11Water Breathing: Third Form – Flowing Dance
As the battle in Asakusa intensified, the demon Susamaru grew four more arms, which allowed her to throw many more temari balls and further increase her offensive threat. However, after Nezuko began occupying Yahaba, the balls no longer had their previous degree of unpredictability, and Tanjiro countered this opening by using the Flowing Dance.
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This form allows for multiple swift movements in the form of a dance, which all occur in a flowing manner. As a result, the user can perform powerful slashes and deal considerable damage with each move. It allowed Tanjiro to cut through many of Susamaru’s balls and temporarily sever her six arms.
10Water Breathing: Fifth Form – Blessed Rain After The Drought
Tanjiro originally intended to use this form in his fight against the Swamp Demon but was unable to after being caught off guard. However, in the Mount Natagumo Arc, Tanjiro used it to blissfully decapitate the Mother Spider Demon; a demon who had been controlling random demon slayers through barely visible threads.
This form allows its user to deliver a single, calm strike that holds no malice or contempt. Tanjiro used it to express hissympathy for the demon’s predicament, and it was shown to have the intended effect.
9Water Breathing: Ninth Form – Splashing Water Flow Turbulent
This form was first used in Tanjiro’s battle against Kyogai,the former Lower Moon Sixof the Twelve Kizuki, a group of demons known to be the strongest of their kind. After a long, difficult battle, Tanjiro composed himself and gathered the necessary resolve, moving in for the finishing blow with Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent.
This move allows its user to adapt to various environments by minimizing the landing time and surface area needed to approach their target. It heavily takes footwork into account, creating the optical illusion of its user running across little bodies of water, after which they can easily decapitate their target.
8Water Breathing: Tenth Form – Constant Flux
While on Mount Natagumo, Tanjiro faced theformidable Lower Rank Five, Rui. He possessed power unlike any demon Tanjiro had ever seen and could control unbelievably strong threads, as shown when they broke Tanjiro’s sword early on.
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Though Tanjiro was originally powerless against Rui’s threads, he began to make progress after using the Tenth Form: Constant Flux. This form allows its user to gain more power as they perform multiple rotations, visually represented on-screen as a roaring water dragon. With this, Tanjiro was able to deflect Rui’s normal threads and eventually start slicing them.
