How powerful is Moon Breath in Demon Slayer?
How powerful is Moon Breath in Demon Slayer? History and all forms explained
Breaths are the primary means of attack which they execute through their . It is a technique specific to demon slayers who have mastered breathing with total concentration.
But then comes the demon Upper Moon One who masters moon breathing. Here's an idea of how powerful Moon Breathing is in Demon Slayer and all its forms explained.
Contents
I. Moon Breathing in Demon Slayer: History
Like other breathing styles, moon breathing also originated in . is the first human to use full concentration breathing, and the only human to do so naturally.
His breathing style, Sun Breathing, is the most powerful breathing style that remains unparalleled even hundreds of years into the future.
While normal swords cannot decapitate demons, Sun Breathing is capable of doing so. This is why Yoriichi taught Full Focus Breathing to his older twin, and the five demon slayers he befriended.
Although they had mastered Full Focus Breathing, none of them were able to master Solar Breathing as no one had the innate power and talent like Yoriichi.
Like the Demon Slayers, Michikatsu also invented a special breathing style, Moon Breathing, which is incredibly powerful and capable of killing demons, but still weaker than Solar Breathing.
Burning with jealousy and an inferiority complex, Michikatsu later became a demon after meeting each other while he was still in his prime.
Because Michikatsu has never passed on his breathing style to anyone else unlike his comrades, he remains the only user of Moon Breathing. After his defection to Muzan, all knowledge of Moon Breathing was eventually lost to time.
In the Taisho era, no one, not even the , had any idea about Moon Breathing, and only learned of its existence when Wind Hashira and Stone Hashira encountered the Upper Moon One demon, Kokushibo.
Why did Kokushibo develop lunar breathing?
When Michikatsu Tsugikuni began training in Total Focus Breathing, he was trying to learn Solar Breathing from his younger twin Yoriichi. But like the other demon slayers under Yoriichi's tutelage, he proved unable to perform Sun Breathing because he lacked the innate talent and strength that Yoriichi possessed.
However, during his training, he developed a new breathing style, stronger than other breathing styles invented by his comrades, but significantly inferior to Yoriichi's solar breathing. This style of breathing is lunar breathing.
His new breathing style complemented his role in life alongside Yoriichi, the moon still being eclipsed by the sun's brilliance. Even after becoming a demon and taking the name Kokushibo, he kept his Moon Breath and made it more powerful with his Bloodthirsty Demon Art.
II. How powerful is Moon Breath in Demon Slayer?
Kokushibo is one of the strongest characters in the series. As a demon, his powers are second only to Muzan, and later Tanjiro. It's no wonder that his moon breathing is also one of the most powerful breathing styles; In fact, Moon Breathing is the second most powerful breathing style, second only to Sun Death Breathing.
Compared to other breaths
If we compare Moon Breathing to other breathing styles, we would see how superior Moon Breathing is in terms of power and swordsmanship. Among all other breaths, it has the greatest number of forms, with at least 16 forms.
Another thing to remember is that it took three breathing styles, used by three Hashira, and one Blood Demon Art to defeat Kokushibo. This is enough proof of how strong Moon Breathing really is.
But then again, Kokushibo has much more time to master his breathing style than any human. It took him more than 460 years to perfect his techniques. Not only that, but he also uses his Blood Demon Art to enhance his Moon Breathing. Regardless, this is the second most powerful breathing style.
Compared to solar breathing
No matter how strong Moon Breathing is, it can never be as powerful as Sun Breathing, even after being made stronger with Kokushibo's flesh katana and his Blood Demon Art. Although there are a smaller number of forms of both, each form of Solar Breathing is more deadly than anything Lunar Breathing can create.
Relationship between lunar breathing and the demons of the upper and lower moon
Kokushibo is the second demon alongside Muzan, after Tamayo overcomes his control and flees. However, he is the first of his twelve Kizuki and Muzan's most valued subordinate. In fact, he is the only one that Muzan considers a business partner rather than a subordinate like he considers the rest of the Kizuki.
It is possible that the name Twelve Kizuki, meaning the twelve demonic moons, as well as the upper and lower moons, comes from Kokushibo's breathing style since he was the first of them.
Another theory regarding Twelve Kizuki's name is that the name reflects the fact that demons can only dwell and survive at night.
III. Lunar breathing technique: all forms explained
Of all the breathing styles introduced in the series, Moon Breathing has the greatest number of forms. There are at least sixteen forms of Moon Breathing, one more powerful than the other.
The higher number of forms can be attributed to Michikatsu's natural talent as well as the fact that he had over 460 years to develop them, several times the lifespan of a normal human.
Another reason why there are so many forms of Lunar Breathing is Kokushibo's use of his Blood Demon Art in his breathing style.
The sixteen forms are not purely techniques of the Breathing Style, but are an amalgamation of the Lunar Breathing that Michikatsu developed as a human and his Blood Demon Art as a demon.
Not only that, but the sixteen forms of Moon Breathing are not performed through the Nichirin Swords, the primary weapons of the Demon Slayers, but through his Flesh Katana.
These make it seem like the higher number of Moon Breathing forms is due to Kokushibo being a demon, and it is unlikely that a human demon slayer could have invented or performed all of these forms.
1. First Form: Black Moon, Evening Sanctuary
The first form of Moon Breathing and the first form used by Kokushibo against the Hashira is Dark Moon, Evening Shrine.
Consisting of a deceptively simple motion, this form allows the user to draw their sword to perform a quick crescent-shaped slash towards the target, creating numerous small crescent-moon-shaped blades appearing randomly at through the crescent-shaped cup, before sheathing his sword again.
This technique is extremely fast, capable of catching the Mist Hashira, with Muichiro Tokito unaware when the boy uses his most powerful form. The attack is so fast that before Muichiro realizes it, Kokushibo cuts off his hand.
2. Second form: pearl flowers in the moonlight
Moonlit Pearl Flowers is the second form of Moon Breathing which consists of three consecutive crescent strikes that produce several small crescent moon shaped blades towards the target.
This attack is very difficult to avoid, as evidenced by the fact that it could not only easily counter the fourth form of Stone Breathing of Gyomei Himejima, the strongest Hashira, but could also hit him in the face.
Usually in breathing styles, the higher the form, the stronger the attack. Thinking that only the second form is powerful enough to hurt the strongest Hashira is proof of Kokushibo's true strength.
3. Third Form: Deadly Moon of Abandonment, Chain
A wide-range attack of Moon Breathing, the third form, i.e. Death Moon of Abandonment, Chain requires the user to swing their sword in two very wide slashes, aiming at the target. The slashes are crescent-shaped and produce several small crescent-shaped blades on top of the original slashes.
This technique allows the user to cover a large area to attack and is powerful enough to even create bumps on the ground.
The Upper Moon One demon, Kokushibo, uses this form against the Wind Hashira in their fight during the Infinity Castle Arc.
4. Fifth Form: Calamitous Eddy of the Lunar Spirit
One of the most visually appealing forms of Moon Breathing, the fifth form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy is obtained when the user performs several back-to-back slices in a crescent shape around themselves, creating a sort of vortex.
The cuts are huge and cover a wide range of areas while producing the small crescent moon blades on each slice.
This attack has a wide range and is perfect for keeping the opponent away. Anyone caught in the vortex of cuts is sure to die instantly. It's only a testament to Sanemi's strength that he dodges this attack.
5. Sixth Form: Lonely Moon in Eternal Night: Avici
Another long-range form of Moon Breathing is its sixth form, Lone Moon in Eternal Night: Avici. In this form, the user unleashes a barrage of powerful, wide-range consecutive blows towards the target.
The slashes are crescent-shaped, carrying a plethora of small crescent moon-shaped blades and can extend up to several meters from the user. They are powerful enough to sneak through their surroundings.
The sixth form's barrage of oblique blows is quite wild in nature and very difficult to avoid. After being hit, Sanemi is dangerously injured in the chest during his battle with Kokushibo.
6. Seventh form: mirror of misfortune, lunar shard
In Moon Breathing's seventh form, Misfortune Mirror, Lunar Shine, the user performs a single slice arc that produces several small crescent moon blades and creates a massive shockwave that spreads away from the user.
The distance traveled by the shock waves is staggering, reaching several meters.
After revealing the full form of his flesh katana, Kokushibo first uses this form against Sanemi and Gyomei. This form is extremely fast, and the shockwaves it produces are intense enough to carve deep dents in the ground.
However, the intensity of the shockwaves decreases with the distance traveled from the point of attack, so it is possible to dodge this technique.
7. Eighth form: Lunar Ouroboros
The eighth form, Lunar Ouroboros, is another powerful long-range attack in Kokushibo's arsenal. In this form, the user cuts a huge crescent several meters away and around them. The crescent slash then produces a number of crescent moon blades of all sizes.
This form not only keeps opponents away, but also proves deadly. Because even if the big blow doesn't hurt the opponent, the small blades will surely do the trick.
8. Ninth Form: Descending Moon: Perpetual Phases
Descending Moon: Perpetual Phases is the ninth form of Lunar Breathing in which the user throws several huge crescent-shaped slashes in all directions. The overlapping cuts, as well as the small crescent moon shaped blades, all fall randomly towards the target.
The Wild Technique is one of Kokushibo's deadliest and is extremely difficult to avoid. Once caught within its perimeter, it is impossible to escape unscathed.
9. Tenth Form: Piercing Phase Slash, Ivy Moon
The tenth form, Piercing Phase Slash, Ivy Moon, is the most different form from Moon Breathing. In it, the user performs three consecutive circular slashes towards the target. The cuts have jagged edges, similar to a saw, and carry with them several crescent moon-shaped blades.
Caught in its path, it's completely deadly. Kokushibo uses this form to target a seriously injured Sanemi. It is only thanks to Muichiro that he manages to break away and survive.
10. Fourteenth Form: Calamity: Full Celestial Crescent Moon
The fourteenth form of Lunar Breathing, Calamity: Heaven's Full Crescent Moon, is also used by Kokushibo's modified form of Flesh Katana. In this form, the user swings their sword several times in a crescent shape, creating a number of crescent cuts covered by the smaller crescent moon blades.
The size of the slashes increases exponentially as the distance traveled increases, eventually creating a vortex of large, multi-directional slashes.
Although this shape is difficult to avoid, one can escape by entering the vortex through the gaps between the slashes. Sanemi and Muichiro do just that when Gyomei attacks Kokushibo from another side.
11. Sixteenth Form: Lunar Rainbow: Fragmented Moon
Lunar Rainbow, Fragmented Moon is the sixteenth form of Moon Breathing. This form creates vertical attacks, unlike the horizontal slashes of most Moon Breathing forms. In this form, the user swings the flesh katana upwards and performs six consecutive blows that magnify and land on the target in a barrage.
The falling blows are so powerful that they shatter the ground below. They also cover a large area with this attack. In the middle of his fight against the Hashira, Kokushibo uses this technique.
Our discussion on Moon Breathing ends here. Kokushibo makes his first real introduction in Demon Slayer season 3, but it will be a long time before his Moon Breathing is translated to the screen. You'll have to wait patiently for that, and in the meantime, come visit Otakus Notes for more Demon Slayer articles.
Do small things with lots of love.
Follow us for more updates.
Read also:
