Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura) is the original breathing style from which all others derive. With 13 forms passed down through the Kamado family as a sacred dance, it is the most powerful technique in the Demon Slayer universe.
Sun Breathing was created by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the first and most powerful demon slayer in history. Born over 400 years before the main story, Yoriichi possessed the Demon Slayer Mark and Transparent World ability from birth. He developed Sun Breathing as the original breathing style, capable of pushing human physical capabilities beyond their absolute limits. All other breathing styles — Water, Flame, Wind, Stone, and Thunder — are derived from Sun Breathing, making it the foundational technique of the entire Demon Slayer Corps. Yoriichi came within a hair's breadth of defeating Muzan Kibutsuji himself, leaving scars on the Demon King that never fully healed. For more information, visit the Sun Breathing page on the Fandom Wiki.
After Yoriichi failed to defeat Muzan, he passed Sun Breathing to the Kamado family, who preserved it not as a combat technique but as a ceremonial dance called Hinokami Kagura (Dance of the Fire God). Performed annually on New Year's Day to ward off illness and misfortune, the dance consists of 12 forms that worship the fire god. Tanjiro Kamado grew up performing this dance, unaware that it was a lost breathing style. Each dance movement corresponds directly to a Sun Breathing form, with the final 13th form lost to time. Tanjiro's years of practicing the dance gave him an instinctive foundation that no other demon slayer possessed.
First Form: Dance — A sweeping circular slash that creates a ring of burning energy, the foundational movement of the Hinokami Kagura.
Fourth Form: Burning Bones, Summer Sun — An explosive full-body spinning attack that mimics the intensity of the summer sun at its peak.
Eleventh Form: Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance — A devastating chain of slashes delivered in a serpentine pattern, one of the most visually spectacular techniques.
Twelfth Form: Flame Dance — A high-speed flurry of circular slashes that surround the user with a burning vortex.
Thirteenth Form — The legendary lost form, a cycle of all 12 previous forms executed in seamless succession. Tanjiro discovered this form during his final battle against Muzan, combining all forms into an unending loop of attacks.
Sun Breathing surpasses all derivative styles for three reasons. First, it is the only style that allows the user to naturally awaken the Demon Slayer Mark through the intense heat generated by its forms. Second, Sun Breathing's movements are optimized to exploit Muzan's biological weaknesses, including his limited regeneration against solar-energy-infused attacks. Third, the style's only weakness is its extreme physical demand — it requires immense stamina and blood oxygenation that few slayers can sustain. Tanjiro's total concentration breathing mastery, combined with his years of dance practice, made him uniquely suited to wield this legendary style against the Demon King.
Pro Tip: Sun Breathing is extremely taxing on the body because it requires maintaining the highest possible blood oxygen saturation throughout the entire fight. Tanjiro could only use it for short bursts initially. To build stamina for this style, practice Total Concentration Breathing at all times — even casual walking should be done with perfect breathing rhythm before attempting any Sun Breathing forms.
Only a handful of characters have ever used Sun Breathing. Yoriichi Tsugikuni created it and remains its most powerful user. Tanjiro Kamado inherited it through his family's Hinokami Kagura dance and awakened its true potential during his battle against Upper Rank demons. Tanjiro's father, Tanjuro Kamado, was also a master of the dance who could perform all 13 forms despite his frail health. The style's legacy shaped the entire Demon Slayer Corps, as every breathing technique used by the Hashira can trace its roots back to Yoriichi's original 13 forms. Without Sun Breathing, there would be no Demon Slayer Corps as it exists today. Read more about Sun Breathing's primary user on the Tanjiro Kamado page on the Fandom Wiki.
Sun Breathing stands at the top of the breathing style hierarchy as the original technique from which all others descend. The five primary derivative styles — Water, Flame, Wind, Stone, and Thunder — each adapted a specific aspect of Sun Breathing. Water Breathing inherited its fluid adaptability and defensive capabilities, using flowing motions to redirect enemy attacks. Flame Breathing focused on explosive offensive power, sacrificing versatility for raw destructive force. Wind Breathing emphasized speed and cutting power, Stone Breathing specialized in overwhelming defense, and Thunder Breathing concentrated energy into single explosive thrusts. Each derivative represents a trade-off — enhancing one aspect while sacrificing others. Sun Breathing itself maintains perfect balance across all combat dimensions: the defensive fluidity of Water, the offensive power of Flame, the speed of Wind, the resilience of Stone, and the concentrated impact of Thunder, simultaneously. This comprehensive nature is why Tanjiro's mastery of Sun Breathing allowed him to adapt to any situation, whereas derivative users are vulnerable against opponents who counter their specialized approach. For a complete overview of all connected styles, visit the Breathing Styles page on the Fandom Wiki. For the history of Sun Breathing's creation, see the Yoriichi Tsugikuni page on the Fandom Wiki.
The confrontation between Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Muzan Kibutsuji over 400 years ago remains the single most significant battle in Demon Slayer history. Yoriichi, armed with Sun Breathing in its purest form, faced Muzan in what should have been the decisive battle ending the demon threat forever. Using the Thirteenth Form — the complete cycle of all Sun Breathing techniques in seamless succession — Yoriichi pushed Muzan to the brink of annihilation, cutting the Demon King into over 1,800 pieces in a single breathtaking assault. However, Muzan's incredible regeneration and body-splitting ability allowed him to escape by the narrowest margin. The scars left on Muzan's body from Yoriichi's blade never fully healed, remaining permanent reminders of the first demon slayer's overwhelming power. This battle established Muzan's deep-seated fear of Sun Breathing, driving his obsessive hunt for anyone capable of wielding the style. Yoriichi's near-victory proved demons could be defeated, inspiring generations of slayers who followed. The encounter shaped Corps tactics for four centuries, with every demon-hunting strategy tracing back to lessons from this single confrontation. For the detailed account, visit the Muzan Kibutsuji page on the Fandom Wiki. For more on the man who nearly ended the Demon King, see the Yoriichi Tsugikuni page on the Fandom Wiki.
Sun Breathing, also known as Hinokami Kagura or Dance of the Fire God, is the original breathing style created by Yoriichi Tsugikuni. All other breathing styles are derived from it.
Sun Breathing has 13 forms. The 13th form, which cycles through all 12 previous forms in seamless succession, was lost to time and rediscovered by Tanjiro Kamado during his final battle against Muzan.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the first demon slayer, created Sun Breathing over 400 years ago. He was the most powerful demon slayer in history and came close to defeating Muzan Kibutsuji.
Tanjiro Kamado inherited Sun Breathing through his family's Hinokami Kagura dance. Yoriichi Tsugikuni created it, and Tanjiro's father Tanjuro also mastered all 13 forms despite his frail health.
Sun Breathing naturally awakens the Demon Slayer Mark, exploits Muzan's weakness to solar energy, and is the foundational technique for Water, Flame, Wind, Stone, and Thunder Breathing.
