u/Rude-Ad4327
Rude-Ad4327
Rude-Ad4327
Well, Yoriichi wasn’t born with Sun Breathing. It’s a sword style that he developed later on and ultimately perfected during his battle with Muzan.
Another important point is that the Breathing effects aren’t literally visible and don’t physically affect other individuals. That’s why, when Tanjiro first uses Hinokami Kagura against Daki, she doesn’t react as if she’s being burned. Instead, she simply wonders what changed about the way he’s wielding his sword.
She only starts feeling a burning sensation later in the fight, due to a combination of specific circumstances unique to that scene.
What actually burns demons is the Nichirin Blade itself, more specifically, a Red Nichirin Blade. That’s what causes the intense burning pain to demons.
In short, despite the name Sun Breathing, what makes it special is its foundation of movements, not any powers or solar energy associated with the sun.
If Yoriichi were using an ordinary sword, he wouldn’t be able to meaningfully harm Muzan. At most, he’d just be giving him a warm massage. 😅
I tried to keep this as brief as possible, but if you’d like sources or a more detailed explanation, feel free to ask. I’d be happy to provide them!
Rude-Ad4327
Most likely not.
One of the Demon Slayer Corps’ disadvantages is that they have to fight in the darkness of night, whereas demons are naturally adapted to it. This is even highlighted when Tanjiro shouts at Akaza after Kyojuro’s death (Volume 8, Chapter 65).
Then, in Volume 11, Chapter 92, Tanjiro is fighting alongside Zenitsu.
In theory, if the Breathing effects were literally visible and emitted light, the battlefield should be illuminated (at least to some extent) since Tanjiro is using Hinokami Kagura (represented by fire) and Zenitsu is using Thunder Breathing (represented by lightning).
Yet when Inosuke gets hit, Tanjiro explicitly says it’s too dark for him to see.
There are quite a few moments throughout the series that point toward the effects not being literally visible, even though the official English translation of the author’s statement can certainly be interpreted as suggesting otherwise.
I think I’ve debated this with azelmaandeponine before. He disagrees with me, but his arguments are well-supported and he debates in good faith, so I honestly think it’s something people should decide for themselves after looking at both sides. 😄
That said, if you’d like another example of why I think the effects aren’t literally visible, I have a few more. Feel free to ask.
Rude-Ad4327
First of all: both the manga and the anime are canonical within their own versions of the story, but it’s important to remember that the author’s statement was made in the manga, even after the first season of the anime had already aired.
The issue is that the anime treats Breathing Styles inconsistently.
Zenitsu is a great example of this. His lightning doesn’t electrocute anyone, and during the earlier seasons, no characters seem able to see it. Yet those same lightning effects crack the ground around him and make rocks levitate.
Then we get to the Infinity Castle Arc, and suddenly Kaigaku visibly reacts to the lightning approaching him.
The same thing happens with Tanjiro, who performs what appears to be a long-range attack during the first season, something that never happens again.
In the manga, the author’s original intent is much more consistent.
We get narrator explanations for many of these feats, detailed descriptions of the techniques, and commentary that contextualizes what’s happening without relying on literal elemental effects.
In short, the manga aligns much more closely with what the author stated: the Breathing Styles are neither visible nor physically affect the environment.
The anime, on the other hand, prioritizes visual impact and occasionally portrays the Breathing Styles as if they were elemental powers, which ultimately creates conflicting interpretations within the fandom.
https://i.redd.it/qezto91ttn8h1.gif
Now, if you want something closer to what the author established in the manga, then:
– Breathing Styles are not visible.
– Breathing Styles do not affect the environment.
– Breathing Styles are not spoken or shouted aloud.
If you’d like me to elaborate on any of the points I mentioned, or if you have questions about a specific Breathing Style, form, or technique, feel free to discuss it in the comments.
Rude-Ad4327
Was that video taken down? What channel was it from?
Rude-Ad4327
I’m just someone with too much free time.
Kidding lol, I just sparked a discussion. I like seeing different perspectives, you can learn a lot that way. My takes come from the manga and supplementary materials (databooks, novels, and gaidens) that I have, so they’re pretty solid sources haha.
Rude-Ad4327
It’s stated in Volume 17 of the manga that Water Breathing has the most users because it’s the easiest for beginner swordsmen, and it’s also considered the most versatile against different types of opponents.
Hinokami Kagura, on the other hand, is unique in that it implicitly trains you to keep fighting for long periods, like up to 12 hours straight without rest.
Sun Breathing itself is also the only style (so far) where you can link all the forms together into one continuous sequence.
In the end, though, the best Breathing style is the one that fits your body and mindset the most. Tanjiro even mentions in chapter 77 that his body isn’t really suited for Water Breathing, even though he can use all ten forms very well.
Rude-Ad4327
Let’s start from the beginning. You used two images from completely different media (anime filler and a game) to try to refute a statement that comes directly from the manga. I don’t think that’s a very good approach. Games usually follow their own patterns for gameplay and entertainment, while the anime itself is pretty inconsistent when it comes to how the breathing styles work.
Second, did you actually read the entire post by u/titanusian and then decide to refute it using a fandom wiki? That’s not a 100% reliable source. None of the statements you highlighted appear in the manga or the databooks, and I own both. I also have the novels and the Gaiden, and there’s absolutely nothing in them that supports the fandom excerpts you cited.
With all due respect, I really think you should actually read his comment more carefully.
Rude-Ad4327
The doubt is valid, because the manga really does use visuals to convey sensation. But within Kimetsu’s internal logic, these effects don’t need to be literal in order to work.
Muichiro does not hide himself in real mist. The element of surprise comes from extreme speed, an irregular rhythm, and the opponent’s broken ability to read his movements. The “mist” is the enemy’s perception being disoriented, not a physical object in the environment. We see this in Gyokko’s own dialogue, where he uses comparative and figurative language: “It’s like as if this whole place were enveloped in mist.” Right after this confrontation, still in Chapter 121, there is a full description of the Seventh Form of Muichiro’s technique. Later on, Kokushibo himself comments on it without even mentioning “mist” beyond the name of the technique.
If needed, I can go deeper into this. I recently completed a full wiki entry on Mist Breathing, but I’ll leave the sources below. They cover both the conceptual foundation of Mist Breathing and the additional detail about Muichiro’s clothing, which further delays the opponent’s perception:
• Kimetsu no Yaiba – Databook 2: Conceptual description of Mist Breathing and technical record of the Seventh Form (Oboro).
• Kimetsu no Yaiba – Manga: Volume 14, Chapter 121 — Narrative description of the Seventh Form and its extreme speed variation. Volume 19, Chapter 165 — Kokushibo’s observations on the originality and nature of the Oboro technique.
• Kimetsu no Yaiba – Novel 3 (Signs of the Wind), Chapter 4, p. 97: Observations on clothing, body-reading, and the concealment of movement by Tokito Muichiro.

I think it probably would have been just as popular, maybe even a little less, since a lot of people would have dismissed the power system as “generic.”
It’s also worth remembering that, even today (more than six years later) not everyone knows that the Breathing Styles are intended to be symbolic. Some fans genuinely believe there are scenes where characters explicitly acknowledge Flame Breathing or Sun Breathing literally burning objects or demons without any outside factor involved.
Since many people read the manga through fan translations or piracy sites, they never came across Gotoge’s note stating that the Breathing effects are symbolic. On top of that, a large portion of the fanbase started with the anime after Season 1 had already aired, so they missed some of the earlier moments in the manga that, in my view, point toward the Breathing effects being metaphorical rather than literal.
https://preview.redd.it/7tywp45c6peh1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ce470250ad888b3803228f168564576a987de1f