Demon Slayer: Zenitsu Agatsuma’s Thunder Breathing Style Explained!

Zenitsu started off as one of Demon Slayer’s most annoying characters by being that constant crybaby, refusing to take dangerous missions because he thought he was too weak. But as the series progressed, we realized the TRUE potential of Zenitsu’s power, and that came from his Thunder Breathing technique and its forms.

Our view on Zenitsu changed completely in Season 1, Episode 12, when he killed the Tongue Demon with the First Form of Thunder Breathing: Thunderclap and Flash. Thenceforth, we knew Zenitsu was hiding away his hidden talent.

His image grew even further when he used Godspeed (albeit unconsciously) against Daki in the Entertainment District arc, killing an undefeatable demon once and for all.

In order to understand Zenitsu, it’s crucial for everyone curious to understand the techniques that make him stronger than you think.

Without further ado, here’s a rundown of Zenitsu’s Thunder Breathing technique and its variants.

Zenitsu Agatsuma’s Thunder Breathing Style Explained:

According to Zenitsu, this breathing style is all about directing power into the legs and harnessing the full potential of each and every one of their muscles and blood vessels. This helps in building up the strength in one’s legs and lets him/her to run at a speed that cuts the air like a thunderclap.

This was how Tanjiro was able to use Thunder Breathing to reach Hantengu in the Swordsmith Village arc.

(Demon Slayer Chapter 125)

A perfect user of this technique is fully conscious of the body’s dimensions and muscle shapes, basically utilizing each and every ounce of the muscle fibers to zoom through. In such a state, they cause the air to vibrate when poised to unleash a technique and create immensely loud sounds akin to thunder with their mere footsteps.

Originally, there was only one breathing technique, which was the Sun Breathing Technique created by Yoriichi. But as he accepted more students, he had to change the technique as he taught, in order to suit each person’s skills and capabilities. And one of his students gave birth to the thunder breathing technique.

Totaling six forms, Thunder Breathing is said to have its roots in the first form. Nevertheless, Zenitsu created a Seventh Form so he could compete on an equal footing with Kaigaku, who had risen to the position of Upper Rank Six of the Twelve Kizuki.

Apart from the 7th form, Zenitsu has merely created variations of the 1st form but the technique was OP enough for Zenitsu to bust through demons with mastering just the first form.

First Form: Thunderclap and Flash

We see Zenitsu using the traditional 1st form against the Tongue Demon, wherein he slowly unsheathes his katana and zooms to slice the demon in half before unsheathing it again, all of them happening at a fraction of a section.

This happens when he gets serious and stops his wavering mind, making it to concentrate on his legs and muscles. Unfortunately for him and his love life, this doesn’t happen very often.

Now we move on to the different variants of the first form Zenitsu himself created!

Sixfold:

Fans were absolutely flabbergasted at the speed Zenitsu was moving when he whipped up this variant!

In this extension of the 1st form, Zenitsu uses Thunderclap and Flash six times in quick succession to help Inosuke fight against Daki and her sharp ribbon-like garments. This is when the electrical discharge from the traditional 1st form are channeled towards the opponent, inflicting even more damage than usual.

He used this variant for the first time in season 1 against a Spider Demon, launching it in the air before beheading it.

(Demon Slayer Chapter 34)

Eightfold:

In the sixfold extension, Zenitsu jumped from 6 different spots close by in quick succession to reach his target. In eightfold, he launches to 8 different spots to cover up more distance if the target is father away. This he used along with Tanjiro’s Water Breathing Third form to attack Daki.

Although Zenitsu used six and eightfold, there’s no stopping him from going even further beyond to move greater distances at a faster rate. Hence, the Godspeed.

Godspeed:

This is the moment when Zenitsu turned truly God-like! During the final battle of the Entertainment District arc, bro came out of nowhere from the rubble and zipped his way to not only dodge Daki’s incoming attacks but also use the full extent of his legs to unleash God-like speed to finally behead the Demon.

Zenitsu was literally flying above houses using electricity that can powerup an entire village. Even Daki, who was fast enough to keep up with Tengen, couldn’t follow Zenitsu’s movements and was astonished to see herself at his mercy.

Zenitsu, who was unconscious at the time, said that he shouldn’t do this technique more than twice since after that, his legs would be too tired to do anything. But in the fight against Muzan Kibutsuji, Zenitsu improved his technique’s competency, enabling him to employ it more than twice while retaining its strength and speed.

Although Zenitsu didn’t perform any of the 6 Thunder Breathing forms. His own created 7th form did what they couldn’t do.

Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami:

(Demon Slayer Chapter 145)

This is such an important growth for Zenitsu, as he was fighting against Kaigaku, a student of Zenitsu’s master Jigoro Kuwajima and his senior, who later became an Upper Rank 6 Demon, replacing Daki and Gyutaro after their deaths.

During their apprenticeship, Kaigaku always looked down upon Zenitsu for his weaknesses. Even their master told the boy to learn from Kaigaku how to perform the technique efficiently. Chapter 145 delved into the relationship between the two from Zenitsu’s POV, giving him the motivation for the boy to surpass his senior.

Kaigaku showed off his prowess in the Thunder Breathing technique by displaying all six forms, but Zenitsu came out of nowhere, dashed forward at blinding speeds, and unleashed a singular forward slash at a low stance, beheading a shocked Kaigaku once and for all.

Zenitsu moved so fast that even the Upper 6 Demon couldn’t see him heading towards him. The demon had no time to react to Zenitsu’s form and by the time he realized what happened, it was all over.

Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami takes its name from the Shintō God Honoikazuchi, who was formed from Izanami’s decaying flesh in Yomi (the Underworld) after her previous spouse Izanagi observed her.

With his brothers and fifteen hundred warriors, Honoikazuchi was released from Yomi to try to stop Izanagi from escaping after he was born from Izanami’s chest and breasts. As a result, thunder spirits and the human race entered a perpetual state of birth and death.

Within the story itself, the name is a reference to Tanjiro’s Hinokami Kagura: Dancing Flash as it incorporates elements of lightning and fire, symbolizing Zenitsu’s close bond with Tanjiro and Inosuke.

Zenitsu grew from a crybaby to one of the Demon Slayers who survived the Infinity Castle war arc and lived to tell the tale. He lived his dream by marrying Nezuko and produced enough children who would later narrate his heroic stories to others.