The Demon Slayer Breathing Style You Are Based On Your Zodiac Sign

Selling 150 million copies worldwide made "Demon Slayer" the ninth best-selling manga of all time, and with two seasons of the anime as well as a feature-length film available on Crunchyroll, the property isn't showing signs of slowing down. Created by artist Koyoharu Gotouge, "Demon Slayer" takes place during Taishō-era Japan and follows the exploits of a secret society known as the Demon Slayer Corps that has been operating for centuries. The demons were once human, injected with the blood of the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, while the Demon Slayers are humans that are empowered by elemental breathing techniques that grant them superhuman abilities.

Taking Tanjiro Kamado as its central character, "Demon Slayer" introduces seemingly endless characters, and many of these heroes and villains lean into a unique breathing style that gives them specific gifts. As much personality as the series gives its cast, each breathing style also has its own set of characteristics and strengths. While there is a potentially unlimited number of breathing techniques due to slayers like Inosuke and Shinobu creating their own variations, most tend to gravitate toward the tried and true basic elemental structures laid out across time by early slayers.

Examining essential personality traits as they relate to the elements might sound a bit familiar to astrology fans, and there is some definite thematic crossover between the world of the zodiac and that of "Demon Slayer." Wondering which signs correspond with which breathing styles? We have some ideas.

As the name might indicate, beast breathing is meant to emulate the ferocious and seemingly chaotic method of beasts in the wild. Created by Inosuke after he spent a long time surviving in nature among wild animals, there is yet still a compelling sense of groundedness in this breathing style. Strongly reliant on touch and dedicated attacks that seem to ignore everything outside of the target, this is the sort of one-track thinking that the steadfast Taurus can get behind. Regardless of any wildness to the method, each move requires the wielder to be in touch with their environment on a profound level, which reflects the Taurean's naturally heightened attachment to their environment.

Though embodied by the bull, Tauruses can be surprisingly gentle, and that is encapsulated by beast breathing's inventor. Though often best known for his more abrasive traits of pride and stubbornness, one of the most interesting things about Inosuke and his fighting style is the level of peace he seems to be capable of within a battle. He is often vengeful to the extreme, but it is almost always triggered by his protective urges over those that are close to him. A hothead and a defender all in one, Inosuke is a Taurus through and through, and beast breathing shows how beneficial a connection to nature can be in a fight.

Thunder breathing is one of the five central breathing styles, and its attacks resemble lightning, using fast melee-style moves to overwhelm opponents. A powerful approach rooted in the legs, thunder features several offensive moves, including show-stoppers like Eightfold and Godspeed. Though mighty, these assaults are intended to completely devastate a foe before they have time to react, eliminating the need for a drawn-out battle. Dramatic displays followed by a strategic retreat are the bread and butter of a Cancer in conflict, making this moody but shattering style synonymous with the zodiac's crab.

Zenitsu Agatsuma is a fitting example of a thunder breather through and through, constantly concerned about the cost of battle and happy to avoid it but still striking without mercy when forced. Though Zenitsu has low self-esteem and doesn't believe himself to be a particularly capable fighter, he is easily one of the most powerful characters in the franchise. As the anime has plenty of ground still yet to cover, we can say without spoiling anything that there is a significant level of growth that Zenitsu will yet undergo, which makes him one of the property's most surprisingly mature and somber characters as things go along. Regardless, his heart has always been in the right place, and he's one of Tanjiro's most loyal friends — like all the best Cancers are.

An offshoot of water breathing, flower breathing focuses on agile and sophisticated attacks meant to resemble an unfolding flower that are focused on disarming and defense more than destruction. Still, there is no arguing the power of those that wield flower breathing, who are often known for their patience and long-term dedication to an end goal that sometimes only they can see. Though their unique abilities sometimes lead to decreased eyesight, their vision still becomes clearer over time. As such, flower breathing would infinitely appeal to a sign like Virgo, the humble, industrious sign that shines thanks to their pragmatic thinking, pushing through challenges and always sticking to their guns while making time for the softer side of life.

All of these traits are found in the originator of flower breathing, Minebi Hishita, who founded the practice over three centuries prior to the contemporary "Demon Slayer" timeline. Minebi was short in stature but known for her larger-than-life persona, grace, and a sense of style that just won't quit. As the first Flower Hashira, there was no denying her strength and mastery, eliminating any preconceived notion of flowers as inherently delicate or weak. The flower breathing attack set features a number of impressive moves, including Orchid Blossoming and Peonies of Futility, which rely on fast, whirlwind moves that ensure self-protection and safety above damage. Winning the fight by methodically growing outward is a play right out of the Virgo handbook.

Serpent breathing features a number of techniques meant to resemble the winding motion of a snake, most of which trail off and move unpredictably so that when they decide to strike their opponent is caught completely off guard. Moves like the Coil Choke rely on their user circling their adversary to create the illusion of being everywhere at once. This should appeal to those born under the mysterious Scorpio sign, whose ambition and determination would benefit from wielding the serpent style. Known for their passionate but sometimes controlling nature, Scorpios have a habit of staying a step or two ahead of everyone else, which can be helpful when going toe to toe with demons.

Obanai Iguro is the only known user of serpent style, and his sense of aesthetics combined with his secretive observances and dedication to eliminating the threat of the demons combine to indicate that we've got a Scorpio on our hands. Embodying the Scorpio traits of harshness and strictness, he also has a great capacity for love, as shown through his crush on Mitsuri. Tragically, much of his unforgiving nature is turned inward on himself as he dreams of a world in which he has never been forced to battle demons or be pushed to the extremes he has encountered while attempting to defeat villains like Muzan. Regardless, he is one of the bravest among the slayers, refusing to quit even when the battle seems to be lost.

Equally effective in both defense and offense, the stone breathing style taps into the unshakable presence of the earth beneath its user's feet to support and complement attacks. Featuring methodical, consistent assaults using an axe or a flail, stone breathing takes the form of an unstoppable force, patiently chopping away at an opponent until they inevitably fall to the onslaught. This is shown in techniques such as Serpentinite Bipolar, which uses a rotating axe and flail to act as a drill, breaking resistance through sheer determination. These methods have a direct counterpart in the zodiac's industrious worker-bee, Capricorn, known for giving up everything in order to reach the goals they set for themselves. Coming from a grounded place in all things, it's not easy to knock a Capricorn off their course as they are backed by the bedrock of their own will.

Stone breathing master Gyomei Himejima may be a gentle giant with a tendency toward breaking into tears at little provocation, but that doesn't mean he isn't goal-oriented. Indeed, Capricorns have a great capacity for sensitivity and care, and the downside of their constant hustle can have a more significant impact on them than they outwardly show. Due to his tragic backstory, Gyomei also represents some of Capricorn's self-protective traits, such as suspicion and apprehension of others, but those that are lucky enough to get close to him feel the benefits of unwavering commitment and genuine friendship immediately.

One of the most unique styles there is, insect breathing is an offshoot of flower breathing, which is, in turn, a spin on water breathing. A variation on a variation, insect breathing is meant to compensate for a lack of physical strength in its wielder by leaning into disorientation and poisonous thrusts that grant time for the user to flee from any repercussions. Both gentle and ruinous at the same time, this deftly performed breathing style is synonymous with Pisces, who are inclined to be well-versed in subtlety and grace. The intrinsic Pisces creativity matched by the inspiration of an insect taking down a much larger foe paired to create one of the more imaginative techniques seen in "Demon Slayer."

Insect breathing is defined by its creator, Shinobu Kocho, a materially diminutive slayer whose capacity for thinking outside the box has proved vital for her survival. Likewise, while Pisceans are known to be kind and easygoing, there is a tendency toward sadism that they must be wary of — something that occasionally shows itself in Shinobu's less-evolved moments. Though she is conflicted by the aggression between the demons and the slayers, she has a sometimes shocking capacity for cruelty toward those that have wronged her and her family. The sense that there is a deeper world beneath the surface is one of Pisces' most definitive traits, and for better and worse, Shinobu exhibits the same.