Moon Breathing

**Moon Breathing** (月の呼吸, *Tsuki no Kokyū*?) is a Breathing Style derived from Sun Breathing.

## Overview

Moon Breathing is a Breathing Style that mimics the moon, specifically the shape of traditional crescent moons, and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques and forms are standard yet varied swordsmanship techniques that focus on swift and powerful strikes which blends both offense and defense. Most sword slashes performed follow the shape and pattern of crescent moons.

Like all of the other original Breathing Styles, Moon Breathing also branched out of Sun Breathing. When its creator, Michikatsu Tsugikuni, attempted to learn Sun Breathing from his twin brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he discovered he was unable to master it, instead creating and mastering an alternate Breathing Style which later became Moon Breathing.

As Kyojuro Rengoku and Muichiro Tokito, two high-ranking members of the Demon Slayer Corps, was not aware of the existence of Moon Breathing, it is possible that the knowledge of its existence was either lost in history (similar to the Demon Slayer Marks) or intentionally forbidden due to the associated user's actions: defecting to Muzan Kibutsuji and killing a head of the Demon Slayer Corps.

After Kokushibo's death, Moon Breathing was finally termed by the Demon Slayer Corps, along with the Nkosi, Zhu and Fujita clans as a forbidden technique. After a Spiritual Pact was made between the four that should anyone in the corps or should any Umoya use this Breathing Style, they will be marked with death. This made Moon Breathing entirely extinct and a forbidden Breathing Style among the Demon Slayers.

## Weaponry used with this Breathing Style

Before his demonization, Kokushibo wielded a standard sized and shaped Nichirin katana whose blade in light purple in color, signifying that Moon Breathers would have wielded Nichirin swords whose blade is light purple in color.

## Known Techniques

As Kokushibo lived for centuries continuously improving his swordsmanship through his Moon Breathing Breathing Style, eventually developing 16 different techniques at least by the time of the Infinity Castle Arc.

Due to Kokushibo's Blood Demon Art, it is unknown how a human swordsman will perform these techniques. Furthermore, several techniques were performed with Kokushibo's longer sword.

Michikatsu created the first six forms when he was human and the rest when he was the demon, Kokushibo.

**Note:** Since all of the Moon Breathing techniques shown are performed either with the help of or in conjunction with a Blood Demon Art, it is unknown how a human swordsman will perform these techniques. Moreover, several of the forms were performed with an elongated version of Kokushibo's flesh katana.

* **First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace** (壱ノ型: 闇月・宵の宮, *Ichi no kata: Yamidzuki - Yoi no Miya*?) - Kokushibo draws his katana and performs a singular horizontal slash following a crescent shape, creating numerous chaotic crescent blades along its path, before sheathing it back into his scabbard. This technique is extremely reminiscent of Iaijutsu.
* **Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing** (弐ノ型: 珠華の弄月, *Ni no kata: Shuka no Rōgetsu*?) - Kokushibo performs three crescent-shaped slashes while releasing a multitude of crescent moon blades along with them.
* **Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains** (参ノ型: 厭忌月・銷り, *San no kata: Enkidzuki - Tsugari*?) - Kokushibo performs two extremely broad crescent-shaped slashes directly in front of him, from which a storm of smaller crescent moon blades are released.
* **Fourth Form: Tears of a Mourning Widow, Moonlight**|肆ノ型: 涙喪孀・月光|Shi no kata: Nadamo Yamame - Gekkō}} - Kokushibo unleashes an upwards slash that arcs over them, from which many crescent blades emerge.
* **Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy** (伍ノ型: 月魄災渦, *Go no kata: Geppaku Saika*?) - Kokushibo creates multiple long and curved slashes layered over one another, essentially creating a vortex of crescent moon blades. As stated by Sanemi Shinazugawa, this technique was performed without Kokushibo swinging his katana.
* **Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon - Incessant** (陸ノ型: 常夜孤月・無間, *Roku no kata: Tokoyo Kogetsu - Muken*?) - Kokushibo rapidly performs a multitude of curved slashes several meters in front of him that releases a wild barrage of crescent moon blades capable of slicing up the surroundings.
* **Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune, Moonlit** (漆ノ型: 厄鏡・月映え, *Shichi no kata: Yakkyō - Dzukibae*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo performs a frontal crescent-shaped slash that unleashes numerous straight and curved slashes that expand outward.
* **Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail** (捌ノ型: 月龍 輪尾, *Hachi no kata: Getsuryū Rinbi*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo performs a massive long-ranged curved slash that leaves dozens of crescent moon blades along its path.
* **Ninth Form: Waning Moonswaths** (玖ノ型: 降り月・連面, *Ku no kata: Kudaridzuki - Renmen*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo performs multiple curved slashes, all in close proximity, that leave numerous crescent moon blades along its path.
* **Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves** (拾ノ型: 穿面斬・蘿月, *Jū no kata: Senmenzan - Ragetsu*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo creates three rotating circular saw-like slashes with crescent moon blades following their path.
* **Eleventh Form: Lunar Eclipse, Sorrow and Tragedy** (拾壱ノ型: 月蝕・不幸慘事, *Jū Ichi no kata: Gesshoku - Fukōsanji*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo swings it to generate a massive, dual-layered slash from which multiple crescent moon blades erupt.
* **Twelfth Form: Whiplash Gales, Moonlit Meadow** (拾弐ノ型: 暴風・月夜草原, *Jū Ni no kata: Bōfū - Tsukiyo Sōgen*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo unleashes a chaotic barrage of slashes from which hundreds of crescent blades erupt.
* **Thirteenth Form: Mirror of the Moon's Gentle Embrace, Shadows of Encroaching Dawn** (拾參ノ型: 抱擁・侵食暁天, *Jū San no kata: Hōyō - Shinshoku Gyōten*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo unleashes numerous horizontal arching wave slashes that send forth countless crescent blades.
* **Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon** (拾肆ノ型: 兇変・天満繊月, *Jū Shi no kata: Kyōhen - Tenman Sengetsu*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo performs a multitude of curved slashes which expand outward in every direction that incrementally grow in size, essentially creating an omni-directional vortex of crescent moon blades that surrounds him.
* **Fifteenth Form: Lonely Moon, Omnipotence and Futility** (拾伍ノ型: 孤独月・全能無力, *Jū Go no kata: Kodokuzuki - Zen'nō Muryoku*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo swings it in a massive arch, unleashing a barrage of crescent blades and then dashes forwards, unleashing a second, much smaller slash accompanied by crescent blades.
* **Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon** (拾陸ノ型: 月虹・片割れ月, *Jū Roku no kata: Gekkō - Katawaredzuki*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo swings upward, sending six curved slashes crashing down several meters in front of him, powerful enough to leave craters in their wake.