Moon Breathing

**Moon Breathing** (月 (つき) の呼 (こ) 吸 (きゅう) , *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.

Moon Breathing is solely used by Michikatsu Tsugikuni, one of the first Demon Slayers who utilized Total Concentration Breathing, and is a Breathing Style which he continued using and perfecting after becoming a demon. Kokushibo uses Moon Breathing in conjunction which his Blood Demon Art, which allows him to unleash barrages of erratic crescent moon-shaped blades, an ability which compliments his Breathing Style and also made it more deadly and effective.

As Kyojuro Rengoku and Muichiro Tokito, two high-ranking members of the Demon Slayer Corps, were 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.

## Known Techniques

Due to Kokushibo's centuries-long existence, he has created the most number of forms out of all known Breathing Styles, having developed a minimum of 16 techniques by the time of the Infinity Castle Arc.

**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 (いち) ノ型 (かた) 　闇 (やみ) 月 (づき) ・宵 (よい) の宮 (みや) , *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 (に) の型 (かた) 　珠 (しゅ) 華 (か) ノ弄 (ろう) 月 (げつ) , *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 (さん) ノ型 (かた) 　厭 (えん) 忌 (き) 月 (づき) ・銷 (つが) 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.

* **Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy** (伍 (ご) ノ型 (かた)  月 (げっ) 魄 (ぱく) 災 (さい) 渦 (か) , *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 (ろく) ノ型 (かた) 　常 (とこ) 夜 (よ) 孤 (こ) 月 (げつ) ・無 (む) 間 (けん) , *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 (しち) ノ型 (かた) 　厄 (やっ) 鏡 (きょう) ・月 (づき) 映 (ば) 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 (はち) ノ型 (かた) 　月 (げつ) 龍 (りゆう) 輪 (りん) 尾 (び) , *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 (く) ノ型 (かた) 　降 (くだ) り月 (づき) ・連 (れん) 面 (めん) , *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 (じゅう) ノ型 (かた) 　穿 (せん) 面 (めん) 斬 (ざん) ・蘿 (ら) 月 (げつ) , *Jū no kata: Senmenzan - Ragetsu*?) - Using his altered katana, Kokushibo creates three rotating circular saw-like slashes with crescent moon blades following their path.

* **Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon** (拾 (じゅう) 肆 (し) ノ型 (かた) 　兇 (きょう) 変 (へん) ・天 (てん) 満 (まん) 繊 (せん) 月 (げつ) , *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.

* **Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon** (拾 (じゅう) 陸 (ろく) ノ型 (かた) 　月虹 (げっこう) ・片 (かた) 割 (わ) れ月 (づき) , *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.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 178 (Page 8).
2. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 165 (Pages 14-15).
3. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 169 (Pages 16-17).
4. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 168 (Page 20).
5. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 167 (Pages 2-3).
6. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 167 (Pages 14-15).
7. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 172 (Page 7).
8. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 172 (Page 8).
9. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 172 (Page 10).
10. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 172 (Page 12).
11. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 173 (Page 11).
12. ↑ *Kimetsu no Yaiba* Manga: Chapter 173 (Page 3).