Demon Slayer: How Was Sun Breathing Technique Preserved For Hundreds Of Years? Explored

Sun Breathing aka Hinokami Kagura is a Breathing Style only known and taught by the Kamado Family, but what makes this technique so special and how did it survive for centuries?

By Levin Plassery

Published on Jul 24, 2024 | 07:19 PM IST | 66.9K

Sun Breathing - Demon Slayer [PC - Crunchyroll - Ufotable]

In this Article

Hinokami Kagura aka Sun Breathing
How did the Hinokami Kagura survive?

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer manga

There are multiple breathing styles in Demon Slayer, but all of them are derived from Sun Breathing, which was the first one ever created. Breathing Styles are swordsmanship styles that utilize Total Concentration breathing, which is practiced and taught by Demon Slayers. The Hinokami Kagura is passed on from father to son in every generation of the Kamado family, alongside Hanafuda earrings.

It was invented by Yorrichi Tsugikuni, who was the most powerful Demon Slayer to have ever existed. Yorrichi even managed to overpower Muzan Kibutsuji, with the latter barely escaping death. Muzan then went to great lengths to ensure Sub-Breathing was wiped out, but how did the Komado family learn about the Sun Breathing Technique?

Hinokami Kagura aka Sun Breathing

In the series, the Kamado family is seen performing a ritual every new year, where Tanjuro Kamado, the late father of Tanjiro and Nezuko, is seen offering the Fire God a dance from sunset to sunrise to ward off threats and diseases. The dance is composed of 12 segments repeated throughout the night until dawn.

Sun Breathing - Demon Slayer [PC - Crunchyroll - Ufotable]

Tanjuro Kamado tells Tanjiro that the breathing technique allows the user to never exhaust themselves, no matter how long they move/dance. Shinjoru Rengoku later reveals that the Hinokami Kagura is the legendary breathing style known as Sun Breathing. Tanjio realizes that using this style increases his overall power and speed.

How did the Hinokami Kagura survive?

During the Swordsmith Village arc, Tanjiro has visions of his ancestor Sumiyoshi. He again sees visions during the Sunrise Countdown arc, in which Sumiyoshi watches Yorrichi perform each form of the Sun Breathing, eventually creating the variation that would become known as Hinokami Kagura. A popular theory suggests that few members could have had similar visions to Tanjiro’s about the Hinokami Kagura.

In the manga, Gensuke Hoshimiya was the only one of Yorrichi’s students who survived the massacre of all the Sun Breathing users. Hitotsuyanagi Higashisanjō is presumably the only female who knew of Sun Breathing and survived. It could be that their descendants learned the sun-breathing techniques and passed them on to future generations.

Muzan and Yorrichi - Demon Slayer - [PC - Crunchyroll - Ufotable]

Another theory hints at Yorrichi being reincarnated as Tanjuro Kamado. Their similar appearance does hint at this being a possibility, but it is speculative. Regardless, we can’t wait to see Tanjiro Kamado use the Hinokami Kagura against Muzan in the finale of Demon Slayer. Stay tuned for more details on Tanjiro’s adventures!

ALSO READ: Demon Slayer Season 4 Ending Explained: Why Was Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s Death Necessary?