Demon Slayer: What Breathing Style Does Gen’ya Use?
When one decides to talk about Demon Slayer, one usually talks about the demon slayers themselves or the demons. And while the series has offered us a variety of other intriguing characters, we are going to talk about one specific Demon Slayer – Gen’ya Shinazugawa, Sanemi’s brother – in this particular article. Gen’ya is a very interesting character because of his unlikable personality and how it reflects on his relationship with the Demon Slayer Corps in general. Building on that fact, we have decided, in this article, to tell you a bit about his powers and abilities, i.e., what his Breathing Style is in the world of Demon Slayer.
Gen’ya Shinazugawa is the only fighting member of the present-day Demon Slayer Corps that does not have his own Breathing Style, as he was not able to master any Breathing Style whatsoever. He used a katana and a gun, and he also had demonic powers, but he was not able to use any Breathing Style, making him unique in the present-day lineup of the Corps.
Having said this, many questions still have to be answered and explained related to Gen’ya Shinazugawa and his powers and abilities in the Demon Slayer franchise. The rest of this article is going to further explain all of those details as we are going to dig deeper into the essence of his powers and abilities in the Demon Slayer manga and anime. This article might contain some spoilers, so we just wanted to give you a heads-up before you start reading.
Gen’ya Shinazugawa is the only major Demon Slayer without his own Breathing Style
As far as Gen’yais concerned, we have to state here that he is a very peculiar character in terms of his fighting skills and abilities. Namely, every major member of the Corps has been shown to use one or more Breathing Styles. He might not be an experienced master or a Hashira, but each Demon Slayer can use one Breathing Style. Gen’ya Shinazugawa is an exception, as he is a character who does not have his own Breathing Style, as he was simply unable to master any, despite working with Gyomei at one point; his brother, Sanemi, was the Wind Hashira, but Gen’ya had no style of his own. So, how was he such a powerful member of the Corps? Let us see.
After becoming one of the members of the Demon Slayer Corps, he possessed quite a high level of strength and surpassed an average person. His strength was greatly increased after using his Demonic Transformation ability, and he could take on members of the Twelve Demon Moons, such as Hantengu and Kokushibo. His level of physical stamina surpassed that of most Slayers, allowing him to endure severe pain and survive fatal injuries, as demonstrated when he lost one of his teeth in the middle of training or when one of the Hantengu clones speared him.
Every time he recited a portion of the Amida Sutra, his speed rose to new heights, giving him more control over his powers and making him practically undetectable to both humans and demons. Swordsman skills He was a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, but what made him so special was that he could not perfect any Breathing Technique.
He trained under Gyomei Himejima’s guidance to make up for not having any skills, learning the Repetitive Action technique that helped him focus intensely and fully open his five senses, improving all of his physical abilities and the use of Nichirin weapons.
He didn’t employ any Breathing Styles, but he was nonetheless a skilled swordsman who could move with incredible agility with Nichirin swords. Additionally, he specialized in the usage of pistols in addition to moving around while wielding a sword. Thanks to his accurate shot, he could rip off a demon’s head in a couple of seconds.
Gen’ya might momentarily take on demonic traits by eating a demon’s living flesh. He might get regeneration and physical strength equivalent to one depending on his strength. Gen’ya is temporarily able to defeat Aizetsu in this form. After devouring the wood that Zohakuten had produced, Gen’ya was strong and swift enough to toss three trees at once.
Gen’ya’s demonization to its fullest was shown in his conflict with Kokushibo since he could only be put to death by being beheaded. Gen’ya’s demonic talents were strengthened by consuming Kokushibo’s hair, as evidenced by the fact that he could quickly rejoin his severed body and even listen in on Muzan Kibutsuji’s telepathic dialogue.
Later, the entire scope of Gen’ya’s heightened demonic talents are revealed, proving that even after having his head cleanly cut in half and being bifurcated, he was still alive and awake and had the power to use his Demon Blood Art. In addition, Gen’ya has demonstrated the capacity to separate his cells and combine them with his weapons.
Gyomei Himejima taught him the repetitive action technique to help him make up for his inability to employ breathing techniques. To effectively focus on his task, maintain mental clarity, and shut out pain, Gen’ya repeats a series of sentences or phrases. He repeats a series of Amida Sutra prayers for Gen’ya to help him concentrate.
At least two higher ranks (Hantengu and, later, Kokushibo) had their flesh and cells consumed by Gen’ya, who reportedly created his personal Blood Demon Art. Gen’ya’s Blood Power was intended to combat and harm other demons, the same as Nezuko’s. Gen’ya’s special technique combines his demon-turned cells with his solar steel balls and weapon, allowing him to easily control the direction and speed of the bullets as they are fired.
This was demonstrated when his bullets easily navigated around Kokushibo’s sword and sank right into his body. While inside the designated target, the bullets can instantly develop into a massive tree that resembles the higher rank four Zohakuten form tree animals before entangling and wrapping around the target to render it paralyzed. Gen’ya could modify his inserted flesh balls even further by making them penetrate his target’s body and absorb demon blood, stopping them from using their own Blood Demon Art.
