Why Does Zenitsu Use Only One Move? (& Can He Learn More Forms?)
Zenitsu Agatsuma is one of the most intriguing characters in the whole Demon Slayer series. Seemingly a coward, Zenitsu has actually proven himself to be a very capable and powerful Demon Slayer, but also a troubled one, as he felt constant guilt for not being able to stop his master from committing suicide. Now, Zenitsu’s Thunder Breathing has evolved through the series and in this article, we are going to tell you just how many forms Zenitsu can actually use.
Zenitsu has learned and mastered only the first form of Thunder Breathing, although he knows a total of three variations of this form. This was the basic form he had to learn, but he never mastered the others, although he could because he knows that basic form. He has, though, devised his own, original, Seventh Form, which is his most powerful technique.
The rest of this article will provide you with more details related to our answer. You’re going to find out more about Zenitsu, his skills and abilities, the forms he knows, but also about the Thunder Breathing Style itself. Our goal is to provide you with all the necessary information about Zenitsu and his skills, so you can know everything you need about this topic.
Why does Zenitsu use only one move?
To answer this question, we have to go back to Zenitsu’s past, i.e., his early life and training. Zenitsu wasn’t raised by his parents, so he didn’t have any proper role models in life. When he was young, Zenitsu fell in love with a girl and decided to give her money to appeal to her, but the girl ended up running away with another guy, leaving Zenitsu to drown in debt.
Seeing that he was in financial trouble with debt collectors, Jigoro Kuwajima paid off Zenitsu’s debt and decided to train him as a swordsman. Zenitsu began referring to Jigoro as “Grandfather” and began training alongside Grandfather’s other disciple, Kaigaku. One day while training, Zenitsu climbed a tree in fear of being dragged to death and as he began to panic, a bolt of lightning struck him, causing his hair to turn blonde.
Zenitsu and Kaigaku hated each other. However, Zenitsu still respected him as his senior and for his strong ambition. Zenitsu wished to fight alongside Kaigaku as an equal. During his training, as we know, Zenitsu managed to master only the first form of Thunder Breathing. His training was cut short before he could master the other forms, although the first one serves as the basis for all of the others.
Thunder Breathing is one of the five main Breath Styles directly derived from the Sun Breathing Style. This breath was originally created by one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s students who attempted to learn the Sun Breathing Style, but due to not being as skilled as Yoriichi, the latter instead taught and trained him in an alternate custom style focused on their strengths and weaknesses, which would become the Thunder Breathing Style. It focuses on channeling force into the user’s legs. The main trainer of the Demon Slayer Corps is Jigoro Kuwajima. Now, Thunder Breathing has six official forms, and a seventh additional one, which we are going to talk about later. The official forms are:
| First Form: Thunderclap and Flash | The user rushes towards the enemy and kills them with superhuman speed. This form has three subtypes: – Sixfold: A variant of the First Movement with a series of six strokes. – Eightfold: A variant of the First Movement with a series of eight strokes. – God Speed: The user uses this technique to increase the speed of their Thunderclap and Flash. |
| Second Form: Rice Spirit | The user is able to generate five attacks around themselves in a single instant. |
| Third Form: Thunder Swarm | The user generates spinning waves of lightning in all directions. |
| Fourth Form: Distant Thunder | The user launches several ranged strikes towards their target. |
| Fifth Form: Heat Lightning | A simple, targeted, and deadly attack. |
| Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash | A series of powerful ranged attacks launched around the user. |
So, as we have said, Zenitsu only learned the First Form: Thunderclap and Flash and its three subtypes. This form is the basis for all the others, which is how Zenitsu managed to develop his unique Seventh Form, which we are going to talk about later.
Can Zenitsu learn more forms?
We have established that Zenitsu knew only one form. Now, we have to establish whether he was a skilled enough Demon Slayer to learn more. Zenitsu is most powerful when he sleeps. When his life is in danger, the fear he feels exceeds the limits his body can bear and causes him to pass out, causing him to reach his true potential; when Zenitsu is asleep, he wields the sword at a high level based solely on his instincts. However, as the story continues, he hones his skills and courage and relies less and less on this ability, beginning to show the same talents by being self-aware.
Now, this little introduction tells us one main thing – Zenitsu was certainly skilled enough to learn the other forms. Adding that to the fact that he knew the First Form, which was the basis for all the other forms, we can conclude that Zenitsu really could learn all the other forms. We shall see in the next paragraph whether Zenitsu actually does that or not in the course of the Demon Slayer manga and anime.
Does Zenitsu learn more forms?
After the events of the Entertainment District Arc, Zenitsu woke up two days before Tanjiro and reluctantly went on a mission. After the battle against Muzan, Zenitsu would live alongside Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Inosuke. At some point, he would marry Nezuko and start a family that would eventually bear their present-day great-grandchildren, Yoshiteru Agatsuma and Toko Agatsuma. He would write the adventures of the Demon Slayer Corps and their final fight against Muzan in a book.
This is a brief overview of what happened to Zenitsu after the Entertainment District act. He did participate in the final battles against Muzan and his role was substantial, but from what we know about the events of the manga, he only used the First and Seventh Forms for the rest of his Demon Slayer career. He never bothered with learning the other forms, probably because he had no one to learn it from. Zenitsu was, nevertheless, a very powerful Demon Slayer, as was witnessed by his many feats during his career.
What he did do, during his career, was develop a wholly new, additional form, derived from the First Form of Thunder Breathing. This Seventh Form was a completely unique move developed by Zenitsu, who wanted to be on par with his former colleague and mentor, Kaigaku, who had in the meantime become a demon. In the final section of this article, we are going to explain this form in short.
Zenitsu’s Seventh Form explained
The Seventh Form is, as we have said, a form created by Zenitsu himself. Zenitsu creates a fire and lightning emitting dragon from his Nichirin Blade. This move coupled with God Speed allows Zenistu to be extremely fast, allowing him to defeat the Upper Moon Six, Kaigaku. Before the latter dies, Zenitsu confesses that this move is unique to him and that he created it hoping to be able to fight with him as an equal.