Turns out breathing correctly is a lot more complicated when demons are trying to tear your head off. Check out our Slayers 2 Breathing Styles tier list!
Screenshot by Pro Game Guides
Updated September 19, 2026: Reassessed the launch rankings, added Serpent’s placement, expanded the Insect and Stone evaluations, and updated trainer details. These are early recommendations: we still need more time to assess endgame boss matchups, reliable cross-skill combos, and exact resource efficiency. Missing details are marked TBA.
Recommended Videos
Thunder is my early pick for the best Breathing Style in Slayers 2, with Sound close behind. Thunder suits players who want to get in quickly and punish openings; Sound offers more control over where an exchange happens. This Slayers 2 Breathing Styles tier list ranks all eight launch styles for PvP, PvE, farming, and practical clan builds, with the strengths and awkward parts of each kit explained below.
I've ranked every Slayers 2 Breathing Style primarily according to its overall combat performance, taking into account damage, combo potential, mobility, range, crowd control, utility, ease of use, and performance against both regular enemies (PvE) and other players (PvP).
However, it should be noted that a lower-tier Breathing Style isn't necessarily unusable. Slayers 2 has a highly active combat system, and player skill, matchup knowledge, build choices, and how comfortable you are with a particular moveset can make a major difference.
My early assessment puts more weight on landing an attack and keeping the next opening than on how impressive the full animation looks. A missed gap closer, a slow startup, or a knockback that sends your target out of reach can undo a strong damage rotation. Clan synergy matters, but a damage bonus cannot fix every problem in the underlying moveset.
Thunder Clap & Flash, Lightning Folds, Rice Spirit, God Speed, Flaming Thunder God.
Best for:
Hybrid; especially duel pressure and chasing openings.
Difficulty:
Moderate; higher ceiling through aim and movement discipline.
Synergy:
Agatsuma; sword pressure and reserved stamina for pursuit or retreat.
Unlock:
Zentaro, cliffs beyond the bear village; level 25 and Wall Climb. Material requirements and cost: TBA.
S tier for fast pressure with a clear game plan. Quick attacks make Thunder harder to react to than the slower launch kits. My early recommendation is to use that speed to punish an opening, rather than repeatedly dash at someone who is waiting with their guard up.
Thunder Clap & Flash and God Speed handle the chase. Both reward lining up contact; movement alone does not guarantee a hit. Keep a dash available after committing so a miss does not also cost your escape.
Rice Spirit offers a different entry angle. Its catch field complements the direct approaches, while Lightning Folds changes the fight’s height. Use Flaming Thunder God when you have an opening; its long follow-through still needs the initial catch.
Agatsuma is the standout pairing. Sleepless Knight adds Thunder damage, dash speed, and cooldown reduction, while Enhanced Hearing creates a damage window. Those bonuses improve repeated pressure; they do not remove the need to manage stamina.
A strong hybrid, with matchup limits still to assess. Close pursuit is useful against players and scattered enemies, but it does not make Thunder a persistent AoE zone. Exact boss rotations, guard interactions, and safe follow-up windows: TBA.
SSound Breathing
Control · Combo Setup · Group Support
Kit:
Bursting Bloom, Roar, Exploding Beads (long range / close range), Resounding Slashes, String Performance.
Best for:
Hybrid; PvP control and coordinated PvE.
Difficulty:
High; bead timing and knockback management.
Synergy:
Dual cleavers; Uzui's damage mark and skill-imprint defense; deliberate setup play.
Unlock:
Tengai, Iceveil Valley; level 25 and Wall Climb. Materials and cost: TBA.
Sound keeps S tier for the options it brings to an exchange. Bursting Bloom combines approach and a non-ragdoll stun, giving you a sensible place to begin pressure without immediately throwing the target out of reach.
Exploding Beads makes defensive opponents move. The ranged beads leave a threat you can detonate manually; the close version disables blocking on hit and moves you backward. That combination supports both setting a trap and covering a retreat.
Use knockback as an ender. Roar creates space, and Resounding Slashes pushes its target away at the end. Spending either too early can undo your setup. String Performance is another commitment to save for a catch, not a free approach against every opponent.
Group PvE gives its control another use. Holding a target in place can give teammates time to attack. Coordinate the knockback instead of scattering the enemy mid-barrage. We need more time to assess which bosses allow those shared damage windows.
High ceiling, meaningful setup cost. Uzui’s damage mark rewards a planned burst, and Musical Score adds a separate clan defense. Sound needs bead placement and spacing discipline; fast opponents who refuse your setup are a tougher test than stationary mobs.
ASerpent Breathing
Mobile Duelist · Combo · Single-Target Pressure
Kit:
TBA — complete launch move names still need confirmation.
Best for:
Hybrid; mobile duels and sustained single-target pressure.
Difficulty:
High; positioning and aerial follow-through.
Synergy:
Iguro for Serpent’s Wrath, Kaburamaru, and Flash Step; sword pressure between skill openings.
Unlock:
Obari, cliff above the starting area; level 25, 20 Demon Horns, and 5 Beast Cores, followed by training and the Serpent Trainee.
Serpent enters A tier as a hybrid combo choice. Teleport movement, knock-ups, and barrages give it both dueling potential and a useful single-target PvE role. This placement is provisional while we finish assessing its complete launch kit.
Build around the target’s landing position. An aerial opening only helps if the next attack reaches it. Keep your weapon follow-up short until you know whether the opponent can block or dash out; exact cross-skill routes and escape windows remain TBA.
Iguro gives the build more ways to create an opening. Serpent’s Wrath boosts Serpent damage, while Kaburamaru’s close follow-up supplies a brief bind. Use that bind to prepare pressure; we still need to establish which skills fit safely inside it.
Percentage-health damage belongs to Kaburamaru. Its bites and poison strengthen the Iguro build, but are not an innate property of every Serpent attack. Boss-specific caps, resistances, and sustained rotation damage need more assessment.
The skill ceiling comes with positioning work. Iguro’s Flash Step helps change angles, but a teleport animation is not proof of invulnerability. Full move names, individual guard properties, and recovery windows: TBA. I would choose it for a mobile duelist build, not for automatic safety.
AInsect Breathing
Fast Melee · Aerial Pressure · Poison Specialist
Kit:
TBA — complete launch move names still need confirmation.
Best for:
Hybrid; close-range combos and Kocho poison builds.
Difficulty:
Moderate; high ceiling through spacing and aerial control.
Synergy:
Kocho's Insect Affinity, Aerial Mastery, and Poison Draw.
Unlock:
Shinora, main building’s roof at Butterfly Mansion / Butterfly Estate; level 25. Materials and cost: TBA.
A tier for fast, chainable melee pressure. Insect’s barrages give it useful damage opportunities in both PvP and PvE. The core appeal is keeping an exchange going once you get close, rather than relying entirely on one finisher.
Spacing matters after the first catch. Its short-range attacks and airborne pressure reward staying with the target. Knockaways can also break your own rhythm, so end the string deliberately rather than spending another skill into empty space.
Kocho turns it into a serious poison build. Insect Affinity adds poison to Insect skill hits and improves poison damage. Aerial Mastery boosts airborne Sword attacks; do not assume that bonus applies to every Breathing skill simply because you are off the ground.
Poison Draw adds useful disruption, with some randomness. A slow, health decay, or stamina drain can change the next exchange, but you cannot plan a guaranteed route around receiving one particular effect. The direct melee kit still needs to do its job.
Poison matchups can change the recommendation. Kocho’s immunity and Uzui’s Poison Conversion punish a plan built only around damage over time. Full launch ability names and poison behavior against individual bosses are TBA; we need more time to judge its best endgame farming setup.
Rengu, on the house by Mistfall Village’s red bridge; level 25 and 10 Demon Horns. Additional cost: TBA.
A tier with a stronger PvE recommendation than PvP. Flame has useful AoE and range, especially with Rengoku’s burn support, but slower startup makes careless approaches easier to punish. Its specialist build earns more credit here than the baseline kit alone.
Unknowing Fire gives the kit a direct opener. A successful dash leads into slashes and a launch; Blazing Universe adds a leaping slam. Take the opening first, then spend the damage. Committing both forward attacks without checking the target’s position is asking for a rough landing.
Flame Undulation makes pressing back risky. Its M1 counter rewards a read on basic attacks. Flame Tiger adds a projectile on tap and close slashes on hold, letting you vary the threat instead of approaching the same way every time.
Rengoku meaningfully raises the ceiling. Ignition Hit adds non-stacking burn to several Flame skills, and Indomitable Will supplies extra control. This is an excellent build to consider for farming; repeated applications should not be counted as endlessly stacking burns.
Purgatory is a payoff, not a substitute for a confirm. Save the dash-through finisher for a target you can catch. Exact recovery, boss counter interactions, and the safest routes into it still need assessment. Rengoku’s defensive bonuses also belong to the clan, not baseline Flame.
AStone Breathing
Armored Bruiser · Counter · Close Control
Kit:
Volcanic Conquest, Seismic Burst, Upper Smash, Stone Wall, Arcs of Justice.
Best for:
PvP; armored pressure, counters, and melee trades.
Difficulty:
High; counter reads, charge decisions, and target positioning.
Synergy:
Axe and Mace; Himejima for damage reduction and skill-to-M1 pressure.
Unlock:
Gyorei, outside the Stone Sanctuary dojo; level 25, Wall Climb, Axe and Mace from the Stone Trainee, and Beast Cores. Exact core count: TBA; bring five. Complete six training trials.
A tier as a PvP bruiser. Hyper armor is Stone’s most important launch advantage: it can let an attack continue through pressure that would interrupt another style. Exact armored windows and which moves break through them are TBA; armor does not mean you stop taking damage.
Use the armor to contest a turn, not tank an entire rotation. Slower commitments still invite punishment when they miss. Himejima’s Stone Skin and Repetitive Action support the close-range loop with defense and a temporary M1 benefit after skill damage.
The launch tree uses Volcanic Conquest and Stone Wall. These replace the older names Volcanic Rock and Demolishing Blow in this guide. Stone Wall gives cover and an offensive shatter; how its live counter/grab inputs compare with the earlier version is TBA.
Upper Smash and Seismic Burst need follow-through. Knock-ups and knockdowns are useful when you can reach the next hit, less useful when they force another chase. Ranged opponents who make you spend movement before committing are the matchup to watch.
The complete kit takes progression. Seismic Burst, Upper Smash, and Stone Wall open at mastery 14, 27, and 40; Arcs of Justice requires a scroll. Its final mastery requirement is TBA. The ranking assumes those tools, rather than judging Stone from its first unlock alone.
BWind Breathing
Technical Control · Range Variants · Clan Specialist
Specialist PvP; Shinazugawa builds and controlled mob pulls.
Difficulty:
High; spacing, repeat inputs, and tap/hold selection.
Synergy:
Shinazugawa; sword pressure backed by ranged threats and stamina support.
Unlock:
Snowy-biome trainer route from the bear area; level 25 and 50 Demon Horns. Exact trainer spot and additional cost: TBA.
B tier: worthwhile tools, less dependable pressure. Wind’s slower startup and enemy displacement weigh against its flexible kit. Shinazugawa keeps it worth considering, but I would no longer recommend it as an automatic S-tier all-rounder.
Purifying Claws is the conversion to learn first. Land the initial attack, then use the second input to teleport above the target. That built-in follow-up is useful; it does not establish an inescapable route through every other Wind skill.
Choose the attack shape before committing. Rising Dust Storm changes between ranged cyclone pressure and nearby hits. Whirlwind Cutter’s tap and hold options change the launch and knockback, so choose around where you want the target to finish.
Shinazugawa improves sustained offense. Windstorm Vigor adds Wind damage, general damage, and reduced stamina costs. Those benefits help a committed Wind player, while the clan’s low-health defense can buy breathing room. They do not shorten an attack’s startup.
Be careful with grouped enemies. Sending one mob away can turn a tidy pull into another chase and separate it from teammates’ attacks. The Typhoon follow-through also needs its ranged final hit or close catch. Exact finisher name and reliable boss routes: TBA.
High for consistent PvP; straightforward moves, demanding confirms.
Synergy:
Tomioka for resets and reactive damage; Urokodaki for efficiency; Sabito for mobile sword pressure.
Unlock:
Urokodaki, underwater passage near Bamboo Grove; level 25, 5,000 Wen, and 30 Demon Horns.
C tier in this early reassessment. Water’s startup and escape gaps currently matter more than its apparent versatility. My recommendation is to treat it as a clan-supported preference pick while we assess its consistency further, rather than the default best style.
Surface Slash and Water Wheel still offer useful movement. Their advancing attacks help reach a target, but reaching one is only half the job. Do not assume moving through an attack makes it safe or prevents the opponent from defending.
Whirl Pool requires an aerial plan. Lifting both fighters changes spacing for the next move; Constant Flux adds sustained offense once an opening exists. We need more time to establish dependable routes between them against players who actively try to escape.
Tomioka and Urokodaki remain worthwhile partners. Tomioka resets two random skill cooldowns and rewards blocking before a Water attack. Urokodaki adds Water damage and stamina efficiency. Extra casts and cheaper skills help, but cannot guarantee that those casts connect.
Dead Calm is not a proven panic button. Its catch-and-finisher sequence should not be treated as universal invulnerability or a counter to every boss attack. Exact defensive frames are TBA. Keep the style if you enjoy it; the lower placement is about consistency, not whether clearing content is possible.
The comparison assumes access to the core kit and considers both baseline tools and realistic clan builds. Unlock cost does not improve a combat ranking. Difficulty matters when it reduces consistency, but a demanding style can still earn S tier through valuable, usable tools.
S Tier: Exceptional overall tools, specialist strength, or build synergy with a clear practical advantage.
A Tier: Excellent choices with a narrower strength or a meaningful constraint compared with the leading recommendations.
B Tier: Good styles with useful strengths, but less consistent impact or more demanding matchups than the leading picks.
C Tier: Usable styles held back by significant consistency problems or stronger alternatives in the same role.
A combo counter alone does not tell you whether an opponent could have escaped. Normal stun, strict stun, blocking, and block-dashing change which follow-ups hold together. I give more credit to a repeatable opening than to a long string that only works when the other player stands still. Exact guaranteed routes remain TBA where those escape windows are unresolved.
One build for varied content: Thunder is my early first choice; Agatsuma adds a particularly useful damage and mobility package.
Control and coordinated fights: Sound for non-ragdoll stun, placed beads, and a specific answer to blocking.
Mobile duels: Serpent, especially with Iguro, if you enjoy changing angles and managing aerial follow-ups.
Poison pressure: Insect with Kocho. Keep a direct-damage plan for opponents who resist or benefit from poison.
A straightforward PvE game plan: Flame, especially with Rengoku. Learn when to approach, when to use Flame Tiger, and when to save the counter.
Melee trades and reactive defense: Stone with Himejima. Armor helps you commit, but health is still a resource.
Keeping an existing Wind or Water build: Shinazugawa supports Wind; Tomioka and Urokodaki support Water. A lower tier is a reason to learn the kit’s limits, not automatically spend on a reset.
For bossing, start with repeatable damage windows. Thunder, Sound, and Serpent are my early shortlist, with Flame/Rengoku worth considering for AoE farming. We need more time to assess a universal bossing winner: grab resistance, phase changes, and percentage-health damage caps can change the result. A build that controls regular mobs may not control a boss the same way.
For skill points, unlock your core attacks without neglecting stamina, health, and movement. A rotation is only useful if you can still defend after using it. Exact optimal stat splits are TBA. Check the Archives for weapon stats and drop sources before farming a matching katana; a themed name alone does not make it your best upgrade.
Thunder is my early pick for the best Breathing Style in Slayers 2 overall. Thunder Clap & Flash and God Speed give it a clear pursuit game, while Rice Spirit offers another way to catch an opening. Agatsuma is the natural specialist pairing for extra Thunder damage, faster dashes, and cooldown reduction.
Sound is the other S-tier recommendation, especially if you prefer setting up a fight with beads, stun, and block disruption. Serpent and Insect are strong A-tier alternatives, while Flame deserves a closer look for a Rengoku farming build. These are early launch judgments; we need more time to assess endgame matchups before calling any style the winner everywhere.
How I Ranked the Best Breathing Styles in Slayers 2
There are several factors I consider when ranking Breathing Styles, rather than simply looking for whichever ability produces the biggest damage number. The most important factors are:
Damage: Damage you can realistically land during a punish window, including sustained rotations and damage over time.
Combo potential: How easily a Breathing Style can start, extend, and finish combos.
Mobility: Dashes, gap closers, aerial movement, and other repositioning tools.
Range: Whether a style can threaten opponents without constantly fighting at point-blank range.
Crowd control: AoE attacks and abilities useful against multiple enemies.
Utility: Counters, defensive tools, stuns, knockdowns, and other effects beyond raw damage.
PvE performance: How efficiently the style deals with regular enemies, quests, and bosses.
PvP performance: How well the moveset performs against players who can block, dodge, punish, and escape predictable attacks.
Consistency: Startup, tracking, hitboxes, recovery, and whether a skilled opponent can escape before the next hit.
Resource efficiency: Cooldown downtime and stamina left for movement or defense after a rotation.
Build synergy: Clan tools and weapon follow-ups that improve the style in a practical build, with clan effects kept separate from innate Breathing mechanics.
Thunder is my early best overall pick, with Sound alongside it in S tier. Thunder suits pursuit and burst pressure; Sound rewards players who use stun, bead placement, and block disruption to control an exchange.
How many Breathing Styles are there in Slayers 2?
Slayers 2 has eight Breathing Styles at launch: Thunder, Sound, Serpent, Insect, Flame, Stone, Wind, and Water. All eight are ranked in this guide.
Can you change your Breathing Style in Slayers 2?
Yes, a Reset Breathing option lets you move away from your current style. The current menu route, cost, and whether mastery is retained are TBA. Check those details before confirming, then meet the new trainer’s requirements.
How do you unlock Breathing Styles in Slayers 2?
Reach level 25, find your chosen trainer, bring the required materials, and complete the training questline. Stone also requires the Axe and Mace. Mastery and skill points unlock more of your moveset afterward, and some ultimate skills require a scroll.
Are original Project Slayers tier lists accurate for Slayers 2?
No. Slayers 2 reworks combat and Breathing abilities, so the original game’s rankings, combo routes, and unlock requirements do not reliably carry over. Evaluate the sequel’s current kit and matchups.
Does your clan affect which Breathing Style you should use?
Yes. Agatsuma supports Thunder, Iguro supports Serpent, Kocho supports Insect, and Rengoku strengthens Flame builds. Himejima suits Stone’s bruiser approach; Shinazugawa, Tomioka, and Urokodaki can make lower-ranked styles more worthwhile for an existing build.
What is the best Breathing Style for PvP in Slayers 2?
Thunder is my early PvP recommendation for pursuit and quick pressure. Sound offers a more deliberate control game, while Serpent, Insect, and Stone suit different combo or bruiser builds. Matchup knowledge matters more than picking a tier and pressing every skill at once.
What is the best Breathing Style for PvE and farming?
Thunder, Sound, and Serpent are the early hybrid shortlist. Flame with Rengoku is also worth considering for farming. We need more time to assess which style clears each endgame boss fastest at comparable gear and mastery.
What is the easiest Breathing Style for beginners?
Flame has an approachable PvE game plan: a direct approach, a ranged option, and an M1 counter. Its slower commitments still need timing. Thunder is another practical starting choice if you prefer pursuit; precise difficulty depends on the content you are learning.
Do you need to complete Final Selection before learning Breathing?
No. Breathing training starts at level 25, while Final Selection opens at level 45. Learn your style and develop its core attacks before taking on the selection trial.
Is Serpent Breathing the same as Snake Breathing?
Yes. Snake Breathing is another name used for Serpent Breathing. It is one launch style, not an additional ninth option; Obari is its trainer.
As Slayers 2 receives balance updates, these rankings will need another look. For now, choose a kit that suits your clan and the content you actually play, then learn its openings before committing to another reset. Check out our other Slayers 2 guides for progression routes, trainer locations, and build advice.
Recommended Articles
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get updates on your favorite games!
About the Author
Nikola Savic
Senior Staff Writer
Nikola is a Senior Staff Writer at Pro Game Guides with over 14 years of experience in gaming and esports journalism. A former editor-in-chief of the Serbian gaming publication Play!Zine and the RUR Esports portal, he has covered games professionally since 2012 across both Serbian and international media (senior editor at GINX Esports and GosuNoob). At PGG, he focuses on Roblox guides and tier lists, with particular depth in anime-inspired action RPGs and horror experiences like Paradox. Having been gaming since the early ’90s, he is a longtime PC gamer, and he brings an RPG and strategy game mindset to evaluating builds, meta picks, and game mechanics.
