Similar to other samurai manga, speed plays an important role in assessing the power levels in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. It is a base attribute determining the development of a character. Zenitsu Agatsuma, a main character in Demon Slayer, has matured from being a cowardly warrior to one who broke the sound barrier but he is still nowhere close to a certain hashira.
Zenitsu is naturally fast. At the beginning of the series, he outpaced demons such as the Tongue Demon and Son of the Spider Family, later defeating Enmu by slicing through his appendages and bringing down the enemy before it could react. His speed got boosted after training with Jigoro Kuwajima such that he was able to use the Thunder Breathing technique.
What is Thunder Breathing in Demon Slayer?
Thunder Breathing is a Breathing Style that allows the user to move as fast as lightning, obtaining amplified reflex and offense capabilities. Zenitsu was able to only master the first form of the technique: Thunderclap and Flash. Therefore, he was severely outmatched by a Kaigaku in Chapter 145, as the latter had mastered the other five forms of the Breathing Style.
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Zenitsu got a major power boost in Demon Slayer when he created his own version of Thunder Breathing. Considered to be the seventh form, Honoikazuchi no Kami (Flaming Thunder God) allowed Agatsuma to move faster than the Upper Moon Six’s Blood Demon Art form. He slashed Kaigaku’s neck to win the battle, leaving fans bewildered by his sudden change in speed.
Since his battle with Kaigaku, Zenitsu Agatsuma didn’t use the Flaming Thunder God ability. It is considered to be one of the most broken Breathing Styles in the Demon Slayer universe. Zenitsu could literally one-shot enemies that move at hypersonic speeds by himself moving at the speed of light and inflicting a dragon-shaped thunderbolt on the opponent.
Thunder Breathing gives Agatsuma a major advantage in battles as he could inflict a hundred slashes on the most durable of enemies in a few seconds. However, when it comes to his natural speed, it pales in comparison to the Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho. The purple-eyed girl was introduced as an enigma in Episode 15 but her immense capabilities were revealed shortly after.
Shinobu Kocho Can Outpace Thunder Breathing Zenitsu In Demon Slayer
While Zenitsu relies on speed to counter his foes, Shinobu’s fighting style consists of stabbing demons in vulnerable areas with pinpoint accuracy. She was able to dodge the silk strands from Daughter’s Blood Demon Art effortlessly and land multiple poisonous hits on the enemy. Doma even recalled how the Insect Hashira outpaced the Upper-Rank members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Shinobu Kocho doesn’t need a technique to increase her agility. Instead, her Insect Breathing compensates for her lack of strength rather than speed. The Hashira can move at superhuman speeds, depicted to be teleportation, and could continue to maintain such high momentum even when injured as revealed by Doma in Chapter 142.
Shinobu Kocho is faster than Zenitsu when it comes to overall combat speed and agility. Meanwhile, the Thunder Breathing 7th Form of Zenitsu momentarily makes the Demon Slayer Corps outmatch Shinobu in speed. The latter Breathing Style also hasn’t been fully depicted in Demon Slayer and is only considered to make the user travel in a certain direction at blinding speed.
Doma termed Shinobu to be the fastest Hashira. Even though Zenitsu Agatsuma has won several battles fit for the role of Hashira, he is seemingly unable to match the raw speed and reflexes that Kocho brings into the foray.
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