- Slayer 2 best breathing style: Thunder Breathing currently tops the meta with unmatched burst mobility.
- Best beginner pick: Water Breathing offers a balanced, forgiving moveset for new Slayers.
- Best farming style: Wind Breathing clears enemy groups fastest with wide area coverage.
- Best PvP wildcard: Mist Breathing rewards skilled movement and confuses opponents.
- Remember: Rankings shift with balance patches, so check back after each update.
Breathing Style Tier List Overview
Your breathing style defines your entire combat identity in Project Slayers 2. Each style is learned from a specific trainer NPC on the map, usually after completing a short quest and paying Wen. Choosing the wrong style for your playstyle can slow your progression significantly, while the right pick makes farming, bossing, and PvP dramatically easier.
Our rankings weigh three factors: raw damage and combo potential, PvP effectiveness (mobility, hitboxes, punish ability), and farming speed against NPCs. Because the game receives frequent balance updates, treat these rankings as a snapshot of the current patch.
| Tier | Style | Category | Why It Ranks Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Thunder Breathing | Breathing Style | Fastest burst combos and unmatched PvP mobility with dash cancels |
| A | Water Breathing | Breathing Style | Balanced moveset with dependable finishers; great all-rounder |
| B | Wind Breathing | Breathing Style | Strong area damage for farming but punishable wind-ups in PvP |
| B | Mist Breathing | Breathing Style | Confusing movement tech, but low raw damage |
| C | Insect Breathing | Breathing Style | Poison damage-over-time is fun but slow; outclassed in PvP |
Every Breathing Style Compared
Here is the full breakdown of each confirmed style in Project Slayers 2, including signature moves, trainers, and the best-matched weapon.
| Style | Trainer | Unlock Requirement | Best Weapon | Signature Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Water Trainer (Urokodaki-style) | Required level + Wen fee | Standard Katana | Water Surface Slash, Water Wheel, Striking Tide, Constant Flux |
| Thunder | Thunder Trainer (Jigoro-inspired) | Trainer quest + unlock cost | Standard Katana | Thunderclap and Flash, Sixfold, Rice Spirit, Thunder Swarm |
| Wind | Wind Trainer (Sanemi-inspired) | Required level + questline | Standard Katana | Dust Whirlwind Cutter, Black Wind Mountain Mist, Gale Sudden Gusts, Idaten Typhoon |
| Mist | Mist Trainer (Muichiro-inspired) | Prerequisite quests + fee | Standard Katana | Low Clouds Distant Haze, Eight-Layered Mist, Obscuring Clouds |
| Insect | Insect Trainer (Shinobu-inspired) | Specially treated blade + quest | Stinger Katana | Butterfly Dance: Caprice, Dance of the Bee Sting, Dance of the Dragonfly |
Thunder Breathing (S-Tier)
- Burst mobility with dash cancels
- One-shot combo potential in PvP
- Thunderclap and Flash is a community favorite
- Best for aggressive, fast-paced players
Water Breathing (A-Tier)
- Well-rounded damage and defense
- Reliable dash attacks and finishers
- Beginner-friendly learning curve
- Never falls out of relevance
Wind Breathing (B-Tier)
- Wide area coverage for group farming
- Consistent chip damage
- Slower wind-ups are punishable in PvP
- Best for PvE-focused Slayers
Insect Breathing requires a Stinger Katana and deals poison damage over time rather than direct slashes. The playstyle is unique and enjoyable, but in PvP the slow burn is generally outclassed by direct-damage styles.
Best Style by Playstyle: Step-by-Step Selection
Instead of blindly chasing tier lists, pick the style that matches how you actually play. Follow these steps to lock in the right breathing style on your first try.
Identify Your Main Activity
Decide whether you spend most of your time on PvP duels, PvE farming, or world bosses. Thunder excels in PvP, Wind in farming, and Water handles a mix of everything.
Reach the Required Level
Farm low-level bandits and demon enemies near the starting village, always accepting quests first so kill XP stacks with quest rewards until you meet the trainer's level gate.
Save Enough Wen
Each trainer charges an unlock fee in Wen. Boss farming is the fastest money source once you can clear mid-level enemies comfortably.
Complete the Trainer Quest
Travel to your chosen trainer (for example, the Jigoro-inspired Thunder Trainer) and finish their questline to unlock the style.
Commit and Master the Moveset
Switching styles later requires significant investment, so commit to one path and practice its combos, block cancels, and stamina management before judging it.
If you are unsure, pick Water Breathing first. Its forgiving moveset teaches fundamentals — spacing, blocking, and finisher timing — that transfer to every other style if you re-roll later.
Breathing vs. Blood Demon Arts
Before investing heavily in a breathing style, consider whether the Demon path suits you better. Demons trade breathing styles for Blood Demon Arts and gain passive health regeneration, at the cost of burning in sunlight and hunger mechanics.
| Aspect | Slayer (Breathing) | Demon (BDA) |
|---|---|---|
| Power source | Breathing trainers | Muzan / demon NPCs |
| Early game | Slower ramp-up | Strong power spikes |
| Late game | Scales with mastery + weapon upgrades | Plateaus sooner |
| Top pick | Thunder Breathing (S) | String BDA (S) |
| Playstyle | Technical sword combat | Aggressive ability pressure |
Demons currently enjoy stronger early and mid-game power spikes thanks to demon passive regeneration, while Slayers scale better into the late game with breathing mastery and weapon upgrades. If you want longevity, stay human and master a breathing style.
Maximizing Your Build
Your breathing style is only one piece of the puzzle. Pair it with the right clan and habits to unlock its full potential.
- Clan synergy: Rare and above clans (roughly 10% of rolls combined) offer damage multipliers or improved dash and block stamina efficiency. Keep a clan whose passive matches your style — for example, stamina-efficiency clans pair beautifully with Thunder's dash-heavy combos.
- Stamina discipline: Exhausted players cannot block or dash. Watch your stamina bar in every fight and disengage before it empties.
- Weapon matching: Most styles pair with the Standard Katana, but Insect Breathing requires the Stinger Katana — plan your Wen accordingly.
- Skill slots: Assign your strongest moves to number slots 1–4 and confirm they are equipped before boss attempts.
Don't waste early spins re-rolling for cosmetic-perfect clans. Common clans are fine for leveling, and spins are better saved for breathing re-rolls or late-game clan upgrades.
Build Milestones:
- Reach the level gate for your chosen trainer
- Save enough Wen for the unlock fee
- Complete the trainer questline and learn the style
- Unlock all four signature moves for your style
- Roll a Rare-or-better clan that matches your playstyle
FAQ
Q: What is the best breathing style in Slayer 2 overall?
Thunder Breathing currently sits at the top of the tier list. Its burst mobility, dash cancels, and one-shot combo potential make it dominant in PvP while remaining strong in PvE. Water Breathing is the best alternative for players who want a safer, more balanced kit.
Q: Can I switch breathing styles after unlocking one?
Yes, but switching requires significant investment, typically spins and currency. That is why we recommend reaching the required level, saving Wen, and committing to one style that fits your playstyle rather than experimenting early.
Q: Is Wind or Mist Breathing better for farming?
Wind Breathing is generally better for farming thanks to wide area coverage from moves like Dust Whirlwind Cutter and Idaten Typhoon. Mist Breathing's damage output is lower, though its repositioning moves give it an edge in PvP against players who struggle to track you.
Q: Do breathing styles work for Demons?
No. Demons use Blood Demon Arts instead of breathing styles, obtained from Muzan or demon-related NPCs rather than Slayer trainers. The String BDA is the current S-tier pick among Blood Demon Arts.