Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba is one of the most explosive titles that has come out in the spring and summer season this year. It's mixing of art styles is visually magnificent and the plot itself is so engaging that it makes it hard to stop watching once you start. The different demon hunters in the show display many different fighting styles and, trained in the Water Breathing Style, Tanjiro Kamado, the main character, has ten forms that he utilizes whenever he fights. In this list, we will be laying out these different techniques in the order of their awesomeness. Here we go.
10 Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust-Curve/Piercing Rain Drop
As the name describes, when Tanjiro executes this move the stabbing motion causes ripples that look like how raindrops into puddles. In the anime, he used this as a defense to the attack of the Temari Demon, Susumaru. This comes in the tenth spot because it's such a quick and simple movement there really isn't much spectacle to it (unlike the other forms). This move also hasn't really been used much at all so there isn't much known about how far it can go. Hopefully, future seasons show more about this technique.
9 Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent/Water Splash
This move was used only once in the first season of the show. Faced with a demon that's able to manipulate the room's orientation with the literal beat of a drum, Tanjiro used this form to better maneuver the room in order to deal the final blow to Kyogai, the Drum Demon. This is ninth on the list because this move seems to be neither offensive nor defensive. It's more of an assistive move that helped Tanjiro adjust to the situation which, yes, is very useful but not very interactive. It's visually impressive though, and it's also one of those moves that shows how Tanjiro can think quickly on his feet.
8 Fifth Form: Blessed Rain After the Drought/The Merciful Rain of a Dry Day
Another move that was only used once in the first season, Tanjiro quickly switched to this move right before killing the Mother Spider Demon after seeing her willingly surrender to her fate. This move is very unexpected in a profession that mainly deals with killing demons (even Shinobu's poison seems like a painful way to die), and it shows Tanjiro's compassion and sympathy towards these creatures that sometimes do not have a choice in their situation. It's a gentle and elegant slash that ultimately fulfills its intention without much pain the demon. The mother demon herself said that she never thought she could feel at peace.
7 First Form: Water Surface Slice
The very first form shown during the Final Selection, the Water Surface Slice is a single deliberate slash that focuses on cutting the "lifeline" of a demon. Tanjiro used this on the Hand Demon on Mt. Fujikasane and was the moment that we were introduced to these visually stunning moves. It's a simple motion, but it's imbued with intention and, in this first circumstance, Tanjiro's feelings towards his predecessors that have lost their lives to this demon.
You can see all of this in his one movement.
6 Fourth Form: Striking Tide
The fourth form is like the elevated version of the first. Tanjiro twists his body to be able to make multiple slashes and target multiple enemies. This was also used in Final Selection, with his first two kills on Mt. Fujikasane. He executed two large elegant swipes and successfully got his targets. This is right above the first form because it is similar in concept but requires more effort on Tanjiro's part to execute. This results in a move that can do a little bit more.
5 Sixth Form: Twisting Whirlpool
This is the only move that can be used without any footing. He twists both his upper and lower body to create a vortex that slices through anything it comes across and is a very powerful form when used underwater.
Tanjiro impressively used this technique during his fight with the Swamp Demon, both defending himself from the two bodies' attacks and effectively eliminating these two bodies. It's impressive because it's something that he can unleash, of all places, underwater where it's typically hard to breathe at all.
4 Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin/Waterfall Jar
Like Twisting Whirlpool, this form is another one that's both offensive and defensive. Tanjiro makes a large vertical slice, targeted towards the ground, which usually reduces his impact when falling from high places. The movement also cuts whoever it encounters, as shown in his battle with the Swamp Demon. From the anime, this has become Tanjiro's go-to move when he needs to break his fall, and it just so happens to also deal damage to anything nearby.
3 Third Form: Flowing Dance/Dance of the Rapid Current
This might be the most elegant looking form of all ten. The Dance of the Rapid Current has Tanjiro moving in a long and twisty motion resulting in a form resembling the waves of the sea.
He used this most effectively during his battle with the Temari Demon where he was able to slice through the multiple temari that was headed his way. Although this move was shown as a defensive one in the show, it has the potential to let him be able to efficiently clear large parties of demons? Just a thought.
2 Second Form: Water Wheel
This is one of Tanjiro's most used moves and is another that can be both offensive and defensive. He jumps and spins forward creating a literal wheel of water that cuts through anything in its way and, in some cases, kind of serves as a shield for attacks against him. It's number two because it's a pretty flexible form. In a modified version he spins clockwise instead of forward, creating a horizontal when and, in the episode it was shown, was the move that dealt the final blow to Yahaba, the Arrow Demon, who was a very challenging opponent.
1 Tenth Form: Constant Flux/The Dragon of Change
The most powerful water move in Tanjiro's current skill set, this is a form that gets more and more powerful with each rotation that he puts in. It's number one on the list because it has, theoretically, no ceiling when it comes to its intensity. Tanjiro used this in his battle with Rui, with a broken sword no less, after his other attacks were unable to cut any of his opponent's threads, even resulting in the aforementioned broken sword. There's that, and then there's the fact that it manifests in the form of a water dragon. That's just awesome.