Slayers 2 Best Breathing Style Tier List (2026)

The Slayers 2 meta just shifted in a big way: thunder breathing ate a wave of nerfs, water breathing got a serious glow-up, and suddenly the "obvious" pick isn't so obvious anymore. If you're burning hours grinding for a breathing style, you want the Slayers 2 best breathing style for your playstyle — not just the one that was broken last patch.

This guide breaks down every breathing style currently in the game, what changed in the latest update, and how each one performs in PvP, PvE, and boss fights. Community tier lists disagree on the exact order, so we'll flag where player opinions split and give you the reasoning behind each placement.

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What Changed in the Latest Slayers 2 Update

The most recent patch hit thunder breathing hard. According to community coverage of the update, the devs removed the strict stun from Rice Period, reduced God Speed's travel speed, and cut the ragdoll duration on God Speed, Lightning Fold, and Rice Period from 1.5 seconds down to 1 second. Thunder Clap and Flash is also no longer instant cast, and Rice Period now requires a 0.3-second hold.

Water breathing received the opposite treatment. It picked up consistency buffs across the board: a strict stun extension on X, instant held X, a faster Water Wheel tap, and armor on the held version of the move. That combination is why water jumped several spots in most community tier lists overnight.

Slayers 2 Best Breathing Style Tier List

Here's where things stand right now. Note that community creators don't fully agree — one popular video puts wind in B tier, while a written tier list from Beebom places wind in S tier. The difference usually comes down to whether the player values raw combo routes or ease of use.

S Tier: The Current Meta Picks

Water Breathing is the biggest winner of the patch. The strict stun extension on X and the instant held X give it clean PvP routes, while the faster Water Wheel tap smooths out PvE rotations. Its main weakness is timing dependence — against aggressive players, mistiming your combo starters can leave you wide open.

Serpent Breathing has been a community favorite since it was the first style officially announced for Part 2. Players consistently report it performing well in both PvP and PvE, and its trainer requirements are straightforward: reach level 25, then bring 20 Demon Horns and 5 Demon Cores to Serpent Trainer Obari, who's located on the mountains in front of Windy Peak.

Sound Breathing sits right alongside serpent in most rankings. It's a reliable all-rounder with no glaring weaknesses, which makes it a safe pick if you don't want to rebuild your playstyle every patch.

Flame Breathing earns its S spot through burning effects that scale well in extended fights. If you have the Rengoku clan, flame becomes noticeably stronger — community players consistently note the clan synergy as the main reason to commit to this style.

Wind Breathing is the most debated placement. After recent changes, its Z, X, and C startups are faster and its combo routes are cleaner, and X can now extend combos since V no longer sends opponents flying. The catch is that wind rewards players who can maintain a tight rotation — if your execution is sloppy, it underperforms its tier.

A Tier: Still Viable, Just Not Dominant

Thunder Breathing fell from S tier to high A tier after the nerfs, but don't write it off. Community testing still shows it performing well in both PvE and PvP — the stun removal and slower God Speed hurt, but the core kit remains strong. Players who already mastered thunder combos before the patch will barely notice the difference in casual play.

Stone Breathing is the sleeper pick. It's a bruiser style with good combo potential, a second-hit guardbreak, and an armored ultimate that lets you push through trades. The counter is less available than it used to be, and its heavier attacks demand better timing, but it works well against tougher PvE targets and punishes defensive players in PvP.

B Tier: High Skill Floor

Insect Breathing still has excellent combo potential and Poison synergy, especially if you're running the Kocho clan. But the latest changes hurt its consistency — it lost some i-frame safety in exchange for armor, dropped a strict stun confirm, and now demands more stamina and cooldown management. It's dangerous in the right hands, but there are simply fewer reasons to pick it over the A tier options.

How to Choose the Right Breathing Style for You

Tier lists only tell part of the story. Your build, clan, and preferred game mode matter just as much as raw style strength.

A few practical tips based on community experience:

• Match your style to your clan. Flame with Rengoku and Insect with Kocho are the clearest examples of synergy worth building around.
• Don't chase tier lists blindly. A well-practiced A tier style will outperform a sloppy S tier style almost every time.
• Prioritize stamina in your skill tree. Community players consistently recommend maxing stamina first because every breathing style depends on skill usage.
• Test before you commit. If you're unsure, watch showcase videos of each style's full moveset before grinding the trainer requirements.

Best Build to Pair With Your Breathing Style

Your breathing style is only one piece of the puzzle. Community players are currently pushing damage-focused builds, and the accessory choices make a measurable difference.

For titles, damage-oriented picks like Slayer, Hard Hitter, and Blooded are the community standard. On the skill tree side, maxing additional damage and stamina while skipping block points is a common approach for players who prefer dodging over blocking.

If you're hunting the Scarred Mask, note that Sabito only has 600 health, so the fight itself is quick — the real grind is the 2% drop rate. For more details on breathing style mechanics and upcoming additions, check the official Project Slayers Wiki page on breathing styles.

Upcoming Breathing Styles to Watch

The wiki lists several styles as upcoming for Part 2: Love Breathing, Moon Breathing, Sun Breathing, and Mist Breathing. Stone Breathing also has a chance of arriving early since Gyomei appears in official Part 2 artwork.

According to wiki notes, Part 2 breathing styles will differ from Part 1 in two notable ways: each style gets five movesets instead of the previous count, and every style includes one cutscene move. That means future tier lists could shift dramatically once these drop — especially if Sun or Moon Breathing launches with the kind of numbers their anime counterparts suggest.

Final Verdict: What's the Best Breathing Style Right Now?

If you want a single answer: water breathing is the safest meta pick after its buffs, with serpent and sound close behind for players who prefer consistency over flash. Flame remains the top choice for Rengoku clan users, and wind is the high-reward pick for combo specialists.

Thunder breathing is no longer the undisputed king, but it's far from dead — high A tier is still very much viable for both PvE and PvP. The gap between the top styles is smaller than the community hype suggests, so pick based on your clan, your build, and how much practice you're willing to put in.