Onikami Breathing Tier List (June 2026) Best Styles Ranked

As an avid Onikami player with hundreds of hours invested in mastering every breathing style, I’ve created this comprehensive tier list to help you understand which breathing styles dominate the current meta. Whether you’re a new player deciding your first breathing style or a veteran looking to optimize your build, this guide will provide everything you need to know.

Quick Overview: Onikami Breathing Styles at a Glance

Breathing Style	Tier	Best For	Difficulty
Water Breathing	S	Versatility, Beginners	Easy
Flame Breathing	S	High Damage, Aggressive Play	Medium
Thunder Breathing	S	Speed, Burst Damage	Hard
Wind Breathing	A	Crowd Control, Area Damage	Medium
Stone Breathing	A	Defense, Tank Builds	Easy
Mist Breathing	B	Stealth, Surprise Attacks	Medium
Insect Breathing	B	Poison, DoT Effects	Hard
Serpent Breathing	C	Unpredictable Movements	Hard
Sound Breathing	C	Stuns, Disorientation	Medium
Love Breathing	D	Support, Team Play	Easy

What Are Breathing Styles in Onikami?

Breathing styles in Onikami are combat techniques that players can master to enhance their abilities in battle. Each style offers unique moves, damage types, and playstyles, significantly impacting how you approach both PvE and PvP combat. The right breathing style can complement your weapon choice, stats distribution, and overall strategy, making it one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the game.

S-Tier Breathing Styles: The Meta-Defining Choices

Water Breathing: The Versatile Powerhouse

Water Breathing stands at the top of our tier list for its incredible versatility and ease of use. It offers a perfect balance between offense and defense, making it suitable for almost any situation.

Key Strengths:

• Excellent for both beginners and advanced players
• Balanced damage output with good combo potential
• Strong defensive capabilities with water-based shields
• Highly effective in both PvE and PvP scenarios

Best Moves: Water Wheel, Flowing Dance, and Striking Tide form the core of any effective Water Breathing build, offering a mix of single-target damage and area control.

Why It’s S-Tier: Water Breathing has no significant weaknesses and performs exceptionally well in all game modes. Its versatility makes it the safest and most reliable choice for players of all skill levels.

Flame Breathing: The Aggressive Damage Dealer

For players who prefer an aggressive playstyle, Flame Breathing offers unparalleled damage potential. Its fiery attacks not only deal significant immediate damage but also apply burn effects for additional damage over time.

Key Strengths:

• Highest base damage among all breathing styles
• Burn effects provide excellent damage over time
• Strong against enemies weak to fire
• Visually impressive moves that satisfy the power fantasy

Best Moves: Flame Tiger, Burning Bones, and Dancing Flame should be prioritized for maximum damage output.

Why It’s S-Tier: Despite being slightly more difficult to master than Water Breathing, Flame Breathing’s raw damage output makes it a top-tier choice for players who can handle its slightly steeper learning curve.

Thunder Breathing: The Speed Demon

Thunder Breathing is the premier choice for players who value speed and precision. Its lightning-fast attacks allow for rapid strikes and quick repositioning, making it excellent for hit-and-run tactics.

Key Strengths:

• Fastest attack speed among all breathing styles
• Excellent for burst damage combos
• High mobility with lightning-based dashes
• Strong against heavily armored targets

Best Moves: Thunderclap and Flash, Six Fold, and God Speed form the core of an effective Thunder Breathing build.

Why It’s S-Tier: Thunder Breathing’s speed and burst damage potential make it devastating in the hands of skilled players. While it has a higher skill ceiling, its peak performance surpasses most other breathing styles.

A-Tier Breathing Styles: Strong Contenders

Wind Breathing: The Crowd Control Specialist

Wind Breathing excels at controlling the battlefield with its wide-reaching attacks and ability to hit multiple targets simultaneously.

Key Strengths:

• Excellent area damage capabilities
• Strong crowd control effects
• Good synergy with team play
• Effective against groups of weaker enemies

Best Moves: Dust Whirlwind, Clean Wind, and Dissecting Slice provide the best combination of area damage and control.

Why It’s A-Tier: While not as versatile as the S-tier options, Wind Breathing’s crowd control capabilities make it invaluable in specific situations, particularly in PvE content with multiple enemies.

Stone Breathing: The Unmovable Force

Stone Breathing is the premier defensive option, offering unparalleled durability and the ability to withstand even the strongest attacks.

Key Strengths:

• Highest defensive capabilities
• Excellent for tank builds
• Strong counter-attack potential
• Forgiving for newer players

Best Moves: Stone Shield, Rock Mountain, and Lion Strike provide the best balance of defense and offense.

Why It’s A-Tier: Stone Breathing’s defensive capabilities make it an excellent choice for players who prefer a more methodical approach to combat. While its damage output is lower than S-tier options, its survivability more than compensates.

B-Tier Breathing Styles: Niche but Viable

Mist Breathing: The Stealth Specialist

Mist Breathing focuses on stealth and surprise attacks, making it an excellent choice for players who prefer a more tactical approach to combat.

Key Strengths:

• Strong stealth capabilities
• High burst damage from surprise attacks
• Good for PvP ambush tactics
• Unique visual effects that can confuse opponents

Best Moves: Obscuring Clouds, Eight-Layered Mist, and Shifting Flow Slash form the core of an effective Mist Breathing build.

Why It’s B-Tier: While Mist Breathing can be highly effective in specific situations, particularly in PvP, its reliance on stealth makes it less versatile than higher-tier options.

Insect Breathing: The Poison Master

Insect Breathing specializes in poison and damage-over-time effects, gradually wearing down opponents while avoiding direct confrontation.

Key Strengths:

• Strong poison effects that deal damage over time
• Good for sustained fights
• Effective against bosses with high health
• Unique playstyle that can catch opponents off guard

Best Moves: Butterfly Dance, Bee Sting, and Roar provide the best poison application and damage potential.

Why It’s B-Tier: Insect Breathing’s reliance on poison effects makes it less effective in short encounters, limiting its versatility compared to higher-tier options.

C-Tier Breathing Styles: Situational Choices

Serpent Breathing: The Unpredictable Fighter

Serpent Breathing features unpredictable movements and attack patterns, making it difficult for opponents to anticipate but also challenging for the user to master.

Key Strengths:

• Unpredictable attack patterns can confuse opponents
• Good for players who enjoy a unique playstyle
• Some moves have excellent tracking
• Visually distinct from other breathing styles

Best Moves: Serpent Coil, Slithering Serpent, and Twist form the core of an effective Serpent Breathing build.

Why It’s C-Tier: Serpent Breathing’s unpredictable nature makes it difficult to use effectively, and its overall performance doesn’t match higher-tier options in most situations.

Sound Breathing: The Disruptor

Sound Breathing focuses on disorienting opponents with sonic attacks and stunning effects, creating openings for follow-up attacks.

Key Strengths:

• Strong stun and disorientation effects
• Good for setting up combos
• Effective against fast-moving opponents
• Unique audiovisual effects

Best Moves: Sound Pulse, Resonating Slash, and Disorienting Note provide the best disruption and control.

Why It’s C-Tier: While Sound Breathing’s disruption effects can be useful, its damage output is generally lower than other options, making it less effective in prolonged fights.

D-Tier Breathing Styles: Limited Usefulness

Love Breathing: The Support Option

Love Breathing is primarily focused on support abilities, making it less effective for solo play but potentially useful in team scenarios.

Key Strengths:

• Strong support abilities for team play
• Some healing capabilities
• Buff effects for allies
• Unique visual theme

Best Moves: Love Tap, Embrace, and Heartbeat provide the best support utility.

Why It’s D-Tier: Love Breathing’s focus on support makes it less effective for solo play, which is a significant portion of Onikami’s content. While it can be useful in specific team compositions, its overall versatility is limited compared to other options.

How to Choose the Right Breathing Style for You?

When selecting a breathing style, consider the following factors:

1. Playstyle Preference: Do you prefer aggressive, defensive, or balanced approaches to combat?
2. Skill Level: Some breathing styles are more forgiving for beginners, while others require precise timing and execution.
3. Game Mode Focus: Are you primarily interested in PvE, PvP, or a mix of both?
4. Weapon Synergy: Certain breathing styles work better with specific weapon types.
5. Aesthetic Preference: While not affecting performance, enjoying the visual style of your breathing style can enhance your overall experience.

For beginners, I recommend starting with Water Breathing due to its versatility and forgiving nature. As you become more comfortable with the game’s mechanics, you can experiment with more specialized styles like Flame or Thunder Breathing.

Advanced Breathing Style Strategies

Combining Breathing Styles with Weapons

The right weapon can significantly enhance your breathing style’s effectiveness:

• Water Breathing: Pairs well with balanced weapons like katanas that offer a mix of speed and damage.
• Flame Breathing: Benefits from heavier weapons that can capitalize on its high damage output.
• Thunder Breathing: Works best with fast weapons that complement its rapid attack style.
• Wind Breathing: Synergizes with wide-reaching weapons that enhance its area damage capabilities.
• Stone Breathing: Pairs effectively with defensive weapons that enhance its tanking potential.

Stat Distribution for Each Breathing Style

Optimizing your stats is crucial for maximizing your breathing style’s potential:

• Water Breathing: Balanced distribution between Strength, Speed, and Stamina.
• Flame Breathing: Focus on Strength and Stamina for maximum damage output.
• Thunder Breathing: Prioritize Speed and Precision for rapid, accurate strikes.
• Wind Breathing: Invest in Speed and Stamina for sustained area damage.
• Stone Breathing: Focus on Defense and Health for maximum survivability.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Neglecting Defense with Offensive Styles: Even with high-damage styles like Flame Breathing, neglecting defense can leave you vulnerable to counterattacks.
2. Overcommitting to Combos: While combos can be powerful, overextending can leave you open to punishment. Learn to recognize when to disengage.
3. Ignoring Synergy: Don’t just pick a breathing style because it’s high-tier; consider how it works with your preferred weapons and playstyle.
4. Neglecting Movement: Even with defensive styles like Stone Breathing, staying mobile is crucial for avoiding area attacks and positioning.
5. Focusing Only on Damage: While damage is important, utility effects like stuns, knockbacks, and area control can often be more valuable in difficult encounters.

Future Breathing Style Meta Predictions

Based on recent updates and developer announcements, I predict the following shifts in the breathing style meta:

1. Potential Buffs: Mist and Insect Breathing are likely to receive buffs in future updates to increase their viability.
2. New Breathing Styles: The developers have hinted at adding new breathing styles in upcoming expansions, which could shake up the current tier list.
3. Balancing Changes: S-tier styles like Water and Flame Breathing may receive minor nerfs to bring them more in line with other options.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best breathing style for beginners in Onikami?

Water Breathing is the best choice for beginners due to its versatility, balanced damage output, and defensive capabilities. It’s forgiving to use and performs well in most situations, making it ideal for players still learning the game’s mechanics.

Can you change your breathing style in Onikami?

Yes, you can change your breathing style in Onikami, but the process requires specific in-game items and may have limitations based on your progress. You’ll need to visit the Breathing Master in the main hub area and have the appropriate reset item, which can be obtained through special events or purchased with premium currency.

Which breathing style does the most damage in Onikami?

Flame Breathing currently has the highest base damage output among all breathing styles, particularly when you factor in its burn damage-over-time effects. However, Thunder Breathing can achieve higher burst damage in short combos when executed perfectly by skilled players.

Is there a breathing style that’s best for PvP in Onikami?

For PvP, Thunder Breathing is generally considered the strongest option due to its speed and burst damage potential, which can catch opponents off guard. However, Water Breathing’s versatility and defensive capabilities also make it a strong choice, especially for players who prefer a more balanced approach.

How do I unlock new breathing styles in Onikami?

New breathing styles are unlocked by completing specific quests, defeating certain bosses, or reaching particular milestones in the game. Each breathing style has its own unique unlock requirements, which typically involve mastering the basics of combat and proving your worth to the style’s master trainer.

What’s the rarest breathing style in Onikami?

Love Breathing is currently the rarest breathing style in Onikami, as it requires completing a series of difficult hidden quests that many players never discover. Its rarity and support-focused nature make it a unique but less commonly used option.

Can you use multiple breathing styles at once in Onikami?

No, you can only actively use one breathing style at a time in Onikami. However, you can switch between breathing styles you’ve unlocked outside of combat, allowing you to adapt your approach for different challenges.

Which breathing style is best for boss fights in Onikami?

For boss fights, Flame Breathing is generally the most effective due to its high single-target damage and burn effects. However, Stone Breathing can be excellent for surviving the powerful attacks of tougher bosses, while Thunder Breathing is ideal for dodging and quickly capitalizing on openings.

How often does the breathing style meta change in Onikami?

The breathing style meta typically shifts with major game updates, which occur approximately every 2-3 months. Minor balance patches can affect the viability of certain styles more frequently, but significant meta changes usually accompany new content releases.

Are there any hidden breathing styles in Onikami?

Yes, there are several hidden breathing styles in Onikami that aren’t immediately apparent to new players. These include Love Breathing and a few others that can only be unlocked by completing secret quests or finding hidden trainers throughout the game world.

Conclusion

This comprehensive tier list should serve as your definitive guide to breathing styles in Onikami. Remember that while tier lists provide general guidance, the best breathing style is ultimately the one that you enjoy playing and fits your personal playstyle. Save this page for future reference as the meta evolves with new updates and balance changes.