Slayers 2 Tier List: Breathing, Evil Arts & Clans (Sep 2026)
This page summarizes Destructoid, 'Slayers 2 Tier List' (re-ranked September 23, 2026 after the launch-week buffs and nerfs) and 'Slayers 2 Clan Tier List' (September 23, 2026). We have not tested the matchups ourselves, so the notes explain the reasoning the list gives, and we add facts from our own tables where they help: which clans need a specific style, and which weapon an art needs.
Breathing Styles and Evil Arts
| Tier | Style / Art | Type | Why (summary) |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Blood Manipulation | Evil Art | Barrage-style moves with high DPS; needs Sickles |
| S | Shockwave | Evil Art | Buffed; strong with the Soryu fighting style |
| S | Water Breathing | Breathing | Big launch-week buffs; fast stunning X move |
| S | Thunder Breathing | Breathing | Instant-cast moves that are hard to react to |
| S | Ice Manipulation | Evil Art | Strong grab, counter and wide AOE for dungeons |
| A | Insect Breathing | Breathing | Fast chainable moves; weaker in dungeons (little AOE) |
| A | Sound Breathing | Breathing | Combo extensions and long-range projectiles |
| A | Serpent (Snake) Breathing | Breathing | Teleport and knock-up moves, good mobility |
| A | Dream Manipulation | Evil Art | Stuns and a grab; PvP-leaning |
| B | Flame Breathing | Breathing | Slow start-ups; A/S tier with the Rengoku clan |
| B | Reaper | Evil Art | Fast PvP combos; decent in group PvE |
| B | Stone Breathing | Breathing | Lots of hyper armor; slow moves |
| B | Arrow | Evil Art | Buffed with hyper armor and tracking |
| C | Wind Breathing | Breathing | Start-ups fixed but still behind |
| C | Obi Manipulation | Evil Art | Niche PvP mixups; poor in group PvE |
| C | Tamari (Temari) | Evil Art | Better for PvE than PvP |
| C | Pyrokinesis (Explosive Blood) | Evil Art | Nerfed; lost its infinite combo |
Trainers, training quests and Hashira drops for each style are on the breathing page; each Evil Art's demon boss and move scroll is on the Evil Arts page.
Clans
| Tier | Clans |
|---|---|
| S | Rengoku, Uzui, Soyama, Kocho (needs Insect), Agatsuma (needs Thunder), Tomioka (needs Water), Kamado |
| A | Himejima, Iguro, Shinazugawa, Douma, Shabana, Urokodaki (needs Water) |
| B | Tamayo, Ubuyashiki, Sabito (needs Water), Makomo (needs Water), Yahaba, Susumaru |
"Needs Water" and similar notes mean the clan's bonuses are tied to that Breathing Style, so it drops a tier or more on any other style. Common and Uncommon clans are not ranked on the list. Roll odds and each clan's class, skills and stats are on the clans page.
Tier list revised:
Tier List FAQ
What is the best Breathing Style in Slayers 2?
Water and Thunder share the top spot on the September 23 re-rank: Water after its launch-week buffs, Thunder for its near-instant moves. Insect, Sound and Serpent sit just below in A tier.
What is the best Evil Art for demons?
Blood Manipulation, Shockwave and Ice Manipulation are all S tier. Blood Manipulation needs Sickles, so many new demons start with Arrow (B tier) until they can farm them.
Does the tier list change?
Yes. Slayers 2 had a round of buffs and nerfs in launch week (Water, Arrow and Obi went up; Explosive Blood lost its infinite combo), and Destructoid re-ranked the whole list on September 23. We update this page when a new ranking is published.