Naruto first came out in 2002 and has grown into one of the most globally recognizable anime that rivals even Dragon Ball Z in popularity. The series has subsequently spawned sequels such as Naruto: Shippuden, and Boruto: The Next Generations as well as a number of related movies, video games, and other merchandise.
The original series has a special place among fans, however, because of the enduring and iconic techniques that evoke feelings of sheer nostalgia from their childhood. Here are the 10 best finishing moves from Naruto.
10 Chidori
A lightning-based attack created by Kakashi Hatake. The Chidori is said to be the "ultimate assassination technique." While there's no question that its power is immense, how it's used as an assassination tool is a bit puzzling because of the distinct sound it makes, which emulates "1,000 chirping birds." (Wouldn't the loud noise alert its intended target?)
Nevertheless, the technique is one of the signature finishing moves of both Kakashi and Sasuke Uchiha, who can offset the drawbacks of the move because of their exceptional speed and the Sharingan.
9 Six Inner Gates - Hidden Lotus
The Eight Gates is a forbidden technique made famous by Rock Lee in his fight with Gaara during the Chuunin exams where he opened six of the Eight Inner Gates. It's a high-risk, high-reward attack that puts extreme strain on the user's body in exchange for blinding speed and power beyond normal limits.
Coupled with the Hidden Lotus, a devastating series of attacks that exhausts the user when it's used, this finishing combo move is a double-edged sword that almost ended Lee's ninja career.
8 Eight Trigrams 128 Palms
This technique is the specialty of the Hyuga clan who possess the specialized chakra-detecting eyes, Byakugan, which is exclusive to their bloodline.
Combined with their Gentle Fist fighting style, a well-trained member of the Hyuga clan (most notably Neji Hyuga) can launch this attack to shut down an opponent's entire Chakra Network and render them incapable of drawing from and recovering their chakra. It's a devastating finisher that's a threat to nearly every ninja that comes within the technique's range.
7 Butterfly Mode - Akamichi Clan
The Akamichi clan is said to be one of the physically strongest ninjas in the Hidden Leaf Village. Drawing on the stored energy from their high-calorie diet, a member of the Akamichi can use the Three Colored Pills in succession to convert the calories in their body into powerful manifestations of chakra (which take the form of butterfly wings) to further augment their already formidable combat prowess.
The drawback of using this technique, however, is that it risks the life of the user due to the abrupt and extreme bodyweight loss.
6 Rasengan
The most iconic, if not quintessential, technique in Naruto Uzumaki's arsenal, the Rasengan was invented by his father the Fourth Hokage / Minato Namikaze, which he based on the Tailed Beast Bomb.
Naruto subsequently learned it from, Jiraiya, and mastered it faster than anyone else. Naruto has since put powerful variations on the technique, and it remained one of his preferred finishing moves throughout the series and its sequels. Due to Naruto's high chakra levels, and initially poor talent for hand seals, the Rasengan was the perfect technique for him to master.
5 Sand Burial
A technique that's exclusively used by Gaara of the Sand (and presumably his father before him), the Sand Burial is one of the most brutal finishing moves ever depicted in the anime.
When Gaara feels the need, he engulfs his victims with sand, either from his gourd or from the ground itself, and makes it implode—which more than often severely injures or kills the trapped victim. The move is also a long-range attack that keeps Gaara at an advantageous distance during combat.
4 Amaterasu
The highest level Fire Release technique in the series, Amaterasu is exclusive to members of the Uchiha clan bloodline who have unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan.
The attack is nearly unavoidable as its targeting mechanism is based on the focal point of vision of the user who unleashes the technique. Though extremely dangerous and deadly, the jet-black flames are slow-spreading and can be contained with powerful seals. The technique also puts incredible strain on the user, usually causing them to bleed through their eyes.
3 Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation
A technique first used by Orochimaru in the original series to summon the re-animated souls of the First and Second Hokages into battle against the Third Hokage. It's a forbidden technique that requires a living human sacrifice as well as a DNA sample from the desired summon.
The vessels are loyal to the summoner, nearly indestructible, and possess close to equal strength of the original individual. The technique can be prevented by a powerful seal, but once the summon is complete, it's incredibly difficult to deal with.
2 Tsukoyomi
Another technique exclusive to Mangekyo Sharingan users, Tsukoyomi is triggered through simple eye contact. The illusion technique distorts the target's perception of time and space and can make seconds seem like days of psychological torture.
Though it also puts a strain on the user's eyes, which causes blurry vision, the technique can cause comatose and other lingering debilitating mental effects that's almost impossible to fully recover from. Itachi Uchiha first used it in the original series to disable Kakashi and send him into a coma.
1 Reaper Death Seal
This forbidden technique is created and used by Minato to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox into Naruto. It was then re-used by Hiruzen Sarutobi in the original series to seal Orochimaru's arms.
The hefty price of this technique is that it seals the soul of the user as well as the target into a manifestation of the Grim Reaper of Death. The heroic acts of Minato, and subsequently Hiruzen, justified their respective uses, however, as they did it to protect the Hidden Leaf Village from destruction.