In Naruto, genjutsu is one of the three main jutsu types that allows a person to cast an illusion and make their targets envision things that aren't real. Genjutsu make use of Yin Release and are extremely dangerous to the victim, as it completely warps their perception of reality.
These techniques are quite useful as they are powerful enough to defeat a person without even having to engage them in hand-to-hand combat. Although genjutsu techniques are certainly hard to master, they're quite useful in battle, and the strongest ones happen to be especially creepy.
10 Bringer Of Darkness Jutsu Can Blind Anyone Trapped In It
Used by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju in the manga and Tobirama Senju in the anime, Bringer of Darkness is a powerful genjutsu. It completely blinds those it traps, leaving them defenseless against their enemies. It was used by the two against Hiruzen Sarutobi during the Konoha Crush arc. It's quite easy to see that the technique is extremely creepy, given that the person loses all sense of vision, and the only thing that can help them is their ability to hear sounds.
9 Genjutsu: Sharingan Is The Most Basic Yet Powerful Uchiha Jutsu
Genjutsu: Sharingan is an incredibly powerful technique that only people wielding the Sharingan can use in Naruto. The Kekkei Genkai allows the user to cast various powerful jutsu on a person and show them any sort of illusion that they like. With this, the user can do anything from extracting information from their victim to paralyzing them completely. This jutsu can also be performed through the evolutions of the Sharingan, and as expected, they get stronger with each evolution.
8 Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique Causes The Target To Panic
One of the very first techniques seen in the story, Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique was performed by Kakashi Hatake on Sakura Haruno. This jutsu is quite effective, and it lets Kakashi show the worst fears of a person to them. Evidently, this jutsu is quite creepy, given that it forces a person to suddenly confront their worst thoughts and fears. After witnessing an illusion of a gravely injured Sasuke, Sakura passed out within a matter of seconds. Even Kakashi thought he went too far with his genjutsu.
7 Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique Put Fear Into Orochimaru
Used by Itachi Uchiha on Orochimaru during their Akatsuki days, Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes is quite an incredible technique. It requires the usage of Genjutsu: Sharingan at first and allows the user to trap someone in a genjutsu without even making eye contact.
Once trapped, the person is completely paralyzed and feels as if a hundred stakes are driven through their body. Although the target won't die, the pain they feel is excruciating, meaning the main point of this jutsu is to torture those crossing paths with the user.
6 Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains Can Make Even The Fiercest People Faint
Used by Tayuya of the Sound Four, Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains is a sound-based genjutsu. Tayuya plays this genjutsu with her flute, and once someone hears it, they're completely paralyzed. Once paralyzed, the victim starts to have morbid visions that take a toll on their mental strength, and most people eventually pass out. When Tayuya used it on Shikamaru, he envisioned his flesh melting from his bones, and all he could do was watch as he edged closer to death.
5 Obito Uchiha's Genjutsu Took Out Even A Perfect Jinchuriki
Obito Uchiha was a master of the Sharingan, and some of the techniques he could pull off were certainly intense. Using an unknown genjutsu, Obito was able to trap Yagura Karatachi in an illusion so strong that even his Tailed Beast, Isobu, couldn't wake him from it, despite that Yagura was a perfect Jinchuriki. Thanks to this jutsu, Obito played a part in the Bloody Mist era of Kirigakure. When Ao broke the genjutsu, Yagura ended up dying from its aftereffects.
4 Izanami Forces A Person To Acknowledge Their True Self
Izanami is one of the two secret Uchiha genjutsu that takes away the light in one eye of the user when cast. Only Itachi Uchiha has been shown to be skilled enough to use this technique.
Izanami allows the user to trap a person in a loop of events for eternity. The only way to break the loop is for the user to eventually accept their true self and their fate. When used on Kabuto, he was forced to stop fighting and re-evaluate the path that he took in life. Had he not done that, Kabuto would've stayed in the loop forever.
3 Izanagi Is Powerful Enough To Alter Reality
The counterpart of Izanami is the Forbidden Jutsu known as Izanagi. This technique is extremely powerful and quite possibly the creepiest of all the genjutsu in the story. It allows an Uchiha to completely alter reality by breaking the laws of nature and turning illusions into reality. Once activated, the user gains complete control over their destiny for as long as it is active. Obito Uchiha could maintain Izanagi for a period of 5 minutes without any trouble whatsoever when he returned from death to kill Konan.
2 Tsukuyomi Can Control The Laws Of Time And Space
Tsukuyomi is a powerful genjutsu that was unique to Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan. When used, this technique trapped any person Itachi was targeting into a world of illusions where he had absolute authority over space and time. Just one second in the world of Tsukuyomi could become eternity for the target, essentially putting them through hell. Itachi continuously tortured Kakashi in the world of Tsukuyomi for three days when only a few seconds had passed in the real world. So far, Tsukuyomi is the only known regular genjutsu that can kill a person.
1 Infinite Tsukuyomi Turns People Into White Zetsu
Easily the strongest genjutsu in the story, Infinite Tsukuyomi is equally creepy. This technique can only be performed by those who possess the power of the Rinne Sharingan, and it is cast off the moon to trap every creature in a genjutsu. Every single person is trapped in its power, and when that happens, they slowly have their chakra drained from their bodies. At the same time, those affected by this jutsu are then converted into White Zetsu over a period of time.