In the Naruto series, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu are the three basics that all ninjas are expected to learn. But there are certain jutsu categorized as “forbidden jutsus”, techniques that either risk irreparable damage to users or can have terrifying consequences in the wrong hands.
Let us look at some of these powerful techniques which significantly affected the storyline of Naruto.
A list of some of the most terrifying forbidden jutsus in the Naruto franchise
10) Rasenshuriken
Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was a technique developed by Naruto himself after mastering Wind Style nature transformation during the Naruto Shippuden era. The Rasenshuriken is a shuriken-shaped Rasengan, which on collision detonates into microscopic wind blades, damaging its target on a cellular level.
Due to the density of the chakra, Naruto was initially unable to throw the Rasenshuriken, using it as an ordinary Rasengan.
While extremely powerful, it is like a double-edged sword similarly injuring his arm, risking permanent nerve damage if used repeatedly. Naruto later modified the technique to bypass this major flaw using senjutsu.
9) Jar of Poison
The forbidden technique of the Aburame clan, the jutsu was used by a reanimated Torune under Kabuto’s influence. During the Fourth Ninja War, Torune used the "Jar of Poison" jutsu to gather several corpses infected with the highly poisonous insects, Rinkaichu.
Collected in a pit, he used a barrier to accelerate the insects’ growth with the decaying flesh releasing an explosive gas. The explosion would finally release a colossal swarm of the Rinkaichu into the surrounding area.
8. Living Corpse Reincarnation
Developed by Orochimaru, the Living Corpse Reincarnation jutsu allowed him to change bodies every three years to seemingly live on forever. This jutsu shaped most of the pre-Shippuden and early Shippuden storyline in Naruto due to him targeting Sasuke as his next vessel to reincarnate into.
The technique allowed him to transfer his soul into his vessel’s body by turning into a vast white snake and swallowing the vessel’s physical body. He then subdued and absorbed the host’s soul to take over their body.
7. Eighth Inner Gate
The Eight Inner Gates was categorized as a forbidden technique from the beginning of the Naruto series, with Rock Lee opening five gates in his fight against Gaara during the Chunin exams. But the true potential was revealed when Might Guy opened the Eighth Gate during his battle against Madara.
The Eighth Gate, the gate of Death, causes the user’s heart to beat at maximum speed, increasing their strength by a hundred times and facilitating lethal attacks like the Evening Elephant and Night Guy.
However, opening this gate has horrifying consequences, heating the user’s body enough to reduce them to ash. Might Guy became permanently crippled after using this technique.
6. Izanagi
Izanagi is an Uchiha genjutsu that can only be accessed by the Sharingan. While normal genjutsu affects the target’s senses, causing them to be trapped within an illusion, Izanagi affects reality itself, giving the user the power to change reality for the brief amount of time the jutsu remains active.
But the technique was forbidden due to the immense strain it puts on the Sharingan. A single-use of Izanagi is enough to turn the Sharingan blind.
The technique can be a damning trump card in the wrong hands, as seen in the case of Danzo Shimura, who very literally implanted ten Sharingans in his arm, which he used to keep himself alive during his fight with Sasuke.
5. Izanami
In Naruto, Izanami and Izanagi are considered complementary jutsus, with the former specifically created to punish those who abused the latter's powers. Similar to the Izanagi, using the Izanami jutsu also renders the Sharingan permanently blind, but makes this forbidden technique terrifying is the power of its illusion.
Izanami traps its target within an infinite loop of a certain sequence of events, adapting itself to prevent the target from breaking out of the genjutsu. While any physical damage suffered is reset with the loop beginning again, severed limbs remain, as was seen when a reanimated Itachi used the technique on Kabuto.
4. Death Reaper Seal
The Death Reaper Seal is one of the strongest sealing jutsus in the Naruto series. But what makes it powerful is also what makes it so terrifying.
The Death Reaper Seal calls upon the power of a shinigami, who drives his arm through the summoner’s soul, allowing them to seal their target’s soul into the summoner’s body. The shinigami then starts consuming the summoner’s soul, killing them.
A forbidden technique of the Uzumaki clan, Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Hiruzen are two shinobi in the Naruto series who used this jutsu. While the former sealed the Yin energy of the Nine-Tailed Fox, the latter used it to seal away Orochimaru during his attack on Konoha.
3. Earth Grudge Fear
A forbidden jutsu from Takigakure, The Earth Grudge Fear, was a forbidden jutsu used by Kakuzu to turn his body into something similar to a puppet, connected with chakra infused thick black threads.
These threads not only allowed him to sew himself back together after suffering fatal injuries but also allowed him to steal vital organs from other people’s bodies and transplant them into himself.
Kakuzu used this jutsu to steal hearts of powerful shinobi with various nature affinities, giving him greater control over different Nature Release jutsu. Having four hearts also meant he was virtually unkillable, making him a formidable opponent.
2. Samsara of Heavenly Life
Samsara of Heavenly Life is a reincarnation used through the Outer Path, one of the Six Paths of Pain. A technique only one with a Rinnegan can use, Samsara of Heavenly Life can revive a deceased person at the cost of the user’s life.
During the Pain arc in Naruto Shippuden, Nagato used this jutsu to bring back to life everyone in Konoha who had lost their lives. But in return, his hair slowly turned white before he inevitably died.
In the wrong hands, this technique can have devastating consequences. During the Fourth Ninja War, a reanimated Uchiha Madara used this technique to return to his original body and indeed returned to life.
1. Edo Tensei
Edo Tensei is easily the most terrifying forbidden jutsu in the Naruto franchise. Originally invented by the Second Hokage, this forbidden jutsu was later discovered by Orochimaru and perfected by Kabuto.
The jutsu used the retrieved DNA of a deceased person and a living sacrifice to summon the soul into the living body, even altering the body's physical features to that of the summoned souls. However, these reanimated people were not truly alive and under the summoner's control.
During the Fourth Ninja War, Kabuto allied with Obito and used this jutsu to reanimate deceased members of the Akatsuki and the former kage. He even reanimated Uchiha Madara, which turned out to be a colossal mistake, seeing that Madara could use the power of the Six Paths to truly revive himself.
Fans might consider forbidden techniques like the Multiple Shadow Clone jutsu to be harmless compared to those on this list because Naruto mastered it at age eleven. One must remember it was only because of his vast Uzumaki reserves and Kurama’s chakra.