To put it simply, the Rinnegan is an eye that grants its user god-like abilities. It’s considered the most powerful of the Three Great Dōjutsu, which also includes the Byakugan and the Sharingan.
Now, not just anyone can awaken the Rinnegan. It’s rare, so rare that only a handful of characters in the Naruto series have been able to use it. The most well-known wielders include Nagato, Madara Uchiha, and Sasuke Uchiha.
How to obtain the rinnegan?
To put it simple, In order ot obtain the riinegan, someone have to have Hagoromo Otsutsuki chakra, it can be done in two known ways: having the chakra of both of his sons, Indra and Ashura, or he can dirrectly give someone his chakra.
Rinnegan users
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, also known as the Sage of Six Paths, was the first person to awaken the Rinnegan. he awoke it simuntaniously with his mangekyou sharingan, when he heavly wounded his brother Hamura.
Madara Uchiha
Madara Uchiha obtained the Rinnegan later in life, through the transplant of Hashirama Senju’s cells, which unlocked the power after years of waiting.
Madara’s use of the Deva Path was particularly destructive. He could summon multiple meteors with Chibaku Tensei, pushing the limits of this technique. He also used the Limbo: Border Jail technique, unique to his Rinnegan, where he could summon invisible clones of himself that existed in a parallel dimension. His clones could attack or defend without anyone noticing.
Nagato (Pain)
Nagato, more commonly known as Pain, was gifted the Rinnegan by Madara when he was a child. After the trauma of losing his family and friends, Nagato’s view of the world changed dramatically. His idealism turned into a belief that only pain could bring true peace, and he began using the Rinnegan to push this ideology.
Nagato’s control over the Six Paths of Pain was unique. He divided the abilities of the Six Paths into six different bodies, each controlled remotely. These bodies, known as the Six Paths of Pain, allowed Nagato to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously. His use of the Deva Path’s Shinra Tensei wiped out the entire village of Konoha. Nagato made an interesting and never-before-seen use of the Outer Path when he sacrificed his own life force to revive the people of Konoha.
Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke Uchiha received his Rinnegan directly from Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. His Rinnegan is different from Madara’s because it has six tomoe. This means Sasuke received the Rinnegan and all its abilities while retaining all of his Sharingan abilities.
However, it has some downsides, if Sasuke overuses his Rinnegan, the tomoe disappear, and he can no longer use his Sharingan abilities. Sasuke’s Rinnegan has a unique power called Amenotejikara, a space-time jutsu that lets him instantly switch places with objects or people. A consensus among Sasuke’s opponents is that it’s extremely annoying to deal with, as they are usually caught by surprise. Sasuke also mastered Chibaku Tensei, using it to seal Kaguya Ōtsutsuki alongside Naruto.
Sasuke’s Rinnegan abilities aren’t just for combat, though. His Rinnegan lets him see through dimensions and travel through them using portals. Without this ability, it would be much harder to deal with all the Ōtsutsuki villains throughout the story.
Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki
Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki was born into immense power, and his Rinnegan only amplified that. Unlike other users, his Rinnegan is located in the palms of his hands and turns red when active. Momoshiki’s Rinnegan ability is all about absorption and redirection. He could absorb any ninjutsu with one hand and instantly fire it back with increased power from the other.
Eventually, this and similar powers were criticized by fans, who claim that the Boruto series is ‘killing’ ninjutsu.
Urashiki Ōtsutsuki
Urashiki Ōtsutsuki is another member of the Ōtsutsuki clan who wielded the Rinnegan in a unique way. His Rinnegan allowed him to hop through time briefly, giving him the ability to dodge attacks or set up devastating counterattacks. In addition to that, he could steal chakra from his enemies, copying their techniques and turning their own powers against them.
The Powers of the Rinnegan
So, what makes the Rinnegan so incredible? Well, its abilities are insane. Here are some of its most noteworthy powers:
Enhanced Chakra Control
One of the Rinnegan’s biggest perks is how it lets the user manipulate chakra with incredible precision. Normally, ninjas have to concentrate to mold chakra and use it effectively. But with the Rinnegan, this process becomes second nature. It allows the user to mold chakra faster and more efficiently, letting them pull off high-level jutsu with less effort.
This enhanced control also means less wasted chakra. While regular ninjas lose a bit of chakra when performing jutsu, a Rinnegan user can manage their chakra flow much better, reducing that loss. Essentially, they can perform powerful jutsu without burning through their chakra reserves too quickly.
Access to All Nature Transformations
Chakra has different elemental properties called nature transformations. Most ninjas specialize in one or two elements, like fire, wind, or water. But the Rinnegan allows its user to master all five nature transformations. This ability is extremely rare and gives the user a huge advantage in battle. They can mix and match different elements or switch between them effortlessly.
Thus, by these two sections, we conclude that chakra use becomes simpler for its wielder, allowing them to grow stronger much more easily than ordinary ninjas.
Six Paths technique
The Rinnegan provides its wielder access to the Six Paths technique, each with its unique powers and abilities. Let’s break down each of these paths in a way that makes their importance clear and easy to understand.
Shared Vision and Chakra Links
Nagato in specific used the rinnegan this way, distributed his chakra across six bodies, all controlled remotely. These bodies could communicate and move in perfect sync, thanks to the shared chakra link. It allows him to fight on several fronts at once while maintaining perfect vision of everything happening around each path.
Deva Path
The Deva Path is probably the most recognizable ability of the Rinnegan. It grants the user control over attractive and repulsive forces, meaning they can push or pull objects, and even people, at will. This is often seen in moves like Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push), which repels anything in a wide range, or Banshō Ten’in (Universal Pull), which pulls objects or enemies toward the user.
But the true showstopper? Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation), a technique that lets the user create a massive, floating sphere of earth by pulling chunks of the ground into the sky. It’s as dramatic as it sounds. The Deva Path’s ability to control gravity makes it a formidable tool for both offense and defense.
Asura Path
If you’re into high-tech, the Asura Path will definitely catch your eye. This path allows the user to manipulate their own body, transforming parts of it into mechanical weapons. They can sprout extra arms, unleash devastating missiles, and even morph their limbs into razor-sharp blades.
It’s a bit like being a human Swiss army knife, there’s a tool for every situation. Asura Path users don’t just rely on raw strength but combine precision with overwhelming firepower. This ability can turn the user into a literal human tank, capable of long-range attacks or close-quarters combat with ease.
Human Path
The Human Path is all about mind and soul control. It allows the user to read another person’s mind by touching them, gaining access to their memories and thoughts instantly. That might sound harmless, but here’s the dark twist: after getting the information, the user can rip the soul right out of their target’s body, leaving them lifeless.
It’s a terrifying ability because it doesn’t just hurt physically, it invades the very essence of a person. The Human Path gives the user the upper hand in interrogation or stealth missions where quick access to information is critical. But once the user has what they need, they can end the opponent’s life in one swift, haunting move.
Animal Path
Now, if you’re a fan of summons, the Animal Path will be your go-to. This path grants the power to summon a variety of giant creatures to fight by your side, ranging from huge birds and dogs to other strange, powerful beasts. And here’s the kicker, there’s no contract or blood required.
The summons can appear and disappear at the user’s command, creating an army of beasts in a heartbeat. The Animal Path’s main strength lies in overwhelming enemies with sheer numbers or powerful creatures. It’s one of the most versatile paths, capable of providing support during battle, causing destruction, or creating distractions.
Preta Path
The Preta Path is the ultimate defense against chakra-based attacks. This path allows the user to absorb chakra from any ninjutsu thrown at them, rendering techniques like Rasengan or even Fireball Jutsu useless. The user can literally drain chakra directly from a target, weakening them and making it nearly impossible for them to fight back.
Imagine battling someone who could just “eat” all your chakra-based moves. It’s a frustrating ability to go up against. The Preta Path turns the tide of battle by neutralizing jutsu attacks, making it hard for any ninja reliant on chakra-based techniques to stand a chance.
Naraka Path
The Naraka Path is both creepy and fascinating. It gives the user control over the King of Hell, a large, terrifying figure that can interrogate or even restore life. For interrogation, the King of Hell grabs the target with its spectral hands and forces them to tell the truth. If they lie, the King rips out their tongue, sentencing them to death. But if they tell the truth, they are left unharmed.
On top of that, the Naraka Path can also repair or even resurrect bodies. The King of Hell can consume damaged or dead bodies and return them to life, fully healed. This ability adds a powerful element of recovery, allowing the user to bring back fallen allies or repair their own injuries. In a prolonged battle, this could tip the scales in their favor.
Was rinnegan underused?
Short answer, yes, especially by Sasuke. Don’t get me wrong, Sasuke is an insanely strong character with loads of abilities. He’s got his Sharingan, the Eternal Mangekyō, his insane chakra reserves, and let’s not forget, he’s a master with the sword. When he got the Rinnegan, it almost felt like he didn’t need it. It seemed like just another tool in his already packed arsenal.
Indeed, some of his Rinnegan powers are geared more towards support rather than direct attacks. Abilities like teleporting or switching places with objects or people are super tactical. In theory, Sasuke could’ve used the Rinnegan in more creative ways, especially in battles. For example, he could’ve thrown a projectile at himself, then switched places with his enemy, letting the attack hit them instead. Sounds brilliant, right? Yet, for some reason, Sasuke hardly ever pulled off that kind of strategy in the show.
