The Most Important Jutsu That Naruto Ever Learned
In the high-stakes combat world of "Naruto," a Jutsu can make or break a ninja. Within the acclaimed series from creator Masashi Kishimoto, Jutsu are defined as the type of techniques the characters use to perform some astonishing abilities. Jutsu range from being able to throw energy-style bombs to taking pure hand-to-hand martial arts to its physical zenith. The limit to a lot of Jutsu is only one's imagination. However, there are those rare exceptions where only a select few can execute one. Jutsu are the key to fighting and surviving in "Naruto," no matter how grandiose the battles may become. And with hundreds of manga chapters and anime episodes, you can bet that the titular hero has mastered an impressive list of Jutsu during the series' lengthy run.
By the end of "Shippuden" and even well into "Boruto: Naruto Next Generations," Naruto earns his place as one of the most powerful shinobi in the world. And that's mainly because of the number of solid techniques he has at his disposal. Some of his more well-known Jutsu that made him so respected and revered included his use of Senjutsu, Six Paths Sage Mode, and Baryon Mode for a brief minute. Yet, there's one Jutsu that Naruto learned that always proved to be his most important.
Shadow Clone Jutsu is Naruto's building block
The first episode (via Crunchyroll) of Naruto gets us used to a few things we'd come to expect from the series. For one, it introduces us to Naruto's sheer determination, especially as he overworks himself to learn the forbidden Shadow Clone Jutsu. Two, it's always unwise to underestimate him. But finally, one of the main takeaways is that we're introduced to what would become Naruto's bread and butter technique throughout the series. Before learning the Jutsu, Naruto could not perform a basic cloning technique, which prevented him from becoming a genin. However, he certainly shoots and hits the moon with the Shadow Clone version. Unlike the regular cloning Jutsu, the Shadow Clone Jutsu produces physically genuine copies because the chakra is evenly dispersed between the original user and the clones. The technique is perfect for Naruto, who has a massive chakra reserve because of the Nine-Tails Demon Fox, as he makes way more clones than any of his peers.
For Naruto, it all begins with this technique, which is why it makes sense that it also serves as a progress benchmark for him too. Throughout the series, he uses his clones in ingenious ways. The most shining example is during his fight against Pain in the Manga Chapter 433 (via Viz). In the chapter, he summons a Shadow Clone that was gathering natural energy and has that copy transfer the collected energy to maintain Sage Mode. It is an intelligent loophole showing how much Naruto has grown as a strategic fighter. And even so far into the series, the moment shows how he continues to build from his first significant Jutsu.
The Rasengan is no slouch either
The Shadow Clone Jutsu may be Naruto's most crucial technique. However, we'd be doing a disservice if we completely ignored the Rasengan. The powerful ball of chakra is probably the one technique that's so heavily synonymous with the series when fans first think about popular jutsu. One fan on Reddit put it best when they posted, "Rasengan kinda fits as this series' Kamehameha, so to speak." And honestly, it's easy to see why some fans would pull that parallel.
Besides the similar image of two orange-clad heroes chucking energy attacks, the Rasengan and the Kamehameha both share the rare distinction of a pupil learning a devastating attack from a perverted wise master. Goku learns the Kamehameha from Master Roshi in Episode 8 of "Dragon Ball" (via Crunchyroll). Meanwhile, in Naruto Manga Chapter 150 (via Viz), Jiraiya begins teaching the Rasengan to Naruto. Kishimoto could have used Akira Toriyama's famous series as a template for Naruto's Rasengan, especially as the same manga chapter also features a more obvious "Dragon Ball" reference. But besides possible links to another iconic anime attack, like the Shadow Clone Jutsu, the Rasengan also sticks as one of Naruto's go-to techniques. And whether powered up through his Six Paths Sage Mode or with his son Boruto, Naruto never fails to showcase the Rasengan's limitless utility.