Highlights
- Hashirama Senju possesses a unique and powerful arsenal of Wood Style abilities, making him the strongest shinobi of all time.
- His techniques, such as the Deep Forest Emergence and True Several Thousand Hands, showcase his god-like power and versatility.
- Hashirama's Wood Style abilities draw inspiration from mythologies, including Buddhist and Hindu beliefs, adding to his mysterious and revered status.
Hashirama Senju is arguably the most unique character in the entire Naruto series, with an arsenal comprising some of the strongest and most unfathomable abilities the series has to offer. His one-of-a-kind Kekkei Genkai lends him novel techniques that can achieve feats far above any regular shinobi, even going as far earning him the moniker of ‘God of Shinobi.’
While his reverence and god-like place within the shinobi world is reiterated several times within the series, his actual techniques and abilities tend to get sidelined. Fans may be acquainted with the Deep Forest Emergence and the iconic True Several Thousand Arms techniques, yet many remain unaware of the rest of his diverse and all-powerful arsenal. From the Top Transformed Buddha to the Gracious Deity Gates, Hashirama’s Wood Style abilities prove exactly why he’s revered as the strongest shinobi of all time.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence
Deep Forest Emergence is one of the first Wood Style abilities used in the series, one that embodies all that this unique Kekkei Genkai has to offer. This technique essentially takes up the user's own life force and sprouts massive trees from beneath the ground. The jutsu can restrict enemy movement, but it also serves defensive purposes too. Hashirama used this very jutsu to lay the foundation for the Hidden Leaf Village, ensuring the new nation remained nestled in the safety of forests.
The Wood Release: Deep Forest Bloom is a variation of this very jutsu. Instead of simple trees sprouting from the ground, this technique incorporates blooming flowers with a pollen that can briefly render enemies unconscious. The user also has control over the pollen, meaning allies caught in its wake are safe from the pollen’s debilitating effects.
Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands
The True Several Thousand Hands technique is one of Hashirama’s most renowned Wood Style techniques, essentially cementing his place as a god-like shinobi. The size of this colossal entity can dwarf the likes of a full-body Susanoo and the Nine-Tails, depicting exactly how inconceivable this structure is. The main body of the structure is similar to a Budhha structure sitting in a prayer-like pose, with the back comprising exactly one-thousand hands.
Top Transformed Buddha is another technique that stems from this very jutsu, where the hands become detachable and attack enemies per the caster’s will, while the monumental structure transforms into a standalone golem. The sheer scale of this technique not only depicts Wood Style’s limitless potential but also Hashirama’s otherworldly power. The technique takes its inspiration from Buddhist mythology, and the thousand hands are based on a Buddhist monk known for his compassion.
Wood Style: Laughing Buddha Jutsu
The Laughing Buddha Jutsu manifests gigantic wooden hands that sprung up from the ground. These hands are massive, even mirroring the size of Tailed Beasts. Their primary purpose is to restrain Tailed Beasts and debilitate them, though they can also be used to bind regular shinobi. While the jutsu usually requires hand signs, Hashirama has been witnessed summoning two hands simply using his will power.
The technique references Budai, or the Laughing Buddha, a venerated figure in Japan and Korea. The name 'Laughing Buddha' originates from Budai’s jolly nature, as he was always witnessed smiling. Since he is known as Hotei in Japan, the original version of this technique is called Wood Style: Hotei Technique.
Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique
The Wood Dragon Technique creates a dynamic wooden dragon that seems to have a mind of its own, though it primarily follows the orders of the caster. This gigantic structure takes on the appearance of a Chinese dragon, and its serpentine body allows it to slither on to enemies and disperse them with ease. The wooden dragon also has chakra-absorbing capabilities, rendering anyone caught in its wake entirely devoid of chakra. However, if the head is destroyed, the dragon loses its ability to absorb chakra.
The technique is in line with Japanese mythology and the belief that dragons have control over the elements of wood, water, and forests. However, the dragon’s face also has an elephant-like trunk, indicating that it is a variation of a creature from Hindu mythology known as Makara.
Wood Style: Wood Golem Jutsu
Similar to other Wood Style techniques, the Wood Golem Jutsu creates a gigantic humanoid structure capable of ensuing widespread chaos. The Golem has a dragon wrapped around its torso, similar to ones created by the Wood Dragon Technique, allowing it to shoot multiple dragons that can detonate at will. The golem has been shown to be quite sturdy as it was able to block an uncompressed Tailed Beast Bomb.
The size of this technique is comparable to Madara’s full-body Susanoo, and its sturdiness allows it to rival the Susanoo’s power. The jutsu references Ryutoki, a creature with roots in Japanese mythology, which bears the face of an Oni with a dragon wrapped around the torso.
Wood Release: Wood Expulsion Jutsu
The Wood Expulsion Jutsu is one of the few defensive Wood Style techniques in Hashirama’s arsenal, and it essentially creates a wooden dome that deflects any oncoming attacks. The wooden dome is then split open by the caster’s command to release anyone taking refuge within.
The technique is strong enough to deflect the Nine-Tails’ Tailed Beast Bomb, keeping Hashirama unscathed within. The face formed on the structure references the mask worn by the Buddhist Bodhisattva (a person enroute to reaching Buddhahood) of compassion, Senju Kannon, the very same monk that inspired the True Several Thousand Hands technique.
Wood Style: Wood Clone Jutsu
The Wood Clone Jutsu is a variant of the common Shadow Clone Jutsu that is infused with the wood element. This jutsu is deemed the perfect Clone Jutsu since these copies can take a certain degree of damage before dissipating. Moreover, these clones can also be used as a replacement for the Substitution Jutsu.
Their ability to merge with nature makes them perfect for reconnaissance missions. These clones can also communicate with the caster, and travel quite far without dispelling. Furthermore, the clones can pass off as the original without being detected as fakes, an ability that only wooden clones possess.
Sage Art: Gracious Deity Gates
The Gracious Deity Gates technique is a novel sealing technique that summons Torii Gates from the sky, pinning down any foe that the caster wills. Their primary usage is to pin down and seal away Tailed Beasts, though smaller versions can also be used to restrict shinobi. The Torii Gates can also be piled on top of each other, thereby increasing the potency of these gates.
The gates work in similar fashion to other chakra-restricting Wood Style techniques, though these gates have an added feature of rendering the opponents will to fight back entirely docile. Once trapped underneath the gates, opponents cannot break through unless the caster undos the jutsu.
Hokage Style Elder Jutsu: Tenth Edict On Enlightenment
The Hokage Style Elder Jutsu: Tenth Edict On Enlightenment is a technique specifically devised to repress Tailed Beast Chakra. The technique can either be used to suppress a Jinchuriki’s Tailed Beast Transformation, or directly repress a Tailed Beast’s Chakra.
Hashirama was seen performing this technique in his fight against Madara and the Nine-Tails. The potency of this sealing technique becomes apparent from the fact that Hashirama was able to subdue Kurama by simply having his Wood Golem’s palm touch the beast’s forehead. Yamato has also used this technique multiple times to suppress Naruto’s Jinchuriki form, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Naruto is available to stream on Crunchyroll.