Perhaps the most underutilized of the three categories of jutsu practiced by shinobi in the world of Naruto, genjutsu involves the creation of illusions through the manipulation of an enemy's chakra flow. By doing so, shinobi can trap their adversaries in a dream-like state that either makes them vulnerable to physical attacks, or incapacitates them entirely, leaving them all but vanquished. Diverging from the physical constructs and tangible effects of ninjutsu in Naruto, genjutsu focuses on manipulating the cerebral nervous system.
Falling under the broad subdivision of Yin Release jutsu due to how it manipulates one's imagination, genjutsu techniques can be performed in a number of ways: with the aid of dojutsu such as the Sharingan, Mangekyo Sharingan, Rinnegan, or Rinne-Sharingan, as well as with hand signs or the assistance of summons. Certain shinobi such as Itachi Uchiha, Kurenai Yuhi, and Gengetsu Hozuki, specialized in genjutsu, using their abilities to create warped images of reality that confound opponents and leave them unable to fight back. The genjutsu in their arsenal are among the strongest such techniques in the series, making them formidable opponents for anyone.
10 Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains
Cast by Tayuya of the Sound Four with the aid of her flute, this genjutsu technique debuted during the Sasuke Recovery Mission of Part I, when she went up against Shikamaru. Its greatest strength lies in the sheer range of its effectiveness, where anyone who hears the music of the flute will be forced to endure an illusion of their limbs being bound, followed by morbid visions of said appendages melting completely.
This weakens the victim's mental fortitude, as they feel helpless in this state. After absorbing Tayuya's DNA. Kabuto Yakushi was also able to perform this technique, although his version rendered a slightly different illusion.
9 Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death
The trump card of Kurenai Yuhi, one of Konoha's most powerful genjutsu users, the Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death generates an illusion of a target being bound by a tree, which leaves them restrained but conscious. Once immobilized, targets can be either disposed of by the user, or subdued for questioning.
As such, it is often used for interrogations and has been passed down in Konoha for generations. The technique itself was first devised to create the impression that the target was fighting the Wood Release of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage.
8 Demonic Illusion: Steaming Multistoried Building
A signature technique of the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, this jutsu makes use of his summons, the Giant Clam, which releases copious amounts of steam that acts like a smokescreen. Within the foggy setting created by the Giant Clam, Gengetsu creates realistic mirages by reflecting light off the steam. It is an ideal means to misdirect and cause confusion within enemy ranks, as opponents will not be able to determine the location of the caster or the Giant Clam itself.
When active, it is impossible to sense Gengetsu or the Giant Clam through normal means, and only touch can be used to distinguish reality from illusion. Illusions can last indefinitely, and the only way to end the genjutsu is to find the real Giant Clam and defeat it, although it will be concealed within the mirage.
7 Temple of Nirvana Technique
Used by Kabuto Yakushi to commence the Konoha Crush, the Temple of Nirvana Technique is a potent genjutsu that can lull a large number of victims into a deep slumber. Those that fall prey to it will see feathers fluttering down from the sky until they eventually fall asleep, and cannot be woken up from this state by conventional means.
So far, the only known way to dispel this genjutsu is to either stop themselves from falling asleep while the feathers are raining down on them, or using the Genjutsu Cancel once they realize that they are under its spell.
6 Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant
Another auditory technique in this list, the Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant is the most powerful genjutsu of the toads of Mount Myoboku, with its sheet music having been passed down over generations. While the downside to this jutsu is the time required to prepare and achieve the required harmony to activate it. Said to be extremely difficult to perform, this genjutsu has only been mastered by the Two Great Sage Toads, Fukasaku and Shima.
Once active, it traps anyone and everyone under its spell, regardless of their power or skill level. A victim's mind and body will be sealed within a barrier of water guarded by four toad samurai, and the genjutsu can only be undone when the caster desires, or by stabbing Mount Myoboku's secret Stone Swords through the victim's heart. It was used by the two Great Sage Toads, during both Naruto's and Jiraiya's battles against Pain.
5 Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique
Used by Hashirama Senju in the manga, and his brother Tobirama in the anime adaptation, this technique places an illusion on the victim's eyes, where they are unable to see anything but pitch black darkness. This leaves them extremely vulnerable to attacks, and posed a problem even for the likes of a highly skilled shinobi such as the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
First used during the Konoha Crush, this genjutsu creates the feeling of being in a deep hole with no light. However, targets will still be able to sense attacks through other means. In the story, it was dispelled when the Third Hokage captured his opponents and sealed them with the aid of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, which caused the darkness to dissipate.
4 Izanagi and Izanami
Based on the Sage of Six Paths' Creation of All Things Technique, Izanagi allows a Sharingan user to rewrite reality for as long as the genjutsu is active. Said to be one of the most prized abilities of the Sharingan, this technique applies the illusion to reality itself, and it is most often used to prevent serious injuries or death. Once the user activates Izanagi, it permits them to nullify anything that happens to them for as long as it is active. In exchange, the Sharingan used to perform it will go blind, which is why it was classified as a kinjutsu. It can be coded to activate on a certain condition, such as the death of the user, as seen in Madara Uchiha's use of it.
Serving as a counterpart to Izanagi, to prevent it from being overused, Izanami is a genjutsu that traps victims in an infinite loop that they cannot break free from without acknowledging the real results of their actions to accept their fate. It is cast by memorizing and recreating sensations from interactions between the caster and target, and also results in blindness in the Sharingan used to cast it.
3 Tsukuyomi
Counted among the most powerful genjutsu in the series, Tsukuyomi is the ability associated with Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan. Unlike his other genjutsu, which can be cast with almost no effort, Tsukuyomi requires eye contact to perform. When this condition is met, the victim will be trapped in an illusion where Itachi can manipulate time freely and enact days of torture in little more than a second.
argets are usually rendered comatose, and few, if any emerge from the ordeal unscathed. Normal methods of countering genjutsu are ineffective with Tsukuyomi, and only extremely powerful Sharingan users can break free from the illusion. The technique is extremely taxing and reason behind Itachi's blindness towards the end of his life.
2 Kotoamatsukami
The specialized Mangekyo Sharingan ability of the renowned Shisui Uchiha, Kotoamatsukami is potent genjutsu of the highest calibre, granting users the power to enter a target's mind and subtly manipulate them. It creates false experiences that make a victim feel as if they are acting of their own free will, even when that is not truly the case.
The sheer power of this genjutsu made it the stuff of legend, and made Shisui's Sharingan extremely sought after by multiple parties, including Danzo Shimura, who eventually acquired it. Kotoamatsukami can only be used once in ten years, unless the user possesses the DNA of Hashirama Senju. Even with this immense boost in power, it cannot be used more than once a day, highlighting how overpowering its effects can be.
1 Infinite Tsukuyomi
Easily the most powerful among all genjutsu, the Infinite Tsukuyomi is capable of trapping all the inhabitants of a planet in a trance-like state. Here, they will experience illusions for their entire lives, and gradually be drained of their chakra to fuel a God Tree and its chakra fruit, turning into White Zetsu in the process. Casting this genjutsu requires the user to have a Rinne Sharingan, the chakra of the Ten Tails, and ideally, two Rinnegan to be able to resist its influence.
This technique was a central factor in the Fourth Shinobi World War, where the Allied Shinobi Forces fought against the remnants of the Akatsuki led by Madara and Obito Uchiha, who were attempting to perform it as a means to end all war. A caster must reflect their Rinne Sharingan off the face of the Moon, after which the light of the Infinite Tsukuyomi will shine all across the world and trap everyone on the planet within the genjutsu.