Highlights
- Naruto's limited arsenal of jutsu makes his fights predictable and less intriguing.
- Compared to his peers and rivals, Naruto's arsenal of techniques is underwhelming.
- Naruto's reliance on the same techniques throughout the series hinders his growth and development.
The Naruto series has long cemented the notion of its titular character possessing strength incomparable to others, yet this status doesn’t exempt him from being notorious for an underwhelming arsenal. While there’s no denying the unfathomable power Naruto holds, the limited diversity in his techniques deems his arsenal of jutsu rather lackluster, especially compared to his peers and rivals.
Boasting a signature jutsu is a relatively common aspect for any character, but it can become slightly problematic if that’s all there is to the character. Naruto certainly doesn’t fall under this category, yet his overuse of the same techniques over and over again diminishes their effect, making his fights predictable and less intriguing. This limited arsenal was acceptable till part 1 of the series, but Naruto’s lack of growth in Shippuden makes his arsenal extremely underwhelming.
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Naruto’s Reliance on Familiar Techniques
Throughout the series’ run, Naruto has solely relied on two techniques – the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Rasengan. These two jutsu have become synonymous with Naruto, becoming his iconic signature abilities. While it’s certainly no crime to rely on a few powerful techniques, the constant repetition of the same jutsu can make fights seem boring and less intriguing.
Possessing just two techniques in part 1 was acceptable, since every other genin also had one or two signature abilities. For instance, Shikamaru solely relied on his Shadow Possession Jutsu and Kiba only had the Fang Over Fang technique, a perfectly acceptable arsenal considering these shinobi were just starting out. The issue arises in Shippuden, where every single ancillary character receives new techniques and skills, yet Naruto is still witnessed using the same old jutsu.
Sasuke, Naruto’s rival and primary antagonist in Shippuden, receives plenty of power-ups and new abilities right from the get-go. Other ancillary characters, such as those in Konoha 11, received ample skills and reiterations in their arsenals, more than enough for mere supporting characters. Naruto’s arsenal was treated far worse than these side characters, with his repertoire being exactly the same as it was before the two-year timeskip.
Naruto’s Arsenal Compared to His Rivals
Naruto’s primary rival in the series is Sasuke, and the two are shown to be equal in power in multiple fights. This narrative held on for most of part 1, though it soon diminished right after the timeskip, with a clear disparity evident between Naruto and Sasuke’s power levels. Sasuke gained access to an entirely new repertoire of abilities, and his arsenal continued to evolve with the evolution of his Sharingan.
Naruto also gained a few more abilities, yet those power-ups solely revolved around the Rasengan. Every single new addition to his arsenal was merely a reiteration of the original Rasengan, disappointing viewers with the repetitive and uninventive nature of the technique. The Rasenshuriken and Planetary Rasengan are destructive techniques that surely give Naruto an edge, but compared to Sasuke’s diverse Mangekyo abilities, Naruto’s arsenal seems subpar at best.
Sage Mode and Nine-Tails Mode Lack Innovation
Naruto’s most notable power-ups are Sage Mode and Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, endowing him with power unimaginable. Fans were expecting these two power-ups to be accompanied by a number of novel techniques and abilities, ones that would bring Naruto on par with Sasuke and the rest. However, viewers were disappointed to witness the same techniques being recycled in the form of Rasengan variants in his fights.
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Sage Mode is technically an amp, significantly increasing the potency of the user’s regular abilities and adding Senjutsu chakra to these techniques. Even in this mode, Naruto’s new techniques revolved around the Rasengan, with the Sage Art: Ultra Big-Ball Rasengan being the primary upgrade to this base ability. Senjutsu opens up a myriad of new avenues to acquire techniques, yet Naruto simply created new renditions of the Rasengan, simply adding on to his overused arsenal.
Nine-Tails Chakra Mode underwent similar treatment, with Naruto using the Nine-Tails chakra and extra appendages to enhance his Rasengan. The only abilities he gained in this mode were also tied to the Rasengan, with some of the prominent variants being the Planetary Rasengan, Tailed Beast Rasengan, and Super Mini Tailed Beast Bomb. Fans were dispirited to see fights encompassing the same techniques, just with a few visual changes to the abilities.
Six Paths Sage Mode Lacks Versatility
Naruto’s final power-up in Shippuden, the Six Paths Sage Mode, was the series’ final chance at redemption, as it gave Naruto the opportunity to diversify his arsenal with some sort of new technique. While Naruto did receive the Six Paths’ Truth Seeking Orbs and a handful of Yin-Yang techniques, he was never witnessed making use of these abilities in battle.
Instead, viewers got to witness yet another rendition of the Rasengan – Sage Art: Magnet Release Rasengan. His reliance on the Rasengan remained prominent during the entire battle against Kaguya, even trickling down to the final battle between Sasuke and Naruto. Despite Naruto’s many feats, it’s disappointing to witness him being relegated to the same two abilities throughout the series, voiding him of any development in terms of a versatile and intriguing arsenal.
Naruto is available to stream on Prime Video.
