Naruto: Amaterasu, Explained (2024)

Amaterasu has been described as the highest form of Fire Release ninjutsu in Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto, and is unique to the Mangekyo Sharingan of Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha. Releasing undying black flames that burn at much higher temperatures than ordinary fire, Amaterasu is one of the most powerful dojutsu techniques in the series, and just like other Mangekyo Sharingan abilities, it has its roots in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion.

Initially associated with Itachi, Amataerasu was subsequently inherited by his younger brother Sasuke, when he awakened his own Mangekyo Sharingan. Both brothers used the technique in differing ways, with Sasuke's version becoming especially prominent in later story arcs of Naruto, when he used it against the many immensely powerful opponents he faced. With this in mind, here are the basic tenets behind the technique's functioning, its mythological roots, and the divergences in how it was used by both Uchiha.

What Is Amaterasu?

Creating black flames which incinerate everything they touch, Amaterasu is one of the strongest forms of nature transformation ninjutsu in the world of Naruto. The flames themselves are directed by the user's Mangekyo Sharingan, appearing at the point where their eye focuses. For the most part, this makes the technique virtually impossible to counter, and the only options available for a target, are to either evade with extreme speed, absorb it with the Rinnegan's Preta Path, seal it, or block it before it comes into contact with their body.

Amaterasu generally does not require any hand signs to cast, but Sasuke has been shown making the Tiger hand seal on occasion. Described as "flames from hell," Amaterasu burns as hot as the sun itself, and cannot be extinguished unless the user wills it, or until the target has been reduced to ash. The black flames are even capable of burning through actual fire, in a process that amplifies the technique and makes it even larger.

However, substances such as Gaara's Shield of Sand, Naruto's chakra arms in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and other jinchuriki transformations, have shown some resistance to the flames. Additionally, since the flames of Amaterasu burn relatively slowly, targets will have some time to either remove items of clothing that have caught fire, or sever body parts that have been engulfed by the flames to stop them from spreading.

The Mythological Roots Of The Technique's Name

Like other Mangekyo Sharingan techniques, Amaterasu was named after a deity from Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion, who is widely regarded as a central figure in the latter school of faith. Amaterasu Omikami — the deity's full name — is the Shinto Goddess of the Sun, and one of the three most prominent offspring of Izanagi-no-Mikoto, the creator deity in the Shinto religion.

Her other two siblings include Tsukuyomi, the God of the Moon, and Susanoo, the God of storms and seas — both their names also have ties to Mangekyo Sharingan abilities. It was said that Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo were born when Izanagi cleansed himself after escaping from the underworld, where he had traveled to see his deceased wife Izanami.

Itachi Uchiha's Version Of The Technique

When Amaterasu made its first appearance in Naruto, it was a technique unique to the Mangekyo Sharingan of Itachi Uchiha's right eye. By simply looking at any target, Itachi could cast Amaterasu's black flames at a designated point. Once cast, the flames burned indefinitely, until the target was wiped off the face of the earth. Just like all Mangekyo Sharingan abilities, Amaterasu consumed a great deal of chakra whenever it was cast, and strained Itachi's eye considerably.

More often than not, the act of casting Amaterasu caused Itachi's eye to bleed, and overuse of the technique forced his Mangekyo Sharingan to deactivate. Over time, the damage to his eyesight compounded, leaving him on the verge of blindness towards the end of his life, and this was further exacerbated by his terminal illness.

Itachi was shown using Amaterasu on several occasions in his lifetime throughout the series, starting from his fight against Jiraiya in Part I, to his final battle against Sasuke, where he used it to neutralize the latter's Great Fireball Technique. When reincarnated in the Fourth Shinobi World War, Itachi was able to cast Amaterasu with virtually no repercussions on his health or eyesight, although his version of the jutsu would pale in comparison to how his brother used it.

Sasuke Uchiha's Blaze Release

Unlike Itachi, Sasuke Uchiha could cast Amaterasu with either one of his eyes, and he took the technique to new heights in a very short period of time, despite only having seen Itachi use it on a limited number of occasions. For starters, Sasuke could shape the flames of Amaterasu with Kagutsuchi, the ability of his right eye's Mangekyo Sharingan.

Although his earliest use of the ability was quite crude, Sasuke went on to exploit it to great effect, basing much of his fighting style on its versatility. In its earliest applications, Sasuke used it to encase the rib cage of his Susanoo with Amaterasu: Flame Wrapping Fire, creating a defensive barrier to discourage the Fourth Raikage from executing a taijutsu move against him.

Beyond this, Sasuke was also shown creating constructs such as spikes to impale targets with Blaze Release: Honoikazuchi, and he has even used this ability to create projectiles or melee weapons such as swords with Blaze Release: Susanoo Kagutsuchi. Finally, the flames could also be used to enhance other techniques, such as Chidori, augmenting its destructive power.

The Power Of The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan

Originally, Sasuke's constant use of Amaterasu led him to the brink of total blindness after the Five Kage Summit, where he battled many powerful opponents in quick succession. Fortunately, Obito Uchiha — masquerading as Madara — had preserved Itachi's eyes after his death. Upon transplanting them in place of his own, Sasuke awakened the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, which allowed him to execute earlier Mangekyo Sharingan techniques with virtually no drawbacks to his vision.

This paved the way for Sasuke to develop even more potent techniques involving Amaterasu, Kagutsuchi, and his Susanoo, as he no longer had to fear about the fallout of overusing his Mangekyo Sharingan. Where Itachi's Amaterasu was a more rudimentary application of the technique, Sasuke improved upon it by applying complex shape transformations which altered the nature of the jutsu entirely. Hence, in this fashion, Sasuke truly made the jutsu his own, and turned Amaterasu from something that was already an extremely powerful technique, into something truly extraordinary.

Naruto is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

October 2, 2002

Studio

Pierrot

Creator

Masashi Kishimoto

Number of Episodes

220

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Hulu , Netflix , YouTube

Watch on Amazon