Naruto’s Most Dangerous Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation, Explained

by

Watching the world of Naruto, I’ve noticed shinobi have all sorts of amazing abilities – they call them jutsu. Some jutsu are really common, but others are incredibly rare, mastered by only a handful of people. Interestingly, there are even jutsu considered forbidden. While these forbidden techniques can be unbelievably powerful, using them often comes with a heavy price – potentially serious consequences and even exile from the ninja community.

One particularly dangerous technique is called Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation. It allows a ninja to temporarily revive the deceased by possessing a living body – essentially requiring a sacrifice. There’s a lot to understand about this jutsu, including how it works and what happens when someone uses it.

How Can Impure World Reincarnation Be Performed?

Performing Impure World Reincarnation is a complex process. First, you need to get the DNA of the person you want to reincarnate. Importantly, that person must currently be living in the Pure Land – it won’t work if they’re somewhere else, like inside a Shinigami. The following items can be used to obtain their DNA:

  • Obtaining the entire body
  • Obtaining blood
  • Obtaining an organ

After obtaining the DNA, the user must find a living person willing to be possessed by the deceased. The DNA is then applied to a special scroll, which forms a seal around the vessel’s body. This process causes immense pain to the vessel as their body breaks down into dust and ash, ultimately being replaced by the appearance of the reincarnated individual.

  • Once someone is successfully brought back to life using the Impure World Reincarnation technique, the user can choose how much control they have over that person. Usually, these reincarnated individuals are used as soldiers, and when not needed, they’re kept in coffins until called upon again. However, some have been able to fight against the user’s control and refuse to obey orders. When this happens, the user can place a special talisman in the reincarnated person’s brain to make control easier. This talisman can either restore their personality or completely erase it, allowing the user to control only their actions.

Who Has Been Reincarnated?

Image via Pierrot.

Many individuals have been brought back to life through a technique called Impure World Reincarnation, primarily by Kabuto Yakushi and Orochimaru. Here are some of the most significant examples of this reincarnation process:

  • Itachi Uchiha (Revived by Kabuto Yakushi)
  • Minato Namikaze (Revived by Orochimaru)
  • Hashirama Senju (Revived by Orochimaru)
  • Madara Uchiha (Revived by Kabuto Yakushi)
  • Nagato (Revived by Kabuto Yakushi)
  • Tobirama Senju (Revived by Orochimaru)
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi (Revived by Orochimaru)
  • Sasori (Revived by Kabuto Yakushi)
  • Deidara (Revived by Kabuto Yakushi)
  • Zabuza Momochi (Revived by Kabuto Yakushi)

What Are the Effects of Impure World Reincarnation?

Reincarnating someone has several noticeable effects on the person brought back to life. They’ll initially have completely black eyes and noticeably paler, grayer skin, often with small cracks or blemishes. However, the person performing the reincarnation can improve the resurrected individual’s appearance if they wish.

Those brought back to life will be fully restored, with the same physical capabilities and all their memories from before they died. Any injuries that caused their death will be healed. Furthermore, their new body will be effectively immortal – they won’t be able to be killed, and will fully recover from any future harm.

Generally, people brought back to life aren’t the same as they used to be. They’re usually under someone else’s control, losing their free will and peace. Instead of resting, they’re compelled to fight as soldiers, treated as mere tools for war. The process also demands a sacrifice – a living person must die to make way for someone who is barely alive, essentially becoming a puppet controlled by another.

While those brought back to life can’t be permanently killed, they can be stopped by sealing them away. Alternatively, the person who resurrected them can reverse the process, allowing the individual to finally be at peace.

Can It Be Countered?

Before a shinobi can fully perform the Impure World Reincarnation technique, another ninja has a chance to interrupt it. There are several ways to do this, such as:

  • Use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to extract the soul from the reincarnated body
  • Get the summoner to undo Impure World Reincarnation
  • Give the reincarnated soul a chance to gain closure

It’s simple: if a shinobi can remove the soul from a reanimated body, the Impure World Reincarnation technique will fail. Furthermore, if the shinobi can convince the person performing the reanimation to cancel it – perhaps by using an illusion – the resurrected person will return to the afterlife.

Shinobi can also free souls trapped by Impure World Reincarnation by helping them find peace and resolve their lingering emotional issues. This allows the soul to move on to the afterlife. While challenging and not always effective, many shinobi try to stop this technique because it harms both the spirits of the deceased and living people.

Read More

2026-02-20 20:36