Out of all the families introduced to theNarutofranchise, the Uchiha have always stood out for being among the strongest. Due to their status as Indra Otsutsuki’s only direct descendants, the members of this prominent clan have abilities that far surpass their peers. Yet, despite having the most useful eye Jutsu, some of their abilities make little sense.
Izanami and Izanagi, two of the most powerful abilities used by members of the Uchiha clan, break everything fans know about the Sharingan. These techniques, while quite impressive during the story, are perfect examples of one of the series' main issues. Introducing broken abilities just to keep the plot going.
Izanagi’s Power Does Not Fit the Sharingan
No Other Technique Controls Reality Itself
According to the lore of theNarutofranchise, theSharingan is an eye techniqueexclusive to the members of the Uchiha clan. This powerful ability grants its user heightened senses, as well as precise control over illusory Jutsu. Its evolved form, the Mangekyo Sharingan, is much more personal, as exemplified bySarada’s recently awakened and overpowered Sharingan.
Nonetheless, what all Sharingan-related Jutsu have in common is that none of them outright breaks the laws of nature, at least not in a significant way. The only major exception isIzanagi, a technique that allows the user to alter fate itselfand prevent mortal wounds or death at the cost of sacrificing vision in one eye.
Despite this being a hefty price to pay, the ability to prevent one’s demise is extremely powerful.Danzo Shimura, one of the most hated charactersin the series, proved how overpowered this ability could be. By harvesting dozens of Uchiha’s eyes, he became effectively immortal, at least until Sasuke outsmarted him in combat.
Izanagi Was Never Properly Used
Those Who Owned It Should Never Have Lost
Besides the clear problems that arose from the introduction of Izanagi as a technique for the Uchiha clan, many fans have pointed out that the skill was never properly used by theNarutofranchise. Danzo’s battle against Sasuke is a perfect example of the wasted potential of this reality-warping power.
Danzo should never have lost against Sasuke, as Izanagi would have been able to fix all his mistakes.
Naruto’s most controversial charactermight have been an elderly man by the time he fought the last Uchiha, but he was still a skilled combatant. Danzo might have been less physically fit, but he had far more experience and a vast arsenal of techniques at his disposal. Furthermore, he also had an instant reset button in case he was killed.
Sasuke is undoubtedly one of the most talented andintelligent characters inNaruto, but he was an inexperienced and reckless teenager at the time. Danzo should never have lost against him, as Izanagi would have been able to fix all his mistakes. Once again, this Jutsu forced Kishimoto to make the man act uncharacteristically overconfident, as he would have won otherwise.
Izanami’s Sole Purpose Is to Counter Izanagi
The Technique Is Painfully Specific in Its Use
There is no denying that Izanagi is among the mostoverpowered Jutsu ever introduced to theNarutofranchise. The author of this beloved series, Masashi Kishimoto, must have noticed the issues such an ability could cause, as he shortly after released a skill which only worked against this imposing ability: Izanami.
This illusory Jutsu was designed to trap people inside a never-ending loop for those who overused the Izanagi, seemingly by replacing their eyes with another Uchiha’s, and forcing them to accept their fate. Kabuto, Orochimaru’s apprentice andone of the smartest villainsin the series, could only be defeated thanks to Itachi’s use of the Izanami against him.
The biggest advantage this Jutsu has over Izanagi is that it does not contradict the abilities already demonstrated by other Uchiha members. The technique, albeit extremely powerful, is nothing more than a Genjutsu. Itachi had already proved himself to be a master of this ninja art, and no outside factors like reality manipulation needed to be included.
Izanami’s Introduction Proves a Major Issue
The Technique Should Never Have Been Necessary
One of the main reasons why fans have often voiced their displeasure with the introduction of Izanagi and Izanami is because of how much they affected the plot. The first Jutsu caused many issues with the continuity of the story, as having virtually immortal enemies made it almost impossible for the heroes to win.
No other Jutsu in the series was as powerful and versatile as Izanagi at the time. With no other alternative to progress the story,Naruto’s author was forced to create an ability that would directly counter this skill, even if it had no other use for the story.Izanami is proof that introducing Izanagi was not optimal.
Although overpowered abilities are not inherently damaging to a story, as proven by the god-level Jutsu used byBoruto’s cast, having skills with no significant weaknesses can be a bad decision. If any of the series’ strongest villains had used this technique, besides Kabuto, none of the heroes would have been able to defeat them without an equally broken ability.
