Susanoo is a gigantic, humanoid being made of the user's chakra that surrounds them and fights on their behalf. It is the strongest ability available to those who have the Mangekyō Sharingan, and in fact is the rarest to achieve.[2] In order to use this ability, the wielder must have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan in both eyes.[3]
Attributes Edit[]
When activated, Susanoo forms around the user and becomes an extension of their will, acting and attacking on their behalf. By default, Susanoo is anchored to its user and they to it: in its less developed forms it will move around with the user; in its more completed forms the user will be suspended within Susanoo, being brought with it as it moves around.[4] This connection allows Susanoo to shield against physical attacks, one that becomes more difficult to penetrate as it is manifested more fully. If it is damaged, Susanoo does not regenerate and it can only be repaired either by advancing it to the next developmental stage or by dispersing it and then forming it anew.
Although Susanoo is quite effective as a defence, it is able to distinguish in what it blocks. For example, the user can still perform jutsu while within Susanoo and the attacks will pass through it without complications.[5] Others can be brought within Susanoo with the user's permission,[6] and users can likewise choose to leave Susanoo's protective envelope.[7] The latter property can be used against the user, as if an opponent can bypass Susanoo, however slightly and latch onto them, they can be pulled out of Susanoo.[8] Susanoo is also only able to defend against physical attacks, so they are still vulnerable to visual[9] or auditory attacks.[10]
So long as it is active, Susanoo draws on the user's chakra in large amounts. Sasuke Uchihadescribes the sensation of using Susanoo as feeling pain in every cell in his body, which only increases over time and at higher developmental stages.[11] Being a Mangekyō Sharingan-based ability, it also places a strain on the user's eyes the more it is used. However, it is not actually necessary for one's Mangekyō Sharingan to be active while using Susanoo;[12] in fact, Madara Uchiha is able to use it without any eyes at all.[13]
Development []
As seen with Sasuke's learning how to use it, Susanoo has several developmental stages. Practiced users go through all the stages every time they manifest it, layering more advanced stages over earlier ones or stripping them away as is needed; they can choose to stop at any developmental stage along the way if they choose to. At its simplest level, users only manifest aspects of Susanoo's skeletal structure, such as a ribcage for basic defense[14] or an arm for interacting with the surroundings.[15] Once a full skeleton is made, musculature and, later, skin forms until finally a complete humanoid is shaped. In these early stages, typically only the upper half of Susanoo is materialized, with legs becoming common once it reaches its full humanoid form.
In its next stage, armour starts to be created around the humanoid, causing it to resemble ayamabushi. In its final stage, users stabilise the chakra that comprises Susanoo to create a colossal form known as the Complete Body — Susanoo (完成体 須佐能乎, Kanseitai — Susanoo, Viz: Perfect Susanoo).[16] In this state, Susanoo gains a tengu-like nose, wings for flight, and is clad with robes and ornate armour. Its large sizes makes its attacks much more destructive. Users can shape this Complete Body form around the Nine-Tails, improving its offensive and defensive capabilities.
Users are able to mingle the chakra that makes Susanoo with chakra from other sources. Sasuke uses the chakra from Jūgo's Sage Transformation to make a "Senjutsu Susanoo" (仙術須佐能乎, Literally meaning: Sage Technique Susanoo), with markings reminiscent of theCursed Seal of Heaven spreading across it.[17] He later stores the chakra of the nine tailed beasts within his Susanoo, drastically improving its strength and causing lightning to emanate from its back.[18]
Versions Edit[]
Susanoo differs between users, varying in terms of color, armor design, and weaponry used. Some features are consistent however, such as having two sets of arms - one of which can change to wings as part of its Complete Body form - and six fingers on each of its hands. All Susanoo wield at least one sword, though the type of sword varies.
Itachi Uchiha Edit[]
Itachi Uchiha's Susanoo is yellow in the manga;[19] in the anime, its skeletal and armoured forms are red and its humanoid form is orange.[20] In its humanoid form, its face is framed by locks of hair, with an appendage on its chin reminiscent of a Pharaoh's false beard. When its armour is formed, Itachi's Susanoo resembles a long-nosed tengu and it wears a pair of magatama earrings.
Itachi's Susanoo possesses a curved blade that resembles a dagger or tantō.[21] He rarely uses this, however, preferring his Sword of Totsuka, wielded in its primary right hand and sheathed in a sake jar held by its second right hand. The Sword of Totsuka is an ethereal weapon with an enchanted blade that, in additiona to standard cutting, can seal anyone it pierces, trapping them in a genjutsu-like "world of drunken dreams" for all eternity. In its primary left hand, Itachi's Susanoo wields theYata Mirror, a shield that can change its nature depending on the attack it receives, thus nullifying it. According to Black Zetsu, the simultaneous use of the Sword of Totsuka and the Yata Mirror made Itachi essentially invincible.[1] For long-range attacks, Itachi can use Susanoo to perform Yasaka Magatama.[22]