Summary
TheNarutofranchise has showcased hundreds of different techniques over its long run, yet one jutsu has remained at the forefront since the very beginning; the Rasengan. Synonymous with the series' titular character, the Rasengan has over ten different variants, each one varying in intensity and scale of destruction. Arguably the strongest of these is the Big Ball Rasengan,one of Naruto’s trump cardsthat has defeated several antagonists during the series' run.
Known as Giant Ball Rasengan or Odama Rasengan, this technique has been witnessed in almost every battle afterNaruto’stwo-year timeskip. Despite seeming like a simple technique, the Big Ball Rasengan has several intricacies behind it, coupled with a few variants in Sage Mode and Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
Users
Naruto, Jiraiya, Konahamaru, Boruto, Koji Koshin
Unlike many of Naruto’s techniques that were conceived after rigorous training, the Big Ball Rasengan was formed by accident. Naruto gained access to this technique during his training with Jiraiya before the beginning ofShippuden. Jiraiya was merely teaching Naruto how to break out of genjutsu, yet this peculiar training led to him releasing a burst of chakra,consequently forming a Rasenganthat exceeded the size of his usual sphere.
Through this one-off accident, Naruto learned how to release excess chakra and siphon it into his Rasengan, in-turn creating a Rasengan with a considerably larger radius, coupled with an equally destructive firepower. While Naruto initially required a clone to siphon chakra onto his palm to create a Big Ball Rasengan, he later gained enough practice to create a gigantic Rasengan without the help ofhis Shadow Clones.
The Destructive Nature Of This Technique
The Big Ball Rasengan Can Release a Burst of Power
The Big Ball Rasengan’s destructive power far exceeds the base Rasengan’s effects, both in terms of area of effect and its destructive nature. Since the Big Ball Rasengan is teeming with an immense amount of compressed chakra, the sphere immediately explodes on impact. This effect leads to significantly more damage compared to Naruto’s base Rasengan.
It will spin faster and faster, and its power will become more and more compressed… and its destructive power will reach its max.
The Big Ball Rasengan was also used as the foundation for Naruto’s Rasenshuriken, as the latter worked on the exact same principle as the former, albeit with the addition of Wind Release into the mix. Naruto’s Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan is another derivative jutsu of the technique, with the only difference between the two being theamount of chakra Naruto infusesinto the Rasengan.
Variations of the Technique
The Big Ball Rasengan Has Multiple Variations Depending on Naruto’s Chakra
Depending on the type of chakra Naruto infuses into the technique, he can create all sorts of variations of the Big Ball Rasengan. The most obvious revamp of the technique is during hisNine-Tails Chakra or Kurama Mode. Under this transformation, Naruto can infuse the Nine-Tails' chakra into the technique to create multiple Big Ball Rasengan that resemble the Ultra-Big Ball variation of the technique.
Naruto’s Sage Modealso leads to a variation of the Big Ball Rasengan, as Senjutsu Chakra infusion in the Rasengan results in an even more cataclysmic technique. Known as Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan, this technique was first witnessed during Naruto’s fight against Pain. With a colossal size mirroring Pain’s animal summons, this variation of the Rasengan is certainly one of his strongest assets.
Users Of the Technique
The Big Ball Rasengan Has Been Used By a Handful of Characters
While Naruto is the primary user of the Big Ball Rasengan, a few other characters have been shown to possess this technique, albeit at a much smaller scale. While Minato never exactly used the technique in his lifetime, he was witnessed using it inTsunade’s Infinite Tsukuyomi dream. While this certainly doesn’t qualify him as a user of the technique, it’s likely that he would have been able to use it given his status as the originator of the Rasengan.
Naruto’s own disciple, Konahamaru Sarutobi, is another user of the Big Ball Rasengan. While it was never exactly revealed how or when Konamaharu acquired the technique, he has been witnessed using the jutsu a handful of times in an OVA and theBorutoseries.Jiraiya and Koji Kashinare also users of this technique, though their usage of the Big Ball Rasengan has been rather limited in their respective series.
Naruto is the foremost user of this technique, with his derivative techniques such as Planetary Rasengan and Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan cementing his version of the jutsu as the strongest. Boruto Uzumaki has also acquired the technique in theBorutomanga, with some speculating that his technique might even surpass his father’s Rasengan. For now, however, none can compare to Naruto’s expansive line-up of Big Ball Rasengans.
