Despite my aversion to giving Boruto a chance, Naruto’s lore has always been one of my favorite instances of world building. All the Kekkei Genkai in Naruto Shippuden and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations have been some of the coolest power dynamics I have seen in a Shonen anime. There’s just something about how all of the clan powers are both varied in their manifestation, yet similar in their nature, that makes them such a unique part of the Narutoverse. And like, there are a lot of them. 

As of this year, all the Kekkei Genkai in Naruto and Boruto come up to a total of 31. That means there are 28 different ‘Bloodline Limits’ so to speak, that we can get into the mechanics behind and see how each of them connect to each other. Of course, some Kekkei Genkai are stronger than the others, but it isn’t like early Naruto days, where the Sharingan and Byakugan were the only ones we knew off. Even those two have had numerous evolutions within themselves that lend to a complex understanding of how Kekkei Genkai work. 

But what are Kekkei Genkai, really? Kekkai Genkai happen to be one of the most important aspects of the Narutoverse, an anomaly that is hereditary, passing down from generation to generation of a specific clan. It’s one of those additional powers that can make or break a character. I mean, entire clans have been decimated just to gain access to them, because only those related by blood can access them, learning unique techniques that are otherwise clan secrets. So of course, their exclusivity is part of the appeal.

Amongst all the different types that exist, there are some Kekkei Genkai that have an upper hand on others, while some have levels that you need to ascend in order to unlock all the true powers available. And yes, some of the sacrifices needed to make these powers work are brutal, to say the least. But which Kekkai Genkai would be worth all that pain and hard work? Well, that’s what we are here to determine. So today, let’s list down all the Kekkei Genkai in Naruto and Boruto, in yet another round of Get Ranked!

Nevertheless, it is a highly persecuted Kekkei Genkai, considering that its wielders are often considered dirty or unworthy of respect. They can control mud in massive amounts, and the mud itself can be used for Hanasaki Ceramics. But that’s about all the information we have on it.

Though speed has always been part and parcel of being a Shinobi, with many ninja disappearing and appearing as if moving in lightspeed, Swift Release feels like it makes the user’s enemies disoriented, possibly because of the blurring at ultrasonic speeds. 

The main power we’ve seen so far is Iron Sand, as demonstrated by the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure, Kajūra of Ishigakure and Shinki of Sunagakure, respectively. Then there was Gold Dust, unique to the Fourth Kazekage who used it to subjugate the One-Tailed Beast. However, Magnet Release can be used to magnetize weapons as well, such as special Shuriken. 

Steel Release is a Kekkei Genkai that can be used to either create steel weaponry from the nature surrounding the users, or even as a shielding technique by turning the users body into steel, therefore making it impenetrable. A useful Kekkei Genkai in battle, it’s just a shame we haven’t seen it in action more. 

For example, when Mei Terumī used it in Kirigakure, it came out as a controlled stream of vapor from her mouth that was insanely corrosive. And because of its nature, it spreads quickly in confined spaces, immobilizing anyone exposed. 

Yes, my NaruSasu shipping is coming out, but Scorch Release is actually a pretty neat Kekkei Genkai that can be used to essentially evaporate away all the water in your enemy’s body, leaving behind a burnt out corpse. It is weak to water based attacks, but it’s still extremely powerful. 

But actual Lava Release takes many forms and is generally just supposed to be very corrosive. We’ve seen many members of Iwagakure utilize it, whether it’s through volcanic ash like, in the case of Kurotsuchi, or corrosive quicklime, which we experienced when we saw Kyūsuke fight. 

Essentially, it manifests on the palms of the hand in the form of two overlapping crimson diamonds, where the upper diamond absorbs any available chakra, and the lower one releases it back at the opponent. While we’ve only seen Hiruko use this particular Kekkei Genkai, it is easy to imagine he stole it from another clan thanks to his patented Chimera Technique. 

Instead, they can shoot beams of electricity that they manipulate in a way that it flows like water. However, we have seen one instance where Hiruko stole a form of Storm release that could produce storm clouds that had electrical charge running through them.

Because of its accuracy and high power intensity, Storm Release is a Kekkai Genkai mostly used in the offensive. 

His Ice Mirror technique was actually a form of Ice Release, which is a nature transformation Kekkei Genkai that combines wind and water to create crystalline projectiles or sculptures that are often impervious to things like fire.

It is primarily a bloodline technique of the Yuki Clan, from the Land Of Water, and one they were heavily persecuted over. Honestly, after Haku? It isn’t hard to see why they were feared. 

Think clay bombs and the like, which Deidara mainly caused havoc. But turn out, it wasn’t something that was exclusive to him, considering that the village of Iwagukure had a task force that specialized in Explosion Release, aptly named the Explosion Corps.

But here, it would be used in conjunction with something like Taijutsu, like how Gari demonstrated it. Talk about an explosive punch!

These crystals can be used as shields, to hold opponents in place, or force their very cells to undergo crystallization. It sounds gruesome, because it is. It also means that Crystal Release users can basically turn any matter into a weapon, every living being is a target just waiting to be shattered.

It seems to involve both Fire and Lightning Transformations, as far as Kiba Inazuka can decipher it anyways. However, the formulation of these crystals also means they are brittle when a certain sound wave is produced, leading them to be more inconsistent.

Though we don’t know much about it, yet again, we do know that it is a nature transformation Kekkei Genkai that seems to be a stronger successor to the traditional wind nature transformation. Not in the way Rasengan tends to be, but close.

Typhoon Release allows its users to create intense wind attacks that can take the shape of giant vortexes, capable of ensnaring anything in their active core and reducing it’s surrounding into nothing but rubble. However, the only person we’ve seen execute Typhoon Release is Nowaki, a former leader of the Lightning Group. 

The only time we did see it occur naturally was in the Ten-Tails, who was directly related to the famed God Tree. It’s why those that can execute Wood Release are those that share cells with Hashirama Senju himself, so his descendants.

It is an impressive Kekkei Genkai, considering how the wielder can use their chakra to create life itself, with wood growing from them as naturally as limbs extending. Out of all the nature transformations, Wood Release is the most intriguing because it does have an element of life in it as well, being used to create clones and replacing limbs when necessary.

However, the Rinha Clan’s Kekkei Genkai enables the members of the Rinha Clan to be able to use the Spirit Reflection technique, where they can absorb someone’s chakra and basically inherit all their memories and mannerisms.

But then, they can also duplicate that information and create body doubles that are identical in every way. It’s great for espionage, not so much for battle. 

And they have great control over it, being able to do partial shifts like certain body parts, or even fully materializing into thin air. However, this isn’t just an evasive technique.

The Iburi Clan Kekkei Genkai can prove fatal for their opponents, because they can invade the enemy’s body by being breathed in and oxidizing their bodies from the inside out. 

But this blood red eye goes a step further and can even see the life force itself, meaning it can detect whether something is truly alive or not. With this, ranmaru can determine the chances of survival and even pass her own life force to aid healing.

Beyond that, her Kekkei Genkai can also predict her opponent’s moves, to an extent. Pretty interesting to see a Bloodline Limit that dealt with healing!

But what made them formidable was their Kekkei Genkai where they had immense promise as Genjutsu casters.

The Kurama Clan’s Kekkei Genkai made it so that their Genjutsu would be some of the strongest the world had ever seen, to the point where the illusion would become reality and kill the opponent.

But everything has a price and the toll this Kekkei Genkai took would result in a split monster personality which would be harmful to anyone around them.

It’s a technique where they can simply absorb natural energy around them and wield it as one does when they are training as Sages.

Since it’s a very pure form of power, the effect can be especially taxing on the mind, especially if you haven’t meticulously trained yourself to handle it.

So, while it is powerful, it often leads to mental instability amongst clan members, because they were never equipped to deal with the strain. Hence why it takes Sages so much hard work to fully control Senjutsu in the first place. 

Well, in Naruto The Movie: Blood Prison, we saw an Anbu from Kusagakure possess an amazing Kekkei Genkai that could reincarnate others by transferring their own life force into their bodies.

Ryūzetsu’s Kekkei Genkai enabled her to perform the Dragon Life Reincarnation jutsu, something we had never seen up until that point, and it is what ended up saving Naruto’s life by the end of the movie.

First is the Sukunahikona, where they can shrink any object or being so small, they are basically out of sight. And the second is Daikokuten, which helps transport the shrunken being into a dimension where time simply doesn’t flow.

It’s a double whammy of a Kekkei Genkai, and was how Kawaki ended up defeating Naruto, of all people. 

At the same time, they could use this to invade the bodies of their enemies, essentially merging with the host bodies and destroying them at the cellular level.

So, in that case, it’s more like a DNA altering virus. In turn, they could also merge with each other, sprouting limbs from the other’s body when needed. All in all, pretty frightening stuff. 

The power came from Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, who was known for being able to grow and transform her skeletal structure in an attack known as the All-Killing Ash Bones. And as her descendants, people like Kimimaro could use the Shikotsumyaku in a variety of different ways in battle.

From being able to produce your own projectiles to defensive techniques like creating an exoskeleton, the Shikotsumyaku was an extremely formidable technique.

It is also similar in its powers, where it can detect chakra flow extremely clearly, down to the actual chakra pathways, even when they are actively being hidden. It can also see invisible barriers between different dimensions, allowing its wielder to have ‘pure’ sight of everything around them.

And if the eye ever gets damaged, the Jōgan doesn’t stop working. One active user of this Kekkei Genkai is Boruto himself!

Known as the Blood Dragon Eye, the Ketsuryūgan is active in the members of the Chinoike Clan and enables them to not only cast Genjutsu through touch, but also manipulate their victims to their bidding. The extent of their mind invasion goes as far as being able to extract information as well.

But the strange thing is how the Ketsuryūgan has the power to manipulate iron, even that in the blood. Think Blood bending from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and add a little mind breaking in too.

The actual process of it turning into the Tenseigan takes days though, filled with pain but once done, the white of the Byakugan is interlaced with overlapping petals resembling a flower, becoming the Tenseigan.

This Kekkei Genkai is destructive in its power, being able to move giant projectiles like the Moon itself to collide into Earth and even provide the power of flight through the Truth-Seeking Balls. However, it is comically fragile once it enters Chakra Mode, as Naruto was able to dispel it with a single punch. 

No present event is hidden from those that possess the Senrigan, but they can see their own past just as clearly. However, they don’t get any additional information on the event occurring, meaning the context can get lost and they must rely on what they already know to understand what has occurred.

And while dimensions are no issue, different spiritual planes or even mental escapades remain out of reach for them. 

The Byakugan is just as coveted as the other Dōjutsu, due to its immense capabilities. Not only does it allow a user to have a complete 360º view, but there is no real blockade to their vision.

Their sight can permeate through almost anything, allowing them to see chakra pathways too. It’s why they developed the Gentle Fist style, a combat method that directly targets the hidden meridians and leaves opponents immobile. 

Its powers involve being able to replicate almost every jutsu it sees, without any prior knowledge or practice. It also has impressive Genjutsu abilities, leading to impressive illusions that can be used to trap enemies in a nightmare scenario in their own heads.

It only activates when an Uchiha experiences a powerful emotion in relation to someone they care about. But sadly, that emotion almost always ends up being a negative one, hence the infamous ‘Curse Of Hatred’.

An Uchiha must go through an exceptionally traumatic event to gain these eyes that ‘see all truth with no obstructions’. And it varies from person to person, with each one being granted powers a little different from the other. It has the core powers of the original Sharingan, but each eye now can present with other abilities that can be shared or completely separate.

For example, while both Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha could do Amaterasu, Itachi had the additional technique known as Tsukiyomi while Sasuke had Kagutsuchi. Then, there is the Susanoo, a humanoid manifestation of one’s chakra that can fight on a larger scale than the Shinobi commanding them. However, the Mangekyō Sharingan can evolve even further, like it did for Sasuke when one eye became the Rinnegan. 

The Rinnegan boasts chakra with power like no other, and a vision that could rival both the Byakugan and the Sharingan. It is the only thing that could decipher the words of the Sage Of Six Paths, alongside giving its wielder proficiency over every jutsu style available. It is also the only way to access the Six Paths technique.

But what sets the Rinnegan apart is how it grants its individual users with certain powers that are unique to them, like with Madara Uchiha and his corporal shadows in Limbo. Honestly, I know we aren’t ranking Kekkei Genkai here, but the Rinnegan was always the most intimidating to me.

---

Okay so, that was all 31 (!!!) Kekkei Genkai that span all of Narutoverse, from the OG series to the current Boruto manga we have ongoing. And boy, was it a doozy to go through. But it’s impressive to see just how much focus Masashi Kishimoto put into the worldbuilding and lore aspect of the series. So, next time you come across some strange Kekkei Genkai that you don’t recall in the series, come back to see if you can find it on this list here. Until next time!

---