While there is no canonically established "gold Rinnegan" with distinct abilities explicitly defined in the Naruto series, the Rinnegan is widely regarded as the most exalted and powerful of the Three Great Dōjutsu. This legendary eye grants its wielder an extraordinary range of powers, primarily through the formidable Six Paths Technique, along with other unique capabilities. It typically appears as a purple ripple-like pattern, though variations with tomoe (comma-like symbols) have been observed.
Understanding the Rinnegan's Core Abilities
The Rinnegan provides its user with god-like abilities, offering mastery over all five basic nature transformations (fire, water, wind, lightning, earth) as well as Yin-Yang Release. Its most prominent feature is access to the Six Paths Technique. One who wields the Rinnegan can utilise six distinct abilities collectively known as the Six Paths Technique, each offering a unique set of powers.
The Six Paths Technique
The six paths provide a versatile arsenal for both offense and defense, allowing for strategic combat and various support functions:
| Path Name | Description | Key Abilities / Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Deva Path | Controlling attractive and repulsive forces. | Allows for powerful pushing (e.g., Almighty Push / Shinra Tensei) and pulling (e.g., Universal Pull / Banshō Ten'in) techniques. This path is also crucial for creating large-scale gravitational attacks like Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation), which forms a massive asteroid. |
| Asura Path | Mechanically altering one's body. | Grants the user the ability to summon mechanised armor and weaponry, such as rocket-propelled fists, missile launchers, and hidden blades. It enhances physical capabilities, making the user incredibly strong and durable, and allows for the detachment of limbs as projectiles. |
| Human Path | Extracting souls. | Enables the user to instantly extract the soul of a target by touching their head, resulting in immediate death. This path also grants the ability to read a person's mind and memories, providing valuable intelligence without causing physical harm if soul extraction is not performed. |
| Animal Path | Summoning various creatures. | Allows the user to summon a wide array of powerful and often unique animals (e.g., Giant Dog, Giant Chameleon, Giant Rhino, Giant Drill-Beaked Bird). These summons are typically highly resilient or even immortal to conventional attacks and can share the Rinnegan wielder's vision, aiding in tactical coordination and reconnaissance from multiple vantage points. |
| Preta Path | Absorbing chakra, ninjutsu, and senjutsu. | Grants the ability to absorb any form of chakra, including powerful ninjutsu and senjutsu (Sage Mode chakra), without limit or adverse effects. It can also create a Blocking Absorption Seal barrier that absorbs incoming chakra attacks, rendering most chakra-based techniques useless against the user. |
| Naraka Path | Allows the user to interrogate and restore bodies through the King of Hell, and also store souls within it. | Involves summoning the King of Hell, a giant, multi-eyed demonic head. This entity can determine if a person is lying during interrogation by "licking" their face, and if so, it extracts their soul. Additionally, the King of Hell can restore damaged or deceased bodies by consuming them and spitting out a fully healed or revived version, making it a powerful healing and resurrection tool. It also serves as a repository for souls extracted by the Human or Naraka Paths. |
Unique Abilities and Variations
Beyond the fundamental Six Paths, certain Rinnegan wielders have manifested unique, individual abilities that are not universal to all users:
- Space-Time Ninjutsu: Sasuke Uchiha's Rinnegan allows him to use unique space-time abilities like Amenotejikara, which enables instantaneous substitution with objects or individuals within a certain range.
- Limbo: Border Jail (Rinbo: Hengoku): Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan granted him the power to summon invisible clones from an ethereal dimension, powerful enough to contend with Sage of Six Paths-level individuals.
- Chakra Receivers: Rinnegan users can create and manipulate black chakra receivers, which are versatile tools for transmitting chakra, disrupting an opponent's chakra, or even controlling others remotely.
- Shared Vision: All Rinnegan users possess linked vision, allowing them to see through the eyes of their summons or others imbued with their chakra, providing a tactical advantage in battle.
While the "gold Rinnegan" is not a recognized form, the diverse capabilities of the standard Rinnegan, coupled with its varying appearances (such as Sasuke's six-tomoe Rinnegan or the purple Rinnegan of Nagato and Madara), highlight the vast potential and mystery surrounding this legendary dōjutsu.
