Summary
Everybody knows thatSasuke Uchihais one of the best and most popular characters in the entireNarutofranchise.While his tragic backstory, cool-looking design and incredible power have cemented him as one of the most iconic anime anti-heroes ever made, he also has another impressive attribute that made an impact on fans around the world: his cunning strategic mind.
Throughout the extensive story of bothNarutoandNaruto Shippuden, Sasuke has come up with numerous clever tactics that allowed him to come out victorious on multiple occasions. Whether they were part of his revenge plan against Itachi or they assisted him during the climactic conflict against Madara, the following eight strategies are the most brilliant ones that Sasuke has ever used.
8Using Amaterasu Against The Eight-Tails
Sasuke And Taka Vs. Killer B
In order to achieve his plans to destroy Konohagakure, Sasuke and his fellow members of Taka (formerly Hebi) were asked by Akatsuki to capture the remaining Tailed Beasts,starting with the Eight-Tails, who was residing inside the one and only Killer B. This immediately proved to be quite a difficult task, because Sasuke and his allies were clearly not on the same level as the powerful Jinchuriki.
But that’s when Sasuke took advantage of his recently awakened Mangekyō Sharingan and used his brand-newAmaterasutechnique, which proved to be lethal to the Eight-Tailed beast. While Killer B sneakily managed to escape, Sasuke’s quick thinking allowed Taka to come out of the encounter victorious without any losses.
7Coating Naruto With His Susanoo
Sasuke And Naruto Vs. Obito (Ten-Tailed Jinchuriki)
Near the end of the series, Sasuke joined the battle against Obito and Madara, which had gotten extremely dangerous after the former managed to unlock his Ten-Tails Jinchuriki transformation. At first, he and Naruto attacked separately, but at one point they realized that they would have to join forces if they wanted to succeed, which led to a majestic and powerful technique namedMajestic Attire: Susanoo.
Similarly to what Madara had done many years in the past,Sasuke shaped his Susanoo in the form of a giant set of armorand then coated Naruto with it while he was in his Nine-Tailed Beast mode. This not only looked amazing, but it was a key factor in weakening Obito and taking the other Tailed Beasts out of his body.
6Betraying And Absorbing Orochimaru
Sasuke Vs. Orochimaru
At the very end of Part 1, Sasuke agreed to becomeOrochimaru’snew student/test subject, just so he could get stronger and eventually kill Itachi. For the longest time, this seemed like a very out-of-character choice, since he had become weirdly loyal to the evil Sannin and not even his friends could convince him to come back to Konohagakure. But, of course, this was all part of his plan because, when he realized that there wasnothing else he could learn from Orochimaru, he decided to kill him and absorb his powers.
Needless to say, this was far from an easy task, mainly because the evil Sannin gave him a very challenging fight, but it eventually proved to be a crucial part of his revenge plan: Sasuke not only got much stronger by absorbing his former mentor, but it also allowed Itachi to seal Orochimaru away with the Sword of Totsuka when he inevitably re-emerged during the intense fight between the two Uchiha brohers.
5Forming Taka / Hebi
Sasuke Vs. Itachi / Sasuke Vs. Killer B / Sasuke Vs. Danzo
But no matter how powerful he may have gotten, at one point Sasuke realized that his loneliness was his biggest weakness and that he needed strong and loyal teammates if he wanted to succeed in his plan to kill Itachi (which later changed into his plan to destroy Konohagakure). This is what led him to formthe ninja team known asHebi, which later changed its name toTaka.
Sasuke traveled to many of Orochimaru’s bases and recruited three formidable Shinobi: Suigetsu Hozuki, Karin, and Jugo, all of whom had their own individual powers and abilities that helped him throughout his many missions. While this was far from the most powerful ninja team ever created, there are many instances in which Sasuke would have died if it wasn’t for the assistance of his teammates, who participated in numerous dangerous battles, like the encounters against Itachi, Killer B, Danzo and even the Fourth Shinobi World War.
4Saving His Friends From The Infinite Tsukoyomi
Team 7 Vs. Madara (Ten-Tailed Jinchuriki)
The plot of the Fourth Shinobi World War was mainly centered on one thing: preventing Obito and Madara from activatingtheInfinite Tsukoyomitechnique that can trap the entire world in an eternal illusion. After a long and arduous battle, they unfortunately couldn’t stop Madara (in his Ten-Tailed Beast mode) from activating it, and Sasuke realized that he had to act quickly if he wanted to save his friends.
Sasuke immediately flew down to where Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi were standing and, despite their complaints, covered all of them with the wings of his Complete Susanoo. With one quick but important move, not only did he save Team 7 from the power of the Infinite Tsukoyomi, but it also allowed them to eventually face Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and save the entire world. In a curious way, Sasuke’s strategic mind literally saved the day in that instance.
3Using His Cursed Seal Transformation Against Tailed Beast Mode
Sasuke Vs. Naruto
When Sasuke decided to leave Konohagakure and join Orochimaru at the very end of Part 1, it was up to Naruto to try and stop him,which resulted in an intense encounter that would finally prove once and for all which of these rivals was stronger. But the young Uchiha quickly realized that his friend had a huge advantage because he had access to the power of the Nine-Tailed Beast that resided inside of him.
In order to level the playing field, Sasuke embraced the powers granted to him by Orochimaru and activated the second level of hisCursed Seal. This resulted in a bizarre new transformation that enhanced the power of all of his techniques and allowed him to eventually become the winner of that climatic fight.
2Breaking The Roof In Order To Use Kirin
Sasuke Vs. Itachi
Sasuke’s intense encounter with Itachi was absolutely incredible, as it allowed both Uchihas to display the full extent of their power and showcase some of their most powerful techniques in one single battle. At one point, however, Sasuke seemingly made a mistake by trying to use his Fireball Jutsu on Itachi but completely missed his target and destroyed the roof of the hideout they were fighting in.
But this was far from a mistake, because Itachi was not his real target: he was actually trying to make holes in the roof so he could usehis brand-new technique calledKirin, which gathers energy from the clouds and lightning in the sky. This was an extremely risky but rewarding strategy by Sasuke that resulted in a destructive attack that gave him a significant advantage in the battle against his older brother.
1Using Lightning Release And Escaping With Manda
Sasuke Vs. Deidara
While Sasuke Uchiha has undoubtedly been part of many incredible battles, his encounter against the Akatsuki member namedDeidarais arguably the best showing of his great power and his brilliant strategic mind. Of course,Deidara’s explosive C4 technique was extremely dangerousbut, at one point, Sasuke realized that he could take advantage of his lightning release in order to deactivate his opponent’s explosions.
This was a brilliant tactic that made great use of one of the series’ most underrated narrative elements, and it certainly allowed Sasuke to deal a devastating blow against Deidara. But the Akatsuki member was not dead yet, since he decided to use his final move called C0, which turned him into a giant bomb that could take anybody with him. Nevertheless, Sasuke displayed his cunning and quick thinking once again by summoning the giant snake Manda, hiding inside his body and fleeing to Ryuchi Cave. While this risky move resulted in Manda’s death, it allowed the young Uchiha to escape one of the most destructive Jutsu in the entire series.
