We've all read Shippuuden (even if we tell our friends we havn't) and we all know that Itachi's Mangekyo is uber-kill-your-ass powerful, and Madara's is gonna end up even more powerful. All my friends gripe and moan about this; "Jeez, is there anything the Sharingan can't do? What's next, calling God himself while shooting inescapable underworld fire at hypnotized enemies at the same time?!" and other such phrases. And really, I think they're kinda right - we all know Kishimoto pulled the Genjutsu sword out of his ass. But they also got me thinking about the Tsukuyomi, and the Sharingan in general. After much deliberation, I have come up with a theory on Genjutsu and the Sharingan that actually lessens the power of the Sharingan (I know, you gasp). This was such a novel concept to me, since everyone gripes about how it's overpowered and uber-kill-your-ass powerful and whatnot, but never once has anyone actually tried to logically explain the doujutsu itself; when it comes to the Sharingan, canon is law, and we all know how the DLP community feels about canon. So, here's my logical explaination of Genjutsu and the Sharingan:



Genjutsu is the art of altering an opponent's mind, whether it be taste, touch, any other sense, or multiple senses. These techniques are formed from the imagination of the user, and are overcome when the victim accepts that they are, indeed, ensnared in the genjutsu. If the user has a vivid enough imagination, or the victim's mind is too weak, the victim is an easy target for a flying shuriken and on the road towards a quick death. The converse is also true, and a strong mind will overcome a weak imagination. In the end, it all comes down to the details of the illusion. A well formed genjutsu can trick one into a feedback loop. The victim can rationalize or reason that the things that they see aren't real all they want, but a suficiently detailed and/or realistic genjutsu can still remain - this is because the illusion is real enough to trick the mind into believing that it is real, even if the logical portion of the mind rejects it. Theoretically, a genjutsu with perfect detail cannot be broken, because the mind accepts that it is real regardless of logic, and thus the victem cannot escape.

And thus the Tsukuyomi is born. The Sharingan (in all of it's forms) allows the user to perceive more of the world - whether onto another plane or simply sharper is a debate for another time. This makes the Sharingan perfect for creating and breaking Genjutsu; the user is able to see and understand finer details, so it is easier to craft their own illusions and find the flaws in other's. Because the Sharingan becomes more powerful with each tomoe, the user's ability in Genjustu also rises.

It is my theory that, when the user activates the Mangekyo Sharingan, they ascend to a higher level of clarity, beyond regular human comprehension. Mangekyo users can see the things that make the world seem real, the finest details that convince our brains that what we see really does exist. By seeing and understanding these details, those with the Mangekyo are able to create a world far more real than, say, Kurenai could, because they understand how the little things influince people, and can imagine accordingly. This is also how Sasuke beat Itachi's Tsukuyomi; because Sasuke can see just as much as Itachi, he was able to convince himself that the world he was in didn't actually exist, and he was free.

Really, in the end, it all comes down to how fine you can make your details, and details are the first and foremost purpose of the Sharingan. The uber-kill-your-ass powerful Genjutsu is just a happy side affect, and not some god-power. While a normal person may find the Tsukuyomi unbreakable, it isn't because it's the Mythical Genjutsu of Doom, it's just because Itachi and Sasuke (and likely Madara) are very imaginative.



So, there's my theory on Genjutsu and the Sharingan. Really, I always wondered why Genjutsu isn't very prevalent in the Narutoverse. Sure, I get that the main characters are supposed to be noble and stuff (blech), but the villains and side characters are allowed to be sneaky, conniving, shadow-like, real ninja. Genjutsu is perfect for sneaking, conniving, and pretendting to be a shadow! I mean, really...

Anyway, that's that. Feel free to rip it apart piece by piece, feel free to propose your own theory, and feel free to gripe to your heart's content. And enjoy! :awesome

 

No.
Just no.

 

Well I'll start by responding to your post before I go into my own rant.

Genjutsu is rarely used for several reasons; the first being that ninjutsu that blow stuff up are just plain cooler to look at in the manga, hence higher popularity. Next up, gen requires fine chakra control in order to properly effect another's chakra and the more powerful the jutsus require even higher amounts to function properly; few ninja develop the level of skill necessary to use them in battle. Continuing on all that's needed to break them is a partner not trapped who can then dispel the jutsu.

[SIZE=+0]It seems that genjutsu is best used in subtle ways before the target is even aware of the ninja in order to mislead them, or on an isolated oponent without someone to aid them. This seems to be a rare enough event in the series since most of the time characters are in groups and ambushers prefer to start off with a lethal attack.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]Now on to my own rant about the "overpowered" sharingan.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]In chapter 388 Zetsu says, "Sharingan is just a shinobi 's weapon a weapon's strength or weakness is dependent on the user's ability that uses it...What is important is their level of ability."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]This pretty clearly states that it isn't the sharigan itself that is powerful or weak but the ninja using it. So when someone calls it overpowered that person is really calling the character using the sharigan overpowered. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]Now lets take a look at the four characters who use the sharingan Kakashi, Sasuke, Itachi, and Mandara. All four are powerful, elite ninjas who are considered to be geniuses at most if not all areas of their craft. These guys are supposed to be overpowered compared to regular cannon fodder ninja. When they come across and fight a ninja of similar level they don't walk all over them unless they catch their opponent by surprise. Sure they use the sharigan to do it, but who wants to bet they couldn't develop some other technique to do it if they lacked the sharigan? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]This is one of the main reasons the technique looks overpowered, all the characters using it are awesome! Remember the rest of the Uchiha clan? Many of them had the jutsu, but they got steamrolled by just two others-Itachi and Mandara. People wouldn't complain about the jutsu nearly as much if they showed weaker ninja using it and getting their asses handed to them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]The sharigan's usefulness is highly dependent on the user's ability to access its higher stages, perform jutsus copied, react to information gathered, and provide chakra for the sharigan itself as well as the special jutsus it unleashes. The special jutsus require large amounts of chakra to work and put large amounts of strain on the users body just like any other high powered skill. The sharigan is just focus used to channel the jutsu.[/SIZE]

 

WALLS OF TEXT, I CHOOSE YOU!

 

AWESOME ARGUMENT ENDER BY JON.

Also, I have NEVER read Shippuden. I have barely read any Naruto manga at all. Suck on that.

 

Obligatory Sharingan hax comment.

Now seriously, it's an interesting theory, though it does nothing to lessen the power of it. It merely rationalises its abilities slightly. I like it, and if you don't mind I'll use it in any fics I write.

 

The Sharrigan is awesome! I wants one!


Well, that's my contribution.

 

The Byakugan has a much greater level of insight then the Sharingan. Why aren't the Hyuuga better at genjutsu then?

 

shippuuden?

 

Well, I would guess it would be because the Byakugan does not have the memorization ability that the Sharingan has.

Although we really don't know how good the Hyuuga are at genjutsu since I can't remember them doing anything but their taijutsu and the Kaiten.

 

The Sharingan was fine up until part 2. I think we all saw the Sharingan at its best during the Zabuza vs Kakashi fight.

 

The Sharingan isn't overpowered. The fucking Mangekyou Sharingan is overpowered. That's why people gripe about it.

Itachi could already kill most people in his clan one on one with some ease when he had the normal Sharingan, but these other clan members were also the elite of Konoha, so he certainly couldn't have fought more than four on one.

Then he got the Mangekyou, and he and Madara were easily able to slay the whole clan.

The Byakugan may see everything in 359 degrees and for some distance, but the Sharingan perceives everything in eyesight (including peripherals).

That's why his assumption about the Genjutsu abilities actually makes sense.

That doesn't make the Mangekyou Sharingan less overpowered, though.

EDIT: HOLY SHIT, MOTHERFUCKERS, A THOUSAND POSTS! MY POST WHORING HAS PAID OFF!

 

Interesting theory, but it doesn't rationalize the realism of pain though, given as it isn't something to be seen. Genjutsu in the Naruto verse has been seen to mostly be used to distract and conceal from what is actually real. I haven't come across an example of Genjutsu that has the main purpose of causing pain.

However, Itachi's Tsukuyomi does exactly that, making it something of a Rule Breaker.

Throw in the other Mangekyou examples (dimension rift, seriously? Eternal black fire?) and we have ourselves something overpowered.

 

It makes sense if you think about the fourth dimension (time) actually. Have any of you ever read Flat Land? The Sharingan has the ability to manipulate the Fourth Dimension; in the case of Tsukuyomi, a Genjutsu utilizing the fourth dimension. Sharingan's limitation (it seems to me so far) is that it only can see see the fourth dimension facing the future.

We live from 'moment to moment' in the third dimension, and a being that could see all of the fourth dimension would see us existing as a 'blurred' state from a baby to our deathbed. An Uchiha doesn't have this ability, but their Sharingan allows them to see the future right? That blurred future is perceiving the fourth dimension.

This explains the 'eternal fire' and though not the dimensional rifts completely. But it CERTAINLY explains the instability of the Uchiha, a being in the 3rd Dimension being able to perceive the fourth dimension (not at all as it is intended) it would corrode their eyes and brain.

So to equalize the Sharingan some, you'd have to write a ninja that could also utilize the fourth dimension, as it is unlikely that any Uchiha would prepare a feasible defense in the fourth dimension on the fly. So perhaps going back to the OP's original post, you would have to see the inconsistencies from the fourth dimension to break the genjutsu as that is likely where the weakness would lie.

Anyways, gotta go, so I'll think about this and maybe post more later.

 

I can't help think that you are over thinking about this stuff.
Sharingan in its current form is overpowered. Ability to copy the enemy, ability to predict the enemy, ability to form illusion hell land, near instant kill jutsu?
Any one of theses alone would be a good bloodline ability, let alone all of them.

 

Don't forget the ability to create temporary pocket dimensions or w/e it is Kakashi does.

 

Heh, for the record I never used 'stuff' in my post so maybe you misread the post?

I'm just attempting to offer a way for fanfiction authors a different view in tackling the Sharingan-being-overpowered issue in their fics.

 

to add on the fourth dimension angle, that is probably the reason that Tobi/Madara can avoid attacks, he "shifts" into the 4th dimension a few seconds ahead of the attack and then reshifts back into the 3rd. Far fetched, but maybe it can be the key. and with daddy yondi back in the mix, the Hirashin may be the only jutsu that can keep up with with him.