Lilt
Jōnin Strategist 🧠
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2012
- Messages
- 2,195
- Reaction score
- 322
This isn't a thread about hype, feats, or who beats who. It's just some interesting symbolism.
First and most obviously, Itachi seems to constantly introduce new techniques named after gods: Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Susano'o, Izanami, and Kotoamatsukami. While these techniques are not limited to him, the author constantly used Itachi to introduce them. By itself, this may not be much, however... Itachi's characteristic animal, the raven or crow, also holds symbolic presitige in Japan for being the messengers of the divine. This is playfully executed by the author when Itachi uses Karasu Bunshin, or crows, to communicate with (and through) Naruto and Sasuke.
Next, "Itachi" is practically synonymous with "genjutsu." Divine beings create reality, the Rikudō does this for instance, and genjutsu, particularly the sort that Itachi uses, imposes a reality on his victims. With Tsukuyomi, Itachi compares himself with the omnipotent, as he controls all of space, and even time within his realm. This 'talent for creation' is driven home when Deidara is awestruck by Itachi's "art," (creation, illusion) and in that scene in particular, Itachi is surrounded by divine symbolism within what appears to be a shrine while drenched in light as Deidara is amazed, then envious.
Lastly, the author gave Itachi the Totsuka (the Kusanagi variant pulled from the corpse of Orochi) and the Yata Mirror. These are two items of the imperial regalia, and were historically used as proof for the Japanese emperor's divinity. Do you want to guess the only other character to have an item from the imperial regalia? You guessed it: Rikudō Sennin, who was wearing the necklace. Anyway, I just thought it was interesting that the entirety of Itachi's arsenal, from crows clones, to genjutsu, to legendary items, to the eye techniques he introduces... are all symbols of divinity. I imagine Japanese readers picked up on all of this instantly whereas foreigners were left in the dust. It makes you wonder what else we're missing about characters and their mythological symbolism. I bet there's a wealth of uninterpreted knowledge!
First and most obviously, Itachi seems to constantly introduce new techniques named after gods: Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Susano'o, Izanami, and Kotoamatsukami. While these techniques are not limited to him, the author constantly used Itachi to introduce them. By itself, this may not be much, however... Itachi's characteristic animal, the raven or crow, also holds symbolic presitige in Japan for being the messengers of the divine. This is playfully executed by the author when Itachi uses Karasu Bunshin, or crows, to communicate with (and through) Naruto and Sasuke.
Next, "Itachi" is practically synonymous with "genjutsu." Divine beings create reality, the Rikudō does this for instance, and genjutsu, particularly the sort that Itachi uses, imposes a reality on his victims. With Tsukuyomi, Itachi compares himself with the omnipotent, as he controls all of space, and even time within his realm. This 'talent for creation' is driven home when Deidara is awestruck by Itachi's "art," (creation, illusion) and in that scene in particular, Itachi is surrounded by divine symbolism within what appears to be a shrine while drenched in light as Deidara is amazed, then envious.
Lastly, the author gave Itachi the Totsuka (the Kusanagi variant pulled from the corpse of Orochi) and the Yata Mirror. These are two items of the imperial regalia, and were historically used as proof for the Japanese emperor's divinity. Do you want to guess the only other character to have an item from the imperial regalia? You guessed it: Rikudō Sennin, who was wearing the necklace. Anyway, I just thought it was interesting that the entirety of Itachi's arsenal, from crows clones, to genjutsu, to legendary items, to the eye techniques he introduces... are all symbols of divinity. I imagine Japanese readers picked up on all of this instantly whereas foreigners were left in the dust. It makes you wonder what else we're missing about characters and their mythological symbolism. I bet there's a wealth of uninterpreted knowledge!
Last edited:
