Susanoo is one of the most iconic abilities in Naruto (arguably the most), but at the same time, it is what stripped the series of its original essence. An ability so powerful that, in the later parts of the storyline, the anime loses the very meaning of why people came to love the series because of it.
But what exactly about Susanoo makes it so broken? Why, instead of becoming another great addition to Naruto’s power system, did it waste half of the series’ potential? Here, we’ve ranked the most prominent reasons based on how severely they impacted the series’ overall power scaling.
10. Susanoo Undermined Mangekyo Sharingan’s Blindness Drawback
The Skeletal/Incomplete Susanoo from Naruto | Credits: Studio Pierrot
We all knew how using the Mangekyo Sharingan repeatedly could cause blindness, and it had been a major drawback in the series for so long. Susanoo was also part of that system initially, but later, the drawbacks were completely truncated with the introduction of Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. So it literally became a cheat code for the Uchiha.
9. The Constant Evolution of Susanoo Forms Blurs Its Power Ceiling
The Perfect Susanoo Form from Naruto | Credits: Studio Pierrot
A well-written power system is one that has a well-defined power ceiling for each ability. And most Naruto techniques, such as Rasengan, Chidori, and Shadow Clones, all possess relatively understandable ceilings. But Susanoo was built differently. It continuously evolved throughout the series.
It was as if, whenever the plot needed it, Susanoo simply became stronger. It started out as a complete defensive measure, but soon became a massive offensive threat that was portrayed by users like Sasuke, Madara, Kakashi, etc. Thus, it became harder to track the power hierarchy within Naruto, badly hurting the series’ appeal.
8. Despite Being So Broken, Susanoo Has No Chakra Drawbacks
Sasuke’s Susanoo from Naruto | Credits: Studio Pierrot
Similar to mana, Naruto has a chakra system. It is a finite pool of energy that constantly depletes as you start using more techniques. Thus, many powerful techniques either consume enormous amounts of chakra or can only be maintained briefly. Susanoo, however, seemed exempt from these restrictions.
The size of those Susanoo constructs was enormous, yet users could maintain them for extended periods and repeatedly upgrade them during combat. The sheer scale of the technique suggested it should be one of the most chakra-intensive abilities in the series, but it didn’t really seem like that.
7. Complete Susanoo Rendered Most Jutsu Attacks Completely Useless
The Armored Susanoo from Naruto | Credits: Studio Pierrot
Well, every defense should have at least one weakness, right? But Susanoo always stood as an impenetrable wall. As its forms evolved, it became capable of tanking attacks that would obliterate almost any other defense in the series. At one point, almost no jutsu was effective against the Perfect Susanoo.
This created a situation where many characters simply lacked the firepower necessary to meaningfully fight against Susanoo users. Instead of focusing on techniques and counters, the fights became all about who could and who could not break the barrier. If they couldn’t, then there was no point in fighting. Not everybody is Naruto or Hashirama.
6. Traditional Ninja Skills Like Stealth & Strategy Meant Nothing
A still from the Naruto series | Credits: Studio Pierrot
Early Naruto didn’t go through such a massive power creep. Skills like stealth and strategic thinking were crucial parts of every combat encounter. However, that was only until Susanoo came into the picture. It shifted many battles away from that approach.
It felt useless for traditional ninjas to even go against such monstrous, mecha-esque avatars. While strategy never disappeared entirely, it was no longer as relevant as it had been during the Chunin Exams or the Land of Waves arcs. Susanoo stripped away much of the strategic side of Naruto’s battles and simply focused on complete annihilation.
5. Perfect Susanoo’s All For One Ability Made Fights Feel One-Sided
The Tailed-Beast Enhanced Susanoo from Naruto | Credits: Studio Pierrot
Most Naruto abilities excel in one or two areas while sacrificing something else. But Susanoo? It largely ignored all of that. Incredible defense, devastating offense, insane mobility, and even flight-like capabilities! What did it not provide? It was literally the all-for-one quirk of the Narutoverse.
Because it covered nearly every combat category simultaneously, many opponents entered battles at an inherent disadvantage. Characters who specialized in close combat or stealth often found themselves lacking the means to fight back. The ability effectively became too powerful to deal with.
4. Perfect Susanoo Allowed a Single Shinobi to Overwhelm Kurama
Itachi’s Humanoid Susanoo Form from Naruto | Credits: Studio Pierrot
Another bigger example of its overpowered status is how a single shinobi with the Susanoo ability could easily defeat the Tailed Beasts. Tailed Beasts in Naruto represented the pinnacle of destructive power; their existence defined the upper limit of the world’s power hierarchy.
But Perfect Susanoo dramatically changed that perception. Madara and Sasuke demonstrated that a single shinobi could generate destructive force comparable to, or even exceeding, that of the Tailed Beasts. Thus, it essentially overthrew much of our earlier understanding of the power system.
3. Madara’s Eyeless Susanoo Blurred the Rules of the Narutoverse
Madara’s Susanoo from the Naruto series | Credits: Studio Pierrot
At first, it seemed like Susanoo was intrinsically tied to the Mangekyo Sharingan. You need vision to use it. But then Madara came and showed us how it’s really done, despite lacking eyes altogether! This moment raised significant questions about the rules of ability. Do they even exist anymore?
If Susanoo could be used without Sharingan eyes, what were the actual requirements? The explanation was never explored in depth. This even led to multiple fan debates online. Thus, it’s safe to say that this outcome was one of the most controversial rule inconsistencies in Naruto.
2. Susanoo’s Chakra Mech Fights Overshadowed the OG Ninja Battles
Madara and others from the Naruto series | Credits: Studio Pierrot
To summarise everything, on a grand scale, the introduction of Susanoo apparently stripped Naruto of its original ninja vibes. The anime began as a story centered around ninja warfare, right? That’s what fans loved about it. But it later became more about chakra mecha fights than anything ninja-related!
Instead of shinobi maneuvering through forests and villages, viewers increasingly watched colossal chakra giants clash against equally gigantic opponents. It clearly symbolized Naruto’s transition away from traditional ninja combat, which pains me to admit, but was not an outcome anyone wanted.
1. The Final Naruto Arcs Were Absolutely Power Crept by Susanoo
In the final story arcs of Shippuden, Susanoo established a new standard for power that other characters and abilities had to match. It became the ceiling itself, while seemingly having no ceiling whatsoever. Especially after the Fourth Shinobi World War and beyond, things became nearly impossible to rein in.
Rather than being one powerful technique among many, Susanoo became one of the defining benchmarks of late-series strength. As a result, much of Naruto’s final power hierarchy ended up revolving around who could compete with, counter, or surpass it. This is the worst outcome any Shonen fan can hope for.
Some quick info about the Naruto anime series:
TITLEAIR DATESTUDIOIMDb RATING(as of June 5, 2026)WHERE TO WATCHNarutoOctober 3, 2002 – February 8, 2007Studio Pierrot8.4/10CrunchyrollNaruto: ShippudenFebruary 15, 2007 – March 23, 2017Studio Pierrot8.7/10Crunchyroll
Well then. What are your thoughts on the above reasoning? How much do you agree with them?
All episodes of the Naruto series are currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
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