The 12 Basic Naruto Hand Signs at a Glance
Naruto features 12 main hand signs (seals) based on Chinese zodiac signs. These signs are used to perform ninjutsu and genjutsu throughout the series. They are: Rat (Ne) Ox (Ushi) Tiger (Tora) Hare (U) Dragon (Tatsu) Snake (Mi) Horse (Uma) Ram (Hitsuji) Monkey (Saru) Bird (Tori) Dog (Inu) Boar (I)
The 12 Basic Naruto Hand Signs in Depth
Rat (Ne) Each of the basic Naruto hand seals is based on the corresponding animals in the Chinese zodiac—thus, the Rat hand seal is based on the Rat zodiac sign. The Nara clan primarily uses this hand seal in their signature Shadow Imitation Techniques. How to do it: Keep your left index and middle fingers straight while folding the rest, then wrap your right-hand fingers around the two left-hand fingers standing up.
Ox (Ushi) While it isn’t required for any nature transformation release, some ninjas in Naruto use the Ox hand seal for fire jutsu—especially Sasuke, his brother Itachi, and other Uchiha clan members. It’s very strong when paired with Fire Release! How to do it: Extend your fingers and cross them together, bending your left-hand middle and ring fingers on the back of your right hand—and keep your forearms horizontal.
Tiger (Tora) The Tiger hand seal is required for fire and earth release techniques (which is why it’s another seal often used by Sasuke and the Uchiha clan). How to do it: Clasp your hands together, intertwining your fingers while holding your forearms horizontally. Then, raise your left and right index and middle fingers and bring them together at the tips. Variant: Crossed Tiger. Haku used this hand seal to perform the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals technique. To make this sign, do the Tiger hand seal, but cross your middle fingers over your index fingers. Variant: Curved Tiger. This is another version of the Tiger hand seal used to perform the Moon Shadow technique. It’s like the original Tiger seal; however, curve your right index and middle fingers in front of your left ones.
Hare (U) Based on the Chinese zodiac sign of the Rabbit, the Hare hand seal isn’t used for nature transformation. Instead, ninjas like Sasuke and Kakashi often use it to channel the Chidori or use lightning hands. How to do it: Make an “L” (or finger gun gesture) with your left hand using your thumb and index finger. Then, curl all the fingers of your right hand except your pinkie and join your hands, with your right pinkie lying over your left thumb.
Dragon (Tatsu) Although it has no elemental properties, the Dragon hand seal can be used with an elemental-based seal to create a dragon-shaped manifestation in that element! How to do it: Join your hands by crossing your fingers together. Then, extend your pinkie fingers downward, letting the tips touch. Finally, extend your thumbs up, allowing the left thumb to sit atop the right.
Snake (Mi) The Snake hand seal is associated with earth, lightning, and wood nature transformation releases—so it’s one of Naruto's most commonly used signs! How to do it: This is one of the easiest hand signs to master. Hold your hands upright and stick them together, palm to palm, before intertwining your fingers (as though you’re praying). Variant: Covered Snake. The Naruto anime features a Covered Snake hand seal, similar to the original—except your right fingers should be on top of your left (instead of overlapping).
Horse (Uma) The Horse hand seal is mainly used by Sasuke as part of his Fireball technique (and it’s similarly popular with man Uchiha clan members since they use fire-based jutsu). It’s also used to dispel illusory genjutsu techniques. How to do it: Stretch out your index fingers and bend all your other fingers. Connect your index fingers at the tips, then stack the knuckles of your other fingers on top of each other. While making this hands seal, remember to stack your right fingers on top of your left and keep your palms facing inward!
Ram (Hitsuji) Based on the Chinese Goat zodiac sign, this hand seal isn’t a requirement for basic nature transformation. However, it’s still popular in Naruto—often used by Naruto himself while summoning shadow clones! How to do it: Lift your index and middle fingers and place them together—with your right fingers a little lower than your left. Then, bend your left-hand ring and pink fingers over your right ones. Variant: Mirrored Ram. This is an alternate form of the Ram hand seal used by Obito and Madara. The gesture mirrors the original, with your right hand over your left and your forefinger and middle fingers held vertically.
Monkey (Saru) Like the Horse seal, this one has no crucial nature transformation uses. Sasuke most often uses the Monkey seal in the first two phases of channeling his Chidori. How to do it: Lay your left hand on top of your right, palm to palm. Then, slide your right pinky between your left thumb and index finger.
Bird (Tori) This seal is based on the Chinese Rooster zodiac sign, representing the Wind Release transformation. By using the seal, characters can start unleashing different wind-based ninjutsu techniques! How to do it: Form an arch with your middle finger and pinky while intersecting your ring and index fingers. Finally, touch the tips of your thumbs together.
Dog (Inu) The Dog (Inu) hand seal is used in numerous nature transformation techniques in Naruto. More specifically, it’s used for Water Release and is often used by ninjas who specialize in using water (like Zabuza or Kisame). How to do it: Make a fist with your right hand. Then, place the open palm of your left hand on top of the right fist.
Boar (I) The Boar seal is based on the Chinese Pig zodiac sign, and in Naruto, it’s used to summon jutsu. How to do it: Form a partial fist with both your hands and stick your palms together—but keep your forearms parallel to the ground. This might strain your muscles a little, so go gently when trying it out!
Unique & Character-Specific Hand Signs in Naruto
Clone seal Naruto uses the Clone (or Doppelganger) hand seal to use his Shadow Clone jutsu. It’s inspired by the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West and closely resembles a similar seal used in that work by the Monkey King. How to do it: Make a cross with both your hands' middle and index fingers and hold them perpendicular to one another. Variant: One-handed Clone seal. After losing his arm in Kakashi Hiden: Lighting in the Icy Sky (and before getting his prosthetic arm), Naruto created a one-handed adaptation of the Clone seal by making a cross with the index and middle fingers on his left hand. As its name suggests, the Clone seal is used to create clones using the Shadow Clone technique and the Multiple Wood Release Clone technique.
Twin Snakes Mutual Death seal This is a seal used by Anko Mitarashi, though it technically requires two people—the initiator and their opponent. Anko used Orochimaru’s hand and her own to make the seal. How to do it: Clasp someone else’s hand while raising your index and pinkie fingers and pointing your thumb into their palm.
Five Elements seal The Five Elements seal is used by Orochimaru; unlike other seals, it isn’t paired with multiple different hand signs. It’s a single special seal and it renders Naruto unable to access Nine Tails’ chakra. How to do it: Touch your thumbs and pinkie fingers together at the tips while raising your left index and middle fingers and right index finger. Place your left ring finger over the right and fold them down along with your right middle finger.
Jin seal Also known as the “Yang Water” seal, this hand sign is used in techniques including Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet and the Shrine Seal. How to do it: Perform the Dog seal (outlined above), but move your left hand under your right and keep your left palm facing upward.
Storm Release seal Hiruko uses this special hand seal as part of the Storm Release: Thunder Cloud Inner Wave technique in The Will of Fire. How to do it: Make the Tiger hand sign, but only raise your middle fingers.
Tearing Earth Turning Palm seal This special hand sign is used by Sumashi as part of the Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm technique. How to do it: Cup your left hand and turn it downward so it’s facing the ground. Then, raise your right index and middle fingers and place your right hand next to your left.
Mangekyō Sharingan Activation Seal Kakashi uses this seal the first time he fights Deidara. He uses it to activate his Mangekyō Sharingan and use Kamui (a type of space-time ninjutsu) for the first time in the series. How to do it: Form the Tiger hand seal, but keep the ends of your index fingers pushed down against each other. To perform this hand seal just like Kakashi did, position it in front of your left eye.
Clap Hands “Clap Hands” is a hand sign used to initiate the use of a technique—like, for example, when Naruto summons a chakra or breaks genjutsu. When a character performs this sign, their hands are held in position until the effect they’re trying to produce actually happens. How to do it: This is super simple—just clap your hands together! Hashirama and Jiraiya used Clap Hands to enter Sage Mode, while Gaara used it as one of the hand seals in his Quicksand Waterfall Flow technique as he fought Kimimaro.
Slam Surface Like Clap Hands, this “hand sign” is really more of a gesture used to initiate a technique. In Naruto, it’s been used in the Summoning technique and several different Earth Release techniques. How to do it: Press your hand on a solid surface. That’s it! (If you were a ninja in Naruto, you’d touch the surface you want to affect with your technique.)
Clan-Specific Hand Signs in Naruto
Akimichi Seal The Akimichi clan uses a special seal in their Multi-Size Technique, the clan’s trademark ability in which the user grows in size, making them more physically powerful. How to do it: Similar to the Bird hand sign, raise your index, pinkie fingers, and thumbs up to meet at the tips. Keep your middle and ring fingers folded and interlocked, with your middle fingers weaved between each hand. There are variations of this seal in the Naruto anime, but they’re suspected mistakes. At times, the hand sign looks more like a half-Tiger, while other times, it’s closer to the Bird seal.
Yamanaka Seal The Yamanaka clan has their own special seal, too, used to activate their trademark techniques—including the Mind Body Switch and Mind Body Disturbance techniques. How to do it: Straighten all your fingers and cross them into an “X” (similar to the Ox hand sign).
Hoshigakure Seal Clan Hoshigakure’s signature technique is the Mysterious Peacock Method—and they have an accompanying custom hand seal to perform it. It looks much like the Bird hand seal at first glance but has a few key differences. How to do it: Join your thumbs, pinkies, and index fingers at their tips, then touch your middle and ring fingers together at their end segments, forming an arch.
Land of DemonsWhile this isn’t a specific clan, shinobi from the Land of Demons also have unique hand seals. Most of these are variations of the basic signs and are only used once, so they aren’t very significant to the overall Naruto series. Taruho uses slightly altered hand seals in the Shadow Mirror Body Changing Method, including Tiger (with pinkies pressed inward), Tiger or Ram (with the right thumb “punching” the left) and Boar (with the left hand pointed upward). Other one-time seals used in the Land of Demons include: Min and Mika - Push both palms forward with your fingertips pointing partially up. Shin - Press your palms together. Reppyō - Form a half-Tiger or Ram with each hand, stretching your arms out and pointing your fingertips forward. Shōzen - Make fists with both hands and place your left above your right. Dan - Revolve your hands around one another before making a Tiger or Ram sign with your right hand behind your left. Raku - Raise your left hand up, facing downward, and keep your middle and ring fingers folded. Point your index and pinkie fingers to the left, and push your right palm down while pointing forward. Shō - Turn your left palm downward with your fingertips pointing right, then punch your left palm from below with your right fist. Ragu - Hold your left hand slanted diagonally up. Fold your right-hand middle and ring fingers while keeping your index and little fingers straight, placed in front of your left forearm. Bagi - Turn your right palm left with your fingertips pointing up. Hold your left forearm behind the right and your left fist above your right elbow.
Non-Combat Hand Signs in Naruto
Seal of Confrontation This seal is used between shinobi to initiate sparring matches, signifying that they’re about to fight. Some shinobi also use it to concentrate their chakra and use basic techniques (along with a couple more complicated ones). How to do it: This hand sign is like a half-Tiger or Ram. Holding one hand upright, keep your index and middle fingers extended while curling the rest toward your palm.
Seal of Reconciliation The Seal of Reconciliation is used between shinobi after sparring to signal that they’re still comrades (despite temporarily becoming opponents). How to do it: This usually requires two people, with you and the other person making a handshake-like gesture using just your index and middle fingers.
Elemental Signs in Boruto
Elemental seals consist of 5 one-handed gestures. They’re used to perform elemental techniques through the Kote in Boruto (the sequel and spin-off series to Naruto). To use elemental techniques this way, they must be sealed in a scroll and put inside a device. Then, the user must make one of the elemental seal hand gestures to release the technique. These hand seals include: Earth release. Extend your index and middle finger and curl the others into your palm. Fire release. Hold your hand flat with all fingers extended out to make this hand seal. Lightning release. Extend your index and pinkie finger, then hold your middle and ringer finger down with your thumb. Water release. Keep your hand flat and fingers extended, then tuck your index finger under your thumb. Wind release. Extend your thumb and pinkie fingers and fold the others to lie on your palm.
What are hand signs in Naruto?
Hand signs are special gestures used to perform ninjutsu and genjutsu. Most ninjutsu and genjutsu techniques in Naruto require several hand signs to work, though some powerful ninjas can perform a technique using only one hand sign. There are 12 basic hand signs which most techniques are based on, along with some unique or character-specific signs that come up less frequently in Naruto. Some characters in Naruto have also performed one-handed signs (even though they all require two hands typically) or substituted another ninja’s hand for one of theirs.
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