All Hand Signs in Naruto & Their Meanings (Explained)

Did you know that the Naruto series’s hand signs (hand seals) were inspired by Buddhism and Hinduism? The hand signs are such a cool sight to watch, and it’s one of the things that made us fall in love with this show. From Kakashi’s fastest hand signs in the west to Minato’s one-hand signs, there have been several stylish users using their jutsu. This resulted in many of the fans trying to do the iconic hand signs from Naruto. So, let’s take a look at the basic hand signs in Naruto and their meaning. Keep reading to learn how to do a perfect hand sign from Naruto.

Indra Ōtsutsuki, one of the strongest Uchiha clan members, is credited with inventing the hand signs in Naruto. The hand signs are intended to help the shinobi in correctly gathering and shaping their chakra in order to perform Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or any techniques. A technique is carried out by effectively executing the necessary fundamental hand signs in a certain order.

To perform each technique successfully in combat, a specific set of hand signs for each one must be memorized and summoned. However, for that, you must remember the basic hand signs. So, let’s look at the 12 basic hand signs that every Shinobi must learn:

1. Monkey (Saru, 申)

The Monkey (Saru) hand sign is a simple move to pull off. You just lay your left hand on top of your right hand and there is one more thing to do. You have to lift up your left thumb and place it on the gap between your ring and your little finger. Now you’re good to go! This sign is not affiliated with any particular nature transformation. We have seen Sasuke using the monkey sign numerous times when performing his signature move Chidori.

2. Dragon (Tatsu, 辰)

Although the Dragon (Tatsu) hand sign looks a bit too difficult to do, it’s easy. You just have to join both of your hands by crossing them with each other. Then extend the little fingers out and let them be in touch. The final touch is to let your thumbs out and let the left thumb sit on top of the other one. This hand sign too isn’t associated with any nature transformation. But it causes that user’s specific element to appear in the form of a dragon.

3. Rat (Ne, 子)

The Rat (Ne) hand sign is a special one, especially for the Nara clan. This sign is mandatory for the Nara clan’s signature special Shadow Techniques. Thus, it’s not affiliated with other nature transformations. Creating this rat hand sign is simple; you have to keep your left index and middle fingers straight while others are folded. Then, take your right hand and wrap your fingers around the left hand’s fingers, which are sticking up.

4. Bird (Tori, 酉)

The Wind Release is closely related to the Bird (Tori) hand sign in Naruto. So, the first people to catch these hand signs are practitioners of wind-based ninjutsu techniques. It’s a complicated sign that could be perplexing, but if you know the instructions it’s simple.

The first thing to keep in mind is that the middle and little fingers of both hands must be crisscrossed. Once you have completed this step, everything will be simple moving forward; simply allow your thumbs and index and ring fingers to contact.

5. Snake (Mi, 巳)

The Snake (Mi) hand sign is one of the most overused hand signs in Naruto. The reason is that it is associated with not just one nature transformation but three, which are Earth, Lightning, and Wood Release. This hand sign is one of the easiest if not the easiest to do.

You just have to join both of your and intertwine them like you are getting ready to read a prayer. This hand sign is a must in all of the strongest jutsu available in existence.

6. Ox (Ushi, 丑)

The Ox (Ushi) hand sign is one of the most difficult hand signs to perform. I wonder how a well-known shinobi can pull it off at ease in an intense battle. It is not affiliated with any other nature transformation, yet it is used in many jutsus (primarily fire-based jutsu). Thus, you must have seen Itachi, Madara, Sasuke, and pretty much most of the Uchiha members using it.

It’s going to be a little tricky to do, cross both your hands against one another and bend the middle and ring finger of your left hand. Just bring your right little finger in front of the gap instead of the usual.

7. Dog (Inu, 戌)

The Dog (Inu) hand sign in Naruto is associated with water release techniques. So, you must have seen renowned water-based techniques users such as Kisame, Tobirama, Zabuza, etc. use this hand seal in Naruto. It is another one of the easiest hand signs for a jutsu in Naruto we have ever seen. Make a fist sign with your right hand and place your left palm on top of it. That just how easy it is!

8. Horse (Uma, 午)

The Horse (Uma) hand sign is not affiliated with any nature transformation, but they are common with the Uchiha members. Like the Ox hand sign, it is preferred by the Uchihas to use fire-based jutsu. This is another difficult hand sign as you need to stretch your fingers to the max to achieve the pose.

First, you need to stretch the index fingers of both hands out and bend all the remaining fingers. Now, bring both hands close such that the index fingers touch each other and the thumbs remain closed inwards. Next, you have to make a knuckle bridge with the middle, ring, and little fingers as shown in the pic. It will take some time to replicate but it’s worth it.

9. Tiger (Tora, 寅)

The Tiger (Tora) hand sign is a must for fire and earth release techniques. Thus, once again the Uchihas make use of this hand sign more than anyone else. It is a simple hand sign in Naruto, as all you need to do is join both your hands like in a prayer and lift your both index and middle fingers horizontally. Now, you can successfully breathe fire like an Uchiha.

10. Boar (I, 亥)

The Summoning jutsu is one of the coolest jutsu in the whole Naruto series, and it is done with the Boar (I) hand sign in Naruto. It is done effortlessly as all you need to do is bend all your fingers downwards and rotate your hands down. Bring your hands close to each and that’s it now you can summon anything you like. This hand sign was first seen when Jiraiya used it to summon the toads in Naruto.

11. Ram (Hitsuji, 未)

The Shadow Clone technique was the first ever jutsu we were introduced to in the Naruto series, and it ties in with this Ram (Hitsuji) hand sign. As a result, we have seen Naruto do this move many times throughout the anime. It is another coolest-looking hand sign but is hard to recreate.

But we have got you! All you have to do is lift your middle and index fingers while keeping the others bent. With the right fingers slipping downward, unite them. Moreover, you must place the left ring and little fingers over the right fingers.

12. Hare (U, 卯)

The Hare (U) hand sign is also not affiliated with any nature releases. Instead, it is mainly done by the Chidori users like Kakashi, Sasuke, etc. This hand sign may look simple to do, but it’s baffling to get the hands right. You can make an ‘L’ sign using your left hand and place it horizontally down. The next step is to keep the little finger of your right hand sticking out while the others remain closed or bent. Now join the right hand with the pistol-looking left hand and you’re done.

Bonus: How to Do a Jutsu in Naruto

Now, you have become a master of hand signs. It’s time for you to learn how to pull off a Jutsu. In this case, we are going with the famed Shadow Clone technique. Since you are familiar with all the basic hand signs in Naruto now. All you have to do is to do Ram, Snake, and Tiger hand signs one by one sequentially and congrats you have learned to do jutsu now!

Frequently Asked Questions