Naruto Hand Signs: All 12 Seals and Jutsu Sequences

In Naruto, shinobi weave hand seals (ten'in) to shape chakra into jutsu. Twelve signs, named after the Chinese zodiac, are the building blocks. A technique is just a fixed sequence of those signs before the ninja releases the effect.

For named techniques by type, see our Naruto jutsu list. Anime fans comparing long-form series may also like One Piece arcs in order.

The 12 basic hand signs

Each sign below is one of the twelve standard seals. Photos show the canonical grip from the front.

1. Rat (Ne)

Shadow techniques

Used heavily by the Nara clan for Shadow Imitation and related techniques. Raise the left index and middle fingers; wrap the right hand around them with the left index slightly loose.

2. Ox (Ushi)

Fire jutsu

Common in Uchiha fire jutsu and the start of Chidori. Open palms together, thumbs out, left palm facing out and right palm facing in. Cross forearms horizontally; rest the left ring and middle fingers on the back of the right hand.

3. Tiger (Tora)

Fire and Earth

Required for many Fire and Earth releases. Praying grip with fingers interlaced, forearms level, then raise both index and middle finger pairs.

4. Hare (U)

Lightning

Used when channeling Chidori and similar lightning techniques. Left index and thumb extended; right pinky slides between them like a finger gun.

5. Dragon (Tatsu)

Advanced ninjutsu

No single elemental release, but appears in advanced combos such as Water Dragon and Reanimation setups. Stack four half-closed fingers alternately with both pinkies touching at the bottom.

6. Snake (Mi)

Earth, Lightning, Wood

One of the most common signs. Palms together in a prayer pose with fingers interlaced. Used across Earth, Lightning, and Wood releases.

7. Horse (Uma)

Fireball, genjutsu break

Sasuke uses it in Fireball sequences. Index fingers touch at the tips; other knuckles stack over the right thumb. Both palms turn inward.

8. Ram (Hitsuji)

Clones

Part of the Transformation and Summoning chains. Raise index and middle fingers on both hands, slide the right pair down against the left, and cross pinky and ring fingers.

9. Monkey (Saru)

Chidori setup

Appears in Sasuke's Chidori chain. Horizontal palm-to-palm grip with the right pinky between the left thumb and index finger.

10. Bird (Tori)

Wind Release

Represents Wind Release. Middle and pinky fingers form arches; ring and index fingers cross; thumbs touch tip to tip.

11. Dog (Inu)

Water Release

Water Release sign used by ninjas such as Zabuza and Kisame. Left open palm rests on top of the right closed fist.

12. Boar (I)

Summoning

Core to Summoning Jutsu. Half fists pressed palm to palm with forearms parallel to the floor.

Hand sign sequences for popular jutsu

Mastered users sometimes drop signs. Sasuke later fires Fireball with Tiger alone. Rasengan and most kekkei genkai skip seals entirely, which makes them harder to interrupt mid-cast.

Hand signs for popular jutsu, one by one

Rasengan hand signs

Rasengan needs no hand signs. It is made by spinning and compressing chakra in the palm, which is why it is so hard to counter. Naruto learns it from Jiraiya and later uses a Shadow Clone to help form it. See also the Naruto jutsu list.

Shadow Clone Jutsu hand sign

Shadow Clone Jutsu uses a single cross-shaped seal, with the index and middle fingers of both hands crossed. It is not one of the twelve zodiac signs. Naruto uses it constantly, and it is the seal he is best known for.

Fireball Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball) hand signs

The full sequence is Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. Itachi is shown using a shorter Boar, Horse, Tiger chain, and practiced users can shorten it further. Tiger closes the chain because it is the Fire Release sign.

Chidori hand signs

Chidori uses Ox, Hare, Monkey. Kakashi and Sasuke both use this chain. In Part II Sasuke fires Chidori without any seals. Kakashi's Lightning Cutter (Raikiri) uses the same three seals.

Edo Tensei (Reanimation) hand signs

Edo Tensei uses Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon, then a hand clap. It is a forbidden technique that needs a living sacrifice and DNA from the dead person being summoned back.

Kirin hand signs

Kirin is Sasuke's lightning technique that calls down existing storm clouds, so it works only where lightning already gathers. If no storm is present, Sasuke first builds one with powerful fire techniques. Kirin uses no hand signs, and it can be used only once per fight because the strike disperses the clouds.

One-handed seals

Elite ninja can weave with one hand when both are not free. Haku does it during the Land of Waves arc. Zabuza hides one hand behind his back. Kakashi and Tobirama are also shown one-hand weaving. There is no separate sign set: the same twelve shapes are formed with fewer fingers bracing the chakra flow.

Practice the signs yourself

Every seal is a hand pose you can copy from the photos. Learn Tiger, Ram, and Snake first because they open the most jutsu chains. Practice slow transitions, then speed up. Several pairs (Ox vs Hare, Dog vs Rat) look alike from a distance, so check palm direction and which fingers cross.