No anime is ever complete with a good old curse or two in the plotline. The curse mark on Sasuke Uchiha is one of the most interesting and most discussed special abilities in the popular series Naruto.
Yes, the curse is evil, but we do love the general look of this fascinating curse as it engulfs Sasuke, and fans are quite fond of the strengths that the anime character obtains when the curse is activated.
In this guide, we discuss how Sasuke gets the curse, the powers it offers ,and how he finally gets rid of it.
The curse mark on Sasuke’s shoulder is known as the Cursed Seal of Heaven and is one of Orochimaru’s strongest seals. Oriochimaru was a member of the legendary Sannin ninja and the main antagonist in much of the series. The only stronger seal is the Cursed Seal of the Earth, which is the counterpart to the Cursed Seal of Heaven.
The mark consists of three tomoe, or swirls, in the middle, known as mitsudomoe, with a larger flame-like border around them. These tattoo-like flames in orange-red spread all over Sasuke’s body along his arms and face when he draws in more power.
When the seal is used, it will increase the chakra of the user so he or she can perform more jutsu. The more the cursed mark is used, the more willpower is lost to Orochimaru.
What Is the Cursed Seal of Earth?
The Cursed Seal of Earth is Orochimaru’s strongest seal and it differs from the Cursed Seal of Heaven.
When the Earth Seal is placed, it appears as three curved lines in a ripple pattern that shows up on the chest.
As with the other seal, the Earth seal gives a spike in chakra, increasing physical abilities like speed, strength, and agility. The seal also boosts ninjutsu skills.
Another similarity between this seal and the heaven seal is that it also changes the appearance of the cursed. On the first level, the seal creates an orange-red hue, and lines start to expand all over the cursed individual’s body.
When the second level is activated, the user turns into something that resembles a dinosaur or lizard with a long tail and large bones that stick out of the skin.
Where Did Sasuke Get the Curse Mark?
Sasuke got the mark from Orochimaru. He was branded in the Forest of Death in the first part of the Naruto series. To gain access to the forest, Orochimaru killed Shiore, a junior ninja, and impersonated him.
Before branding him, Orochimaru first tested Sasuke’s powers to see if he was a worthy ninja. After that, he quickly branded Sasuke.
The reason why Orochimaro branded him was to corrode Sasuke’s mind and take over Sasuke’s body as a new vessel for his spirit. The mark would allow Orochimaro to command him as he pleased.
Why Did Orochimaro Choose to Brand Sasuke?
To stay alive and become immortal, Orochimaro needs to change bodies frequently. Originally, he considered branding and taking the body of Sasuke’s older brother, Itachi, because he can use Sharingan. Itachi was, however, a very difficult target.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was an easier target, and his competitive nature and willingness to sacrifice anything, including his own life, just to surpass Itachi made him a more suitable candidate. The more Sasuke tapped into the power of the curse mark, the quicker Orochimaru found a new and powerful vessel.
How Was the Cursed Seal of Heaven Broken?
The curse mark was broken by Sasuke’s older brother, Itachi Uchiha.
The two Uchiha brothers were engaged in a fight and Itachi was on the winning side, forcing Sasuke to start tapping into the power of the cursed seal. At this point, Sasuke had already used the cursed seal quite a few times, leaving him extremely vulnerable to Orochimaru.
When he tapped into the cursed seal, Orochimaru immediately took over his body. Itachi took advantage of this opportunity and stabbed Orochimaro using the Totsuka Blade. By stabbing Orochimaro with this special blade, the parasitic spirit was sealed off in a genjutsu, and Sasuke was released from the curse.
What Happened When Sasuke Used the Power of the Seal?
Sasuke was extremely tempted to use the power of the curse mark because it gave him a huge spike in chakra. But, as he used the mark, he slowly lost his will and his appearance gradually started to change.
At the simplest form of the seal, strange fire-like markings spread all over his body and face. But when Sasuke reaches the second level of the seal, his appearance changes drastically. His skin turns a dark shade of gray, his hair becomes much longer with a blue hue, and his eyes start to look more demonic. Clawed wings allow Sasuke to fly and a star shape appears on his nose bridge.
In addition to the ability to fly and the increase of chakra, Sasuke can also generate snakes if an arm or leg is cut off during battle while the seal is activated.
Conclusion
The curse mark on Sasuke might offer quite a few special abilities, but any fan would agree that no amount of power is worth your life, especially considering that a parasitic entity might be taking over your body and living life to the fullest in your place.
We hope that this guide answered all of your questions about the curse mark on Sasuke. Fans were quite impressed with the cursed seal’s abilities and the change in features. But, in the end, everyone was pretty happy to see the seal broken and Sasuke freed.
If you want to learn even more about other anime or superhero characters, have a look at the other guides we have on Comic Bento.
