Shonen Manga and Anime are all about power-ups and Naruto is no exception. Throughout Naruto, we see almost every single character go through some kind of journey where they gain additional powers.
These powers are then compared and contrasted in extreme battles, where readers/watchers finally get to see how different characters match up against one another.
Considering different powers, modes and Jutsus comparison is one of the coolest things about the series and has led to some of the most epic Anime battle sequences in recent history.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the character of Naruto himself, who goes through intense changes throughout the course of the series. From goofy kid to fabled hero, we see every struggle that Naruto must go through to obtain power – never giving up despite not being all that naturally talented as a student.
Naruto starts with a few powers of note, aside from the Shadow Clone Jutsu, which he uses through much of his early adolescence. By the time we get to Naruto: Shippuden, he has mastered other powers such as the Rasengan and Nature Transformations.
But it’s not until near the end of the series that we begin to see the true extent of Naruto’s potential.
If there is one power that is the most iconic for late-stage Naruto – then it is his Kyuubi Chakra Mode (KCM for short). This is the ultimate manifestation of his incredible chakra reserves, as well as his merging with the Kyuubi (Nine-Tailed Fox).
So you’ve gotten to the part of the series where Naruto is freely using Kyuubi Chakra Mode – but it can be difficult to follow exactly what this power-up means and what it does. If this sounds like you, then don’t worry!
We’ve written this guide to clearly explain it! Below is an exploration of Naruto’s Kyuubi Chakra Mode – we’ll take you through all aspects of it so that you can understand it clearly!
We’ve also included a handy FAQ section at the end of this article, to take you through some of the more technical terms we’ve used.
Before we take a look at exactly what Kyuubi Chakra Mode can do, let’s first recap how Naruto gets it in the first place.
Throughout the course of Naruto, he has always had a difficult connection with the Nine Tailed Fox sealed within him. Traditionally, when Naruto gets angry, he loses control and is able to unleash portions of the beast’s chakra.
In the past, we have seen Naruto transform into various versions of his Jinchuriki – named after the number of tails unleashed. All of these versions caused Naruto to be covered in a red chakra cloak that increases in intensity with each tail that he uses.
However, it slowly became clear that Naruto could learn to use this power without losing control and giving in to his anger. Very early in the series we see Naruto learn to control some of his high amounts of chakra when he is first taught by Jiraiya.
Here he learns to tap into the Nine Tails just a little so that he can harness some of its intense chakra reserves.
As Naruto grows from a boy into a young man, the focus of much of his training is how he is can harness this chakra without losing control of it.
The Nine Tailed Fox is angry and bitter for much of the story, and unwilling to collaborate with Naruto unless there is a chance that Naruto unleashes him. Kurama wants to be free – and resents Naruto for being trapped.
After meeting the Jinchuriki Killer B and seeing how close the man was with his own tailed beast, Naruto began to realize that he could learn to master the incredible power within him. After this moment we begin to see Naruto harness this intense chakra and become one with his tailed beast.
At the same time as this, the relationship between Naruto and Kurama began to change also. Just like Killer B and his Tailed Beast, Naruto learned to make friends with the Nine Tailed Fox and work with him in battles.
However, because of the history of how Kurama was sealed within Naruto, he was not able to access its full chakra reserves until later in the story – this is because some of Kurama’s chakra was sealed inside of Naruto’s Father – Minato.
After meeting the resurrected Minato, Naruto is able to recover this chakra. Once Naruto learns the name of the Nine Tailed Fox – Kurama. The two become great friends and support each other fully in battle. This is where he first unlocks Kyuubi Chakra Mode.
KCM 1
So now we’ve established the history around Kyuubi Chakra Mode, let’s examine the different abilities of Naruto at different levels.
At level 1, Naruto first off gets a massive chakra boost. This allows his chakra to manifest physically as a yellow cloak around him. This looks a little bit like Naruto is on fire with bright yellow flames.
His skin and most of his clothing disappear and he is left with only the flame dark markings over his body. We can, however, still see his Hidden Leaf Village headband.
Some of the most notable abilities when Naruto is in the first stage of Kyuubi Chakra Mode are as follows:
Tiny Bijuu Bombs
Bijuu Bombs are some of the most devastating attacks in all of Naruto. In their full form, they can destroy entire villages.
In their mini form, Naruto is able to gather huge amounts of chakra and condense them into black balls of energy – these bombs are used in the same way as his Rasengan and are very powerful.
Chakra Manipulation
With the massive increase in his chakra comes a sudden ability to be able to control it. By the time he transitions to KCM 1, Naruto has amazing control of his chakra and is able to manipulate it into different physical forms. The most notable example of this is extended Chakra Limbs.
We see him use this most commonly by creating two Chakra Arms. These Chakra arms are separate from his body and are essentially an extra pair of limbs. This means that he can attack and defend, much like the Susanoo of the Uchiha Clan.
Along with these new, additional Powers, KCM 1 sees Naruto have great increases in all of his other powers. His classic abilities such as Rasengan, Nature Transformations, Rasenshurken, and Shadow Clone Jutsu are amplified – allowing him to perform them with great ease and control.
KCM mode also sees Naruto have great increases in all three disciplines of the story – Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu (though it is worth noting that Naruto has no real aptitude for Genjutsu, though he does become much better at detecting it and dispelling it).
KCM 2
When Naruto learns Kurama’s name, their hearts fully merge and he is able to obtain a new level of power. This can be classified as Kyuubi Chakra Mode 2.
Now he and his tailed beast are working completely together, which unlocks a new list of abilities and makes Naruto almost god-like in his power level. The two of them are now good friends and they are able to collaborate to let Naruto defeat his enemies.
One of the most touching moments in the series is when the two fist-bump to show their new alliance.
Kyuubi Chakra Mode 2 is recognizable by the extension of his chakra cloak – now he has a long Hokage-Esque cloak and much more noticeable black markings.
This cloak makes Naruto look totally awesome! We also see his eyes change to look exactly like Kurama’s – a symbol to show how the two of them are now fully merged.
Kyuubi Chakra Mode 2 doesn’t just make Naruto look awesome, it also gives him an impressive increase in inability. Here they are:
Chakra Sharing
This is perhaps the most over-powered ability that he gains, and is the most important in the Fourth Great Shinobi War. By the time Naruto unlocks KCM 2, it is clear that they are losing the battle.
All of the United Shinobi Forces are tired and breaking – so they need something to raise their morale and stamina. This is where Naruto’s Chakra Sharing comes in.
Because of his incredible Chakra Reserves and ability to manipulate it, Naruto is able to transfer this chakra onto others. During the height of the battle, we see Naruto transfer his Chakra to the entire Army. This chakra gives them strength, but more importantly, it protects them from getting hurt.
Beast Bombs
One thing that all of the Tailed Beasts share is their ability to conjure Tailed Beast Bombs. Beast Bombs are created by fusing massive amounts of black chakra (positive) and white chakra (negative).
This takes an incredible amount of control and shows how far Naruto has come in his abilities – from a kid who had no control over his chakra, to be able to fuse complex chakra together.
In short – beast bombs are overpowered. They destroy absolutely everything in their path and Naruto is able to make these easily by the time he can freely use KCM 2.
Kurama
In the same way, Naruto was able to manifest additional limbs with his manipulation of Chakra, now he is able to manifest a cloak of Kurama himself.
It is as if Kurama is able to burst free from Naruto’s body and extend himself out into the real world. This means that Naruto has a cloak that can protect or attack, as well as weave extra hand signs.
KCM 3
Now that we’ve looked at the first two stages, let’s move on to Kyuubi Chakra Mode 3 – this is the moment in which we see Naruto really come into his own as a ninja. In KCM 3 he is not only able to merge with Kurama, but control his power to a level of mastery.
KCM 3 Naruto is one of the most powerful characters in the entirety of the Naruto Universe, only matched by Sasuke Uchiha with his matured Rinnegan, and some of the most terrible villains.
Kyuubi Chakra Mode 3 is recognizable by Naruto’s more casual appearance. The long coat is gone, replaced by a shorter jacket. Naruto has the same eyes and yellow chakra texture, though he has much deeper black markings that make up his undershirt.
The powers are mostly improvements over his initial control of KCM 2, and are as follows:
Increased Control
With this form, we see Naruto have total control over his Kyuubi powers. Not only has Kurama merged with him and lent him his power – but agreed to stay with Naruto because of how powerful the two are when they fight together.
This means that Naruto and Kurama have had a lot of time to be together and maximize their strength.
We see KCM 3 Naruto have incredible power at the drop of a pin. He is able to easily go in and out of his chakra cloak, as well as being able to physically manifest Kurama at will.
Collaboration With Sasuke
This is where we really see some unstoppable forms of power. Ever since Naruto and Sasuke first worked together as young Genin, we have learned that they are very powerful in collaboration. With incredible power as adults, this has not changed.
One of the most powerful abilities we ever see in Naruto is the collaboration between Sasuke and Naruto during their fight with Momoshiki – when they are able to mix the Susanoo and Naruto’s physical manifestation of Kurama. Kurama appears – Sasuke uses his Susanoo to give him armor.
Watching a heavily armored Kurama go into battle is one of the most awesome things we could imagine – and possibly the most impressive use of Jutsu in the entirety of Naruto.
Bayron Mode
So now you’re thinking – ‘Naruto can’t possibly get any more powerful than he already is,’ right?
Well, think again – because there is one more form that we have to introduce you to! It goes by the name of Bayron mode.
Seen very rarely because of its intense chakra cost, Bayron mode is Naruto’s ultimate form. It is recognizable by its deep red chakra cloak and the manifestation of all Nine Tails of Kurama – it is one of the most dazzling examples of chakra transformation that we have ever seen in the Naruto Universe.
It also massively changes Naruto’s facial features – who grows ears and looks a lot more like Kurama. This is the ultimate merge between Naruto and the Nine Tailed Fox – and it’s awesome!
The first thing to mention about Bayron Mode is that it comes with great personal risk. The intense levels of chakra mean that it drains the user’s lifespan with each moment that passes.
Because of this, Naruto must learn not to use it recklessly else he will likely damage himself. More than this, it massively endangers Kurama’s life and can cause him to be destroyed if used too much.
Bayron mode makes Naruto almost immortal – it increases his speed, power, and ability with Jutsu to unthinkable levels. It also drains the life force of anyone who it comes into contact with it.
Final Thoughts
Watching Naruto’s growth as a ninja from useless to extremely powerful is one of the most satisfying aspects of Naruto. As a true underdog, it’s only natural we want him to succeed!
Throughout the course of the series, he goes from struggling to do even the most simple of Jutsu, to a ninja so powerful that we can hardly imagine it. Kyuubi Chakra mode is the real manifestation of this – the proof that Naruto really is a genius.
We hope that this article has shed some light on the complexities of his ultimate ability. It can be difficult to keep up with all the various power-ups within the Naruto Universe, especially towards the end of Naruto: Shippuden when there are lots of new powers being introduced.
Kyuubi Chakra Mode is one of the most awesome aspects of Naruto, and a great example of how powerful a ninja can be once they master their natural chakra reserves!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Chakra?
Chakra is the magical energy contained within all Ninja in the show. Chakra is often displayed as blue energy that flows through special chakra pathways within the body.
It can be unleashed and harnessed in order to perform Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. Chakra control is one of the most fundamental disciplines within Naruto and is a big part of what young ninja learn to do as they study to become true Shinobi.
What Is The Kyuubi?
Long before the events of Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, the Sage of Sixth Paths battled the Ten Tailed Beast – a monster of enormous power.
Eventually, he sealed it within himself, but finding the power to be too great – he eventually split its power into multiple parts. This is where we see the Tailed Beasts. Each one has a fragment of its chakra.
The Kyuubi is what we call the 9th Tailed Beast or the Nine Tailed Fox. His real name is Kurama and he is trapped within the central character of the series – the loveable Naruto Uzumaki.
Who Is Sasuke Uchiha?
Sasuke Uchiha is Naruto’s best friend and rival. The two meet in the ninja academy as young children and are soon placed together on team 7 after graduation.
Sasuke is bitter and angry after the massacre of his entire clan, and a lot of the story of Naruto revolves around his growth and descent into evil. Sasuke and Naruto are incredibly powerful as a team, and we see this repeated throughout the course of the series.
What Is The Susanoo?
The Susanoo is one of the ultimate abilities of the Uchiha Clan. Much like Naruto’s physical manifestation of the Nine Tailed Fox, it acts as armor that can be used to attack or defend.
Only a few Uchiha throughout history have been able to obtain this legendary power, and it automatically makes them some of the most powerful ninja alive. In Boruto: The Next Generations, we see that Naruto and Sasuke are able to combine their power to be almost unstoppable.
