In the Naruto universe, rinnegan is a legendary power that has only ever been used by a select few Shinobi. It is thought to be the Hagoromo Otsutsuki, also known as the Sage of Six Paths, Dojutsu that is the strongest. Because using this power requires a tremendous amount of Chakra and talent, the characters who are capable of doing so are all very strong. Such figures include Nagato Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
Both have a tremendous amount of skill overall. However, when it comes to exercising a particular kind of power, they are poles apart. While Sasuke only got it in one eye during the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Nagato received it when he was a young child. Here are the Naruto characters who best made use of Rinnegan's abilities.
In Naruto, What Abilities Does Rinnegan Bestow on Its Wielders?
Those capable of wielding Rinnegan can utilize six abilities collectively known as the Six Paths Technique. Furthermore, the wielder of the Rinnegan is said to hold control over life and death itself, and by expending their own life force, the user can bring others back from the dead within a matter of seconds. Nagato was able to bring back all the people he killed during his invasion of Konoha -- at the cost of his life.
Furthermore, Obito was forced to use Rinne Rebirth in the war. This power is the only way to break the seal placed on the demonic statue of the outer path and allows the wielder to summon it. Additionally, Rinnegan is the key to using the world's most powerful genjutsu: the Infinite Tsukuyomi. However, there have been times when certain techniques were unique to some wielders. For example, Madara Uchiha was the only character to create corporeal shadows in the world of Limbo, which is only visible to those with the eyes of Rinnegan.
What Skills Does Sasuke Employ With His Rinnegan?
During the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Sasuke received half of Hagoromo's Chakra and was healed with Hashirama's cells. The fusion of these two powers helped him awaken a Rinnegan in his left eye with three tomoe on each of its two innermost circles. His Rinnegan grants him access to the various abilities of the Six Path Techniques and helps him analyze codes and patterns. Apart from using all the standard Rinnegan techniques, Sasuke has one unique ability -- "Space-Time Ninjutsu" -- that allows him to manipulate space and time in a continuous sequence.
Sasuke can perceive distortions in the flow of time with this technique, but can also manipulate specific points in space that give him the power to wrap into dimensional voids and teleport himself and others to different locations. He can even use a Barrier Ninjutsu through his Rinnegan.
The Six Paths Techniques are unique to each Rinnegan wielder. In Sasuke's case, he can see invisible enemies and even repel the effects of Infinite Tsukuyomi -- said to be the strongest genjutsu in Naruto. Sasuke has one more unique technique granted by his Rinnegan, "Amenotejikara", which lets him absorb Chakra, reverse Ninjutsu attacks, and even breach defense barriers.
What Skills Does Nagato Employ When Wielding His Rinnegan?
Despite being an Uzumaki, Nagato didn't come from a family of Shinobi. His parents were ordinary people who suffered the consequences of the ongoing shinobi war. When he lost his family, Obito found potential in him and granted him Madara's Rinnegan for safekeeping. Nagato's massive reserve of Chakra allowed him to conveniently use this legendary power, but he also took it to another level. Nagato simultaneously used the Six Paths Techniques by embedding black receivers throughout the bodies of six corpses.
The Six Path Techniques are the gravitational powers of the Deve Path, the menagerie of Summons of the Animal Path, the absorptive potential of the Preta Path, the control over souls with the Human Path, the mechanization in the Asura Path, and finally the gates of hell through the Naraka Path. Nagato called them "The Six Paths of Pain" and remotely controlled them through Chakra receivers.
The Six Paths of Pain could perform one technique that Nagato himself was capable of. Each one served a specific purpose, be it offensive, defensive, reconnaissance or repair. Furthermore, Nagato can share the vision of each of the Paths, thereby allowing him to coordinate their movements, leaving no blind spot for the opponent to take advantage of.
Who Used Their Rinnegan Better, Sasuke or Nagato?
Unlike Sasuke, who spent his childhood awakening and polishing his Sharingan, Nagato had only ever used Rinnegan. This allowed the latter more than enough time to polish his skills. Moreover, the powers granted to Nagato through Rinnegan were diverse and basically covered every aspect of the abilities required to win a fight. That is why, up until his fight with Naruto, Nagato had never been bested.
Nagato mastered the Six Path Techniques, but he also applied them in such a way that opponents had no choice but to counterattack. Nagato was able to use all six techniques through his reincarnated body after Jutsu was reanimated. As a result, while Sasuke gained incredible strength by the end of Naruto Shippuden, it was Nagato who fully utilized Rinnegan's abilities.
