Sasuke’s Curse Mark Explained: What Is It, Location & Did It Change Him?

Sasuke Uchiha is no doubt one of the most intriguing characters in Naruto. He is also a character that kept fans staying for as long as they had for the series. But unfortunately, aside from being a great character, he was also one of those characters unlucky enough to receive a cursed seal from Orochimaru. So what exactly type of curse seal did Orochimaru put on Sasuke?

Orochimaru placed the Cursed Seal of Heaven on Sasuke Uchiha. Accordingly, this is one of Orochimaru’s strongest seals. A viewer can see the seal on the back of Sasuke’s neck. The seal grants the user an increase of chakra but the more they use the seal, the more they lose their will to Orochimaru.

There are a lot of mysteries behind the seal, and Sasuke is not the only one to have been branded with it. This article will explain the seal in further detail.

What Is the Cursed Seal of Heaven?

As mentioned earlier, this particular cursed seal is one of the strongest seals Orochimaru has. The other strongest is the Cursed Seal of the Earth, which happens to be the counterpart of the Cursed Seal of Heaven.

The seal looks strangely similar to the Sharingan, having three tomoe marks. However, the seal burns orange-red upon activation and spreads flame-like marking across the user’s body. When this happens, the user is able to tap into a more significant chakra source.

However, if the user continues to use the cursed seal, they steadily lose their own will.

How Did Sasuke Get the Cursed Seal?

Sasuke got the mark during the second phase of the Chunin Exam during the first Naruto series. The exam took place in the Forest of Death. Prior to the exam, Orochimaru killed Shiore, so he could impersonate him and enter the exam.

After testing Sasuke’s powers, he deems the genin worthy and brands him with the seal before taking his leave. Sasuke’s mentor, Kakashi Hatake, used the Evil Sealing Method to stop the seal from advancing. However, the jutsu will only work if Sasuke does not use the seal.

Why Did Orochimaru Choose Sasuke?

Orochimaru wanted to be immortal. However, this requires him to change bodies every so often to continue to perform at the optimal level. One of his choices for a new body was Sasuke Uchiha. Originally, Orochimaru wanted to take over the body of Itachi, Sasuke’s older brother.

He wanted Itachi’s body because he was the stronger Uchiha in the clan and wields the Sharingan. However, it was difficult for him to acquire Itachi’s body. So he went after Sasuke since he was the easier target, and he also had a Sharingan. 

He knew Sasuke would be tempted to use the power the seal grants him in order to surpass Itachi. As long as Sasuke gets the power, Sasuke would be willing enough to give up everything, including his own body. 

How Was the Seal Broken?

It was Itachi who broke the seal. During the final fight between the two Uchiha brothers, Itachi forced Sasuke to a point where he was forced to tap into the seal’s power. This allowed Orochimaru to take over Sasuke’s body because he was already absorbed by Sasuke.

Itachi took this opportunity to stab Orochimaru with the Totsuka Blade, sealing Orochimaru in a genjutsu and successfully freeing Sasuke from the Cursed Seal of Heaven.

Does Sasuke Change When He Uses the Seal?

Aside from the chakra spike, Sasuke also slowly loses his will every time he uses the seal. His appearance also changes. Strange flame-like markings start to litter around his body when he activates the seal. 

When Sasuke finally activated the second level of the seal, he took on a completely different form. Sasuke’s skin turned dark-grey, and his hair would grow longer and look bluer in hue. His eyes also changed, looking more demonic. In addition, he also grows out webbed-claw-shaped wings from his back which he can use to fly and glide. A dark star-shaped mark also is present at the bridge of his nose.

If Sasuke were to lose a limb in battle while the seal is activated, the lost limb could be replaced by snakes.

Who Was the Other User?

The other one branded with the Cursed Seal of Heaven is Anko Mitarashi, a Tokubetsu jonin who teaches at the Ninja academy of Konoha.

Before Orochimaru left Konoha, Anko was part of the genin team led by Orochimaru. When Orochimaru learned about immortality, he used Anko as a test subject for the Cursed Seal of Heaven. There were about 9 other test subjects aside from Anko. However, Anko was the only one to have survived the experiment.

Even though Anko is no longer loyal to Orochimaru, she feels responsible for the damage done by her teacher. In addition, she feels guilty for not stopping her teacher when he knew she knew he started a life of crime.

Anko’s cursed mark was used in Naruto Shippuden to revive Orochimaru. Jugo found Anko’s unconscious body, and Sasuke decided to use the seal on her to talk to Orochimaru. He uses the Evil Releasing Method to revive Orochimaru. The action also causes Anko’s seal to break.

What Is the Cursed Seal of Earth?

This is the other strongest seal of Orochimaru and is the direct counterpart of the Cursed Seal of Heaven. However, unlike the other cursed seal, this one consists of three curved lines spread in a rip-like pattern. The shown user in the anime, Kimimaro, has his seal at the upper portion of his chest over his manubrium.

Similar to other cursed seals, the user is granted increased chakra levels and physical capabilities. In addition, his ninjutsu skills are also noted to be more effective when the seal is active.

Like its counterpart, the seal also changes the user’s appearance to a degree. Upon its first level activation, the seal burns an orange-red hue and expands in lines over the user’s body. At its second level, the known user, Kimimaro takes on the appearance of something similar to a dinosaur, with the tail to complete the look. Large bones are also seen protruding from his skin, and strange markings, particularly around his face, appear.

Cursed Seals are definitely something to look out for. However, even though they grant its users exceptional abilities, it’s not something worth giving your life for. Luckily, Sasuke and Anko managed to get rid of their Cursed Seals and moved on with their lives.