Minato Namikaze is one of the most talented ninjas to have ever existed in the world of Naruto. Known to be a generational shinobi, the likes of which would only come once in ages, Minato was incredibly special and his genius ended up making him the Fourth Hokage of the village. Minato's skill was such that he was feared all over the world. In fact, it is a well-known fact that Minato ended the Third Great Ninja War single-handedly due to his immense performance against Iwagakure shinobi.

The Third Great Ninja War saw the rise of the legend of Minato Namikaze. He came to be known as the Yellow Flash, but more importantly, he ended up developing something even more special than his reputation and that is the jutsu known as Rasengan. This Rasengan ended up becoming his legacy and was eventually passed down to his son, Naruto Uzumaki. The reason for its creation ties back to love in the first place.

The Rasengan Is The Most Iconic Jutsu In Naruto

Created By The Fourth Hokage During The Third Great Ninja War

The world of Naruto features many iconic Jutsu. Naruto Uzumaki's Shadow Clone Jutsu ranks among the most iconic ones, simply because of how frequently the main character utilizes it and the ingenious ways in which he makes use of it. But, it goes without saying that no Jutsu in Naruto is as iconic as the Rasengan. First introduced in the very beginning parts of the Naruto series, the Rasengan was immediately defined as the legacy of the Fourth Hokage. Back then, fans weren't truly aware of who the Fourth Hokage was and what connection he bore to Naruto Uzumaki, but with time, all this became clear as well.

Simply put, the Rasengan is a powerful A-Rank Jutsu that allows the user to create a giant ball of chakra in their hands. This chakra is spun at a very high speed and this leads to an incredible amount of rotational energy developing in the palm. The Rasengan utilizes an incredibly high level of shape transformation and it requires the chakra control of the highest level. With these two things combined, one can form a perfectly spherical ball of chakra that rotates at an incredibly high speed and can deal a ton of damage. The Rasengan tears through all enemies and can take down most in a single blow. The more chakra put in the Rasengan, the more dangerous this technique gets, and that is truly the essence of it.

This Jutsu isn't one to take lightly. It is the legacy of the Fourth Hokage. — Jiraiya

While the Rasengan is incredibly impressive on its own, it must also be remembered that this is technically an incomplete Jutsu. Minato created the Rasengan as a base for something even more special. Unfortunately, he never succeeded in putting his nature transformation into the Rasengan and completing it. Minato died way too young, and as such, his growth was halted. The job of completing the Rasengan would then fall onto his son, Naruto Uzumaki, who ended up creating the Rasenshuriken.

Minato Created The Rasengan To Protect Kushina

Created By Observing A Tailed Beast Ball

The main reason why Minato Namikaze created the Rasengan has to do with his wife, Kushina Uzumaki. In the Third Great Ninja War, Minato Namikaze fought against multiple powerful enemies. Before he went on to lead his own team into this war, which lasted for several years, Minato was also a part of the team led by Jiraiya. Given that a war of attrition was going on at one point, Jinchuriki warfare became an option. The main reason why Jinchuriki existed was to simply be used as weapons by villages against each other.

Then, I shall call it the Rasengan. — Kushina Uzumaki

Jiraiya's team specifically came up against the Jinchuriki of the Four Tails and the Five Tails. Both of these Jinchuriki had incredibly powerful chakra and great control over the abilities of their Tailed Beasts as well.

Against Jiraiya's team, they were quick to make use of a Tailed Beast Ball that would have obliterated all three of the teammates had Minato not used his teleportation jutsu to get them out of harm's way. While this confrontation was avoided by the Yellow Flash, it ended up becoming the basis for the creation of Rasengan. By observing Son Goku and Kokuo utilize the power of Tailed Beast Ball, Minato was able to get a grasp of how to create a Rasengan, since they both employ the same logic.

By creating a giant mass of chakra in his palm and spinning it at an incredibly high speed, as well as giving it the maximum level of shape transformation to create a sphere, Minato was able to replicate the Tailed Beast Ball in a miniature version and create something just as dangerous. The main reason why Minato created the Rasengan was because of Jinchuriki warfare. Given how long the war had been going on, and the lack of a breakthrough in this battle, villages were starting to utilize their Jinchuriki in battle. As such, Minato realized that sooner or later, Kushina would be thrown onto the battlefield as well. Compared to the other Jinchuriki that were being utilized by Iwagakure, Kushina likely did not have as much control over the power of Kurama. As such, Minato wanted her to have a jutsu to rival the power of the other Tailed Beasts. This jutsu was the Rasengan. In essence, the Rasengan was a jutsu by Minato to protect Kushina.

How Minato Saved Kushina With Rasengan

In the end, when Kushina lost control over the power of Kurama, it was Minato who entered her inner psyche and used the power of the Rasengan to match a Tailed Beast Ball and then save her life. Upon seeing this incredible display, Kurama directly compared Minato Namikaze to the First Hokage in terms of power and talent. It is after this moment of Minato saving Kushina that she named this jutsu the Rasengan.

Kushina Named The Jutsu And It Passed On To Naruto Uzumaki

Rasengan Became A Gift To Naruto Uzumaki From His Parents

Kushina Named rasengan Passed on Naruto Uzumaki

Originally created to protect Kushina in the Third Great Ninja War, Minato ended up wielding this jutsu himself for the sake of protecting his loved ones in battle, and it became his signature jutsu. While Kushina never really went on to master the power of the Rasengan, this jutsu was eventually passed on to their son, Naruto Uzumaki. The essence of the Rasengan was to protect the loved ones. As such, it makes perfect sense as to why this technique was passed down to Naruto Uzumaki. Kushina and Minato both died during the invasion of Obito Uchiha and the attack of the Nine-Tails. While they could not be there to protect Naruto themselves, their jutsu was passed on to him eventually.

Minato originally intended for this jutsu to help Kushina defend herself in the war, but it ended up being passed on to Naruto to help him defend himself in the face of all the troubles he would face in the absence of his parents. As such, the Rasengan was essentially a love letter from both Kushina and Minato to Naruto, and that is what makes this jutsu the most iconic in the entire series.