Throughout Naruto and Boruto, many different versions of the Rasengan were introduced. Here's a breakdown of Naruto's signature technique.

For almost every Naruto and Boruto arc, there is a different version of the Rasengan. First revealed in Naruto episode 86, the Rasengan would go on to become one of the most used techniques in the series. Along with Shadow Clone, the Rasengan is Naruto's signature jutsu.

Essentially, the Rasengan consists of concentrating and rotating the chakra at a focal point on the user's hand. The result is a spinning chakra sphere with immense destructive power. Unlike the Chidori, which has a more external impact, the Rasengan can reach deep into a target.

Throughout the story, Naruto and later Boruto would use their creativity to create different versions of the Rasengan. Each of Naruto's transformations, such as Sage Mode or Tailed Beast Mode, was also responsible for generating its own versions of the Rasengan. Whether due to differences in size or quantity, the Rasengan is one of the most adaptable techniques in the saga.

Rasengan

It is the simplest version of the technique, and although it was introduced in the story with Jiraya, it was actually created by the Fourth Hokage. After witnessing Killer Bee's Beast Ball technique, Minato Namizake returned home with the aim of creating a jutsu that manipulated both the form and the nature of chakra in the shape of a sphere. However, The Fourth Hokage was never able to add a chakra nature to his jutsu, meaning that the ordinary Rasengan is actually an incomplete technique. Despite that, the Rasengan is an A-level jutsu and one of the most powerful techniques a shinobi can learn. The jutsu would pass from generation to generation, having already been used by Jiraya, Kakashi, Naruto, Konohamaru, and Boruto – all shinobi who share some sort of family or master-apprentice bond.

Vermillion Rasengan

As with all of Naruto's skills, the Rasengan also modifies when the character enters his Jinchūriki mode. Thanks to the Nine-Tails Fox's red chakra, the Rasengan gains an extra layer of power and even has a darker color. It was used in the conclusion of the epic battle between Naruto and Sasuke in the Valley of the End.

Big Ball Rasengan

After the almost three-year time jump between Part 1 and Naruto Shippuden, there was great anticipation about what new techniques Naruto had learned from Jiraiya. The first to be revealed was a new, more powerful variation of the Rasengan: the Big Ball Rasengan. The technique's name is pretty self-explanatory, and there is not much difference to the original Rasengan except that more chakra must be infused. It was first used against Itachi's avatar.

Wind Release: Rasengan / Hurricane Vortex Jutsu

The Fourth Hokage may not have been able to add a chakra nature to his Rasengan, but that did not stop Naruto from trying to accomplish the feat. With the help of Kakashi and Yamato, Naruto went through one of his toughest training periods to master the combination of Wind Style and Rasengan in order to be ready for the Akatsuki members' next move. Before the full results of his training were shown, Naruto used the Wind Release: Rasengan, a simple combination of the Rasengan with Naruto's newfound wind chakra nature. This Rasengan was not used directly but rather in combination with Yamato's Water Style jutsu to create the Hurricane Vortex Jutsu - the technique that saved Kakashi and Team Asuma from being killed by Kakuzu.

Wind Style: Rasenshuriken

If the Rasengan was an incomplete technique, Wind Style: Rasenshuriken is what Minato had always dreamed of. After days of hard training and a lot of improvisation, Naruto was finally able to create a jutsu that involved manipulating both the shape and the nature of his chakra. By infusing his Wind Style into the classic Rasengan with the help of a third clone, Naruto creates a shuriken-shaped Rasengan with enough destructive power to obliterate every cell in the opponent's body. However, Naruto was prohibited by Fifth Hokage Tsunade to use the technique because it equally affected his hands. Naruto would eventually find a solution to this after mastering Sage Mode and becoming able to throw the Rasenshuriken.

Sage Art: Massive Rasengan

As much as the Rasenshuriken looked like the perfect Rasengan, Sage Mode added new possibilities for the technique. Naruto could now infuse an absurd amount of chakra, which led to the creation of the Massive Rasengan. It is the Rasengan in the form of a giant sphere and was first used in combat against Pain.

Rasengan Barrage

Also used for the first time in the fight against Pain, the Rasengan Barrage is when Naruto creates more than one Rasengan at the same time. Depending on the number of clones, this technique can be called Rasengan Super Barrage. Depending on the size of each Rasengan, it can be called Giant Rasengan Barrage.

Nine-Tails Mode Rasengan

Naruto's next major transformation after Sage Mode was the Nine-Tails mode and its variations - a state in which Naruto completely masters the chakra of his tailed beast. As a consequence, he is able to create versions of the Rasengan far more powerful than any others using his chakra cloak. Among these versions of the Rasengan are Planetary Rasengan, Rasen Rampage, Rasen Absorption, Mini Rasenshuriken, Tailed Beast Rasengan, and Super Mini Tailed Beast Bomb.

Sage Art: Magnet Release Rasengan

Naruto still had one more transformation up his sleeve: The Sage of Six Paths mode. In this one, he was able to combine his Rasengan with Shukaku's Magnet Release. Upon hitting the opponent, this jutsu causes them to be immobilized with the beast's cursed seal marking.

Super-Ultra-Big-Ball Rasengan

This was what Naruto used in his fight against Delta, one of the Kara members, in Boruto.  The Rasengan is often called Naruto's own Spirit Bomb, but if there's one version of the jutsu that really can be compared to Goku's signature technique, it's the Super-Ultra-Big-Ball Rasengan. At the height of not only his power but his experience, Naruto was able to create an even larger version of the Rasengan, all with just one hand.

Boruto's Versions Of The Rasengan

As the son of the Seventh Hokage, Boruto was expected to master the Rasengan. Although his first use of the technique was through the Ninja Science Tools, pretty much tricking his new master Sasuke, Boruto eventually developed his own Rasengan versions. The first was the Vanishing Rasengan, in which a small sphere of chakra is thrown at the opponent, disappears, and then takes them by surprise. Later, Boruto came up with the High Compression Rasengan, a clever technique in which all of the chakra used in the Rasengan is compressed into a smaller sphere with greater destructive power. Boruto was also able to add Wind Style to his Rasengan, creating his own Wind Style Rasengan – visually different from every other Rasengan previously shown in Naruto and Boruto.

Next: Naruto's Valley Of The End, Explained