Naruto: The God Tree explained

The God Tree is an important yet mysterious element in Naruto that’s powerful enough to cast the world’s strongest Genjutsu Infinite Tsukuyomi. 

The Fourth Great Shinobi War revealed the history of Chakra and how the Shinobi world came to be. Adding multiple layers of complexities in the story, such as the Ten-Tails, Gedo Statue, and Chakra – all of which are directly or indirectly related to the God Tree. 

The God Tree helps explain the concept of Chakra in the Naruto franchise. The Divine Tree was only the precursor to Kaguya Otsutsuki’s unforeseen entrance. 

However, this incomprehensible phenomenon startled many even on its own, especially given its larger implications in the Naruto series. Delve deeper to learn about the fundamentals of the source of Chakra, the God tree.

What is a God Tree in Naruto?

Crunchyroll

The God Tree is a massive tree that grows by absorbing blood soaked into the ground from multitudinous battles fought over a millennium. Ten-Tails, who serves as the Tree’s seedling, create the God Trees. 

It must be given the life of an Otsutsuki in order to blossom from a seedling into a tree. The tree will bear a Chakra fruit, whose power depends on the sacrifice. A healthy and strong sacrifice will help create a more powerful Chakra Fruit. 

Some civilizations venerate the God Tree because of its gigantic size and the conditions under which it grows. Humans used to worship the God Tree as a sacred pillar that extended into the skies and remained passive to all conflict. 

Obito Uchiha transformed the Ten-Tails into an enormous tree during the Fourth Shinobi World War as part of his Eye of the Moon Plan. The Eight-Tails referred to that as both the final form of the Ten-Tails and the God Tree itself. 

In Naruto, the God Tree is seen to have its own will and becomes the Ten-Tails to fight alongside Kaguya, foreshadowing the fact that the Ten-Tails and the God Tree are one and the same, with the former being the God Tree’s seed.

What purpose did the God Tree serve for the Otsutsuki Clan?

Crunchyroll

The God Tree sprouted from a seed that landed on Earth from a meteorite several millennia ago. The people believed it nourished the land and helped it thrive when in reality, it was slowly draining the natural energy from its surroundings. 

Gradually, people began fearing and never dared to touch the “Chakra Fruit” it bore every thousand years. 

On the other hand, the otherworldly Otsutski Clan travel through dimensions in search of God Trees to harvest the Chakra Fruit that can grant them godlike power, extended youth, and longevity. 

The Otsutsuki traveled in pairs, with one serving as the sacrifice for the God Tree to sprout while the other consumed the Chakra Fruit. Some would even consume multiple fruits from their planet until the God Tree drained every last bit of its natural energy. 

The Otsutsuki will then search for another planet once the God Tree destroys the previous planet. Kaguya was the sacrifice, while her partner Isshiki would consume the fruit. However, Kaguya grew fond of Earth and its people and didn’t want it to suffer the same fate as other planets. 

She tricked Isshiki and used him as a sacrifice before consuming the Chakra Fruit herself. Kaguya also absorbed the divine tree and became the Ten-Tails herself to protect the planet.

Naruto can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll. In the meantime, check out our other anime coverage below:

Genya’s abilities in Demon Slayer | Muzan Kibutsuji abilities in Demon Slayer | Demon Slayer’s The Infinity Castle | Demon Slayer Thunder Breathing 7th form | The real villain in Hell’s Paradise | Hell’s Paradise’s Elixir of Life | One Piece’s Empty Throne | One Piece creator | One Piece manga hiatuses | One Piece Red Hair Pirates | One Piece Shanks’ twin theory | Bleach vs Naruto