Naruto · Jutsu · Kanji file 024

Chibaku Tensei — Planetary Devastation

Pronounced chi·ba·ku ten·sei

There is no four-character idiom chibaku tensei in Japanese — and no such words as chibaku or tensei written this way, either. It is a coinage of the author’s own. Yet line up these four kanji — earth, burst, heaven, star — and a Japanese reader instantly imagines a jutsu holding unimaginable destructive power. Jin no Sho (p. 268) explains it: a source of gravity is created high in the sky, and it drags the target up together with whole chunks of the earth, burying it alive. The databook even gives it a tagline: “the earth bursts, and becomes a star” (大地爆ぜ、星と成す). There are two versions — Chibaku Tensei cast by a single user, and Six Paths Chibaku Tensei, which draws on the combined powers of yin and yang.

A coinage that gives you chillsThe kanji give it away

📖 Databook: Jin no Sho, p. 268

First appears: Vol. 47, Chapter 438

Speed

Breaking down the kanji

Here's what each character means — and how to write it. In Japan, following the correct stroke order is considered the key to writing kanji beautifully. Readings, stroke counts and core meanings below come directly from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database.

1 / 4 CHI

ground · earth

✎ Editor’s glossthe earth — the ground where all things stand side by side

Kun / On
— · CHI / JI
Strokes
6
Level
Taught in grade 2 in Japan
2 / 4 BAKU

bomb · burst open · pop

✎ Editor’s glossto burst — to split apart violently, driven by the force of fire

Kun / On
ha(zeru) · BAKU
Strokes
19
Level
Jōyō kanji — taught in junior high in Japan
3 / 4 TEN

heavens · sky · imperial

✎ Editor’s glossheaven — the sky that spreads high above our heads

Kun / On
amatsu / ame · TEN
Strokes
4
Level
Taught in grade 1 in Japan
4 / 4 SEI

star · spot · dot

✎ Editor’s glossa star — a heavenly body shining in the night sky

Kun / On
hoshi / -boshi · SEI / SHŌ
Strokes
9
Level
Taught in grade 2 in Japan

What's next

Which term should we write next?

We write in order of demand. Every name and jutsu in the official databooks is listed in our Master Index — find the one you want, and tell us via the Contact page.

Original artwork — free to save

The kanji, on one sheet

A reference card we drew ourselves — the characters in Japanese brush style.

地爆天星 (chibaku tensei) written in Japanese brush style
地爆天星 in brush style — chibaku tensei

Free to save — terms (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Quick answers

FAQ

How many strokes is 地爆天星?

38 in total: 地 is 6, 爆 is 19, 天 is 4, 星 is 9.

How do you pronounce Chibaku Tensei?

Say it chi·ba·ku ten·sei (地爆天星). Japanese has no strong word stress: give each syllable about the same length and weight, and keep the vowels short and clear — a as in “father,” i as in “machine,” u as in “food,” e as in “met,” o as in “go.”

What characters make up Chibaku Tensei — Planetary Devastation?

地爆天星 — 地, then 爆, then 天, then 星. Core meanings from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database: 地 ground · earth; 爆 bomb · burst open; 天 heavens · sky; 星 star · spot.

Can I use the copied kanji anywhere?

Yes — it's standard Unicode text and works on any modern OS. One caution before you print or ink it: make sure the font is a Japanese one. Some fonts render the same characters in Chinese style, and the difference shows.