Tomoe

A tomoe or the archaic writing tomoye (巴) is a Japanese abstract shape, usually used as a necklace, (i.e. a swirl) that resembles a comma or the usual form of magatama. Tomoe are usually seen in a design of three known as mitsudomoe (三つ巴).

Instances of Use

• They form the pattern of the Sharingan, Rinne Sharingan and some Rinnegan.
• They form the Cursed Seal of Heaven.
• They are used on Orochimaru's clothing as a young boy.^[1] As an adult, he wears blue tomoe-shaped earrings.
• They are on Madara Uchiha's gunbai.
• The Three Giant Snakes have tomoe markings on their heads.
• The magatama earrings worn by Itachi's Susanoo are in the shape of tomoe.
• The Yasaka Magatama technique used by Itachi and Madara's Susanoo is a giant shuriken in the shape of a mitsudomoe. After transplanting Itachi's eyes, Sasuke has used his Susanoo to fire tomoe-shaped projectiles made of Amaterasu's flames.^[2]
• All the variations of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode shrouds feature tomoe-like markings around their collars.^[3][4][5] Same goes for Tenseigan Chakra Mode.^[6][7]
• The Sage of the Six Paths had tomoe-like markings around the collar of his cloak as well as nine tomoe of the back underneath the symbol of the Rinnegan;^[8] the same held true for both Obito and Madara Uchiha after they became the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki,^[9][10][11] and for Naruto Uzumaki when he enters Six Paths Sage Mode.^[12]
• A seal that the Sage of Six Paths stood in the middle of while talking to the nine tailed beasts also featured the use of tomoe markings.^[8]
• The holes for eyes in Tobi's mask during the Fourth Shinobi World War are tomoe-shaped.^[13]
• There are tomoe-shaped markings around the kanji for "fox" in the Uchiha Hideout.^[14]
• They are used on the doorway of the Ridge Tower.^[15]
• The structure containing Kara's Ten-Tails has six tomoe resembling its dōjutsu.^[16]
• In the anime, the Kohaku clan's insignia is a futatsudomoe (tomoe in a design of two).
• In the anime, later depictions of Pakura's Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder changed the flaming orbs into flaming tomoe shapes.^[17]
• In the anime, after the months long battle against the Ten-Tails, Hagoromo creates the nine tailed beasts and they are shown to be small creatures sleeping within tomoe that Hagoromo then absorbs into himself.^[18]
• In Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2, the Shirogane clan's insignia is a golden mitsudomoe.

References