Masashi Kishimoto is a master of bending techniques to serve characters. You can nitpick all you want, but the plotholes in Naruto are too small to serve as real arguments against the ability of the author.
Yet, one question arose multiple times in the Naruto fandom: why did Masashi Kishimoto use the Edo Tensei to bring back Madara when the Rinne Tensei was lying right there?
Masashi Kishimoto Explains Why Madara had to be Brought Back by Edo Tensei
The reason Masashi Kishimoto introduced Edo Tensei was to revive Madara Uchiha. It would have been complicated to revive him through the Rinne Tensei. In an interview, Kobayashi and Masashi Kishimoto discussed the differences between the techniques and why only one could be used for Madara’s return.
So why did Madara not use Rinne Tensei? It’s because Rinne Tensei would resurrect him in his mortal body. The jutsu is perfect for someone who just wants to be alive again, but not for someone whose objective is to raise hell on Earth.
Madara used Edo Tensei’s ability to make his new vessel immortal. Edo Tensei ensures that the damage the vessel receives regenerates with time. The vessel can continue serving the soul and attacking even while the body recovers.
This was the main reason the technique was created in the first place: to create indestructible bodies for souls to inhabit. The limitless refilling of chakra is another plus point. The body can fight forever, and performing any jutsu is of little to no consequence for it.
When Madara was resurrected, he could not afford to have a mortal body that could easily die again. Thus, the usage of Rinne Tensei was a complete no-no. He needed the added perks of Edo Tensei.
Madara was severely flogged multiple times during the Fourth Shinobi War but kept recovering only because of Edo Tensei. His reincarnated body was beyond its prime. In fact, Madara could also regain all the abilities he had cultivated in the last years of his life. All of this would have been impossible if Madara had used Rinne Tensei.
Edo Tensei Vs Rinne Tensei in Naruto
The main difference between Edo Tensei and Rinne Tensei is the body in which the soul is reincarnated. Both techniques cause a soul to return but in different ways. Edo Tensei brings the soul of a dead person back to the body of a sacrificial human. Meanwhile, Rinne Tensei brings back the soul and the original body.
When Edo Tensei is used, the sacrificial body becomes immortal and extremely hardy. The body cannot be killed, even if the justsu’s caster is dead. The soul that has been brought back can’t disappear, either.
Rinne Tensei, on the other hand, brings a dead person back completely into a mortal body that is easy to kill. Unlike in Edo Tensei, the jutsu caster doesn’t have control over the person’s body. It could even have limitations on how long ago the person had died.
Since Madara had ulterior motives that went beyond living a peaceful life, Edo Tensei was the best option for him.
You can read Naruto on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
