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KI
麒
chinese unicorn · genius · giraffe
✎ Editor’s glossthe ki — the male of the kirin
Naruto · Jutsu · Kanji file 015
Kirin 麒麟
Pronounced ki·rin
The kirin is a legendary divine beast handed down from China. Its body resembles a deer’s, its tail an ox’s, its hooves a horse’s, and a single horn crowns its head. Its coat is said to shine in five colors, and it is said to fly on wings. To the Japanese it is an old acquaintance — it is the beast on the label of Kirin Beer. And here is the curious part: almost no Japanese can write 麒麟 by hand, yet nearly everyone can read it. Kanji like that are rare. In ancient China, the Four Auspicious Beasts — the kirin, the hōō phoenix, the spirit turtle and the winged dragon — were believed to appear as omens of happy events, and they have been painted and retold in works East and West ever since. In NARUTO, Kirin is a lightning jutsu of Sasuke’s own devising. Sha no Sho (p. 247) lays out the mechanism: fire-style jutsu rapidly heat the air, driving a violent updraft; the updraft builds a thundercloud; the thundercloud brings forth lightning. And that lightning takes the form of a kirin as it falls upon its target.
Straight from China
📖 Databook: Sha no Sho, p. 247
First appears: Vol. 43, Chapter 391
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.
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RIN
麟
chinese unicorn · genius · giraffe
✎ Editor’s glossthe rin — the female of the kirin
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.
Quick answers
FAQ
How many strokes is 麒麟?
43 in total: 麒 is 19, 麟 is 24.
How do you pronounce Kirin?
Say it ki·rin (麒麟). 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 Kirin?
麒麟 — 麒, then 麟. Core meanings from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database: 麒 chinese unicorn · genius; 麟 chinese unicorn · genius.
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.