Record of Ragnarok: How Strong Is Buddha?

Record of Ragnarok is a seinen manga written by Shinya Umemura and Takumi Fukui and drawn by Ajichika. An animated series adaptation produced by Graphinica studio was produced by Netflix in 2021, with a second season being released in January 2023. In this article, we are going to talk about one character from the Record of Ragnarok series, Buddha, who is one of the most intriguing characters in the whole series. This article is specifically going to focus on his powers and abilities.

This article will be split into two parts. We will first provide you with a short introduction to the character of Buddha in the world of Record of Ragnarok, after which we will talk about his powers and abilities. The character is quite intriguing, and there is a lot to talk about, but aside from the brief intro, we are solely going to focus on how powerful he is.

Buddha in Record of Ragnarok

Buddha is the deity of enlightenment in Buddhism. During the fifth round, it is revealed that Buddha created the concept behind the existence of the völundr of the Valkyries: when two people risk their lives together, they can reach their full potential. It is through this concept that humans can harm the gods with their divine weapons.

Accused of treason, Buddha manages to avoid lynching by Loki and Bishamonten thanks to the intervention of Kojiro and Souji and then of Zeus and Odin, who require the gods not to clash with each other until the tournament is over.

Although Buddha participates in the sixth round of Ragnarok as a wrestler of the gods at the request of Zeus himself, he decides to fight on the side of humans. He thus finds himself facing Bishamonten, who has merged with the other six Gods of Fortune into a single being called Zerofuku, easily managing to dominate the match until his opponent is possessed by the demon Hajun, who manages to put him in difficulty. Finally, he defeats him by creating his own Völundr with Zerofuku. He has an easygoing demeanor and seemingly takes nothing overly seriously, defiantly stating that he himself is the only one he takes orders from.

Buddha’s powers and abilities

Buddha’s strength enables him to block Hajun’s extremely potent punches and even harm a god-like Zerofuku with a single punch. His agility allows him to scale one of the arena’s walls with a series of short jumps up the wall, avoid large hits, and then parry them once he reaches the top. Buddha was quick to respond and effortlessly avoided Ebisu’s direct hits. Furthermore, while Papiya could not perceive his soul motions with his Shogaku Arayashiki, he could block and avoid a number of his attacks.

He fights with his Rokudō, which features a bō staff with a Prayer Wheel with several engraved Sutras on one end. Buddha has demonstrated considerable variety in wielding his weapon, as evidenced by the agility and quickness with which he struck Zerofuku. Under the direction of Mawariwa Rokudō, Rokudō has also demonstrated the ability to shapeshift, changing into several weaponry.

Buddha cannot exert control over this transformation since the final weapon depends on the thoughts and feelings that Buddha has at the time. The Buddhist cycle of rebirth comprises six kingdoms, each of which is guarded by a manifestation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. During the sixth round match, the heavenly staff displayed five different forms, each representing one of the six kingdoms (called Kannon in Japan). They are:

1. First Realm: Divine Realm, Wish-Granting Wheel Kannon – Loka Pala (Twelve Deva Axe): Rokudō transforms into a halberd with which the Buddha is able to slice Zerofuku’s chest.
2. Second Realm: Animal Realm, Horse-Faced Kannon – Nirvana: Rokudō now becomes similar to a small sword with a broad blade suitable for being held with one hand. With this weapon, Buddha was able to deflect and destroy the sharp blades coming from Zerofuku’s Fukou Renji.
3. Third Realm: Human Realm, Unshakable Cord Kannon – Akshaya (Indestructible Vajra Sword): It is one of the ways that Rokudō can become. It is a kanabō with which Buddha was able to hurt Zerofuku.
4. Fourth Realm: Asura Realm, Eleven Faced Kannon – Ahimsa (Shield to Destroy the Seven Misfortunes): It is one of the ways that Rokudō can become, it is a huge shield that was able to withstand a direct attack from a gigantic Ono No Fukō.
5. Fifth Realm: Preta Realm, Thousand-Armed Kannon – Salakayas (Scythe of the Wild God): Rokudō is now in the form of a huge sickle which has the head of a Lion of Fu. Buddha was able to access this form of Rokudō due to the rage he felt in his heart.

Pure Enlightenment Eighth Consciousness is one of the Buddha’s unique techniques; when he employs it, his pupils assume the form of a lotus flower, and he temporarily has the ability to see what may occur in the future. This gives Buddha a chance to plan how to avoid or fend off the attacks of his adversaries by enabling him to see the acts or skills that will be employed against him.

He is able to see the light that is emitted by living things’ souls and track its changes thanks to the Shōgaku Arayashiki Buddha because each time a living thing decides to move, his soul moves ahead of his body. Buddha is able to foresee the opponent’s every move because of this. But, the Shōgaku Arayashiki is useless if a living lacking light in his spirit because the Buddha won’t be able to perceive his actions.

Divine Weapon Lotus is the name of his Völundr. This Völundr was made from Zerofuku’s Ono No Fukō’s ashes because using it allowed one to swap bad luck for feelings of happiness and kindness. As a result, Buddha made a weapon by syncing his soul with Zerofuku’s. This Völundr is a sword with six leaves that resemble branches. The guard of the blade is shaped like a lotus flower and embellished with seven basins, each of which has a different kanji that represents one of the Seven Gods of Fortune.

Karmanirodha Samsara is activated when the Buddha’s Rokudō transforms into the Salakaya due to the rage that resides in his heart. Buddha can perform this attack that consists of a powerful cut with his sickle, which leaves a wake whose appearance resembles the faces of lamenting souls. Karmanirodha Samsara Sasvata is similar to the previous technique; Buddha cuts with his scythe with the addition that the snout of the lion carved in it throws a powerful breath which gives greater strength and speed to the attack.

Buddha also created the concept behind the existence of the Völundr of the Valkyrjur, the Samavadhāna. It is that when two warriors risk their lives uniting with each other, they can reach their full potential. Thanks to this intriguing concept that the Einherjar can gain enough power to stand up to the gods by uniting their souls with that of a Valkyrie.