Bunshin

Bunshin is a Japanese term (分身) that translates roughly as “body double,” “clone,” or “duplicated figure.” In a broad sense it describes techniques or concepts that create copies of a person, either as illusory images or as tangible duplicates. The word combines bun (分, part or divide) and shin (身, body). In fiction and folklore, bunshin appears as a recurring motif across genres, used for deception, observation, or strategic advantage.

In popular culture, bunshin is most prominently associated with manga and anime that depict clone techniques. A common distinction is between two main forms: a basic, non-solid clone and a solid, independently acting clone. Basic bunshin often serves to misdirect an opponent or to aid in training, typically sharing the user’s overall charisma or chakra but lacking full independent capability. Solid clones, sometimes described in various works as “shadow clones” or “solid copies,” have their own physical presence, can perform techniques, and may learn or gather information. When a solid clone disperses, its experiences and knowledge are typically transmitted back to the original creator.

Outside of fiction, bunshin-like ideas appear in folklore and science fiction as doppelgängers, doubles, or cloning concepts. The term is widely used in Japanese media to describe the broad category of copies that imitate or replicate a person’s form, actions, or abilities.

See also: cloning, doppelgänger, illusion techniques.