Rikudo

Rikudo, often romanized as Rikudō or Rikudō, is a Japanese term that literally means "Six Paths" or "Six Realms" (六道). In traditional Buddhist cosmology, the six realms represent the cycles of rebirth: gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and beings in hell. The term is used in religious and philosophical writings to discuss samsara and karmic destinies, and it can refer to the broader concept of multiple pathways or fates within existence.

In popular culture, Rikudo is frequently used as a stylized title or concept inspired by the Six Paths idea. Variants such as "Rikudō" appear in manga, anime, and games as a naming convention for powers, relics, or organizations, often to evoke themes of balance, transformation, or spiritual lineage.

Notable example: in the Naruto manga and anime series, the term appears as "Rikudō Sennin" or "Sage of the Six Paths," a legendary figure who is said to have shaped the world’s ninjutsu and the chakra system. The story uses the Six Paths motif to describe the division of power and the legacy of the Sage.

Rikudo as a concept thus spans religious, historical, and modern media contexts, serving as a shorthand for layered, transformative pathways within a system of belief or fiction.