Are the Legendary Sannin equal?
Channel: VerseTube
Date: 01/03/2024

Jiraiya’s frog magic is weak against Orochimaru’s serpent magic, whilst the latter is weak against Tsunaday’s slug magic. Much like the elemental interactions, it’s less about which is stronger and more about which is better suited to fighting another.
This was reflected in the series.
I think the best example hinges on Naruto. Jiraiya’s arsenal is not well-suited to handling the sudden, powerful jinchuriki transformation; he would need Sage Mode to fight most effectively against it, but it takes considerable prep time for him to enter it. 
On the other hand, we have this guy:
His arsenal is heavily centred around self-preservation, so it’s quickly accessible and highly adaptable, like being able to ‘shed his skin’ and form a new body:
…or reattach himself after being bifurcated:
This allowed him to ‘have fun’ with Naruto in his Version 2 state, despite being stymied by his failing body. The bifurcation brings me onto the final part of the equation, Tsunaday. Her restorative powers are more conventional, so she needs Katsuyu’s help to do what Orochimaru can do alone.
However, it’s fair to say that neither Jiraiya nor Orochimaru could not only survive being bifurcated for an extended period, not only remain conscious, but actually continue to use ninjutsu and keep others alive: