Naruto Uzumaki

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Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto character

Naruto Uzumaki by Masashi Kishimoto
First appearance Naruto manga chapter 1
Naruto anime episode 1
Voiced by Japanese
Junko Takeuchi[1]
English
Maile Flanagan[2]
Profile
Age 12[3]-13[4] in Part I
Date of birth October 10[4]
Known relatives Minato Namikaze (father, deceased)
Kushina Uzumaki (mother, presumably deceased)
Ninja rank Genin[4]
Ninja team Team 7

Naruto Uzumaki (うずまき ナルト Uzumaki Naruto?) is a fictional character in the Naruto universe created by Masashi Kishimoto as the main protagonist for the series and developed into a media franchise, consisting of a series of manga, anime, soundtracks, OVAs, movies, video games, and other collectibles. While creating Naruto, Kishimoto kept in mind to keep the character "simple and stupid" while giving him many attributes of Son Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise.[5]

In the series, Naruto is a ninja affiliated with the fictional village of Konohagakure, and has ambitions of becoming Hokage, or the leader of the village. Due to being the host for the nine-tailed demon fox, a malevolent creature that attacked Konohagakure, he is ostracized by the other villagers. He compensates for this with his cheerful and boisterous personality, and over the course of the series, manages to befriend several other Konohagakure ninja, as well as ninja from other villages. He obtains an especially close relationship with Sasuke Uchiha, one of his fellow ninja in Team 7, and treats him as his brother. Naruto appears in all of the series' films, as well as in other media related to the franchise, including video games and OVAs.

Several anime and manga publications have expressed acclaim and criticism of Naruto's character. While many reviewers consider him one of the most memorable anime and manga characters in history, he has been viewed as a stereotypical manga and anime protagonist comparable to many other protagonists in other shōnen manga.[6][7] Nevertheless, Naruto has remained highly popular with the Naruto reader base, placing high in several popularity polls.[8] Merchandise based on Naruto has also been released, including figurines and plush dolls.[9][10]

Contents

[edit] Creation and conception

When creating Naruto, Kishimoto incorporated into the character a number of traits he felt made an ideal hero: a straightforward way of thinking, a mischievous side, and many of the attributes possessed by Son Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise. He also made sure to keep Naruto "simple and stupid," since he does not like smart characters. Naruto himself is not modeled after anyone in particular, being conceived as childlike with somewhat of a dark side as a result of his harsh past. Despite this, he is always positive, making him unique in Kishimoto's eyes.[5]

Naruto's wardrobe is based on clothing Kishimoto wore when he was younger; according to Kishimoto, using a pre-existing design would not have made Naruto unique whereas something original would have made him stand out too much.[11] The orange coloring of his costume is used to make Naruto "pop," with blues often being used to complement the orange.[12] Because Naruto is associated with spirals, swirl patterns are incorporated into his costume.[13] Initial illustrations of Naruto had him wearing boots, but Kishimoto substituted these for sandals, because he likes drawing toes.[14] The goggles that Naruto used to wear were also replaced with a forehead protector, because the goggles themselves were too time consuming to draw.[15] Kishimoto said that he felt glad that his character had blond hair and blue eyes. The editor of Shonen Jump in the United States added that he implied that the traits may have led the character to appeal to a Western audience. Kishimoto said that he most identifies with Naruto out of all of the Naruto characters. When asked why Naruto's favorite food is ramen instead of kitsune udon Kishimoto said that he personally liked eating ramen.[16][17]

In the Japanese versions of Naruto, Naruto often ends his sentences with the addendum "-ttebayo" (which gives a similar effect to ending a sentence with "you know?"). Kishimoto wanted to give Naruto a childlike catch phrase, and "dattebayo" came to mind. It complements Naruto's character, and serves as a verbal tic that shows him to be somewhat of a brat.[11] Throughout the beginning of the English anime, the dub replaced "dattebayo" and "-ttebayo" with the phrase "Believe it!" to mirror the effect, as well as to match the character's lip movements.[18]

The producers of the English-language anime stated that of all of the characters Naruto was the most difficult character to cast for; they added that Maile Flanagan "has Naruto down, from the mischievous side, that precocious 12-year old we learn to love, to the serious side."[19]

[edit] Character outline

[edit] Background

Naruto was born the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.[20] Soon after his birth, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked their hometown of Konoha, leaving destruction throughout the village. In order to stop the fox's attack Minato sealed it within Naruto's body, giving Naruto access to its great power at the cost of Minato's life.[21] Before his death, Minato requested that Naruto be viewed as a hero of the village rather than a container for the fox. Many villagers chose to ignore this request, leading to the enactment of a law forbidding anyone to speak of Naruto as the fox's host.[22] With his father dead and his mother presumably sharing the same fate, Naruto has spent all of his life as an orphan, not knowing who his parents were.

[edit] Personality

Naruto as he appears in Part II
Naruto as he appears in Part II

With no family to speak of and the villagers of Konoha always showing him animosity for being the container of the demon fox, Naruto never had a source of love or attention during his early childhood.[21] Desiring that which he has lacked all his life, Naruto's dream is to become Hokage, the village's protector, hoping that it will bring him the villagers' recognition and respect.[22] To assist him in gaining this title, Naruto possesses a fierce determination, always confident he can complete a given task with relative ease.[23] Naruto's efforts have proven successful as the series progressed, as many characters have reached the conclusion that Naruto will someday be an excellent Hokage.[24]

Since his introduction, Naruto's determination has resulted in some of his traits rubbing off on those around him, such that in Part II his teacher, Kakashi Hatake, notes this to be Naruto's unique power.[25] Gaara, after being defeated by Naruto in battle, discovers that true strength is found in fighting for one's friends, not for oneself.[26] These changes that other characters experience serve as the moral for the part of the story they take place in, and subsequently become the creed for the particular character's life.[27]

Through his ability to change others, Naruto has gained the friends that he lacked during his childhood. Among the many friendships he has formed, none are more prominent in the series than those he has with his two teammates: Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. With Sasuke, Naruto shares a highly competitive relationship that he likens to brotherhood.[28] Though Sasuke betrays Naruto and the rest of Konoha at the end of Part I, Naruto maintains his attachment to Sasuke, readily lashing out at anyone who speaks poorly of him.[29] With Sakura, Naruto possesses a deep dedication to her, rooted in the crush he has had on her for years. Naruto's commitment to Sakura is such that he will do anything to make her happy, vowing to someday return Sasuke to Konoha for her sake.[30]

[edit] Abilities

Naruto in a one-tailed fox shroud forming the Rasengan
Naruto in a one-tailed fox shroud forming the Rasengan

Because of the demon fox within him, Naruto has access to its great chakra reserves, allowing him to perform jutsu that someone of his rank would ordinarily be incapable of using.[21] Though portions of the fox's chakra constantly mix with Naruto's own,[31] Naruto can forcibly draw upon its reserves in one of two ways: by submitting to rage[32] or by directly asking the fox for a donation of its strength.[33] Once doing so the fox's power begins to consume Naruto, eventually creating a fox-shaped shroud around him complete with a number of tails indicating his current level of strength. While each tail drastically increases his fighting strength, Naruto begins to lose his sense of self as more tails appear.[34] Because he can quickly become a danger to those he cares for in these situations, Naruto has begun to limit his usage of the fox's power.[35]

The Shadow Clone Technique, used to create solid, completely identical copies of the user, is Naruto's most frequently used jutsu. In addition to using these clones to overwhelm his opponents, Naruto often uses them to help him form his preferred form of attack: the Rasengan, an attack that grinds into whatever it touches. By using the copies of himself to spin and mold his chakra into shape, Naruto can form the Rasengan without the hassle required to create it single handedly.[36] In Part II, Naruto trains with his shadow clones to infuse the Rasengan with his wind elemental chakra.[37] This culminates in his creation of the Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken (風遁・螺旋手裏剣 Fūton: Rasenshuriken?), which damages what it contacts on a cellular level. Though this massive level of damage is useful against opponents, the hand he is performing the technique with is damaged as well, making it a double-edged sword.[38]

[edit] Plot overview

As the main character of the series, Naruto is present in every arc and typically plays a prominent role for its duration. During Part I, Naruto's involvement in the plot is relatively indirect, as he spends his time improving his ninja abilities and pursuing his own goals while the overarching events occur elsewhere. Following the invasion of Konohagakure, Naruto is introduced to Akatsuki, a fictional criminal organization that seeks to extract the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox from his body. Though Jiraiya drives them off during this first meeting, Akatsuki's interactions with Naruto become a more central conflict in Part II.[39] It is not until Sasuke attempts to leave Konohagakure that Naruto takes a leading role in the plot, joining a team of ninja dedicated to stopping Sasuke from joining forces with Orochimaru.[30] Naruto and Sasuke ultimately have a one-on-one battle, though neither is able to bring themselves to finish off the other.[40] The two go their separate ways, but Naruto does not give up on Sasuke, leaving Konoha together with Jiraiya for two-and-a-half years of training to prepare himself for the next time he meets Sasuke.[41]

In Part II, Naruto receives less attention than he did in Part I. As other characters begin to receive additional development and the plot begins to cover multiple incidents across large distances, Naruto's role in the story is considerably lessened. Upon his return to Konoha, Naruto begins to deal more actively with the Akatsuki threat. He first saves Gaara from Akatsuki's clutches,[42] and subsequently proves instrumental in the downfall of Kakuzu.[43] Most of Naruto's actions, however, are dedicated to finding and retrieving Sasuke. He and the rest of his team are briefly able to locate Sasuke, but Sasuke's rapid development leaves them no match for him.[44] After creating his new jutsu, Naruto and company try once again to find Sasuke.[45] Though they almost succeed in this attempt, even running into Sasuke's brother, Itachi, they ultimately lose his trail and are forced to return home.

[edit] Appearances in other media

Naruto (left) in Naruto: Clash of Ninja
Naruto (left) in Naruto: Clash of Ninja

Being the title character, Naruto has appeared in all of the series' movies thus far. In the first Naruto movie, Team 7 is assigned to escort Yukie Fujikaze, the secretive actress of a movie character, whom Naruto becomes obsessed with, to the Land of Snow to shoot the movie's sequel.[46] In the second Naruto movie Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru Nara get involved with a war between inhabitants of Sunagakure. In the third film, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Rock Lee are assigned to escort the prince of the Land of the Moon to his land, though once they reach the nation, the throne has been seized by the noble Shabadaba. In the fourth movie, Naruto becomes the guard of Shion who predicts his death. A fifth film is currently in development.[47]

Naruto appears in all three OVAs produced for the series, helping Konohamaru to find a four leaf clover in the first OVA,[48] joining his team in escorting a ninja named Shibuki to his village and helping him fight the missing-nin that stole the village's "Hero's Water" in the second OVA,[49] and participating in a tournament in the third OVA.[50] In the OVA shown before the first Naruto movie, Naruto has to use the toilet, only to be prevented in each attempt by his fellow Genin and his own mistakes.

Naruto is a playable character in all of the Naruto video games. In several of the titles, it is possible to unlock and play a version of him enhanced with his own versions of Rock Lee and Might Guy's trademark techniques. In the Naruto: Clash of Ninja video game series, Naruto is playable in various stages of the demon fox's manifestation characterized by a red-colored chakra. Kishimoto liked the presentation of these forms enough that he imitated one of them for the manga cover of volume 26.[51] Naruto Shippūden: Gekitou Ninja Taisen EX marks the first appearance of Naruto in his Part II appearance in a video game, with the second one being Naruto Shippūden: Narutimate Accel.[52]

[edit] Reception

In every official Shonen Jump popularity poll of the series, Naruto has ranked within the top five characters, coming in first place twice.[8][53] However, in the sixth poll, in 2006, Naruto lost his top-two status to the characters Deidara, Kakashi and Sasuke.[54] There has not been another official poll since 2006. Several pieces of merchandise have been made into his likeness, such as plush,[10][55] key chains,[56] and numerous action figures,[9] in both his Part I and Part II appearance.

Junko Takeuchi, the seiyū for the character, comments that people are fascinated with Naruto because of how they think he's all cheer and fun, but in reality he's very harsh, while he accepts his past hardships and keeps going forward. She also comments she would like to make a song about his lonely past, as she did with him in the OVA before the first Naruto movie.[57]

Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other related media have provided praise and criticism on Naruto's character. IGN has commented on Naruto developing from the lonely rebel during the series' beginning.[58] GameSpot claims that Naruto lives the ideal teenage life, as he is a ninja and eats all he likes, but, on the other hand, he is parentless and is shunned by the other villagers.[59] Anime News Network, however, comments that sometimes (especially in the Chunin Exams) Naruto's fights are not as good as others fought by the Konoha 11,[6] but they remark his fight against Gaara as one of his best moments in the series since it surpassed most shōnen stereotypes.[60] T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews disagreed, noting that while Naruto is a "likeable enough scamp", his type of character has been done before in many previous anime and manga series.[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Junko Takeuchi. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  2. ^ Maile Flanagan. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  3. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2002). NARUTO―ナルト―［秘伝・臨の書］. Shueisha, 31. ISBN 4-08873-288-X. 
  4. ^ a b c Kishimoto, Masashi (2005). NARUTO―ナルト―［秘伝・闘の書］. Shueisha, 29. ISBN 4-08873-734-2. 
  5. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto. Viz Media, 138-139. ISBN 1-4215-1407-9. 
  6. ^ a b Kimlinger, Karl (2006-11-02). Naruto GN 8-10 - Review. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-03-04.
  7. ^ a b Ross Christina. THEM Anime Reviews 4.0 - Naruto. T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  8. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 199", Naruto, Volume 22. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-1858-9. 
  9. ^ a b Part I Action Figure. Naruto Store. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  10. ^ a b Part I Plush Doll. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  11. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto. Viz Media, 139. ISBN 1-4215-1407-9. 
  12. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto. Viz Media, 116. ISBN 1-4215-1407-9. 
  13. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto. Viz Media, 135. ISBN 1-4215-1407-9. 
  14. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto. Viz Media, 117. ISBN 1-4215-1407-9. 
  15. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). Naruto, Volume 1. Viz Media, 60. ISBN 1-56931-900-6. 
  16. ^ Shonen Jump Special Collector Edition (Free Collector's Edition). No. 00 2005. Viz Media, 13. 
  17. ^ Shonen Jump. #33 Volume 3, Issue 9. September 2005. Viz Media, 8. 
  18. ^ Bertschy, Zac (2006-03-24). Naruto Dub.DVD 1 - Review. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2007-12-24.
  19. ^ Shonen Jump Volume 3, Issue 8. August 2005. Viz Media, 4. 
  20. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 367", Naruto, Volume 40. Shueisha. ISBN 978-4-08-874432-2. 
  21. ^ a b c Kishimoto, Masashi (2003). "Chapter 1", Naruto, Volume 1. Viz Media. ISBN 1-56931-900-6. 
  22. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2003). "Chapter 2", Naruto, Volume 1. Viz Media. ISBN 1-56931-900-6. 
  23. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 151", Naruto, Volume 17. Viz Media, 139. ISBN 1-4215-1652-7. 
  24. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 169", Naruto, Volume 19. Viz Media, 131. ISBN 1-4215-1654-3. 
  25. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2008). "Chapter 262", Naruto, Volume 29. Viz Media, 178-179. ISBN 1-4215-1865-1. 
  26. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 138", Naruto, Volume 16. Viz Media, 64. ISBN 1-4215-1090-1. 
  27. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 217", Naruto, Volume 24. Viz Media, 182-184. ISBN 1-4215-1860-0. 
  28. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 234", Naruto, Volume 26. Viz Media, 58-60. ISBN 1-4215-1862-7. 
  29. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 286", Naruto, Volume 32. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874039-3. 
  30. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 183", Naruto, Volume 21. Viz Media, 58-60. ISBN 1-4215-1855-4. 
  31. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 95", Naruto, Volume 11. Viz Media, 17. ISBN 1-4215-0241-0. 
  32. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 28", Naruto, Volume 4. Viz Media. ISBN 1-59116-358-7. 
  33. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 95", Naruto, Volume 11. Viz Media, 99-105. ISBN 1-4215-0241-0. 
  34. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 291", Naruto, Volume 33. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874039-3. 
  35. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 308", Naruto, Volume 34. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874138-3. 
  36. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 167", Naruto, Volume 19. Viz Media, 102-103. ISBN 1-4215-1654-3. 
  37. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 339", Naruto, Volume 37. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874338-7. 
  38. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 346", Naruto, Volume 38. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874364-4. 
  39. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 150", Naruto, Volume 17. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-1652-7. 
  40. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 234", Naruto, Volume 26. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-1862-7. 
  41. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 238", Naruto, Volume 27. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-1863-5. 
  42. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 279", Naruto, Volume 31. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874002-7. 
  43. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 341", Naruto, Volume 38. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874364-6. 
  44. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 309", Naruto, Volume 34. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874138-3. 
  45. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 354", Naruto, Volume 39. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874364-4. 
  46. ^ Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  47. ^ Naruto Shippūden (movie 2008). Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  48. ^ Naruto Special: Akaki Yotsuba no Clover wo Sagase (OAV). Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  49. ^ Naruto Special: Battle at Hidden Falls. I am the Hero! (OAV). Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  50. ^ Naruto (OAV). Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-02-18.
  51. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Naruto, Volume 26. Viz Media, 1. ISBN 1-4215-1862-7. 
  52. ^ ＮＡＲＵＴＯ－ナルト－ 疾風伝:ＴＶ東京 - Goods. TV Tokyo. Retrieved on 2008-01-29.
  53. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 107", Naruto, Volume 12. Shueisha. ISBN 1-4215-0242-9. 
  54. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 293", Naruto, Volume 33. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874108-6. 
  55. ^ Part II Plush Doll. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  56. ^ Part I Key Chain. Naruto Store. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  57. ^ Junko Takeuchi. Akadot News. Retrieved on 2008-03-04.
  58. ^ A. E. Sparrow (2007-11-09). Naruto Reader's Guide. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.
  59. ^ Dodson, Joe (2007-10-13). Franchise Player: Naruto. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-12-24.
  60. ^ Martin, Theron (2008-02-29). Naruto Uncut DVD Box Set 6 - Review. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-03-04.
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Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto
Franchise
Characters
Naruto Uzumaki • Sasuke Uchiha • Sakura Haruno • Kakashi Hatake • Jiraiya • Orochimaru • Tsunade • Shikamaru Nara • Gaara • Antagonists
Movies
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