Gaara
Template:Infobox Naruto character Gaara (我愛羅) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto.
He is known as "Gaara of the Sand" in the Viz translation, "Gaara of the Desert" in the English anime, and "Sabaku no Gaara" (砂瀑の我愛羅, Gaara of the Sand Waterfall) in the original Japanese (Sabaku 砂瀑 means "sand waterfall", but sabaku 砂漠 means "desert", thus the more common "Gaara of the Desert").
In the annual Shonen Jump polls for the most popular character, Gaara consistently ranks in the top ten, usually between seventh and tenth spot.
Background
Gaara is the son of the Fourth Kazekage and the younger brother of Temari and Kankuro. Because of Sunagakure's decreases in funds, Gaara's father ordered Chiyo to seal the One-Tailed Shukaku within Gaara during his birth in the hopes that he would become the ultimate weapon for the village. Because a sacrifice was needed, Gaara's mother, Karura, was used. Before she died, Karura cursed Sunagakure, hoping Gaara would avenge her death.
Gaara was trained by his father, but raised mainly by his uncle, Yashamaru. Because of the power of Shukaku, the villagers of Sunagakure hated and feared Gaara, seeing him only for the monster sealed within him. For a time, Yashamaru seemed to be the only person who cared about Gaara. When Gaara would mistakenly harm others due to the subconscious abilities granted to him by Shukaku, Yashamaru would be the only one who understood that Gaara hadn't intended to harm anyone. Gaara's father, however, did not see Gaara in the same light, and viewed Gaara's frequent attacks upon villagers as a result of a failed experiment that was a threat to the village.
Because of the danger Gaara imposed, his father began sending assassins to kill him, though when all attempts met with failure, the Kazekage asked Yashamaru to kill Gaara. As a result, Yashamaru tried to assassinate Gaara, though Gaara's abilities defeated Yashamaru with ease, saddening Gaara. Although Gaara tried to dismiss Yashamaru's attack as an order of the Kazekage, Yashamaru corrected him by saying that he had willingly accepted the mission. Having never truly loved Gaara, Yashamaru hoped that killing Gaara would avenge the death of his sister, who had named Gaara after the phrase "a self-loving carnage" (我を愛する修羅, Ware wo ai suru shura), a sign of her hate for Gaara. In a last ditch effort to kill Gaara, Yashamaru detonated a number of explosive tags covering his body, asking Gaara to, "Please die." Gaara survives the blast and loses the only person he thought had cared for him.
While Gaara had initially tried to be friendly towards others despite their fear of him, Yashamaru's actions and words changed Gaara. Realizing that nobody loved him, Gaara used his sand to create the kanji on his forehead (愛, "Love") as a symbol of a "demon loving only himself". Gaara became emotionally withdrawn, all but silent, and consumed with a bitter loathing for everyone but himself. He learned to find pleasure and eventually a reason to live in annihilating the numerous assassins sent to kill him – and by extension, anyone who threatened his existence. Gaara's insomnia, forced upon him by the fear that the demon inside him would eat away at his personality if he were to fall asleep, only furthered his instability and desire to kill. In time, Gaara's father would come to appreciate Gaara and the uses he could serve, and canceled all assassination orders in the hopes that Gaara would become an effective tool.
Gaara's childhood was somewhat similar to Naruto Uzumaki's, albeit more unfortunate due to his lack of anyone to call a friend. Both were lonely and desired to be liked, loved, and acknowledged as an individual, free of others' prejudices — they are themselves, not the demons they were forced to "contain" — and both were driven into a desperate state. While Naruto consequently developed the misconception that pranks and mischief would bring him the attention he sought, Gaara came to the conclusion that he could preserve and confirm his own existence by killing any and all who challenged it, securing an extreme form of existentialism as his key personality trait. In the absence of others' acknowledgment, he could compensate by valuing only himself to the exclusion of everyone else. Furthermore, while Naruto eventually had Iruka Umino and Team 7 to acknowledge him, Gaara never had anyone to bond with and did not understand the concept of fighting for anything other than himself until his confrontation with Naruto.
Gaara and Shukaku
As the host of Shukaku, Gaara has the ability to manipulate sand at will. Gaara always carries a gourd on his back filled with an abundant amount of chakra-enhanced sand that has been soaked in the blood of those he has killed. Although Gaara can control any sand, and can even make sand himself by using his sand to break apart minerals in the ground, his personal sand is much easier to control because it is pretreated with his chakra. Other sand puts a greater strain on him since he has to use more chakra to animate it. With his personal sand, not only does Gaara always have his own sand supply, but his attacks also increase in both speed and power. Gaara cannot, however, manipulate sand which has come in contact with water.
During battle, Gaara rarely moves, usually guarding and attacking with his sand from a single location and rarely using taijutsu. While fighting, Gaara often uses a combination of Desert Coffin followed by Desert Funeral to capture and subsequently kill his opponents. Gaara can also increase the scale of this combo by using his Quicksand in the Style of a Waterfall followed by Desert Imperial Funeral, which could effectively kill an entire army. Although his abilities are mostly used for simple offense and defense, they can also be used for a variety of purposes, including floating in the air and spying.
Gaara's main defense is his Shield of Sand, which protects him from all harm, but can still be defeated with enough speed or strength. If his Shield of Sand fails, Gaara still has his Armor of Sand, a layer of highly compacted sand that is wrapped around Gaara's body. Although it gives Gaara an almost ultimate defense, it takes a large toll on Gaara's chakra and his stamina. Instead of using this, Gaara can create a nearly impenetrable sphere of sand for an alternative absolute defense, providing a stronger defense that uses less chakra, but confines Gaara to the location of the sphere. This sphere can grow spikes to impale anyone who approaches.
In desperate situations, Gaara can actually take on the form of Shukaku, making him many times more powerful than he already is. He does this by layering sand on his body to take the shape of Shukaku. Because the process takes quite a while, Gaara typically hides within his sphere of sand so that he won't be interrupted. Shukaku's personality grows more dominant during this transformation, making Gaara even more homicidal than normal. Once finished, Gaara assumes a human-sized version of Shukaku's form, which allows him to switch from his normally long-range battle style to physical attacks augmented by the sand covering him. Gaara primarily relies on his brute strength to destroy everything around him, though he can use a few long range attacks that are basically sand imitations of ordinary weapons, such as shuriken. This form also allows Gaara to use a few wind-based attacks.
Gaara can also create a life-sized version of Shukaku if his human-sized form doesn't work. He remains buried inside the Shukaku copy, safe from harm but also unable to move. Strangely, this version of Shukaku can be created almost instantly, despite being several times larger than its smaller counterpart. While in this form, Gaara can unleash the spirit of Shukaku through his Feigning Sleep Technique, allowing the copy to operate at its full potential. To do so, however, Gaara must emerge from within the copy, leaving him open to attack for the duration of the jutsu. Shukaku's sand body with its spirit dominant is shown to be extremely powerful, and it took the combined effort of Gamabunta and Naruto to get close to Shukaku and wake Gaara, thus suppressing Shukaku's spirit once more.
Part I
Chunin Exam arc
Gaara first appears hanging upside down on a tree, telling Kankuro to stop picking on Konohamaru, which instantly silences Kankuro. Sasuke Uchiha is amazed by Gaara's ability to appear out of nowhere, comparing Gaara's speed and stealth to that of Kakashi Hatake.
During the second phase of the Chunin Exams, Gaara demonstrates his thirst for blood by killing the Rain Genin Shigure, who Gaara claims had looked at him the wrong way. Shigure is followed quickly by his teammates, despite their pleas for mercy. Gaara and his team finish this phase in roughly an hour, beating the previous record by over four hours, with Gaara not getting so much as a speck of dust on his clothes, a feat that would be very difficult even for an experienced ninja.
In the preliminary matches, Gaara is matched against Rock Lee. Lee's formidable speed and strength are enough to bypass Gaara's Shield of Sand completely, forcing him to rely on his secondary Armor of Sand. Despite Lee's best efforts, Gaara's sand protects him from even Lee's Reverse Lotus, which leaves Lee in no condition to fight after its use. Though Lee's Reverse Lotus does immobilize Gaara, it is not enough to keep Gaara from using his sand to crush Lee's arm and leg, critically injuring him. Gaara tries to kill Lee, but Might Guy intervenes before he can harm Lee any further.
In the final round matches of the Chunin Exams, Gaara is to play a major role in Orochimaru's invasion upon Konohagakure by releasing Shukaku within the center of the village. During his match with Sasuke Uchiha, however, Gaara is wounded by Sasuke's One Thousand Birds, disabling him from serving his role in the invasion. With Gaara no longer in a condition to join the battle, Gaara and his siblings flee the village while the invasion proceeds without them.
Gaara is pursued by the members of Team 7, which forces Gaara to begin calling upon Shukaku. Sasuke is the first to fight Gaara, but proves to be no match for him. In the end, it is Naruto who defeats Gaara, even after Gaara assumes his ultimate form with the Shukaku's spirit unleashed. Naruto puzzles Gaara by fighting for those he cares about, which Gaara simply can't understand. Naruto's undying devotion to his friends also surprises Gaara, causing Gaara to realize that Naruto's strength comes from the desire to protect his friends. As Gaara and his siblings flee the scene, Gaara openly apologizes to Kankuro and Temari, which surprises and confuses them. Thanks to Naruto's influence, the defeat proves to be a major turning point for Gaara.
Sasuke Retrieval arc
Gaara and his siblings later appear as allies after the Fifth Hokage asks them to assist the team sent to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha. Gaara arrives in time to rescue Rock Lee from Kimimaro Kaguya, taking over the battle due to Lee's injuries. Gaara's arrival also marks a glimpse of his new personality, as his facial expression reveals a concern for Rock Lee's well-being; the main reason being that the wounds inflicted upon Lee by Gaara have yet to heal. He repeatedly stops Lee from continuing the fight, insisting that he'll handle it alone. When questioned by Lee about his motivation for assisting Konoha, Gaara remarks that he owes a big debt to Konoha, in reference to Naruto changing his outlook on life.
Gaara demonstrates an increased array of abilities that he had developed since the Chunin Exam. The first is Sand Drizzle, a cloud of sand in the sky that rains down on his target, which he uses in combination with foot-binding sand to trap the agile Kimimaro for his Desert Funeral. Gaara also demonstrates his Quicksand in the Style of a Waterfall, a giant forty-foot-tall wave of sand, which he uses shortly after Kimimaro escapes the first Desert Funeral. Having flooded the entire area with sand, Gaara attempts to finish his opponent with Desert Imperial Funeral, compressing the massive amount of sand with a great deal of force. Gaara also uses his Last Absolute Defense: Shield of Shukaku to create a giant, toy-like replica of Shukaku capable of breaking even Kimimaro's enhanced bones.
Although Gaara holds his ground against Kimimaro for a while, Kimimaro's kekkei genkai and cursed seal allow him to survive every one of Gaara's attacks, leaving Gaara exhausted. He almost kills Gaara with his Dance of the Seedling Fern, but Kimimaro dies from his terminal disease before he can finish the attack. Gaara notes that he would have been killed if Kimimaro had been healthy, and comments on Kimimaro's dedication to Orochimaru afterwards, saying that nobody can overcome loneliness on their own, no matter how strong they are.
Anime filler arcs
Gaara is seen briefly at the beginning of the Mizuki Strikes Back arc leaving Konohagakure with Temari and Kankuro, the three having spent a short time teaching at Konoha's Ninja Academy due to staffing issues. Shikamaru, along with Konohamaru's academy class, wish the Sunagakure ninja a safe journey home.
He is seen again during the Shiitenshounin arc, where he is assigned a role in a Ninja Training program in Sunagakure. However, due to his status as Sunagakure's ultimate weapon, Gaara is feared and the students are reluctant to train under his tutelage. One girl, Matsuri, decides to train under Gaara. Fearful of the majority of the weapons that can be trained with, Gaara suggests that Matsuri train with a rope dart. Matsuri is later kidnapped by a group of four ninja calling themselves Shiitenshounin, who threaten to kidnap someone close to Gaara each day until he responds to them. Gaara and his siblings are sent to deal with the Shiitenshounin by the Sunagakure council, who also send a request for aid to Konohagakure. Gaara takes Matsuri's rope dart with him, since she dropped it during her kidnapping
With his siblings both facing Shiitenshounin members themselves, Gaara is stopped by Suiko, a Shiitenshounin member who wears chakra-absorbing armor. After Suiko maneuvers Gaara into a specific location, the Shiitenshounin initiate a water-based technique which infuses Gaara's sand with water, making it much heavier and sticking it together. Without his automatic defense and with his chakra drained, Gaara lies helpless as Suiko attacks. He is saved by the arrival of aid from Konohagakure, as Rock Lee appears and deflects the attack. Lee and Naruto, who had been sent to aid Gaara, hold off Suiko while Sakura Haruno attempts to heal him. However, in the end Gaara deals the final blow to Suiko, forming a javelin from the sand he normally covers his body with and piercing Suiko's chest with it. Gaara then rushes to catch up with the final Shiitenshounin member, Jin, who holds the captive Matsuri.
After Gaara catches up to Jin, Jin uses his sword to absorb the weapons of his companions, making him much more powerful. He also drops the captured Matsuri. Still drained from the previous water attack, Gaara is barely able to hold his own. Naruto, who shows up a bit later and releases Matsuri, is similarly outmatched. After maneuvering Gaara into a specific location, Jin triggers a trap that seals Gaara in a chakra-absorbing dome. Gaara is able to toss the rope dart to Matsuri before being captured. Using the dome, Jin is able to perform an elaborate ritual to resurrect the former leader of his village, Seimei, sacrificing his own life to do so. The ritual awakens Shukaku's dormant personality, causing Gaara to begin transforming. Outside the dome, Seimei absorbs Jin's weapons as Jin did before, turning them into an elaborate construct that allows him to fly. Gaara eventually bursts from his cage during Naruto's battle with Seimei, half-transformed into Shukaku. Gaara, however, resists the transformation, causing it to recede.
Having forced Shukaku back inside himself, Gaara claims that he will beat Seimei with his own strength. Seimei is skeptical, but Gaara, having made preparations earlier, is able to create sand from the surrounding cliffs, burying Seimei. Seimei survives and tries to drain the rest of Gaara's chakra, which Gaara responds to by forming a Shukaku-like spear in his right hand. He tosses it at Seimei, easily destroying his armor construct. He then kills Seimei in typical fashion, crushing him with the surrounding sand.
In the aftermath, Gaara is taken back to Konoha and healed, and departs once more for Sunakagure. Shikamaru sees them off as he did previously.
Naruto the Movie 2
In an appearance sometime before the timeskip, Gaara helps defend Sunagakure from an onslaught of mysterious knights, killing many of them with his sand until a ship launches projectiles at the location and forces them to retreat. During his entrance, his elder brother, Kankuro, even made a friendly comment about him being late. This shows a change in his character, as he no longer thinks for only himself and defended his own village. The ninjas of the Sand also treated him with respect, answering his orders without fear and taking it naturally. His brother is also closer to him, enough so that he would be brave enough to make such a joke.
Later, in one of the wrecks of the invading ships, he fights Ranke, one of Haido's henchmen that utilized electricity to fight. She was forced to transform into a Frankenstein's monster-like state, allowing her to take the upper hand by becoming virtually immune to the crushing force of Gaara's sand. He eventually neutralizes her electricity with Thunder God of Sand, and then kills her with Desert Imperial Funeral. He later helps save some children from Haido's fortress, who were behind the near invincible knights, and he is last seen looking out into the horizon.
Part II
Gaara's character has changed quite a bit thanks to Naruto's influence. To his credit, he no longer acts hostile when in the presence of others. He is friendly towards his siblings, and he values other people's lives over his own. Gaara has become much more open, and he is willing to talk to others, especially his brother Kankuro, about his problems and dreams. Having become the Fifth Kazekage (五代目風影, Godaime Kazekage), Gaara begins risking his life to protect the village. He also seems to have many admirers now, especially among the younger females of the village. Though Gaara is only shown battling for a short period, his skills have clearly improved. He was able to create numerous Shukaku arms to attack Deidara while retaining control of himself, as well as levitate a massive amount of sand to block one of Deidara's clay bombs.
Rescue Gaara arc
Gaara is targeted by Akatsuki, who seek the demon within him. Though Gaara is able to fend off one of their agents, Deidara, rather effectively (actually crushing one of Deidara's arms during the battle), Deidara manages to capture Gaara by launching a high-powered clay bomb to destroy the village. Gaara is able to protect his village, but at the expense of much of his chakra, leaving him severely weakened. This allows Deidara to mix a clay bomb with Gaara's sand without the latter noticing, knocking Gaara unconscious once it goes off and allowing Gaara to easily be taken to the Akatsuki hideout.
Although Team 7 does their best to save Gaara, they do not arrive in time to stop Akatsuki's extraction of Shukaku, resulting in Gaara's death. However, Chiyo resurrects Gaara with her life-restoring technique in the hopes that it will make up for her sealing of the Shukaku into Gaara years earlier, bringing Gaara back to life at the cost of her own. Gaara is awoken by Naruto, and as he wakes he realizes that he is surrounded by people concerned for him. This is the first time Gaara truly feels loved and not so alone. He also shows his first true smile since he was a child, rather than the bloodthirsty grin he often gives.
Before Naruto goes back home, he tries to say goodbye, but admits that it's not something he's good at. Gaara uses some sand to encourage and guide Naruto's hand, and the two shake hands, symbolizing Gaara and Naruto's friendship and Gaara's new characteristics. Additionally, while the precise effect on Gaara from the Shukaku's loss is still unknown, this scene shows that he has retained the ability to control sand.
Sources
- First Official Data Book (秘伝・臨の書キャラクターオフィシャルデータBOOK, Hiden: Rin no Sho Character Official Data Book)
- Second Official Data Book (秘伝・闘の書キャラクターオフィシャルデータBOOK, Hiden: Tō no Sho Character Official Data Book)
- Jump's 2nd Great Hero Book's Mini Data Book (秘伝・翔の書オフィシャルキャラクターデータBOOK mini, Hiden: Shō no Sho Official Character Data Book mini)
- Naruto anime and manga Guidebook (秘伝・翔の書オフィシャルキャラクターデータBOOK mini, Hiden: Shō no Sho Official Character Data Book mini)
- Taken directly from the Naruto manga chapters and anime episodes.
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