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Gaara

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Gaara
Naruto character
Gaara
Gaara by Masashi Kishimoto
First appearanceNaruto manga chapter 35
Naruto anime episode 20
In-universe information
RelativesFourth Kazekage (father, deceased)
Temari (sister)
Kankuro (brother)
Yashamaru (maternal uncle, deceased)

Gaara (我愛羅) is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series, created by Masashi Kishimoto. He was introduced a third of the way through the series, and serves as a foil to the series' titular character, Naruto Uzumaki: the two were born through similar circumstances, but develop vastly different personalities as they deal with their troubled upbringing.[5] Initially introduced as an enemy and Naruto's rival, the two eventually develop a bond as kindred spirits and become close friends as the series progresses.

A ninja from Sunagakure, Gaara and his elder siblings, Kankuro and Temari, are the children of their village's leader, the Fourth Kazekage. Gaara was was chosen by his father to become host to a powerful type of demon known as a tailed beast at the time of birth; the ceremony resulted in both the death of his mother and the sealing of the One-Tailed Shukaku within his body.

This inner demon, as intended, turned Gaara into something of a living weapon with the distinct ability to control sand, a trait which earned him the moniker "Gaara of the Desert" (砂瀑の我愛羅, Sabaku no Gaara). However, it also set the stage for his traumatic childhood, during which Gaara was ostracized and feared by his fellow villagers, and even those closest to him. With time, Gaara's own father would come to view him as a threat to the village, and several failed assassination attempts followed.

As a result of these experiences, Gaara becomes cold and distant even with his allies and siblings, and grows into a remorseless killer with the belief that he can justify his own existance only through the slaying of others. However, after meeting and doing battle with Naruto, he begins to reevaluate his purpose in the world, instead deciding that he can use his abilities to protect and help those he cares about. In the latter half of the series, he has become a respected and beloved figure in the village, inheriting leadership as Sunagakure's Fifth Kazekage.

Gaara has appeared in several pieces of Naruto media, including the second featured film in the series, the third original video animation, and several video games. Numerous anime and manga publications have also commented on Gaara's character and initially sadistic mentality; IGN labeled the disparity between Naruto and Gaara as "emotional" and "a tad creepy."[6] The battle between him and Naruto at the conclusion of the Invasion of Konoha arc was particularly celebrated by reviewers, with Anime News Network referring to it as the high point of the entire series.[7] Amongst the Naruto reader base, Gaara has been popular, placing high in several popularity polls.[8] Numerous pieces of merchandise have been released in Gaara's likeness, including plush dolls and key chains.[9][10][11]

Creation and conception

Naruto author Masashi Kishimoto created Gaara as a foil to the series' lead character, Naruto. He and Naruto have a similar background: he was rejected by his peers and fellow villagers for being the host of a tailed beast, a situation that Kishimoto describes as "very much like Naruto's. He was universally rejected and ignored, living a superfluous existence."[5] Gaara's development from this state into a highly withdrawn, sadistic character was intended to induce sympathy for him from readers, as it was contrasted against Naruto being a cheerful troublemaker.[5]

Gaara's initial attire, along with the costumes of his siblings, were difficult for Kishimoto to draw, resulting in a change of costume during the Sasuke Retrieval arc, with Gaara receiving an outfit with an upright collar. As well as being easier to draw, it was used to show the change in relationship between Gaara and Naruto following their previous fight. Kishimoto cites The Matrix, one of his favorite movies, as an inspiration for Gaara's new costume, and he considers it to be his favorite costume of the three siblings.[12]

Character outline

Background

Gaara's background, though presented in small amounts from the moment of his introduction, is ultimately told in detail midway through Naruto manga volume fifteen. This backstory, told via flashbacks just prior to doing battle with Naruto Uzumaki, serves as a way to compare and contrast the two character's upbringings. While both characters face similar hardships of hatred and neglect in their youth, differences in the circumstances of their births and their familial relationships cause them to develop dramatically different personalities. Prior to Gaara's birth, his father, then leader of the ninja village of Sunagakure, was forced to cut military spending and channel its revenue to other programs. To keep the village's military forces from becoming too weak, his father had the One-Tailed Shukaku sealed within Gaara during his birth; in doing so, his father hoped that Gaara would become the village's weapon, singlehandedly filling the void created by the budget cuts.[13][14]

To help Gaara gain control over the powers granted to him by Shukaku, Gaara's father trained him in the ninja arts throughout his childhood.[13] Despite years of efforts to tame and control the beast within him, Gaara was never able to gain complete control over Shukaku. Against Gaara's will, Shukaku would lash out and attack those close to him, making him feared as a monster by the villagers, despite his attempts to apologize.[15] His father, fearing that Gaara might someday bring about the destruction of the village, ordered Gaara's assassination. Over the coming years Shukaku would protect Gaara from every assassination attempt and promptly kill the perpetrator.[16] Realizing that he had been abandoned by his own family, Gaara adopted the belief that he, and by extension Shukaku, were the only people he could rely on in the world.[17]

Personality

File:Gaarapart2.jpg
Gaara as he appears in Part II.

Gaara's most fundamental characteristic at the start of the series is a direct result of his background; as he is the only person he can count on, he comes to believe that the only way he can justify his existence is to kill others. During the Chunin Exams arc, a chance for aspiring ninja to prove their worth and rise up the ninja ranks, Gaara displays this philosophy by either killing or seriously maiming anyone who makes the mistake of insulting him.[18] Towards the arc's conclusion, after weaker ninja have fallen to the wayside and Gaara is pitted against progressively more talented opponents, Gaara undergoes a subtle change in ideals: rather than finding purpose in life by killing just anyone, Gaara comes to crave killing anyone stronger than him, as only they are capable of threatening his existence.[19]

Gaara continues to seek out strong opponents for the duration of the arc, eventually forcing Naruto Uzumaki to fight him by threatening one of his teammates. By fighting to save his friends, Naruto is able to defeat Gaara. Realizing that fighting for others yields greater strength than fighting for one's self, Gaara abandons his belief that he is the person he can rely on.[20] For the series's duration Gaara tries to make amends with the many character's he had alienated, apologizing to those he hurt and improving his relationship with his family.[21] At the same time, Gaara's fundamental characteristic becomes the desire to protect as many people as he can, as in doing so he will be able to find true strength. This culminates in his replacing his father as the leader of Sunagakure during the second half of the series, his greatest dream being to give his life for the villagers no matter what their opinion of him may be.[22]

Abilities

File:GaaraShieldofSand.jpg
Gaara's sand shielding him from a needle barrage.

As a result of Shukaku being sealed within him, Gaara is granted complete control over sand. Because he fights on a variety of terrains throughout the series, many of which do not have high concentrations of sand, Gaara always carries some with him in a calabash gourd, which itself is also made of sand.[23] When attacking others, Gaara uses his sand to capture and subsequently crush his target, only varying the size and intensity of the action to suit the situation. Most of his battles involve repeating this method of attack over and over until he has succeeded in finishing off his opponent, and as such Gaara typically remains stationary for the battle's duration.[18] If an opponent is able to escape his attempts at capture and get close enough to attack him, Gaara possesses an automatic shield of sand that reacts whenever he is about to be struck. Though few characters have ever been able to bypass this defense, as it activates quickly and without Gaara's knowledge, Gaara armors his skin with a layer of sand as a precautionary defensive measure.[24]

Similar to Naruto and other such hosts, Gaara can manifest aspects of his inner tailed beast if he is unable to defeat an opponent under his own power, giving him a proportionate access to Shukaku's superior strength and speed, even to the point that Shukaku will manifest completely. As he draws out Shukaku's power, his body is slowly covered in sand which assumes the shape of a tanuki, causing him to look like a miniature version of Shukaku, and he grows progressively more violent and bloodthirsty in the process.[25] Though he was unconcerned with this particular side effect when first shown using the transformation, he comes to fear what he might do to his allies if he taps into Shukaku, and thus has avoided using it after changing his violent ways. In addition to transforming into this Shukaku form, Gaara can force himself to sleep using ninjutsu, fully drawing out Shukaku's form and personality. Doing so allows Shukaku to fight at full strength, giving him complete dominance over the battle so long as Gaara remains asleep.[26]

Plot overview

Gaara, though playing a significant role during each arc he appears in, makes sporadic appearances throughout the series. He debuts when he is sent to Konohagakure, a rival ninja village, ostensibly to take part in the Chunin Exams. The true purpose, however, is for him to play a key role in a planned invasion by the united forces of Sunagakure and Otogakure.[27] His father intends for Gaara to infiltrate the village and attack it from within, though when he is injured by Sasuke Uchiha he is left unable to fulfill his part in the plan.[28] The invasion proceeds without him and Gaara flees Konoha, though not before battling on being defeated by Naruto Uzumaki on the village's outskirts.[20] Sunagakure is summarily defeated in Gaara's absence and the two villages sign a peace treaty to end the fighting, when it is revealed that Orochimaru, the leader of Otogakure, had killed and impersonated his father to maniplate their village into the war. Later, during the Sasuke Retrieval arc, Sunagakure sends Gaara to help in preventing Sasuke from defecting to their now mutual enemy, Orochimaru.[29] While he is able to help protect Konoha's ninja from Orochimaru's forces, they are unable to prevent Sasuke from escaping.

In the second half of the series, which takes place two-and-a-half years after the events of the Sasuke Retrieval arc, Deidara, a member the criminal organization Akatsuki, is sent to Sunagakure to capture Gaara. When Deidara proves unable to accomplish this task in a fair fight, he threatens to destroy Sunagakure as a distraction, leaving Gaara an easy target while he protects his village.[22] Gaara is captured and the members of Akatsuki extract Shukaku from his body in order to further their goal of world domination.[30] Gaara dies in the process, though is revived by Chiyo, who gives him her life so that he can continue to protect Sunagakure.[31] Though he no longer has Shukaku sealed within him, Gaara retains at least some control over sand, though to what extent has yet to be seen.[32]

Appearances in other media

Gaara has made several appearances outside of the Naruto anime and manga. He is present in the second Naruto featured film, Naruto the Movie 2: Great Clash! The Illusionary Ruins at the Depths of the Earth, in his post-Sasuke Retrieval arc costume. He protects the Land of Wind from an assault by Haido's troops and later battles the lighting user Ranke, defeating her by draining her of her lighting.[33] Gaara is additionally present in the third original video animation released in the series, where he participates in a tournament of various characters from across the series.[34] Naruto video games commonly feature Gaara, including the Clash of Ninja and Ultimate Ninja series.[35][36][37] In some games, he uses his Shukaku form for combat, as well as other moves not seen in the anime or manga. Naruto Shippūden: Gekitou Ninja Taisen EX marks the first appearance of Gaara in his Part II appearance in a video game, with the second one being Naruto Shippūden: Narutimate Accel.[38]

Reception

Gaara has ranked highly in the popularity polls for the series originally made in Shonen Jump, continuously placing in the top ten and reaching seventh place once.[8] The last such poll was in 2006, in which Gaara was in 7th place.[39]

Several pieces of Gaara merchandise been released, including key chains of his Part I and Part II appearance,[9][40] plush dolls,[10][11], and a limited edition figurine.[41]

Publications that comment on manga and anime have both praised and criticised Gaara's character. The website IGN noted that Gaara was an "anti-Naruto," possessing a "dark, solemn character" as opposed to Naruto's continuous cheer and excitement.[42] IGN also called Gaara's background "emotional" and "a tad creepy" due to the disparity between the development of Naruto's and Gaara's personalities.[6] Anime News Network celebrated the fact that Naruto and Gaara's similarities added "depth and emotion" to the plot, and commented that "nowhere in the entire series run does Naruto shine brighter than in the peak period of his battle against Gaara."[7] They also complimented Kishimoto's visual presentation of Gaara in the manga, referring to "chilling [glimpses] of Gaara's crazed, exposed face."[43] Liam O'Brien, Gaara's voice actor in the English adaptation of the anime, has been praised: IGN noted that he did an "excellent job" of making Gaara sound terrifying to the viewer.[44]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Akira Ishida". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  2. ^ "Liam O'Brien". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  3. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2002). NARUTO―ナルト―［秘伝・臨の書］. Shueisha. p. 51. ISBN 4-08873-288-X.
  4. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2005). NARUTO―ナルト―［秘伝・闘の書］. Shueisha. pp. 62–63. ISBN 4-08873-734-2.
  5. ^ a b c Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: The Art of Naruto. Viz Media. p. 142. ISBN 1-4215-1407-9.
  6. ^ a b Van Horn, Jason (2007-02-26). "IGN: An Assassin of the Moonlit Night Review". IGN. Retrieved 2008-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b Martin, Theron (2008-02-29). "Naruto Uncut DVD Box Set 6 - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2008). "Chapter 245". Naruto, Volume 28. Viz Media. pp. 8–9. ISBN 1-4215-1864-3.
  9. ^ a b "Naruto - Keychains - Gaara 3D Mini Keychain". Viz Media. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  10. ^ a b "Amazon.com: Naruto: Gaara with Gourd Plush: Toys & Games". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  11. ^ a b "Amazon.com: NARUTO GAARA 14" PLUSH TOY: Office Products". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  12. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: The Art of Naruto. Viz Media. p. 127. ISBN 1-4215-1407-9.
  13. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 97". Naruto, Volume 11. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-0241-0.
  14. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 131". Naruto, Volume 15. Viz Media. pp. 93–95. ISBN 1-4215-0240-2.
  15. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 129". Naruto, Volume 15. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-0240-2.
  16. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 131". Naruto, Volume 15. Viz Media. pp. 89–91. ISBN 1-4215-0240-2.
  17. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 131". Naruto, Volume 15. Viz Media. p. 98. ISBN 1-4215-0240-2.
  18. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2005). "Chapter 59". Naruto, Volume 7. Viz Media. ISBN 1-59116-875-9.
  19. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 83". Naruto, Volume 10. Viz Media. p. 28. ISBN 1-4215-1089-8.
  20. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 136". Naruto, Volume 16. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-1090-1.
  21. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2008). "Chapter 215". Naruto, Volume 24. Viz Media. pp. 132–133. ISBN 1-4215-1860-0.
  22. ^ a b Kishimoto, Masashi (2008). "Chapter 249". Naruto, Volume 28. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-1864-3.
  23. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 86". Naruto, Volume 10. Viz Media. p. 89. ISBN 1-4215-1089-8.
  24. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 83". Naruto, Volume 10. Viz Media. p. 35. ISBN 1-4215-1089-8.
  25. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 128". Naruto, Volume 15. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-0240-2.
  26. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 136". Naruto, Volume 16. Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-1090-1.
  27. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 95". Naruto, Volume 11. Viz Media. pp. 92–98. ISBN 1-4215-0241-0.
  28. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). "Chapter 115". Naruto, Volume 13. Viz Media. pp. 136–138. ISBN 1-4215-1087-1.
  29. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2008). "Chapter 213". Naruto, Volume 24. Viz Media. p. 95. ISBN 1-4215-1860-0.
  30. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2005). "Chapter 261". Naruto, Volume 29. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-873849-9. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  31. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2005). "Chapter 280". Naruto, Volume 31. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874002-7. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  32. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 281". Naruto, Volume 32. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874039-3. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  33. ^ "Naruto (movie 2)". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  34. ^ "Naruto (OAV)". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
  35. ^ Bozon, Mark (2006-09-29). "Naruto: The Complete Fighter Profile - Page 2". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ Tomy, ed. (2005). Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen 4 Japanese instruction manual (in Japanese). Tomy. p. 5.
  37. ^ Naruto: Ultimate Ninja English instruction manual. Namco Bandai. 2006. p. 26.
  38. ^ "ＮＡＲＵＴＯ－ナルト－ 疾風伝:ＴＶ東京 - Goods" (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  39. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2006). "Chapter 293". Naruto, Volume 33. Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-874108-6. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  40. ^ "Amazon.com: Naruto Shippuden: Mini Gaara Plush Key Chain: Apparel". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  41. ^ "Naruto - Collectible - Gaara Sand Coffin Figurine". Viz Media. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  42. ^ Sparrow, A.E. (2007-11-09). "IGN: Naruto Reader's Guide". IGN. Retrieved 2008-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ Kimlinger, Karl (2006-11-02). "Naruto GN 8-10 - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. ^ Van Horn, Jason (2007-02-12). "IGN: Astonishing Truth! Gaara's Identity Emerges! Review". IGN. Retrieved 2008-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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