Gaara
Gaara (我愛羅, Gaara?), also known as Desert Gaara (砂漠の我愛羅, Sabaku no Gaara?), is a fictional character from the manga and anime Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto created Gaara to be a character that would polarize with the series' protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, as both characters were born into similar circumstances, but developed quite different personalities due to their interpretation of their various personal problems..
In both the manga and anime, Gaara is a ninja belonging to the Hidden Sand Village, as well as being the son of the village's former leader, the Fourth Kazekage, and is currently the Fifth Kazekage. While in his mother's womb, his father attempted to turn him into a human weapon by introducing a tailed beast. As a consequence, he was harassed by the villagers of his village, which later led him to become a ruthless killer, killing anyone without remorse, just as he treated his brothers, Kankurō and Temari, with contempt.. However, his battle against Naruto allowed him to change his point of view, so he began helping others to emulate Naruto's attitude. During the second part of the series, Gaara becomes the Fifth Kazekage of his village. Gaara has also appeared in various media related to Naruto, including the second film based on the series, as well as the third original animation and multiple video games.
Numerous anime and manga publications have commented on the character. IGN commented that the disparity between Naruto and Gaara seemed "exciting" and "a bit creepy". Anime News Network mentioned that the battle between Naruto and Gaara has been the most critical and important point of the entire series. database on Naruto readers, Gaara has become popular, ranking high in various polls, reaching positions in the top ten. Also, varieties of marketing pieces based on the Gaara's appearance have been released for sale, including plush toys and key chains.
Creation
Masashi Kishimoto, the author of the Naruto series, created Gaara as a doppelgänger of the protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, so as to emphasize a contrast between the two characters. He and Naruto have certain similarities in terms of their past, as he was rejected by the villagers due to being the jinchūriki of the bijū Shukaku, a matter Kishimoto describes as " very similar to that of Naruto". The development of Gaara's emotional state, which consisted of going from being an affectionate and shy child to being a sadistic and withdrawn character, the author carried out with the intention of creating sympathy for him. character with respect to his readers, as it is contrasted with the cheerful and problematic attitude that Naruto developed. Furthermore, its design was intended to resemble a tanuki, since Kishimoto thought that this would make it a good match for the Kyūbi that Naruto contains, since several parts of the Ichibi i> (一尾, lit. "one tail"?) were considered by Kishimoto as opposed to those of the Kyūbi. The story of Gaara's past became one of the mangaka 's favorites in the first part, he even revised the illustrations several times in such chapters, as he wanted readers to better understand Gaara's state of mind..
Gaara's initial outfit, along with the outfits of his brothers, were difficult for Kishimoto to draw in weekly intervals for each episode of the series. For this reason, he appointed them simpler garments in the last chapters of the first part; Gaara's clothing consisted of a high-necked jacket. Besides being easier to draw, this served to represent a sample of the change in the relationship between Naruto and Gaara after their old battle. The author cited that The Matrix is one of his favorite movies, which is why it was taken as inspiration for Gaara's new wardrobe, and he considers that this is his favorite among the three brothers.
Personality
Over time, Gaara acquired sadistic behavior and an extraordinary thirst for blood. Her drive to kill is one of the main aspects of her at the beginning of the series. After his entry into the "Chūnin Exams", Gaara showed little interest in the test, but still had the urge to kill or seriously injure anyone who got in his way. powerful opponents during the exam process, Gaara begins to believe that he should kill anyone he perceives to be stronger than himself, as they "would be a threat to his survival".
Gaara's quest to combat powerful enemies allows him to cross paths with Naruto Uzumaki. Recognizing that Naruto is a formidable opponent, Gaara threatens the life of one of his companions to force him to fight. Thus, he tries to make the fight a contest to see which philosophy is correct, since Gaara believes that one should fight for oneself, while Naruto thinks the opposite. In the process, Naruto defeats Gaara and as a result, the latter gains Naruto's perspective, believing that fighting for others allows one to produce greater energy and strength, rather than fighting for oneself. For this reason, Gaara he makes peace with his companions and with the people he had driven away from his life, apologizing to those he had hurt, and improves his relationship with his family. At the same time, Gaara's main characteristic becomes a desire to protect as many as possible. people can, doing this to find true strength. This transformation culminates when he replaces his father's position, becoming the Kazekage of Sunagakure during the second part of the series and maintains that his greatest desire is to give his life for the villagers of his village regardless of the opinion that their own. villagers had on him.
History
Past
Gaara's past is recounted primarily through flashbacks throughout the twenty-fifth volume of Naruto. Shortly before he was born, Gaara's father had under his power a tanuki-shaped being, the "Shukaku" (守鶴, “Shukaku”?), a tailed beast that was sealed in the body of his son while he was still in his mother's womb. It is believed that Gaara's protective aura of sand is provided by Shukaku, but in reality this protection is provided by his mother, who swears to protect him from everything before dying, for this reason Gaara still retains this ability after having the aura removed from him. Shukaku. The Fourth Kazekage, Gaara's father, and the leader of the village of Sunagakure, intended to use his son as a personal weapon for the village. Gaara was trained by his father during his childhood, to help him control the abilities that the Shukaku had given him. Despite this, he was harassed by the villagers of Sunagakure, who saw him as a monster for being the host of a tailed beast. The Shukaku could manipulate the sand even against Gaara's will, to harm the other villagers, solidifying their perception of him. Those attacks on the villagers convinced Gaara's father that he was It was actually a failed experiment, so he ordered the assassination of his son. All attempts to take his life failed, as Shukaku always protected his host from harm and killed the assassin who tried to kill him. After his uncle, Yashamaru, was the only person to take care of him, and that he tried to kill him, Gaara adopted the belief that he could only trust himself and the Shukaku, and that he had to kill anyone he perceived as a threat to his existence, in order to give meaning to his life.
Part One
Gaara makes his first appearance in the series when he is sent to Konohagakure, a rival village, to take part in the Chūnin Exams, a biannual ceremony held for all ninja who are interested in moving up in rank; Gaara manages to reach the last instance and confront Rock Lee, defeating him and almost killing him, if it hadn't been for Guy Sensei. During this first part Gaara is one of the strongest Genin. However, he was actually sent to infiltrate Konoha to prepare for an invasion by Sunagakure, along with their allied village, Otogakure, but during the exams he is injured by Sasuke Uchiha, rendering him unable to participate in the invasion. The village proceeds without him and Gaara flees Konoha, but is pursued and defeated by Naruto outside the village. Sunagakure is defeated while Gaara was away, and the two villages sign a peace treaty to end the ambush. Later, Sunagakure sends Gaara to prevent Sasuke from defecting and joining Otogakure, which has become a common enemy between Sunagakure and Konoha. While he is able to protect Konoha from Otogakure's ninja forces, he is unable to prevent Sasuke from escaping his village.
Part Two
In the second part of the series, two and a half years after the failed attempt to return Sasuke, Deidara, a member of the criminal organization Akatsuki, is sent to the Hidden Sand Village to capture Gaara, who now He has the title of Kazekage. Deidara manages to capture Gaara, destroying the Hidden Sand Village in the process, so the Akatsuki members proceed to extract the Shukaku from his body. Gaara is killed in the process, but is revived by Chiyo—an elderly ninja. of Sunagakure who was responsible for sealing the Shukaku within him—sacrificing herself for Gaara to continue protecting her village. Later, she heads to the summit of the Five Kages, where she replaces the Raikage in his battle against Sasuke., which came to kill the then Hokage, Danzō; during the fight, Gaara tries to reason with Sasuke. After Madara Uchiha declared war to capture the two remaining bijuus, Gaara decides to protect Naruto. Shortly after, Gaara is entrusted with the position of Commander of the Shinobi Army, and gives a speech encouraging ninjas from different countries to withstand the pressure of war. On the second day of the war, he meets his revived father, who is surprised to see his advancement as a ninja. Learning that Gaara's uncle and mother have always loved him, the Fourth Kazekage tasks him with protecting Sunagakure. Gaara later defeats and seals the Second Mizukage and reunites with the other four Kages to battle Madara Uchiha, revealing that the Akatsuki leader actually used his name just to intimidate.
Skills
Because he has Shukaku inside of him, Gaara can control sand, so he always carries his sand in a gourd-shaped canteen on his back, which is actually made of compacted sand. To attack Gaara uses the sand to engulf his opponents, then compresses it to crush them in the process. As Gaara is attacked, a sand shield automatically activates, blocking the attacks and preventing anything from damaging him; this is another of the characteristics resulting from the fact that the Shukaku is enclosed in it. Also, Gaara covers his skin with a layer of sand, as a preventative defense measure in case the sand shield were breached.At the end of the first part, Gaara demonstrates the ability to use sand to transport himself, allowing him to fly.
Like other jinchūrikis, Gaara can manifest certain traits of the beast that is encased within him. While covered in sand, Gaara can take on the appearance of Shukaku but in miniature, with which he manages to increase his resistance and speed. As he does this, he allows Shukaku to dominate and influence his personality, making him more violent and a bloodthirsty warrior.Once he finishes transforming himself into Shukaku, Gaara can fully release Shukaku's personality., forcing himself to sleep. By doing so, the Shukaku is able to take control of the transformation and fight using its full power while Gaara remains asleep. However, Gaara loses the Shukaku to the Akatsuki Organization, though he still retains the ability to control the sand since which is "his power" the same as with Shikamaru Nara and the shadows but without "the extra power" offered by Shukaku.
Complete missions
During the course of the story, Gaara has done the following missions, along with his brothers:
- Rank D: 0
- Rank C: 9
- Rank B: 8
- Rank A: 14
- Rank S: 5
Techniques
- Daisan not me: the user creates an eye with its sand and chakra. It is, mainly, a jutsu spying.
- Rendan: Suna Shigure: the user generates a sand cloud from which he shoots sand-made shells.
- Sabaku Fuyū: through the sand, the user levitates over it, being able to extend it also to others.
- Sabaku Sōsō: the user catches the opponent with his sand. Once immobile, the user crushes him after putting him under great pressure.
- abaku Sōtaisō Fūin: Using a lot of sand, the user catches the opponent in a large pyramid. Then place stamps on your facade to increase your sealing power.
- Suna Bunshin: the user creates a sand clone. Unlike others jutsus clone, this can create your own jutsus and get blows without fading.
- Suna no Tate: the sand protects the user, regardless of his will. The sand can harden, becoming more resistant than steel. It was believed that this skill was provided by the Shukaku, but Gaara's father confirmed that it was due to the love professed by his mother Karura, as you can see in the tattoo that he carries on the forehead which means "love".
- Suna no Yoroi: jutsu defensive, the sand covers the body of the user, giving it great protection. This technique consumes a lot of chakra.
Appearance in other media
Gaara has made various appearances outside of the Naruto manga and anime. She appears in the second film in the series, Naruto the Movie 2: The Illusory Ruins Deep Under the Earth. In it, he protects the Country of Wind from an assault by Haido, the film's antagonist, and later confronts the lightning user Renke, one of Haido's subordinates, whom he later defeats. Gaara also appears in the film. second original animation based on the series, Naruto: Mixed Battle Tournament!, in which he participates in a tournament along with other characters that have appeared throughout the series. Naruto is a common appearance of Gaara, such as in the Clash of Ninja and Ultimate Ninja series. In some games, he is able to use his Shukaku form to fight, as well as use movements that do not appear in the manga or in the anime. In Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen EX 2, it was Gaara's first appearance in a game based on the second part.
The character Desert Rat from the Spanish webcomic Raruto, is a parody of Gaara.
Reception
Gaara has ranked high in popularity polls for the series, consistently placing in the top ten in most of them. Various merchandise has also been released for sale, including key chains—according to her clothing from both the first and second parts—, stuffed animals, and limited edition figurines.
Publications dedicated to anime and manga have served to praise and criticize the character. IGN commented that Gaara was an "anti-Naruto", possessing a "dark and solemn character" contrary to that character, as he possesses continuous spirit and enormous emotion. In another review, IGN called Gaara's past as " touching" and "slightly creepy", due to the polarity that occurred during the development of personalities between Gaara and Naruto. Anime News Network praised that the "deep and exciting" similarity between Naturo and Gaara was added to the plot, commenting that "There has been no place in the course of the series, such a dazzling moment, as it was at the height of his battle against Gaara". They also commented on Kishimoto's visual presentation of Gaara in the version for the manga, referring to Gaara's "revealing and crazy face; for he is chilling and glaring.” Mania Entertainment noted that the first fight between Gaara and Sasuke showed how “fragile” his mentality was despite his violent attitude. His past was similarly praised by said publication, as it includes "a ton of legitimate emotion", as it allows viewers of the series to understand Gaara's personality a little more thoroughly.