Naruto, in its entirety, has to be one of the most memorable anime series of all time. When talking about manga and anime series that have left their marks and created global hype, it would be a crime not to name Naruto. But what earned the series a lot of its name was the second part- Naruto Shippuden. As the second installation in the entire Naruto series, it earned a lot of critical acclaims and created a name for itself.
Running from 2007 to 2017, Naruto Shippuden had exactly 500 episodes. The Masashi Kishimoto series maintained his legacy as one of the greatest mangakas. With games, movies, and a lot of other elements to make the series interesting, the show features Naruto’s life after he trains with Jiraiya outside the Hidden Leaf Village.
With an incredibly interesting storyline and with amazing characters and character development, Naruto Shippuden has contributed immensely to the above 250 million manga sales that Naruto has made throughout the years. To boost your curiosity, here are 35 interesting facts about Naruto Shippuden!
Also Read: A Complete Guide To Watching Naruto
1. The series has real-life icon-inspired characters
Some of Naruto Shippuden’s characters have incredibly realistic resemblances that can strike you effortlessly. The characters are those Killer B, Rock Lee, and the First Raikage A.
Killer B is visibly similar to the old-school wrestling icon Hulk Hogan. As stated by Masashi Kishimoto himself, Killer B is inspired by pro wrestling. The idea was to create a shinobi who had pro wrestling elements as well.
The inspiration behind his name is usually considered to be the rap group Wu-Tang Clan also known as The Killer Bees. Interestingly, a vintage wrestling team by the same name was also created. Another fun thing. Hulk Hogan was behind the creation of it.
No surprise Rock Lee’s resemblance lies with the martial arts icon Bruce Lee. The speed and power, along with the finesse displayed by Rock Lee in his taijutsu, are visibly there in the moves of Bruce Lee.
Coming as the founder of Kumogakure and the First Raikage, he looks very similar to Jimi Hendrix. The hair and the style of the First Raikage are remarkably like those of the rock music legend.
2. Kisame Hoshigaki can do an Earth Style Jutsu
Kisame Hoshigaki is infamous for wielding the Samehada and performing a number of vicious Water Style techniques. But what if you learned that he had an Earth Style technique as well?
The technique named Dochu Senko(Subterranean Voyage) gives him the capability to travel underground. This allows him to attack from a point that might be unexpected. However, the Samehada’s tip is visible like an actual shark’s fin protruding out of water.
3. Obito stays unaffected by Mangekyou Sharingan’s use
Even though Mangekyou Sharingan has a history of turning less effective or affecting the eye of its user due to regular use, Obito Uchiha’s Mangekyou Sharingan does not. Even though he uses the signature Kamui a number of times, his Mangekyou Sharingan or its efficiency does not seem to be affected.
The best explanation for it can be found in the fact that Obito is part Senju. Thus, it favors his recovery mechanism over that of any other Mangekyou Sharingan user.
Also Read: Top 10 Obito Uchiha Quotes That Will Inspire You
4. Hashirama: The Bijuu Hunter
Hashirama Senju’s potential exceeds the point where people just know him for beating Madara. He single-handedly caught 8 of the 9 tailed beasts.
As Juubi(10 Tails) was fragmented into the 9 Bijuu(Tailed Beasts) by Hagoromo, those 9 Tailed Beasts were released in the wild after his death. Hashirama Senju was so powerful that he captured 8 of the 9 beasts. A lot of it can be credited to his efficient use of the Wood Style.
The only Bijuu that The First Hokage could not capture was Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast. It was captured by the Sunagakure on its own. But capturing 8 beasts single-handedly speaks volumes about the level of power Hashirama had.
5. Kabuto is unaffected from genjutsu
Even though genjutsu is one of the most feared types of jutsus showcased throughout the series, with the capability to handicap a person psychologically, Kabuto is immune to Genjutsus.
The best-known reason behind Kabuto being unaffected is that his eyes have been sealed from any kind of eye contact-based Genjutsu. It is interesting to notice that Kabuto has such a significant capability and yet stays in the shadows. If you think this is where it ends, here comes another fact for you.
6. Danzo stole Shisui’s eyes and managed to use them well
Danzo stole the right eye of Shisui Uchiha. No surprise, it was the man who masterminded the plan to purge the entire Uchiha clan. But what’s not known is how Danzo almost killed Shisui while taking his right eye.
It also seems like Danzo is capable of casting genjutsu upon his enemies due to the right eye of Shisui that he possesses. For people, Izanagi might be the only big move Danzo could pull off. But the patched eye man could definitely pull off a lot more than what was visible.
7. Rin could do a lot more beyond healing teammates
Often kept limited to the role of being a medic on the field, Rin Nohara had a lot more to herself as she had a strong amount of resistance to genjutsu techniques. Even though her character is often shown as connecting Obito and Kakashi in one way or the other, Rin’s skills and the techniques that she knew were never really known to a lot of people.
Apparently, she could also do taijutsu and perform techniques involving Yang, Fire, and Water. So that definitely adds to her character beyond the Three-Tails story and her being the Obito-Kakashi bridging point.
8. The Pain Arc’s Purpose
Even though many of us consider the Pain Arc to be the best in the entire series, this one will surely be a surprise for many of you. Masashi Kishimoto added the arc just to make Sasuke and Naruto equal.
Yes! It was actually the plan of Masashi Kishimoto to end the series with a battle between Naruto and Sasuke. For this, he needed to make the characters equal in multiple terms. In emotional terms, Kishimoto considered Jiraiya’s death a point where Naruto would feel the loss of his own people the way Sasuke did.
It might not be the kindest way to make two characters equal, but it is what it is. The Pain Arc truly served its purpose and developed a huge lot of characters phenomenally
9. Kakuzu’s attacks have Gundam inspirations
Masashi Kishimoto has been a great fan of Gundam. In the world of mangas and anime, Gundam is another world in its own right. Kishimoto sensei was no exception. His childhood hobby of drawing included drawing Gundam-related things as well. But it actually made its way to Naruto Shippuden as well.
This came in the form of Kakuzu and his attacks. The Zukkoku attack of Kakuzu has been inspired by Z’Gok, Jiongu has been named after MSN-02 Zeong, the YMS-15 Gyan inspired the gain, and the list goes on.
10. Naruto paid tribute to One Piece
Naruto and One Piece have been the arch-rivals in the anime and manga world for a lot of fans. But the mutual respect between the creators of both series is unmatched. In Chapter 700 of Naruto Part 2 (the manga part Naruto Shippuden is based on), Boruto defaces the faces on the Hokage Rock.
If one notices it carefully, the graffiti on the defaced face of Naruto features the logo of the Straw Hat Pirates. With One Piece giving its own farewell to the series and with the easter egg in Chapter 700 of Naruto, both the series proved that there was all love and respect at the creators’ desks.
11. Hidan was meant to resemble the Shinigami
Hidan’s character stands out as a really interesting one in that of the Akatsuki members. Besides being immortal and being the face of cultist thoughts, Hidan was actually meant to resemble the Shinigami. The character book of Naruto mentions Hidan’s appearance and compares it to that of the Shinigami.
The Jashinist marks were meant to provide him with that look. To some extent, the efforts to make him look like the Shinigami were a success. But Masashi Kishimoto could not provide Hidan’s scythe with some qualities that he had planned on granting. Thanks to time constraints, all we can do now is just think about what the qualities were meant to be like.
12. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji’s Traditions
The earrings worn by Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji might have slipped past your notice. Upon noticing, they are similar. Why? Because it is a binding tradition for their clans to stay together. This represents their long-standing alliances.
Initially, the earrings that they wear are loop-shaped. In Naruto Shippuden, as all of them grow up, the visibly big loop-like earrings reduce to the size of studs. This is also part of a tradition in which Asuma Sarutobi gives them the studs. It marks that the trio is that of grown-up and more experienced shinobis.
Also Read: Iconic Shikamaru Moments From Naruto Shippuden – Ranked
13. Kankuro’s character has a lot to do with Kabuki
Even though Gaara might have been the Jinchuuriki of the One-Tailed Beast, Kankuro had always been a constant presence beside his younger brother. Considered an experienced shinobi and a member of the Gaara-Temari-Kankuro trio of the Sunagakure, the puppeteer shinobi has always been identifiable with the help of his painted face.
This is where the fun starts. Kankuro’s face paint has never been the same throughout the series progress. This can be observed throughout the series with passing arcs. Even though there have been times when Kankuro has not applied the paint on his face, the inspiration behind it is the traditional performing art of kabuki.
14. The multiple voice actors of Sasori
Speaking of puppeteers, we cannot leave the innocent yet terrifying Sasori. Throughout his time on the show, Sasori had 3 voice actors. Yes! This applies to the original series and the English dub as well. All of it has been due to the variety of depictions that have been used to show the character.
Due to the use of Hiruko, the puppet, Sasori’s own initial disguise, and then his original voice, Yutaka Aoyama, Takahiro Sakurai, and Akiko Yajima voiced the Akatsuki member. An incredibly thoughtful move. It actually helped give Sasori the diversity that he required in his various depictions.
Also Read: All Akatsuki Members Ranked By Strength
15. Jiraiya is named after a folktale character
The inspiration for Jiraiya’s name lies in the Japanese folktale- Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari (The Tale of The Gallant Jiraiya). The character’s impact on the beloved character is clearly visible not only in nature but also in the appearance of Jiraiya.
In the folktale, Jiraiya rides giant toads and goes around doing gallant deeds. This is exactly how our very favorite Jiraiya also works. It is just that the magic of the folktale has been replaced by the jutsus in Naruto.
We also need to know that Jiraiya means “Young Thunder” in Japanese. A lot of connections have often been made in terms of the name’s meaning and how quickly and powerfully Jiraiya does his work.
16. Masashi Kishimoto postponed his honeymoon for the series
Talking about dedication, Masashi Kishimoto deserves a lot of appreciation for what he has done. He was incredibly passionate about Naruto from its start till the day it ended. Due to his busy schedule in creating the entire series, he ended up postponing his own honeymoon.
He worked on all 72 volumes that completed the entire series. As much as a relief it was, Kishimoto sensei went on for his honeymoon almost a decade after his marriage. Crazy to imagine how mangakas can go to create superhits even when the risks can cost them heftily.
17. Akira saved the plan for Naruto’s creation
Initially, Masashi Kishimoto was incredibly passionate about drawing things and being a mangaka. He had been inspired by folktales, Gundam, his personal experiences, movies, shows, and other manga series. But at a point, he had almost lost all hope in the idea of being a mangaka.
It was when he saw the poster of the evergreen Akira that he thought of giving the mangaka dream another shot. With the passing of time, he kept giving more and more effort. It was when he wrote down Naruto and Naruto Shippuden that his dream of being a mangaka got a happy ending.
18. Danzo’s concept was about to be Itachi’s
In the initial concepts of the series, the infamous Danzo’s appearance and its elements had almost been passed on to Itachi. His group was meant to be completely different from the Akatsuki. Even the physical appearance was nowhere close to the appearance we are used to seeing.
The concept was that of a group of assassins named ‘The Itachi Squad.’ The group was planned to be that of 70 members who conducted secret assassinations and other operations. It was here that Itachi almost had a cross-shaped scar on his chin. It was later seen on Danzo’s chin.
19. The Matrix as an inspiration
Even though Masashi Kishimoto has visibly given away his love for world-famous sci-fi movies and cultural icons a number of times, The Matrix has been the greatest influence throughout Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. It was The Matrix that inspired the outfits for a number of iconic characters.
The superhit has inspired the clothes of the iconic trio of protagonists. Along with it, The Akatsuki’s cloaks also bear a striking resemblance to Neo’s black cloak. Even though Naruto’s outfits are a lot more colorful than those of The Matrix, the idea lies in futuristic fashion.
20. The Deidara-Sasori Love-Hate Bond
Deidara and Sasori are often considered to be two of the most artistically appreciative people in the Naruto Shippuden universe. Both of them were appreciative of art from their own perspectives. But this is where the divide between them becomes visible.
Deidara respected Sasori, but Sasori did not. Why? Both of them had differing views on art. While Deidara considered art to be something temporary, Sasori considered art a long-lasting thing of beauty. Both of them have visibly not been the most supportive of the other’s ideas regarding art. But Deidara somewhere still kept respect for Sasori while this was not done for him.
21. Nagato: The Sensitive One
Nagato was an incredibly sensitive character. Even before he became acquainted with Yahiko and Konan, he used to cry a lot. Even after meeting them and Yahiko trying to improve him in this aspect, Nagato did not stop crying.
Even though this habit of his has been called an advantage that he can feel pain, this ability of his also becomes contaminated with the passing of time. The most expected reason for Nagato’s corrupted beliefs can be the death of Yahiko. From that point onwards, it can be observed that the ability to be sensitive to people’s pains dies out.
22. Naruto was meant to be set in the modern era
It was Masashi Kishimoto’s idea to include a lot of modern elements in the story. He planned on showing a lot of technologically advanced things throughout the story of Naruto. The times were going to be modern, and Naruto was supposed to solve crimes.
However, it stopped at the point where the plot was considered. The shinobi concept with jutsus was definitely not going to sit well with the technology-based elements. Now that we know, the original concept of making Naruto a crime-solving modern boy would have never been the best idea.
23. The traditional roots of Madara’s weapon
What people might have noticed is a huge guitar-like weapon carried around by Madara all the time. The same was also used by Obito at a point in time. This weapon actually existed earlier in Japan, just not as a weapon. It shows how many historical references have been brought in by Masashi Kishimoto to keep the story as traditional as possible.
It is called gunbai. Even though the series has it that the weapon can convert any chakra coming in contact into a wind release attack, the real-life Japanese warriors used to carry it for communication-related purposes with their subordinates. Even today, these can be seen in sumo tournaments for conveying information and a lot of Japanese cultural depictions.
24. Minato had the most number of missions
Even though we all know Minato Namikaze had a golden record as a student and as a Hokage, the list of missions cannot be considered anything less than legendary. To save a lot of money for the happy life that he and Kushina had dreamt of, Minato went on to do more than 800 missions.
His expertise as a shinobi can be understood by the fact that he had 323 A-class missions and 39 S-class missions throughout his 847 missions. Other than these, he also had 216 B-class missions, 147 C-class missions, and 122 D-class missions. All this experience also came in handy while sealing his image as one of the greatest characters in the entire series.
25. Kiba ends up with a cat lover
As much as people know how much Kiba Inuzuka has to do with dogs, even in terms of his clan, his life also took a twist when he ended up with a cat lover. Kiba ends up with Tamaki. Tamaki adores cats, while Kiba adores dogs. Interestingly, even with quite differing interests, they both get along well.
Even though Tamaki’s cat and Akamaru fail to get down to the same level of agreement and comfort, the couple ends up doing pretty well after Tamaki’s introduction in Naruto Shippuden.
26. It is the fourth most-selling manga series of all time
Naruto, combined as a series with both Part 1 and Part 2, is the fourth best-selling manga series in the entire world. This should come as no surprise after seeing the impact that it managed to have throughout and even after its run as a manga and as an anime series. There are only 3 series that make it past Naruto in terms of manga sales.
The Dragon Ball series, Golgo 13, and One Piece are the only 3 series above Naruto. The reason behind Golgo 13 being on the list is its run since 1968. It is among the longest-running series of all time. The other two manga series are also legendary superhits placed alongside Naruto in the legendary anime list.
27. Naruto was meant to be a fox, and Hiruzen, a dog
A lot of original ideas for characters featured in Naruto and Naruto Shippuden were really surprising. The same goes for The Third Hokage- Hiruzen Sarutobi. Masashi Kishimoto had originally thought of designing Hiruzen as a dog. Later on, he decided to make Hiruzen a human being.
Naruto’s association with foxes is undeniably visible throughout the series. The very basic part of his identity is that he happens to be the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast. Even the Nine-Tailed Beast is a fox.
But prior to this, Kishimoto sensei had charted a plan to make Naruto a fox himself. But then he changed Naruto into a human. Hard to imagine how the series would have been with animals performing jutsus.
28. The series was not entirely planned
As mangakas usually have a hard time being relaxed and thinking things through, a number of times, they just have to create the series with the flow. Masashi Kishimoto was no exception in this hectic run.
Due to the control of editors on the series and the changes that were to be made, Masashi Kishimoto had to make changes and create the storyline on really short notice. Kishimoto sensei himself stated that the initial plan to elect Sasuke as the Hokage could not reach fruition. He also stated that he had no time to figure out how Madara was meant to be defeated.
29. Tobirama was arguably the greatest pioneer
Throughout the series, a number of institutions and techniques have been shaped by Tobirama Senju. The Second Hokage was incredibly famous for his skills and the capability of being able to use every basic chakra release.
He invented a number of jutsus that gained importance as the series went on. In Naruto Shippuden, the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation jutsu and Minato’s Flying Thunder God Jutsu were both invented by Tobirama Senju. Even the famous Shadow Clone Jutsu of Naruto was the brainchild of the Second Hokage.
Tobirama was also involved in the creation of almost every basic institution in Konohagakure. He was a key founding figure of the village. Thereafter he created the shinobi academy, the Chuunin examination system, and the Anbu. These developments were so effective that other villages also took to incorporating them into their own systems.
Also Read: Hokages vs. Uchihas: The Ultimate Matchups
30. Naruto Shippuden is filled with mythological references
Mythological references have been filled up throughout Naruto Shippuden. From the names of jutsus to the names of the characters themselves, there have been a number of cultural and mythological references that can be observed.
The names of a number of Mangekyou Sharingan techniques have been derived from the names of traditional Japanese deities. Kotoamatsukami, Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, and some more techniques have been named after Japanese deities.
While Kotoamatsukami refers to the 5 deities who appeared at the beginning of the universe, Tsukuyomi is the name of the Moon deity, and Amaterasu is that of the Sun deity.
Even the Six Paths of Pain have been named after a Buddhist concept of birth, death, and reincarnation. The names-Deva, Asura, Human, Animal, Preta, and Naraka- are actually the realms in which a person takes birth depending upon the deeds.
Quite a well-known reference that might have gone past your observation must be that of Kaguya being named after Princess Kaguya from the Bamboo Princess story.
31. Naruto has a number of Dragon Ball references
Dragon Ball is considered to be a pathbreaking series that went on to inspire a number of series that followed it. Naruto and One Piece are two of the greatest series that have extracted inspiration from the Akira Toriyama brainchild in one way or the other.
Masashi Kishimoto has personally mentioned that it was Akira Toriyama and Dragon Ball that inspired him for some aspects of his own series. The biggest proof can be found when the Four-Tailed Beast is shown in Naruto Shippuden.
The Four Tailed Beast is a monkey named Son Goku and its jinchuuriki’s name was Roshi. In the Dragon Ball series, Goku is mentored by Master Roshi. Master Roshi can also opt for the Great Ape Transformation.
Also Read: Top Similarities Between Naruto and Dragon Ball Series
32. The Tobi Easter Egg
When it comes to easter eggs, Naruto Shippuden has a ton of easter eggs. One such easter egg is the Tobi mask that can be observed in Naruto Shippuden. Although it was beyond the observations of a lot of people, Naruto Shippuden’s episode number 129 features a mask of Tobi in a festival attended by Naruto and Sakura. One can also notice the mask Haku at the same time.
But this is not the first time such an easter egg has been used. A similar easter egg has been brought in earlier. But it was for Dragon Ball. Yes! Earlier on, in Chapter 150 of Naruto, a similar mask of Chiaotzu can be seen at a stall.
33. Nobody knows Yamato’s real name
Naruto Shippuden has a very skillful Wood Style user- Yamato. For a lot of fans, Yamato is the only other user who has attained a high level of skill in the Wood Style. But what people do not know is that Yamato is not even his real name.
Considering how saddening his story is with him being an orphan and the escape from Orochimaru’s plans, we have never known Yamato’s real name. Kinoe was the name given to him in Root. While in Anbu, he chose the name Tenzo for himself. Later on, he went for the name Yamato. Even from the creator’s end, it has never been clarified what his real name is.
34. Shizune is Dan’s niece
Lady Tsunade’s lover Dan Kato died in front of her eyes. Even though the event traumatized her for life, the niece of Dan goes on to assist Tsunade after meeting her. The niece was none other than Shizune. Shizune chooses to assist Lady Tsunade from that point onward.
With the passing of time, she grows in the amount of trust that Tsunade has in her. She also ends up learning healing techniques from the Sannin member. Because one of the most legendary medics teaching her skills, she herself becomes a really good combat medic herself. Due to her loyalty and warm relations, she goes on to assist Hokage after Hokage. Now that’s a happy ending!
35. The Zetsu was already planned to be evil
Contrary to how many characters and their roles changed with time, Zetsu was one of the characters that stayed the way they were planned. Kishimoto sensei had already planned on making Zetsu evil. Even his original appearance of his was kept intact.
To ensure that Zetsu is as creepy and terrifying as he looks, his characteristics do the work that is more than enough. Zetsu actually loves to eat humans. It is mentioned that he loves ‘chewy people.’ That is a clear indication that Zetsu goes for eating humans. Does it get any more terrifying than an Akatsuki member carnivore plant asking to eat humans?
Also read: 40 Netflix’s Wednesday Facts Totally Worth Knowing.
