Gaara is a supporting character (former antagonist) in ‘Naruto’ and ‘Boruto: Naruto Next Generations’. He is a shinobi from Sunagakure.
In episode 17 of ‘Naruto: Shippūden’, named “The Death of Gaara!”, Gaara is killed when Shukaku (a sand demon sealed within Gaara when he was very young) was removed from him.
Thankfully, in episode 31 (“The Legacy”), Chiyo, a retired counselor of Sangakure, is able to revive Gaara. To do this, she sacrifices her own life.
Who Is Gaara?
Gaara was born on January 19, to parents Karura and Rasa (the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure).
Rasa wanted to make a child of his the jinchūriki, which is a human with a tailed beast (Shukaku) sealed inside them. Gaara’s two siblings were incompatible with Shukaku, and so escaped this fate. Gaara was not so lucky, and after proving to be compatible with Shukaku, the demon was sealed inside him whilst Gaara was in the womb. Gaara was born prematurely, and his mother Karura died in labour.
As a boy, Gaara was isolated. The village people of Sunagakure feared him due to Shukaku, and so he was raised alone by his father and Yashamaru, his uncle.
Gaara tried to befriend the Sangakure villagers, but the other children ran away from him and the adults avoided him. Numerous times, Gaara (to his horror) accidentally killed villagers with his sand power.
Yashamaru told a very young Gaara that the pain within his heart could be healed only with love, and so Gaara set out to find it. During this time, he was attacked by an Anbu of Sunagakure.
He defeated the Anbu, and upon unmasking them, he found it to be Yashamaru.
Why Did Yashamaru Try To Kill Gaara?
Gaara was devastated that his uncle would try to kill him, and was heartbroken further to learn that Rasa, his father, had sanctioned the hit. What’s more, Rasa would sanction five more hits on Gaara (he deemed his son to be a dangerous “failed experiment”), but Gaara prevailed and survived these.
These events (understandably) changed Gaara, leading him to decide that he would love only himself. These beliefs became so crucial to Gaara that he used his sand to etch “愛” onto his forehead, which is the kanji for ‘love’.
Gaara initially was a villain in the Naruto series, but Naruto himself soon changed this.
Gaara is now the current Kazekage of Sunagakure.
What Is The Village Of Sunagakure Like?
‘Sunagakure no Sato’ literally means ‘Village Hidden By Sand’ and this stands true – the village is surrounded by desert. This forms a natural defense for the village against attackers, as invaders are loath to face the desert’s sandstorms and lack of water.
Passage to Sunagakure is restricted, consisting of just a narrow path between cliffs. The buildings of the village are made from clay, helping them to naturally stay cool despite the hot climate.
What Does Gaara Look Like?
Gaara has pale skin, green eyes ringed with black (with no eyebrows), and auburn hair. In his youth, his hair was spiky, but now in adulthood it is less unruly and combed. He has the kanji for ‘love’ carved onto the left of his forehead.
In Part I of Naruto, Gaara most often wears a black body-suit and leggings, alongside a white over his right shoulder and left hip. He carries his sand gourd on a wide leather band from his left shoulder to right hip.
In Part II, Gaara’s outfit changes to a crimson coat and dark trousers. He now carries his sand gourd with two buckled belts, and also wears a grey vest.
When needed, he wears the standard Kazekage outfit and during the war, he wore the flak jacket of Sunagakure.
What Is Gaara Like?
Gaara was warm and friendly to others as a young boy, despite the other villagers of Sunagakure fearing and despising him. After Rasa’s assassination attempts on Gaara, he became cold and siatnt, and gave up trying to connect with people – focusing only on himself and his survival.
He became unbalanced, and could easily be driven mad by bloodlust. The demon sealed within him (Shukaku) no doubt contributed to this bloodlust, and would often taunt Gaara in his mind and encourage violence. This taunting led Gaara to become an insomniac, for fear of Shukaku taking over his body whilst he slept.
Gaara’s past very much echoes Naruto Uzumaki’s, and Gaara’s meeting of Naruto was instrumental in changing Gaara’s life for the better. The pair fought during the Konohagakure Crush, and Naruto defeated Gaara. This defeat led Gaara to question his choices, and he began to move away from his old ways and emulate Naruto.
Gaara befriends his siblings and the villagers of Sunagakure, and soon becomes the village’s Kazekage. As a leader, he is wise and compassionate, and leads by (a very impressive!) example.
Gaara considers Naruto one of his best friends, and feels indebted to him for the change Naruto inspired in his life. Furthering this, when the Fourth Shinobi World War occured, Gaara fought in part to keep Naruto safe.
As a fully grown man, Gaara is empathic and wise. He’s also quite socially awkward – as noted by his nephew Shikadai!
How Does Gaara (Nearly) Die?
In Episode 17 of ‘Naruto: Shippūden’ (“The Death of Gaara!”), Team Guy and Team Kakashi pursue Gaara after the Akatsuki kidnap him.
Chiyo (a retired elder of Sunagakure) joins them, and admits that she was the one who sealed Shukaku inside Gaara.
The Akatsuki (a group of shinobi existing outside the villages) extract Shukaku from Gaara, and in the process kill Gaara himself.
To save Gaara, redeem herself and do something good for Sunagakure, Chiyo performs the forbidden ‘One’s Own Life’ reincarnation with Naruto’s help. This occurs in Episode 31 (“The Legacy”.
The reincarnation does indeed revive Gaara (in exchange for Chiyo’s life), but without Shukaku and with limited sand powers.
Good to have you back, Gaara!
