The Intriguing World of Naruto's Tailed Beasts

The Big Picture

The tailed beasts in Naruto are incredibly powerful creatures made of chakra that possess unique abilities and designs inspired by animals and mythical creatures.

The tailed beasts, known as jinchuriki, have the ability to impart their power to certain individuals referred to as ninja. These individuals, once infused with the power of a tailed beast, become some of the most formidable characters in the series. Among the tailed beasts, Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, holds immense significance as it greatly influences the story and Naruto's evolution as a ninja.

In Naruto: Shippuden, the tailed beasts reign supreme in terms of power. These incredible creatures, numbering nine in total, hold great significance and have played crucial roles in shaping the ninja world. Understanding the distinct appearances, backgrounds, and special abilities of each tailed beast can be a daunting task. To simplify matters, here is an exhaustive breakdown of these formidable entities.

Naruto: Shippuden

Naruto Uzumaki is an energetic teenage ninja who is always seeking validation and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the powerful leader of his village. The show premiered on October 28, 2009 and features a talented cast including Alexandre Crepet, Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Kate Higgins, Chie Nakamura, and Dave Wittenberg. With genres spanning animation, action, and adventure, the series is rated TV-PG and has a total of 21 seasons.

What Are 'Naruto's Tailed Beasts?

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The tailed beasts are nine enormous beings composed of immense amounts of chakra, which is the power source in Naruto. Originally, they were part of a larger creature called the Ten-Tails until the legendary Sage of Six Paths divided their chakra into nine separate, sentient creatures. This gave birth to the tailed beasts. Each tailed beast is distinguished by the number of tails they possess, ranging from one to nine. Along with their varying tail counts, each tailed beast features a unique design inspired by different animals and mythical creatures. Despite their beastly appearance, the tailed beasts possess intelligence and can communicate with humans and each other through telepathy.

While each tailed beast possesses individual abilities, they also share several common characteristics. All tailed beasts possess immeasurable amounts of chakra that far surpass the abilities of an average ninja. Due to their chakra nature, they cannot be permanently killed and can regenerate after being destroyed. They are capable of bestowing and sharing their power with chosen ninjas, although sometimes this is done against their will. Additionally, they can unleash a devastating technique called the Tailed Beast Ball, which is one of the most powerful chakra techniques in Naruto. Due to their immense destructive potential, the tailed beasts are both feared and revered by all ninjas.

Tailed Beasts Are Sealed in Ninja Called 'Jinchuriki'

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The power of a tailed beast can be bestowed upon a shinobi through a process of sealing it inside them. These shinobi, known as jinchuriki, possess immense power due to the shared strength of the tailed beast within them. Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage and the founder of the Hidden Leaf Village, succeeded in capturing the majority of the tailed beasts and distributed them as a gesture of peace to the other hidden villages. Each village then devised their own unique strategies for harnessing the power of the tailed beasts and treating their jinchuriki.

Among the jinchuriki, Naruto stands out as the series' protagonist. As a baby, he was sealed with the Nine-Tailed Fox, Kurama, which led to his ostracization and fear from his fellow villagers. Gaara of the Sand and Killer Bee are also noteworthy jinchuriki. Gaara, once an enemy, eventually became Naruto's friend, while Killer Bee served as a mentor to the impulsive shinobi. The incredible strength possessed by the tailed beasts made the jinchuriki targets for the notorious Akatsuki, a group of rogue ninja who sought to extract the beasts' power in their secretive plot to gain control over the world.

One-Tail: Shukaku

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Starting with One-Tail, Shukaku assumed the form of a colossal tanuki comprised entirely of sand. The ill-tempered and immature creature harbored a deep-seated loathing for humans, a result of enduring years of mistreatment, which drove it to violently lash out whenever the opportunity arose. This proved to be a formidable obstacle for Gaara, its previous jinchuriki, who was selected to bear Shukaku as a weapon for the Hidden Sand Village. Shukaku would take control of Gaara's body during his slumber, leading Gaara to develop insomnia in order to maintain some semblance of authority. In the original series, prior to Naruto: Shippuden, Gaara and Shukaku were among the most formidable adversaries confronted by the protagonists. Shukaku possesses the ability to manipulate and command sand, employing it both as an offensive tool and an unparalleled defense, enabling it to effortlessly withstand the majority of attacks targeting its sandy state.

Two-Tails: Matatabi

Matatabi, the second of the tailed beasts, is a massive bakeneko composed of scorching blue flames. Drawing inspiration from the mythical Japanese creature known as the nekomata, a two-tailed cat, Matatabi possesses a striking design. This formidable beast was previously confined within Yugito Nii, a shinobi hailing from the Hidden Cloud village. Similar to Shukaku and its mastery over sand, Matatabi's essence consists of fire, granting both the creature and its jinchuriki the ability to manipulate this untamed element.

Three-Tails: Isobu

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The leader of the Hidden Mist Village was the last one to seal Isobu, the Three-Tails. Isobu, resembling a large turtle creature with a shell similar to a crab and three tails reminiscent of shrimp, possesses the power to manipulate water and unleash massive tidal waves. It also has the ability to retreat to a pocket dimension anytime it desires. Before being sealed within the leader, Isobu was hosted by Rin, one of Kakashi Hatake's teammates, who sacrificed herself to prevent its release within the Hidden Leaf.

Four-Tails: Son Gokū

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Son Gokū, portrayed in a style reminiscent of other anime, embodies the Four-Tails and draws inspiration from the legendary monkey king, Sun Wukong. His very name pays homage to the beloved Goku character from the iconic Dragon Ball series. Son Gokū stands as a colossal red ape, adorned with demonic characteristics and sporting four mighty tails. With the ability to manipulate lava and create volcanic activity, this extraordinary creature was last imprisoned within Rōshi, another reference to the Dragon Ball universe, from the Hidden Stone Village. Proud and outspoken, the beast vehemently objects to being identified solely by its tails, preferring to be acknowledged by its rightful name.

Five-Tails: Kokūo

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Kokūo, the Five-Tails, possesses a rather unique design among the tailed beasts, resembling a blend of a dolphin and a horse. With its horse-like physique, Kokūo possesses superior physical strength, enabling it to overpower many adversaries. Additionally, it possesses the remarkable ability to superheat water to the point of boiling, utilizing the resulting steam to further enhance its own power. Just like Son Gokū, Kokūo was last sealed within a shinobi hailing from the Hidden Stone Village.

Six-Tails: Saiken

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Saiken, also known as the Six-Tails, is the next tailed beast. It takes the form of a massive bipedal slug with two short legs and six dripping tails. Similar to a real slug, Saiken can secrete a sticky substance that it uses to ensnare its adversaries. Utakata from the Hidden Mist Village was the most recent jinchuriki of Saiken.

Seven-Tails: Chōmei

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Eight-Tails: Gyūki

Chōmei distinguishes itself from other tailed beasts as it assumes the form of a colossal rhinoceros beetle, equipped with six expansive wings, and possesses a seventh tail in the form of its abdomen. Unlike the rest, Chōmei has the remarkable ability to fly and is the sole tailed beast not affiliated with any prominent shinobi village. Instead, it is sealed within a ninja hailing from the Hidden Waterfall Village, a considerably smaller ninja community when compared to the renowned five villages.

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Initially encountered in a fierce battle against Sasuke Uchiha, Gyūki emerged as one of Naruto's most formidable allies. Deeply intertwined with the Hidden Cloud Village's legacy, Gyūki found refuge within Killer Bee, where their bond blossomed. Unlike other jinchuriki, whose relationships with their tailed beasts are often contentious, Killer Bee and Gyūki formed a harmonious connection through intensive training, ultimately fostering mutual respect. Their camaraderie served as an ideal guide for Naruto as he honed his skills to master his own tailed beast's immense power. Taking the form of a gargantuan bull adorned with the eight mesmerizing appendages of an octopus, Gyūki harnesses its octopus-inspired traits to unleash jet-black ink projectiles and regenerate severed limbs with astonishing prowess.

Nine-Tails: Kurama

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Easily the most significant tailed beast, Kurama, the Nine-Tailed fox, served as a catalyst throughout the entire series. Initially controlled by a mysterious Uchiha, Kurama launched an attack on the Hidden Leaf Village, only to be sealed inside a newborn Naruto. This event led to Naruto facing immense challenges as he became both Kurama's greatest ally and the subject of fear within the village. Over time, the seals containing Kurama within Naruto weakened, granting the young ninja access to the formidable beast's powers. Naruto eventually formed a friendship with Kurama, earning the fox's respect and unlocking unprecedented levels of power. One remarkable ability possessed by Kurama is its aptitude for sensing negative emotions, enabling it to perceive the true intentions of those in its vicinity.

Ten-Tails

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Unlike the other tailed beasts, the mindless Ten-Tails served as an embodiment of the God Tree, the mythical source of chakra in the ninja realm. With all the collective power of the tailed beasts contained within one form, the Ten-Tails possessed unparalleled strength. Reviving the Ten-Tails was the ultimate objective of the Akatsuki, as they sought to gain control over the world.

Naruto is available for streaming on Hulu, Netflix, and Crunchyroll in the U.S., with a 20th anniversary special coming soon.

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