Shukaku (Kai)

Shukaku (守鶴, Shukaku), more commonly known as the One-Tail (一尾, Ichibi), is one of the nine tailed beasts. Originally residing in Sunagakure.

Appearance
Shukaku is a sandy-brown coloured tanuki, with black (dark blue in the anime) cursed seal markings all over its face, body, and tail. It has a jagged, concave mouth and the sclerae of its eyes are black, with yellow irides and pupils that each takes the shape of a black four-pointed star with four black dots around it. During the last days of the Sage of the Six Paths, Shukaku in its youth looked the basically same as it does presently, only much smaller.

After having the chakra of Matatabi forcefully sealed within it, Shukaku under went a great change.

Personality
Shukaku is characterised as a wild and short-tempered individual, and often speaks in a bombastic and incoherent manner, giving it the demeanour of a drunken madman. It uses "ore" (オレ) when referring to itself. In its first full appearance, Gamakichi describes it as "pretty funky". According to Gaara, prior to its introduction, Shukaku relishes the opportunity to kill anyone in sight, even more so during a full moon. Like all tailed beasts, Shukaku has shown a strong desire to preserve its own life, to which it will grant its jinchūriki the power to control sand as well as allowing them to transform into it in a state of need and blood-lust.

Shukaku harbours a bitter grudge towards Kurama, in response to its beliefs that the tailed beasts' strength is measured by the number of tails and, as such, views Shukaku as the weakest. Due to this, Shukaku will find any opportunity to surpass its arrogant rival. Along with that, Shukaku holds great pride and confidence in its own abilities, especially its absolute defense.