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Kankurō (カンクロウ) is a shinobi of Sunagakure and the second eldest of the Three Sand Siblings. While initially terrified of his younger brother Gaara due to him being the jinchūriki of the One-Tail Shukaku, Kankurō would come to believe in him and his dream to become the Kazekage like their father before them and would become one of Gaara’s most loyal protectors, confidant, and bodyguard.
Background[]
Kankurō as a child.
Kankurō was born the second child to Karura and the Fourth Kazekage: Rasa. While it was customary for close relations to a Kage to be a jinchūriki, neither he nor his sister Temari were compatible with the One-Tail Shukaku.[1]
When Shukaku rampaged in Sunagakure, a young Kankurō instructed the villagers to escape. As his father arrived, Kankurō noted his younger brother was a “monster”. Later, he confronted Gaara and asked whether or not he felt remorse for killing his fellow villagers, but was silenced when he threatened to kill him.[2] Kankurō mentions having once pleaded with Chiyo to train him, though she turned him down because she no longer cared about aiding the future of the village.[3]
Personality[]
In Part I, one noticeable personality trait he displayed was an apparent dislike for children, first seen when he attempted to beat up Konohamaru for running into him. This carried over too many interactions with other characters, as he was noticeably irritated when in the presence of someone younger than him. This was most evident when he was seen with Gaara, whom Kankurō was forced to put up with due to the fear his younger brother imposed on him. After Gaara’s defeat in the hands of Naruto, Kankurō’s relationship with Gaara improved drastically over a very short period. In the short time between this and the Sasuke Recovery Mission, Kankurō and Temari no longer expressed fear of being killed by Gaara when sent on missions with him.
Kankurō was shown to be the type to avoid needless fighting. This was shown during the Forest of Death, where he stated if Shigure’s team had the same scroll as them, fighting would be pointless. He further stated he did not want to be stuck in the forest with Gaara because he often got into unnecessary fighting for the sole purpose of satisfying his bloodlust.
During the mission to help retrieve Sasuke Uchiha from the Sound Four, Kankurō was shown to be very prideful of his village, saying they are not as soft as Konoha ninja. Kankurō also can be doubtful at times, not only when Gaara wanted to start working with other ninjas, but also when he was the first of the siblings to give up on Sasuke due to Naruto’s failure to convince Sasuke and his connection with Akatsuki.
Kankurō working on his puppets.
Despite their apparent differences, Gaara and Kankurō become very close over the time skip, as Gaara began to confide in Kankurō, and shared his dreams of wanting to risk his life to protect Sunagakure. Combined with having developed brotherly feelings, especially that of an older brother, Kankurō has become very protective of Gaara, getting angry at anyone who insults Gaara in his presence, even Sunagakure’s counselors. When Akatsuki captured Gaara, Kankurō rushed to his brother’s aid alone in an attempt to save him, and risked his life for him, despite the dangers that he put himself in. When he was incapacitated as a result of the battle with Sasori, he pleaded with Naruto to bring his brother back,[4] and as soon as he had recovered, joined Temari in looking for Gaara.[5] At one point when Kankurō had been poisoned by Sasori he was heard muttering Gaara’s name though he was unconscious, which showed how much he cared for Gaara. Once Gaara was found and saved, Kankurō joined Temari in thanking Team 7 for saving their brother. It was also noted that he likes collecting puppets and installing and upgrading their mechanisms. In the anime, as seen from his Infinite Tsukuyomi, his greatest desire is to create the ultimate ninjutsu puppet.[6]
Kankurō dreams of creating the ultimate puppet.
During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kankurō indicated signs of being a caring leader when he pulled Zaji from the explosion and protecting his group from any danger. He also shows determination during his battle against Deidara, Sasori, and Shin. Kankurō keeps Omoi from overreacting and getting anxious by telling him to win the war at all costs to protect his family and friends. When Sasori is captured inside of Kuroari, Kankurō helps make Sasori realize his true faults during his lifetime as a puppeteer which makes Sasori entrust his “Father and Mother” puppets to him.
In the original Japanese, Kankurō speaks with a distinctive Yokohama dialect. He can often be heard ending his sentences with “-jan”. This makes him sound tough, as this accent is often used for biker gang members or punk kids (called “yankii” in Japanese, Yokohama supposedly has many) in manga. It is possible that he was given this accent to make him sound different from the Konoha characters’ standard Tokyo Japanese.
Appearance[]
Kankurō without his hood and facial paint in Part II.
Kankurō bears a striking resemblance to his father, though usually seen on account of his costume and makeup. In Part I, Kankurō wore a Bunraku’s costume; a black, baggy, full-body suit with a red and yellow circle on the front. He also wears a black hood that covers his head completely and has cat-like ears and a forehead protector on his forehead. Both this and later outfits are derived from traditional bunraku puppeteer costumes; bunraku puppeteers usually wear black outfits and hoods so as not to distract from their puppets. When he first made an appearance, Kankurō sported a triangular face-paint design, which changed to a different cross-like design from the Sasuke Recovery Mission up until Part II. He also wears gloves and carries his puppets on his back.
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In Part II, Kankurō once again changed his face paint. He also has a new puppet, as well as wearing a black outfit consisting of trousers and a long top with a red sash around his waist. He is revealed to have brown hair in Part II and when seen with no headgear or face-paint, he greatly resembles his father. His hood changes later on when seen again and he wears a kimono-type garment. He carries his puppets on his back still, only they are now in scrolls. He also sports new face paint. It now starts from one cheek to the lips and the end of the other cheek, and another line starts from the top of the upper lip to the bottom of the chin. It looks like it forms the letter “T”.
Upon the beginning of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kankurō wears the standard attire of a Sunagakure ninja, along with his hood, which now has the symbol of the Allied Shinobi Forces stitched on to it. He has the same facial painting from the Sasuke Recovery Mission but with broader lines and no line over his nose.
Abilities[]
Kankurō skillfully wielding three of his puppets at once.
Being one of the Fourth Kazekage’s children who underwent the grueling training of Sunagakure,[7] Kankurō became a highly skilled and capable shinobi. As a genin, he was able to kill Sakon and Ukon, the strongest members of the Sound Four. Kankurō’s skills improved considerably over the time-skip, becoming a jōnin and later being chosen to lead the Surprise Attack Division during the Fourth Shinobi World War. He has shown himself to be a capable leader, having his division set up a miniature headquarters before assigning individuals to various roles. In addition, he has shown the tactical sense to call a retreat when outmatched as well as attack accordingly and synchronize skills with his teammates for the most appropriate outcome.
Ninjutsu[]
Puppet Mastery[]
Kankurō’s signature Black Secret Technique puppet style.
Kankurō is a highly talented puppeteer, indicated when Sasori, a renowned master of the Puppet Technique, complimented Kankurō’s abilities despite anticipating all his attacks (albeit it mainly stemmed from him having made Kankurō’s puppets). He has great skill in both modifying and controlling puppets and was physically strong enough to carry around two puppets on his back in Part I, though in Part II he instead uses scrolls to store them in.
When initially introduced, Kankurō could only use a single puppet at a time; however, he would in subsequent years hone his puppeteer skills and become a puppet master himself, capable of maneuvering more puppets at the same time. He also displayed the ability to attach his chakra threads to catch enemies[8] or another puppeteer’s threads, a feat that earned him Sasori’s praise. Kankurō utilises what he calls the Black Secret Technique (黒秘技, Kurohigi) — a name not unlike Chiyo’s White Secret Technique (白秘技, Shirohigi) and Sasori’s Red Secret Technique (赤秘技, Akahigi) — the latter of which he claims has been surpassed by his style.[9] With each of his appearances in the major arcs, Kankurō is seen with a new puppet in his arsenal. The four puppets that have been introduced were all created by Sasori (the fourth being Sasori himself) and came into Kankurō’s possession sometime after Sasori left Suna. His first three puppets are destroyed by Sasori at the start of Part II. After having his puppets destroyed, he took Sasori’s body and used it as a puppet after his death. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, he is seen with the previously destroyed puppets, that have been repaired, plus a duplicate of the Kuroari. Later in life, he made and began wielding additional copies of his signature puppets.
As puppeteers are long-range fighters who rely on their puppets in combat, Kankurō is weak against close-range combat; however, he has come up with many ways of escaping it: he has shown to act quite deceptively, switching places with his puppets.[10]
Kankurō’s puppets seem to be designed to work together to some degree, as seen when they use the Black Secret Technique Machine One Shot, where Karasu navigates an opponent into Kuroari’s torso. Once trapped, Karasu separates its limbs to reveal several concealed weapons, which enter the slots on Kuroari’s body to impale the opponent. Black Secret Technique — Machine Triple Shot is used by Kankurō to trap more people and kill them at the same time. In the anime, Kankurō was also shown combining his puppets’ attacks to make them more dangerous, as seen when they use the Poison Mist Hell: Hundred Continuous Firing technique, where Karasu blankets the area in a smokescreen while Kuroari fires poisoned needles at the blinded opponent.
Kankurō using Sasori’s old body.
Kankurō’s puppetry skills are also highly adaptable as shown through his latest puppet, Sasori — which he obtained after Sasori’s death and made several modifications to apply his own Black Secret Technique style. It retains the coil in its stomach cavity, flamethrower, and the blades on its back, plus he installed the mechanism to use Mechanical Light Shield Block on its right arm and modified its left arm to extend. Kankurō can use the Red Secret Technique Machinery Triangles with this puppet. After he defeated Sasori in the Fourth Shinobi World War, the puppet master passed his Mother and Father puppets on to Kankurō. Somehow Kankurō managed to distinguish Chiyo’s feelings through her chakra threads.[11]
Part I[]
Chūnin Exams (Arc)[]
Main article: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Chūnin Exams (Arc)
Konoha Crush[]
Main article: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Konoha Crush
Sasuke Recovery Mission[]
Main article: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Sasuke Recovery Mission
Part II[]
Kazekage Rescue Mission[]
Main article: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Kazekage Rescue Mission
Five Kage Summit (Arc)[]
Main article: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Five Kage Summit (Arc)
Fourth Shinobi World War (Arc)[]
Main article: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Fourth Shinobi World War (Arc)
Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki[]
Main article: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki
Trivia[]
- The name “Kankurō” comes from Nakamura Kankurō (中村勘九郎), which is a stage name used in a long line of kabuki actors dating back to the early seventeenth century. The latest person to carry this name was Nakamura Kankurō V (五代目中村勘九郎, Godaime Nakamura Kankurō), who changed his stage name to the even more prestigious Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII (十八代目中村勘三郎, Jūhachidaime Nakamura Kanzaburō) in 2005.
- In more technical terms, Kankurō’s name can be translated to something like ‘intuitive ninth son’.
- In addition to Kankurō’s Kabuki-like make-up, the fact that he uses puppets as well, as the black outfit and cap he wears, are possibly an allusion to Bunraku, a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre. His entire character seems to be an allusion to stage art. One of Bunraku’s most prominent artists is Kanjuro Kiritake III.
- Whenever Kankurō appears in a new arc of the manga, he sports a new design of purple face paint. This could be a nod to Kabuki theatre, where face paint is often used. In the art of putting on make-up, each of the colors means something, purple representing nobility and loftiness.
- In an omake, Temari said if Kankurō keeps talking to his puppets like they are alive, friends won't hang out with him anymore.
- Kankurō was ranked as the 27th most popular character in the seventh and most recent Naruto character popularity poll. He placed 19th in the sixth poll.
- According to the databook(s):
- Kankurō’s hobby is collecting puppets, and installing and upgrading the mechanisms in them.
- Kankurō wishes to fight with anyone but Gaara.
- Kankurō’s favorite food is hamburger steak, while his least favorite food is spinach.
- Kankurō has completed 43 official missions in total: 0 D-rank, 9 C-rank, 10 B-rank, 23 A-rank, 1 S-rank.
- Kankurō’s favorite phrase is “One must never miss a good opportunity” (好機、逸すべからず, Kōki, issu bekarazu).
Quotes[]
- (To Kiba about Sakon and Ukon) “Since I’ve been underestimated this much, I can’t be leaving just yet—.”[12]
- (To Naruto) “Don’t feel bad. Women always go weak in the knees for the cool, elite type.”[13]
- (To Gaara about Sasuke) “Gaara…don’t bother…if he could be convinced, Naruto would not have failed. He is a criminal now, a member of Akatsuki…he’s not like you.”[14]
- (To Omoi) “How well or poorly we execute our ambush will have a huge impact on this war and how many casualties we suffer. If you wanna protect your friends and family, the only thing you should be thinking about is how to make this operation a success!”[15]
- (To Sasori) “Sasori…your strength came because of your soul, not in spite of it. You tried to erase it, to become a puppet yourself, but couldn’t change completely. Now you’ve got your immortal body but you’ve fallen, sunk to the level of the puppets you used to control. You were supposed to be a top class ninja puppeteer, not a worthless nobody who lets someone else pull the strings.”[16]
- (To Sasori) “When a puppeteer lets someone else control him, it's all over! I won’t lose to you…or to the one controlling you. If I’m going to control Sasori, I might as well control the real thing! …Your techniques…and the puppets you created will never rot. As long as there’s a successor who will take up the spirit inhabiting them!”[17]
References[]
- ↑ Naruto chapter 547, page 3
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 388
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 319
- ↑ Naruto chapter 254, pages 7-10
- ↑ Naruto chapter 270, page 4
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 451
- ↑ Hyō no Sho
- ↑ Fourth Databook, page 86
- ↑ Naruto chapter 518, page 4
- ↑ Gaara Hiden: A Sandstorm Mirage
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 319
- ↑ Naruto chapter 217, page 7
- ↑ Naruto chapter 280, page 4
- ↑ Naruto chapter 464, page 8
- ↑ Naruto chapter 517, pages 1-2
- ↑ Naruto chapter 518, page 17
- ↑ Naruto chapter 519, page 1