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This article, Zabuza Momochi (RW109), uses content from Narutopedia. |
| Alias(es) | Demon of the Hidden Mist (霧隠れの鬼人, Kirigakure no Kijin)[1], Demon (鬼人, Kijin)[2], Fierce God (鬼神, Kijin)[3] |
| Kanji | 桃地再不斬 |
| Rōmaji | Momochi Zabuza |
| Debut | |
| Novel | Naruto: A Shinobi Story |
| Appears in | Novel |
| Character Status | |
| Status | Deceased |
| Age |  August 15
|
| Gender | [[File: Male.svg|20px|{{{2}}}]] Male
|
| Height | 1.83 m |
| Weight | 72 kg |
| Blood Type | A |
| Home Country |  Land of Water
|
| Rank | Part I: ANBU |
| Classification | Missing-Nin Mercenary Ninja |
| Academy Grad. Age | 9 |
| Team | Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist |
| Partner(s) | Haku Yuki |
| Nature Type | |
 Water Release
| |
| Jutsu | |
| Shinobi Techniques: Flying Revolving Sword, Silent Killing Water Techniques: Crimson Mist Barrier Technique, Hiding in Mist Technique, Water Clone Technique, Water Prison Technique, Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique, Water Release: Water Bullet Technique, Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique | |
| Weaponry | |
| Kubikiribōchō Sword | |
|
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Zabuza Momochi (桃地再不斬, Momochi Zabuza), given the moniker Demon of the Hidden Mist (霧隠れの鬼人, Kirigakure no Kijin), was a missing-nin from Kirigakure’s Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Background[]
Zabuza during his time as a Kirigakure ninja.
Before the term of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, Kirigakure began the practice of pitting Kirigakure Academy graduates against each other in death matches as a final exam with the exceptionally skilled students named prime candidates for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. After Zabuza, not yet a student himself, killed over one hundred Academy students,[4] the practice was discontinued and he would thereafter be known as the “Demon of the Hidden Mist”. His fame grew over the years as he became an Anbu before finally joining the Seven Ninja Swordsmen by killing Jūzō Biwa.
Haku joins Zabuza.
At some point, he discovered Haku Yuki, a child with a special kekkei genkai, and began training him to be the ultimate weapon. During the Fourth Mizukage’s reign over the Bloody Mist, Zabuza came to disagree with the workings of the village. He gathered a group of followers and attempted a coup d’etat against the Mizukage, only to be betrayed by one of their own;[5] resulting in a failed attempt on Yagura’s life.[6][7] Zabuza subsequently fled the village with Haku and some other followers, such as the Demon Brothers, becoming mercenaries to gather funds for a second attempt in the future, which is why he worked with Gatō.[8] With his departure he took the Kubikiribōchō with him, causing Kirigakure to lose one of its famed swords.
Personality[]
.
Zabuza was initially portrayed as aggressive, arrogant, cruel, cold and ambitious, willing to become Gatō’s thug to gain enough funds to start a second coup d'etat on the Mizukage and have the nation under his feet,[9] and kill anyone who stood in his path, including plotting to kill Gatō once he had received enough funds from him.. His reputation for cruelty and ruthlessness began as a child where he killed every single candidate in Kirigakure’s Academy, earning him the moniker of “Demon of the Hidden Mist” (霧隠れの鬼人, Kirigakure no Kijin). He willingly uses his own men and others as pawns to fulfill his ambitions, as he raised Haku to be an efficient tool to be discarded when he had no use to exploit; although, unlike future antagonists, he was blunt about the purpose that his recruits were needed for, forgoing any form of manipulation by pretending to be benevolent to inspire loyalty. This corresponds with his cynical view of the world, which only consists of the used and the users, as well as viewing shinobi to be nothing more than tools. Despite this outward attitude, Zabuza grew to care deeply for Haku and viewed him to be far more than a tool.
Zabuza crying after hearing Naruto’s words about Haku.
He is an observant adversary who is able to analyze his opponent's techniques after seeing it once but becomes overconfident if he sees the technique as useless. Despite his ruthlessness, Zabuza possessed a softer side that he himself was largely unaware of. After Haku’s death, while Zabuza initially only laughs at his usefulness, Kakashi notes Zabuza is no longer able to fight to his true potential as he is secretly distraught at Haku’s loss. In his last moments, Zabuza realized how deeply he truly cared for Haku, and after being convinced by Naruto Uzumaki, he sacrifices his life to kill Gatō and dies wishing he could join Haku in the afterlife; however, he seems reluctant to speak or hear about it, telling whoever does so to shut up. Kakashi also noted that Zabuza had hesitated for a moment before the thought of slashing through Haku to get to Kakashi during their battle on the bridge; the lack of hesitation during the Fourth Shinobi War made Kakashi know that the controlled Zabuza was completely different.
He has also shown a sense of honor, as seen after his reincarnation when he expressed disgust about the idea of working for anyone who would stoop down so low as to use the dead as their tools, in the meantime making the revived immortal. His sense of honor is extended even further when he pleads with Kakashi to stop him and Haku from causing damage, wishing his death as a human being to be preserved.
Appearance[]
Zabuza’s initial appearance when confronting Team 7.
Zabuza was a tall and noticeably muscular man with light grayish skin, short spiky black hair, dark brown eyes, and small eyebrows. He was normally seen wearing bandages like a mask over the bottom half of his face. Under his mask, he had a relatively narrow jawline and jagged teeth, a trait he shared with his fellow Seven Ninja Swordsmen. He wore his forehead protector sideways on his head, and prior to his defection from Kirigakure, donned the village’s ANBU uniform and flak jacket. After his defection, and during his first appearance, he was seen shirtless, with his chest only covered by a belt to which he attached his Kubikiribōchō, wearing baggy pants with the striped pattern typical of Kirigakure and mimetic wrist warmers extending up to his elbows, with matching legwarmers.
Zabuza’s full appearance.
During his second appearance, he wore a sleeveless black shirt and matching pants, complete with a waist guard, and yet again, Kirigakure’s striped wrist and leg legwarmers. Other swordsmen of his generation wore attire identical to this, implying that they might be clothes related to the group. While donning this attire, much like his fellow Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he had bandages loosely tied around his neck like a scarf.
As a child, Zabuza’s attire of a dark sleeveless shirt with light shoulder straps and a circular mark on the back, sporting the kanji for demon (鬼, oni). He also wore dark pants with two straps covering the bottom of and a hip pouch, along with black shinobi sandals and dark fingerless gloves.[10]
Abilities[]
Zabuza’s demonic shroud.
As a former high-ranking ninja of Kiri, Zabuza was a very powerful fighter. Vicious in battle, his talent for combat was seen even as a child, who had yet to begin in the Academy, as he killed over one hundred trained students single-handedly. As an adult, even when gravely injured and both arms crippled, Zabuza proved himself a dangerous adversary, being able to strike down dozens of Gatō’s specially hired men and even Gatō himself.
Physical and Chakra Prowess[]
Even while severely injured, Zabuza fights on with a single kunai in his mouth.
Zabuza was very physically strong, able to effortlessly wield the large Kubikiribōchō for long periods of time unfazed, even with one hand. He was also blazingly fast and equally proficient in taijutsu, able to match Kakashi in both and with the latter able to fight off and kill dozens of Gatō’s men with the loss of both his arms, using well-coordinated kicks and a kunai in his mouth. During this, he showed remarkable levels of stamina and endurance, able to continue fighting effectively despite the injuries he received from Kakashi and the large number of blades that pierced him. Zabuza could also take a direct hit from a powerful water technique seemingly without major damage and still relatively normally move shortly afterward.
Zabuza was also a master of stealth and assassination. He was most renowned throughout all countries for his high skill in killing opponents through zero visibility. Kakashi noted that his Silent Killing prowess was second to none. This technique puts the victim under tremendous pressure before Zabuza even attacks, as it is noted that even the slightest movement of the eye was enough to alert Zabuza of his victim’s location.
True to his moniker, Zabuza possessed an incredibly strong chakra, which could be visibly seen when released, taking the image of a demon. Even while barely standing, a single glare from Zabuza left the remainder of Gatō’s thugs stiff with fear. Likewise, Zabuza has very advanced chakra control, able to perform a second technique while maintaining another.[11]
Ninjutsu[]
Kenjutsu[]
Zabuza wielding Kubikiribōchō.
During his time as a Kiri-nin, Zabuza was one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, a group composed of the village’s top swordsmen. The generation of swordsmen he belonged to was noted as the strongest ever produced within Kirigakure, a further testament to Zabuza’s impressive skills. Zabuza’s signature weapon was the Kubikiribōchō, an oversized broadsword, whose shape was thought to decapitate enemies. This large weapon has the unique ability to absorb and utilize the iron from all the blood it sheds, from whoever it cuts, in order to reform itself if damaged or broken. Zabuza was a master in its use, being capable of dispatching numerous enemies with a few slashes, and claiming that his sword “never cut a second time,” implying to have killed a large number of people with a single attack.
The weapon’s weight did not seem to slow him down at all, as he could employ it in combat for extended periods of time with no visible strain on himself, something Suigetsu Hōzuki has not achieved. Apart from handling it very skillfully, Zabuza could also throw it spinning at several enemies with enough power to lodge itself into a hard tree trunk.[12]
He also wielded a Kunai with a sharp protrusion on one side (which in the anime is Kirigakure’s variation of the standard kunai), designed for thrusting and stabbing instead of slicing, which fit his stealthy attributes perfectly. Zabuza could also use fūma shuriken in a similar fashion; using them in melee combat by spinning the weapon within his hand to attack his opponent.[13]
Nature Transformation[]
Zabuza traps Kakashi using the Water Prison Technique.
Zabuza had great skill in Water Release techniques. He could perform several of them while keeping a separate one active, as seen when he kept Kakashi trapped in the Water Prison Technique while at the same time attacking the rest of Team 7 with a water clone. He could maintain several of these clones at the same time, often using them as diversions. He also showed proficiency in large-scale, highly destructive water attacks by launching powerful torrents of water in the form of dragon bullets and giant waterfalls at his opponents.
Zabuza using the Hiding in Mist Technique.
Zabuza was especially adept at the Hiding in Mist Technique, as it made his Silent Killing even easier to perform. By blanketing the area in a thick mist, Zabuza could blind his targets, making it even more difficult for them to defend against him. In this manner, Zabuza was capable of carrying out stealthy attacks even in completely open spaces, able to suddenly disappear from an enemy's sight and then strike unseen. His skill with this technique was such that he could create an impenetrable mist without the need for an immediate source of water nearby. Even Kabuto Yakushi kept Zabuza’s use of the technique in high regard, as seen when he was willing to sacrifice other reincarnated shinobi to protect Zabuza and keep the Hiding in Mist Technique going.
Intelligence[]
Zabuza vs. Team Kakashi.
While he preferred using direct attacks, Zabuza was also highly capable at misdirection. From his Anbu days, Zabuza possessed extensive knowledge of the human body’s pressure points and most vulnerable organs. Zabuza was also knowledgeable in foreign techniques and kekkei genkai, having knowledge of the Sharingan and instantly recognizing the Shadow Clone Technique. Zabuza was also a skilled teacher, as it was under his tutelage that Haku managed to become such a powerful shinobi despite his young age.
Part I[]
Prologue ― Land of Waves[]
Zabuza Momochi vs. Kakashi Hatake.
Zabuza defeated by Kakashi’s Great Waterfall.
Zabuza Momochi vs. Kakashi Hatake (rematch).
Zabuza trapped by Kakashi’s ninken.
Zabuza’s death.
Part II[]
Fourth Shinobi World War[]
Zabuza, Haku, and Gari reincarnated.
In preparation for the Fourth Shinobi World War, Zabuza was reincarnated by Orochimaru to fight the Allied Shinobi Forces, before being mobilized alongside Haku, Gari, and Pakura. Overhearing Zabuza as he told Haku that they were no longer in the afterlife, Gari informed them of their current situation, infuriating Zabuza who did not want to obey someone who would stoop so low as to use the dead.
Zabuza as Kabuto forces him to attack.
When later ambushed by the Surprise Attack Division, Haku protected them both from the explosive tags carried by Tenzō’s ink birds, though Zabuza indicated that it was unnecessary after he observed the others regenerating. This irritated him further, since not only were they brought back, but they were also made impossible to kill. Remarking that he was the only one amongst his group to not possess a kekkei genkai, Zabuza stormed the recently grounded opposition but was intercepted by Kakashi, whom he never expected to confront again. Greeting Sakura and noting her growth since they last met, Zabuza inquired about Naruto, learning from Kakashi how famous he had become since his death.
Zabuza cuts down Haku to attack Kakashi.
As Kabuto erased their consciousness, Zabuza pleaded with Kakashi to stop him no matter what it took, as his humanity was already dead. Enveloping the battlefield in a thick mist, Zabuza then assaulted the Third Division, until he was confronted by Kakashi. Amidst the battle, the previous generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist was summoned to the field in order for Akatsuki to retain the upper hand, with Zabuza soon joining them whilst wielding his broken Kubikiribōchō. During the ensuing battle, after surviving a futile bombardment of various techniques, Zabuza’s blade began to reform using the iron collected from the blood of his victims.
Kakashi impales Zabuza.
Kakashi eventually moved in from behind to incapacitate him, but once again, Haku intercepted the blow. Slicing clean through Haku to attack, Zabuza bisected the former while only slightly injuring Kakashi. With his blade fully reformed, Zabuza charged towards him but as they clashed, Kakashi severed Zabuza’s sword-holding arm and impaled him through his chest. This provided him an opportunity for him to immobilize Zabuza, where he was then captured and sealed by Tenzō Iburi, causing the mist to clear.
Later, with the release of the Impure World Reincarnation technique, a light of sorts encased Zabuza’s sealed body as the technique was dispelled and his soul was returned to the afterlife.
Legacy[]
Zabuza and Haku’s grave.
Following Zabuza’s death, Kirigakure ninja began associating him with members of Team 7; Kisame Hoshigaki referenced Zabuza when he first met Kakashi,[14] while the Fifth Mizukage, Ao, and Chōjūrō believe Sasuke was the one who defeated him and Haku;[15][16] however, Zabuza himself gave Naruto credit for his defeat.[17] Zabuza’s sword is taken from his gravesite in Part II by Suigetsu Hōzuki.[18] During his and Kakashi's exchange following Zabuza’s reincarnation, Kakashi admits that it was because of him and Haku that Naruto strove to become the ninja and hero that he is.[19] Naruto himself credits Zabuza and Haku as people who had a great influence on his life and his views on the world.[20]
Trivia[]
- The kanji of his first name literally mean “again” (再, sa), “negative” (不, fu), and “” (zan). “Momochi” means “peach soil” (桃地); like all members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, his surname is derived from a type of produce.
- Zabuza’s surname, “Momochi”, may also be a reference to the famous ninja Momochi Sandayū, though his name is written in different kanji.
- Despite his short appearance in the series, Zabuza was still very popular in the character popularity polls.
- Zabuza made a cameo appearance in a omake Naruto: Shippūden episode 129, appearing on a lantern.
- He also made a cameo in a crowd shot in Naruto: Shippūden episode 183 alongside Haku, Hayate Gekkō, and several Ame ninjas.
- Studio Pierrot’s Settei sheets of Zabuza in Part 1 make him 188 cm.
- According to the databook(s):
- Zabuza’s hobby was sharpening edged tools.
- Zabuza wished to fight the five Kage.
- Zabuza’s least favorite food was fresh vegetables.
- Zabuza had completed 191 official missions in total: 4 D-rank, 67 C-rank, 79 B-rank, 29 A-rank, 12 S-rank.
- Zabuza’s favorite word was “control” (支配, shihai).
- Zabuza has been shown to emanate a shroud of chakra that takes the form of an oni-like creature, which might have been where his nickname Demon of the Hidden Mist (霧隠れの鬼人, Kirigakure no Kijin) originated from.[21][22]
- In episode 265, in Zabuza’s flashback he is shown with dark grey eyes as if he was already in the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation. In another flashback, Zabuza walked over and laid down next to Haku, dying; however, in the actual scene Kakashi carries him to Haku as he asked for his final request.
- In 2019, during a TV interview, Masashi Kishimoto revealed that he was originally going to give Zabuza the name Momotarō (桃太郎), until his editor suggested the name Zabuza instead, to which he agreed.
- Zabuza’s databook age may be an error. His massacring of over a hundred academy students occurred when he was nine, which according to the databook would have been seventeen years before the start of the series, but Kakashi states it took place ten years earlier instead.
- Zabuza’s death is not unlike the death of Musashibō Benkei, an old Japanese warrior monk who died standing up whilst on an infamous bridge after being stabbed with many swords and had his body littered with countless arrows when close combat proved too dangerous due to the number of casualties suffered by his hands alone.
Quotes[]
- (To Team 7) “When you’ve hovered between life and death so many times that it doesn’t faze you, you may be called a ninja. When you’ve become so deadly that your profile has been entered into my bingo book, then you may have earned the title ninja.”[23]
- (To Naruto) “When I was your age, my hands were already soaked in blood…”[24]
- (To Naruto) “Shut up kid, Haku’s already dead…As I was used by Gatō, I used Haku. That was all. I’ve said it already… in the world of shinobi, there are only those who use and those whom are used. We shinobi are simply tools…what I wanted was his blood, not him… I have no regrets.”[25]
- (To Naruto) “You talk too much, kid…your words cut deep…deeper than any blade.”
- (To Naruto and Haku) “…You don't need to say any more…It pained him to have to fight you…Haku fought not only for me… he fought for you guys too. He was too kind. I’m glad I got to face you guys in the end. You may be right…a shinobi is still a human…we may not be able to become emotionless tools…”[26]
- (To Gatō) “Uh uh…I won’t be joining Haku. Where he’s gone I cannot follow. We wouldn’t be welcome where Haku’s gone to. Hell’s where we’re going, Gatō!”[27]
- (To Gatō) “Even the unremarkable Demon of the Hidden Mist can die and become a real Demon in hell! This will be fun!!! We’ll have plenty of time to see if I’m a baby devil down in hell!!”[28]
- (Last words to Haku) “You were always at my side, the least I can do is to be beside you at the end. I know it cannot be, but I wish I could go to where you have gone. How I wish I could join you there, Haku.”[29]
- (To Kakashi after being reincarnated) “I died as a human!” (「人間として死んだんだ!」, “Ningen toshite shindanda!”)[30]
References[]
- ↑ Naruto chapter 10, page 19
- ↑ Naruto chapter 14, page 4
- ↑ Fourth Databook, page 191
- ↑ Naruto chapter 14 pages 5-7
- ↑ Shikamaru Hiden
- ↑ Kai no Sho, page 119
- ↑ Naruto chapter 30, page 15
- ↑ Naruto chapter 30, page 15
- ↑ Naruto chapter 30, page 15
- ↑ Naruto chapter 14, page 7
- ↑ Naruto chapter 13, page 8
- ↑ Naruto chapter 11, page 17
- ↑ Naruto chapter 15, page 5
- ↑ Naruto episode 82
- ↑ Naruto chapter 460, page 1
- ↑ Naruto chapter 466, page 1
- ↑ Naruto chapter 521, page 16
- ↑ Naruto chapter 347, page 14
- ↑ Naruto chapter 521, page 16
- ↑ Naruto chapter 690
- ↑ Naruto chapter 32, page 15
- ↑ Naruto chapter 521, page 17
- ↑ Naruto chapter 13, pages 8-9
- ↑ Naruto chapter 14, page 5
- ↑ Naruto chapter 32, page 8
- ↑ Naruto chapter 32, page 13
- ↑ Naruto chapter 32, page 17
- ↑ Naruto chapter 32, page 17
- ↑ Naruto chapter 33, page 13
- ↑ Naruto chapter 522, page 6