Orochimaru (Naruto)

For the Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari character, see Orochimaru.
Orochimaru
Naruto character
Orochimaru by Masashi Kishimoto
First appearanceNaruto chapter 45
Voiced by
Notable relativesMitsuki (son)
Ninja rankRogue Ninja[3]

Orochimaru (大蛇丸) is a fictional character from Naruto, a manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Orochimaru is a former ninja from the village of Konohagakure who is well known for work in wars which earned him the title of Sannin and becomes a terrorist as a means to cheat death, and built his own ninja village Otogakure. He succeeds to some extent in obtaining immortality by transferring between different host bodies, which became one of his driving motivations throughout the series as he targets Sasuke Uchiha for his genetic heritage. By the events of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, he has seemingly redeemed himself and has sent his experiment Mitsuki to Konoha to become a ninja. Orochimaru has appeared in media outside the Naruto anime and manga, including several video games.

Based on Japanese mythology, Orochimaru was created as one of the series' main antagonists, and was intended to represent the opposite of the protagonists' morals and values.[4] His snake-like appearance features were intended to make it easier for the reader to recognize that he is a villain. Orochimaru is voiced by Kujira in the Japanese version, and by Steve Blum in the English dub.

Several anime and manga publications have praised and criticized Orochimaru's character. He has been praised as one of the series' premiere villains by reviewers for his lack of redeeming qualities and open malevolence. Among the Naruto reader base, Orochimaru has been a popular character, ranking within the top twenty in several polls. Numerous pieces of merchandise with Orochimaru's likeness have been released, including action figures, posters, and plush dolls.

  1. ^ Studio Pierrot (April 23, 2003). "蘇れ写輪眼！必殺・火遁龍火の術！". Naruto. Episode 30. TV Tokyo.
  2. ^ Studio Pierrot (April 22, 2006). "The Sharingan Revived: Dragon Flame Jutsu!". Naruto. Episode 30. Cartoon Network.
  3. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2005). NARUTO―ナルト―［秘伝・闘の書］. Shueisha. p. 57. ISBN 4-08-873734-2.
  4. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (2007). Uzumaki: The Art of Naruto. Viz Media. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-4215-1407-9.