Highlights
- Each Kazekage in Sunagakure met a tragic end, either through assassination or betrayal by their own village’s shinobi.
- The history of the Kazekage post in Masashi Kishimoto’s
Naruto
is filled with conflict, struggle, and a belief of being cursed. - Gaara, the current Fifth Kazekage, overcame a harsh upbringing and mental instability to become a powerful leader in the shinobi world.
As the strongest of all shinobi in the Land of Wind, the post of Kazekage carries a great deal of prestige and responsibility in the world of Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, with only exceptionally powerful shinobi given the honor of leading Sunagakure. Since the institution of the title, there have been five Kazekage, reigning for differing periods of time, with each one having a distinct impact on the village’s history.
Unfortunately, the history of Sunagakure is one fraught with conflict, struggle, and betrayal, with most Kazekage meeting their end at the hands of shinobi from their own village, or assassins from rival nations. As such, the post of Kazekage has always been a difficult burden to bear. With this in mind, here are the fates of every Kazekage in Naruto.
1 First Kazekage
Assassinated By Enemy Shinobi
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Manga Debut |
Chapter #648 |
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Anime Debut |
Naruto Shippuden Episode #369 |
The first Sunagakure shinobi to hold the title of Kazekage, Reto was present during the inaugural Five Kage Summit where Hashirama Senju attempted to broker peace between the Five Great Shinobi Countries by distributing the tailed beasts among them. Accompanied by his future successor Shamon, Reto tried to negotiate a better deal for his village, since Sunagakure already possessed the One-Tail, Shukaku.
As threats of war arose during the meeting, Hashirama once again tried to mediate and defuse the tension, since no other Kage was ready to listen to Reto’s steep demands, such as receiving a portion of the Land of Fire’s territory, and 30% of what the other nations were paying for the tailed beasts. Eventually, Reto was killed by assassins just like most of his successors would be in the future, perpetuating a belief that would persist into Naruto’s time, about the role of Kazekage being cursed.
2 Second Kazekage
Killed By Assassins
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Manga Debut |
Chapter #648 |
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Anime Debut |
Naruto Shippuden Episode #382 |
Following in the footsteps of his mentor, Shamon was the second person to assume the post of Kazekage, and he accompanied his predecessor Reto to the first Five Kage Summit. Following Reto’s death, Shamon took up his mantle as the Second Kazekage, and focused on expanding Sunagakure’s military power through the use of the village’s fabled Puppet Technique.
Likely a puppet user himself, Shamon’s work as Kazekage was crucial to the village’s fortification, as he took advantage of the harsh terrain surrounding Sunagakure. Shamon also oversaw research into the tailed beasts, as he sought to bring the volatile One-Tail under his control. Just like the First Kazekage, Shamon was killed by assassins, adding to the legend of the Kazekage’s post being jinxed.
3 Third Kazekage
Kidnapped By Sasori And Turned Into A Human Puppet
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Manga Debut |
Chapter #690 |
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Anime Debut |
Naruto Shippuden Episode #457 |
Regarded as one of the strongest shinobi to lead Sunagakure, the Third Kazekage was the one responsible for the development of the formidable Iron Sand Technique, using his own Magnet Release kekkei genkai after studying the jinchuriki of the One-Tail. This technique rendered him immune to all metallic weapons and allowed him to fashion his own weapons out of the Iron Sand he could manipulate freely, or even immobilize opponents by filling their joints with it.
However, his fate remains one of the most tragic deaths among all the Kazekage, as he was kidnapped and killed by Sasori, a member of Sunagakure’s own Puppet Brigade. Sasori then turned the Third Kazekage into a human puppet to harness his Magnet Release, although this recreation is said to have paled in comparison to the original. For years, the Third Kazekage’s sudden disappearance remained a mystery, and his actual fate would not be revealed until the time of the Fifth Kazekage.
4 Fourth Kazekage
Murdered By Orochimaru Before The Konoha Crush
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Manga Debut |
Chapter #95 |
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Anime Debut |
Naruto Episode #57 |
Another fearsome shinobi who suffered a gruesome death as Kazekage, Rasa struggled to manage his responsibilities to his family while also having to deal with Sunagakure’s diminishing position among the hidden villages. There is little doubt that his talent as a shinobi was exceptional, as he learned his predecessor’s kekkei genkai Magnet Release, and channeled it into his own technique, which allowed him to manipulate Gold Dust.
Sadly, much of his reign was spent quelling the rampages of the One-Tail, Shukaku, who was sealed into his youngest son, Gaara. Rasa was responsible for the childhood trauma that shaped Gaara’s original sadistic persona, and it was a mark of his desperation to save his village. Unfortunately, this desperation led him to ally with Orochimaru against Konohagakure, which did not end well for him, as the Sannin betrayed and killed him along with his bodyguards. Orochimaru went on to impersonate Rasa at the Chunin Exams in order to instigate the Konoha Crush.
5 Fifth Kazekage
The Current Leader Of Sunagakure
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Manga Debut |
Chapter #35 |
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Anime Debut |
Naruto Episode #20 |
Made a jinchuriki even before his birth, Gaara had a harsh upbringing as he was shunned by both his village and his family, who grew to fear him. His own father, Rasa, initiated several failed assassination attempts against him, after Shukaku kept taking over his body and wreaking havoc throughout the village. As a result, Gaara grew to resent the village and everyone around him, and his deteriorating mental stability due to Shukaku’s influence led him on a path of violence as he saw all others as a threat to his existence.
It was only during the Konoha Crush that Gaara was made to see the error of his ways by Naruto, a fellow jinchuriki. Eventually, Gaara rose through the ranks of his village’s shinobi with the aid of his powerful Sand Manipulation Technique, earning a promotion to Kazekage while still only a teenager. He went on to serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Shinobi Forces in the Fourth Shinobi World War, and was instrumental in the battles against Kabuto Yakushi, Obito Uchiha, and Madara Uchiha. He continues to serve as Kazekage well into Boruto’s time, maintaining peace in the shinobi world alongside Naruto and the other Five Kage.
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