Sasuke

Lore & Background

Sasuke belongs to the Uchiha clan, one of the most powerful ninja families allied with Konohagakure. Before the series began, his older brother Itachi massacred nearly all members, leaving Sasuke as a rare survivor. Driven by feelings of powerlessness and a desire to become stronger than Itachi, he abandoned his home and teammates, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno, to find Orochimaru. Kishimoto designed him as a "cool genius" to contrast with Naruto, avoiding a pure villain portrayal despite his dark development. The creator described Sasuke as a "very pure person" who was neither good nor evil, noting that while some actions were positive, his self-centeredness caused issues. In the series finale, Kishimoto planned for a final fight between the two rivals, concluding with Naruto forgiving Sasuke after Sasuke left on a solo journey.

In Their Own Story

Kishimoto conceived Sasuke as Naruto's main rival, inspired by his relationship with twin brother Seishi and manga like Sanpei Shirato's Sasuke. Originally intended to start development alongside Naruto, plot shifts made him an antagonist, leading Kishimoto to view them as "yin and yang." The final battle between their Chidori and Rasengan took the anime staff at Pierrot a full month to adapt, requiring assistance from CyberConnect2. Director Hiroyuki Yamashita focused on making movements realistic, giving Sasuke a scary look to express mutual intent to kill. Post-battle, Sasuke's face became calmer, signaling redemption. In Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015) and its sequel, he acts as a vigilante supporting his village and mentors Boruto Uzumaki, referencing Piccolo and Gohan from Dragon Ball.

Reader's Guide

For those tracking character evolution, Sasuke was voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama in Japanese and Yuri Lowenthal in English. His design was heavily influenced by Hiei from YuYu Hakusho; Kishimoto initially added excessive ornamentation like necklaces before simplifying his look to contrast with Naruto. The Chidori technique originally had a different name that the creator forgot before settling on "Chidori" and its variant "Lightning Blade." While criticized early as a stereotypical rival, later chapters earned positive comments for his mature personality. Kishimoto found him challenging to draw due to his older appearance relative to his age but grew to enjoy it. Merchandise includes action figures and key chains, and he remains a frequent subject of scholarly study.

Did You Know?

• Masashi Kishimoto named Sasuke after Sanpei Shirato's manga character Sasuke.
• The anime staff spent an entire month adapting the final fight between Sasuke and Naruto.
• Kishimoto originally forgot the name of the Chidori technique before settling on it.
• Sasuke's design was influenced by Hiei from Yoshihiro Togashi's YuYu Hakusho.
• In Boruto: Naruto the Movie, Kishimoto gave Sasuke a bigger role to teach Boruto Uzumaki.