Kakashi Hatake is one of those mysterious characters but loved by all. The only father figure Naruto has left, Kakashi has at times served as a father, mentor, teacher, and advocate for the protagonist of the series, not only for him but also for Sakura and Sasuke. They were also under his care during his time in academia. For this and more, Kakashi is a fan favorite, and here we are going to tell you a little more about this mysterious personality.
Everything about Kakashi Hatake
1. His face was a mystery for too long
In Masashi Kishimoto’s words, Kakashi’s face was destined to disappoint many fans when it was finally revealed. Interestingly, the mangaka of Naruto only put the mask because ninjas are mysterious figures. Still, regrets will hide his face for so long, considering that created too much expectation for what was a “reveal” very typical, and Kakashi only has a mole on his chin and an attractive face.
His face was not revealed until a filler episode of Shippuden, where he poses as a photographer and only reveals his face to anime viewers, but not to his students, who were so curious to know what he looked like.
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2. The sword he uses is an inheritance from the Hatake clan
Kakashi is not a recognized swordsman, but we discover that he uses a small sword, known as Tanto, during a series of flashbacks about his childhood. Although not much is said about the weapon, this katana is much more important than any other sword. It turns out that this katana has a name, the White Light Crakra Saber, and is an inherited piece from the Hatake clan, which Kakashi inherited from his father, Sakumo. The sword even gave rise to the name by which they called Sakumo, “white fang.”
Unfortunately, the weapon was destroyed during a fight with Kakko, but it is suggested in an episode of Shippuden that Kakashi forged it again but does not use it in the main timeline of the series.
3. The Sharingan you own was inherited
As many of us already know, the sharingan that Kakashi owns previously belonged to Obito Uchiha, his old friend and partner, a member of the same team at school. However, Kakashi is such an advanced and intelligent ninja, that although he was not born with this ancient power, he learned to use it to the point of developing his most advanced version, the Mangenkyou Sharingan. Although it is not clear when he discovered that he possessed the advanced ability, if it was during his fight with Deidara, during the battle against Itachi, or if he developed the ability alongside his partner Obito.
The reality is that this is a hole in the plot that should be attributed to Kishimoto, who was changing the properties of the abilities and attacks of the ninjas and particularly, of the Sharingan, during the course of the series.
4. The child prodigy
Another surprising feature about the team 7 teachers is that he has always shown his potential and ability, even at a very young age. At the age of five he graduated from the Konoha academy, and at that age, he became a Genin. Furthermore, it only took him a year to graduate from Chuunin. If we make comparisons, Neji Hyuuga, who was also considered a prodigy, became a Genin at the age of 12, and graduated as a Chuunin at 15.
This short interval can also be attributed to the beginning of the third shinobi war, but it also shows the true power that Kakashi hides from such a young age and without having obtained the sharingan.
5. Blames himself for the tragedy of the Uchiha clan
The slaughter of the Uchiha clan at the hands of Itachi is one of the most important events in Naruto’s history, and responsibility for the tragedy can be shared among several people.
However, as far as Kakashi is concerned, part of the blame must also be attributed to himself. While working under the Third Hokage, Itachi joined Kakashi as part of his personal team and the ninja acted as the Uchiha’s mentor. Although Kakashi recognized Itachi’s abilities, he was concerned about the brutal nature of the young man and therefore tried to instill in him the importance of teamwork.
One day, Itachi asked Kakashi for advice on honoring the requests of deceased friends, and soon after, he committed his infamous mass murder. Since the incident, Kakashi has lamented his inability to guide Itachi down a different path, and although this is an extremely significant moment, the scenes were a low-key element of an arc only present in the anime and were not given the exposure that such. Once deserved.
6. Doesn’t want to retire
For several years, Hatake Kakashi takes the mantle of Hokage before handing over the title to Naruto and supposedly going into retirement. However, despite stepping away from frontline ninja service, subsequent Naruto media has shown that Kakashi never seems to lead the easy lifestyle and instead continues to perform missions in an unofficial capacity.
In the Boruto series, Kakashi reveals that he has been conducting his own investigations into the remaining experiments of Danzo and other villains, and even leaps into action to save the village from the dangerous beast Nue.
Interestingly, it was seen that Kakashi also gave instructions to the current Hokage, Naruto, during the fight with Nue, continuing their teacher/student relationship, despite Naruto’s status as an adult and the leader of the village.
7. His Anbu mask has an interesting reference
Masashi Kishimoto is known for his attention to detail, especially when it comes to character and costume design. However, fans are unlikely to have noticed every single one of the little connections and details associated with each character. One of the best-hidden details about Kakashi can be seen during the ninja’s younger years as a member of Anbu.
Konoha’s Anbu masks are designed to look like animals, and Kakashi’s is heavily inspired by a dog. Clearly, this is a reference to Kakashi’s summoning ability, which allows him to call a group of ninja dogs to his aid and, interestingly, you could argue that the mask even incorporates characteristics of several of Kakashi’s canine friends.
Although Kakashi’s use of the Ninken becomes less frequent later in the series, this little reference was a nice way for fans to bring back one of Kakashi’s most famous techniques.
8. Create a special Chidori
After the fourth Ninja World War, Kakashi regains both eyes, but neither of them possesses the Sharingan, and many viewers may have been questioning whether the ninja knew as “Kakashi of the Sharingan” could still be on the level of the Hokage without his most famous attribute.
Very quickly, that question was answered in no uncertain terms, as Kakashi made up for his lack of the Sharingan by reminding everyone exactly why he was so revered early in his ninja career. One way to achieve this was by inventing a completely new Chidori technique.
Used in both the Boruto series and Kakashi Hiden, it is a very powerful technique and an incredible variation on the classic Chidori that Kakashi made famous.
9. Fans did not appreciate the Susanoo
During Naruto Shippuden’s final fight, Kakashi momentarily receives both Obito’s Uchiha eyes and gets a huge boost to his Sharingan abilities. However, shortly after gaining the extra eye, Kakashi unleashes a perfectly formed and controlled Susanoo – the humanoid chakra cloak used by advanced Uchiha warriors.
Despite the scene’s genius, many Naruto fans disagreed with how quickly Kakashi managed to learn Susanoo’s technique, especially considering the harsh training other characters had to endure to perfect the technique.
With that said, perhaps this is simply a testament to just how natural a genius Kakashi is. Also, it’s worth remembering that despite not being an Uchiha and only possessing a single Sharingan eye, Kakashi had been using Obito’s power for most of his life, so he was hardly a stranger in his abilities.
10. His name has a curious meaning
Kakashi Hatake is obviously a Japanese name, but what does it mean in translation? Well, the name “Kakashi” means “scarecrow,” and his last name “Hatake” means “farmland/field.” Its name means “scarecrow in the farmland.” Simple enough, really, but did you know that before choosing Kakashi as his name, Kishimoto had other names that he considered? Among them are, Kuwa which means “hoe,,” the Kama which means “scythe,,” Botan which means “peony” and Enoki which means “nettle tree.”
Kakashi’s name is taken literally to make jokes from time to time in the series. Naruto, for example, uses a scarecrow dressed like Kakashi to help him train for a combat test between the two. Additionally, scarecrows were added to the scenes in which Kakashi will appear, as was the cover of volume three of the Naruto manga.
11. Kakashi Hiden
Fans eager to continue Kakashi’s story after Naruto Shippuden will be surprised and delighted to learn that a short novel exists, covering the period between the final episode of the main series and Kakashi becoming the Sixth Hokage.
Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky is written by Akira Higashiyama but illustrated by series creator Masashi Kishimoto and therefore considered canon by many fans. The story is also very significant, as it explains why Kakashi finally decides to agree to become the Hokage, as he was reluctant to do so previously.
Most of the novel takes place on an airship, where we see Kakashi and Might Guy forced to fight a group of dangerous criminals with an emotional grudge. Seeing Konoha 11 go into action, Kakashi decides to take over the village until his students are ready to do so.
12. It could have its own spin-off
Kakashi’s popularity was enormous throughout the Naruto series, and he consistently appeared at the top of the various character polls that were conducted. Consequently, the character would likely have been a prime candidate for a spin-off in the minds of the Naruto fandom.
Kakashi was also the creator of Masashi Kishimoto’s first choice for a potential solo series. In an interview with Shonen Jump editors, the mangaka confirmed that if he created a Naruto story with a different main character, Hatake Kakashi would be his first choice.
Given that much of Kakashi’s backstory has already been covered, a possible spinoff would likely focus on Kakashi’s days as Jōnin and chronicle the various missions he undertook that helped cement his formidable reputation as a ninja.
13. I had a special phrase
In anime and manga, it can be common for characters to end their sentences with a certain phrase or sound to indicate something about their personality or to add a unique touch to their speech pattern. Masashi Kishimoto originally intended Kakashi to have that characteristic, and early drafts of the character concluded sentences by saying “de gozaru.”
This phrase is often used to indicate a formal, somewhat dated and rigid speech pattern and is particularly associated with traditionally-minded Samurai types. It’s perhaps a blessing that this quirk has been removed from the final character, not only because it would have been a bit annoying for international viewers but also because it could have altered Kakashi’s more laid-back nature as an adult.
Other than this, very little was changed from Kishimoto’s original concept of Kakashi’s character.
14. The inner Kakashi
There are some things in the Naruto series that stand out, and one of the funniest is what is known as the “Inner Sakura”, the lively and easily irritable side of Sakura that only the viewer or reader can see. Although it only appears in the main series, in the video game Clash of Ninja, “inner Kakashi” does exist.
In the game, if players use the copy ability of Kakashi’s Sharingan to copy Sakura’s Cha Barrage, fans can see what an inner Kakashi would look like. Both Kakashi and Sasuke can also copy Inner Sakura in their last, showing using the internal versions of themselves in the process. Although brief, it shows us what could have happened if every ninja had a goofy and crazed side.
15. Doesn’t seem to be lucky in battle
Sadly, Kakashi has a tendency to be stopped when he is about to kill his enemies. A bit cruel and unsatisfying for someone with bloodlust in their eyes!
Kakuzu countered Kakashi’s assault on Hidan, Pain’s Asura path intervened to protect Deva from Kakashi. Kakashi was about to kill Guren until Gozu intervened and Haku was wounded by Kakashi’s Lightning Sword that was intended for Zabuza Momochi, killing Haku instead. Although Kakashi has scored a few victories, it is a disgrace when it comes to the few fights we see Kakashi participate in.
