Shikamaru
| Shikamaru Nara | |
|---|---|
| Naruto character | |
Shikamaru Nara in Part I. Art by Masashi Kishimoto
|
|
| First appearance |
|
| Voiced by |
Japanese Showtaro Morikubo Nobutoshi Canna (Naruto episode 141 stand-in) English Tom Gibis |
| Notable relatives |
Shikaku Nara (father, deceased) Temari (wife) Shikadai Nara (son) Gaara (brother-in-law) Kankuro (brother-in-law) Rasa (father-in-law, deceased) |
| Ninja rank |
Chunin in Parts I and II |
| Ninja team | Team 10 |
Chunin in Parts I and II
Shikamaru Nara (奈良 シカマル Nara Shikamaru) is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. In the anime and manga, Shikamaru is a ninja affiliated with the village of Konohagakure. He is a member of Team 10, a group of ninja consisting of himself, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka, and team leader Asuma Sarutobi. Shikamaru is portrayed as a lazy character, unwilling to apply his prodigious intelligence; Kishimoto has noted that he likes Shikamaru due to his easygoing nature. Outside the Naruto anime and manga, Shikamaru has appeared in four of the feature films in the series, as well as several other media relating to the series, including video games and original video animations.
Numerous anime and manga publications have commented on Shikamaru's character. Many reviewers commented on his laziness and intelligence, and noted his transformation into a leader; Anime News Network celebrated Shikamaru's emergence in the Naruto storyline. Shikamaru has also been highly popular with the Naruto reader base, placing high in several popularity polls. Merchandise based on Shikamaru has been released, including action figures, key chains, and patches.
Masashi Kishimoto originally created Shikamaru in order for him to be the only winner of an early Naruto arc: the Chunnin Exams, based on his high intelligence. However, recommendations from his editors resulted in Kishimoto to interrupt the fighting tournament between the ninjas in order to focus on a recently new introduced villain, Orochimaru. Nevertheless, Shikamaru ends becoming the only ninja from the original test to achieve a higher rank during Part I of the series.
Kishimoto has noted that he likes Shikamaru due to his easygoing nature despite being a genius, and contrasted him against Sasuke Uchiha's intelligent but abrasive personality. Kishimoto also comically remarked that he would marry Shikamaru if he were a girl, noting that Shikamaru would likely be successful in life. When designing Shikamaru's Part II appearance, Kishimoto wanted to give Shikamaru a unique appearance despite drawing him with a vest that several other ninja wear in the series. As a result, he drew his forehead protector on his arm in order to not obscure his hair.
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