The Tailed Beasts inNarutoplay a large role in the story. At the beginning of the series, they’re seen as mindless beasts capable of destruction on a level most ninja are entirely incapable of. As the series progresses, however, more is uncovered about the beasts that paint them in an entirely different light.
The Tailed Beasts are so much more than their devastating power.Each of the nine Tailed Beasts has their own unique personality, design, and even name. The Jinchuuriki housing the Tailed Beasts also have a lot more in common with them than they first would have realized, showing how deep the Tailed Beasts truly are as individual characters. This was a welcome change to the series, as mindless beasts are a lot less interesting than the Tailed Beasts actually turn out to be.
10They Can’t Permanently Die
They’re Made of Chakra Itself
Towards the end ofNaruto: Shippuden,it’s revealed that the Tailed Beasts are actually made up of chakra itself. They can’t actually die. When they do get close to death,instead of losing their lives like a human ninja would, they simply disappear for a short period of time.Eventually, they come back to life by reforming, sometimes finding a new Jinchuuriki in the process.
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One of themost heartbreaking moments in theNarutofranchiseoccurs inBorutowhen Naruto and Kurama finally part ways. Naruto had to use every ounce of power in Baryon Mode, one of the coolest transformations the series put forward. Kurama had to use his too, but he used so much that he sacrificed himself in the process. Luckily, as a Tailed Beast, he wasn’t gone for good. He later reincarnates in Naruto’s daughter, Himawari, proving that Tailed Beasts don’t die permanently.
9Only Two Aren’t Made From Organic Material
Shukaku and Matatabi
Each of the nine Tailed Beasts has their own unique design. Not only do they each come with a different number of tails, but their visual designs all vary from each other wildly. Most of the Tailed Beasts are made from organic material, but two aren’t. Shukaku and Matatabi, the One-Tail and Two-Tails respectively, arethe only two Tailed Beasts not to be made from organic material at all.
Shukaku is one of the most famous of the Tailed Beasts in the series. He was trapped within Gaara for most of the series, getting pulled out by the Akatsuki brutally. He’s made of sand and uses sand-based abilities as well. Matatabi is made out of flames. Her Jinchuuriki, Yugito Nii, used Fire Release to match with her Tailed Beast.
8Four Are Based On Japanese Folklore
Shukaku, Matatabi, Gyūki, and Kurama
One of the aspects ofthe Tailed Beasts inNarutothat makes them so visually stunning is how unique each of them are. No matter which Tailed Beast comes up, they’re always a treat thanks to their amazing designs. Most of the Tailed Beasts are entirely fictional creations, but four of them can be traced back to legitimate Japanese Folklore.
Shukaku, Matatabi, Gyūki, and Kurama are based on the Tanuki, Nekomata, Ushi-oni, and the Kitsune respectively.Shukaku, the One-Tail, is based on a Japanese raccoon dog that is said to be strange and supernatural, sharing some similarities with the Kitsune as well. The Nekomata is considered to be pretty malicious, shapeshifting into different people and wreaking havoc on the Japanese population.
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The Ushi-oni might be the most terrifying of the bunch. It’s an ox-oni that spits poison and is altogether brutal to any who come across it. The most famous of the group might be the Kitsune, or the Nine-Tailed Fox. The more tails the Fox has, the wiser it is, and no Fox is wiser than one with nine tails.
7The Husk of the Ten Tails Was Originally on the Moon
Madara Summoned It Back
The Ten-Tails is one of thestrongest enemies Narutoand his friends ever had to face in the series. The Ten-Tails in the incarnation of the God Tree, created by Kaguya Otsutsuki. to try and lessen its power and protect the Earth, the Sage of Six Paths split the Ten-Tails up into the nine Tailed Beasts that dominated so much of the series. When the Sage was done, he still had the husk of the beast to deal with.
Kaguya is named after the moon princess from the classic Japanese storyThe Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,which is why she’s often associated with the moon inNaruto.
While Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths, had the Chakra of the beast inside himself,he and his brother Hamura decided to leave the husk inside the moon.They actually created the moon as a place to seal their mother Kaguya and the statue itself. Hamura then went to the moon to watch over the threats they had just defeated, protecting the Earth for centuries to come.
Places of Worship For the Tailed Beasts
In one of the lesser-known facts of the series,the Sage of Six Paths and his followers actually built temples for the Tailed Beasts.He created the Tailed Beasts as a way to distribute the Ten-Tails' power across the Earth, making sure not to concentrate it in any one spot like before.
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The temples served as places for the Beasts to be revered and a place for them to stay. They’re never really shown in the main series, but one of the temples plays a major role. When Naruto is undergoing serious training for the Fourth Great Ninja War, he and Killer Bee venture to one of the temples in the Land of Lightning.
5The Jinchuuriki and Bijuu Share Personality Traits
They Have More In Common Than It Looks
The Jinchuuriki and the Tailed Beasts inside of them have a lot in common.Not only do they share similar designs, their chakra usage almost always matches up.From the One-Tail to the Nine-Tails, each of the Jinchuuriki and Tailed Beasts link up perfectly. The One-Tail uses sand and is entirely made out of it. Gaara, the One-Tail Jinchuuriki for most of the series, also uses sand, and he used to use sand as an outer layer of protection as well.
Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki, and Kurama, the Nine-Tails himself, are both covered in orange. Beyond their visual similarities, they both have fiery personalities and are extremely stubborn. Once either one of the characters has their minds set on something, there’s no turning back.
4They Grew Up Like Normal Animals
At One Point, They Were Babies
It’s hard to imagine that each of the Tailed Beasts were, at one point, basically babies.In theNarutofranchise, they’re seen ashulking masses of chakra that are strongerthan almost every other character in the series. Towards the end ofNaruto: Shippuden,however, the pasts of the Tailed Beasts are revealed and show a completely different side to the so-called monsters.
When Hagoromo decided to split the Tailed Beasts up, they were like normal animals. Well, they weren’t entirelynormal,but they were essentially only a few days old physically. They were still larger than most other animals, but they looked a lot different than they did during the main events of the series.
3There’s a Song For Them
It’s Almost Too Catchy
For any viewers who have trouble memorizing the names of the Tailed Beasts, who they are paired up with, or the names of the Jinchuuriki themselves,Narutohas a perfect solution. The series provides a song for anyone who wants to memorize the names of the Beasts quickly, effectively, and have a good time while they learn.
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The Tailed Beasts song is a hit for anyone who knows it or those lucky enough to hear it for the first time.It’s just over two minutes long, and it’s by far the easiest way to memorize all the Tailed Beasts' names and the names of their Jinchuuriki as well.
2They Existed Both to Ensure Peace and Prevent the Ten Tails' Resurrection
Hagoromo Created Them for Equality and Moral Good
The origin of the Tailed Beasts' wasn’t revealed until nearly the final arc ofNaruto: Shippuden.For most of the series, they were just mindless beasts that destroyed whatever was in front of them. They were also comparable tothe strongest characters inNaruto,amassing chakra at a level only Kage level ninja could compare to. When their pasts were revealed, however, they had a much more noble purpose than anyone could have guessed.
Hagoromo created the Tailed Beasts as a deterrent to war.He not only made them in order to stop the Ten-Tails' resurrection, but he also created them so that growing nations would each have a means of defending themselves. He spread the Tailed Beasts across the globe so that no one nation could take all their power alone, creating an equity of power in the process.
1Naruto Was Their Meeting Place
Towards the end of the series, Naruto becomes closer to a god than a regular ninja. He gained the powers of each of the Tailed Beasts so that he and Sasuke could take on Madara in one ofthe best fights inNaruto.Even after the fight, Naruto retained enough of each of the Tailed Beasts' chakra to act as a permanent meeting place for the Beasts.
It was a useful ability that not only allowed for Naruto to talk to each of the Tailed Beasts when he needed to, but it also allowed the Tailed Beasts to convene and talk to each other. It’s odd to remember that at one point, the Tailed Beasts were actually a single entity. Even though they don’t always get along, it’s nice to know that they can still get together, thanks toNaruto.
