Naruto: Every Tailed Beast & Jinchuriki In The Series

Summary

• Naruto and Boruto diverge on the treatment and status of the Tailed Beasts post-Fourth Shinobi War, with several beasts living freely without Jinchuriki.
• Boruto introduces a new Ten-Tails controlled by Isshiki and Code, setting up a major threat that rivals the original series.
• Jinchuriki relationships with Tailed Beasts, like Gaara and Shukaku’s eventual mutual respect, play a crucial role in the storyline.

Here are all of the Tailed Beasts in the Naruto and Boruto storylines and the Jinchuriki who carry them. The world of Naruto is full of flashy chakra blasts and monstrous summons, but one of author Masashi Kishimoto’s more inventive concepts is the Bijuu or Tailed Beasts. Feared and powerful would be an understatement for the creatures that represent weapons of mass destruction.

Over the years, Naruto and Boruto‘s Tailed Beast differences have become more apparent, as the latter has changed how Tailed Beasts work, including their effects on their respective Jinchuriki. As a result, there has been widespread discussion about whether Boruto changed Tailed Beasts in the Naruto canon.

Notably, these creatures originated from the chakra tree of the villainous Otsutsuki clan, which transformed into the incredibly powerful ten-tailed monster. In order to avert widespread destruction, the Sage of Six Paths split the ten-tails into nine smaller creatures, which would go on to become Naruto/Boruto‘s fabled Tailed Beasts.

What Are The Tailed Beasts and How Are They Controlled?

There Have Been Many Jinchuriki Across Decades Of Ninja Wars

The Nine Bijuu, or Tailed Beast creatures, either roam the land as wild demons or are used as weapons of war by the various ninja villages, maintaining the balance of power between nations. To harness the immense power held within each of the Bijuu, the beasts would often be contained within a human host known as a Jinchuriki.

The joining of human and beast creates a symbiotic relationship that can be harmonious and respectful, while others emphasize the servitude of the Tailed Beasts, turning them against humanity. Depending on the skill of the Jinchuriki, the creature’s power can be drawn out in battle, but loss of control results in the beast escaping its Jinchuriki and going on a rampage.

Although Naruto and the Nine-Tails are obviously the most prominent Bijuu and Jinchuriki tandem in the series, Kishimoto eventually introduces the full set, who become increasingly important later in the story. As Naruto‘s Tailed Beast lore became more complex, the anime released a devilishly catchy “Bijuu Counting Song” to help fans remember the basics, which is well worth checking out for comedy value alone. These are all the tailed beasts of Naruto.

Shukaku – The Sandy One-Tailed Tanuki Beast

Most Recent Jinchūriki: Gaara, The Fifth Kazekage of the Sand Village

Shukaku is most closely affiliated with the Hidden Sand village, and his first known Jinchuriki was the priest Bunpuku. The clergyman was followed by another host not important enough to be named before Shukaku was placed inside an unborn Gaara, still in his mother’s womb. Shukaku’s physical design is based on a tanuki – a Japanese raccoon dog. He’s also an immensely proud Bijuu, constantly trying to compensate for being single-tailed, and considers Kurama his fiercest rival.

In terms of abilities, Shukaku specializes in manipulating sand, making him the perfect mascot of his village and an ideal companion for Gaara. Their relationship began uneasily due to Shukaku’s ability to control Jinchuriki in their sleep, but as Gaara grew stronger, he was able to utilize the Bijuu’s power more effectively. Finally, inspired by Naruto and Kurama, Gaara began treating Shukaku as an equal, not a weapon.

Matatabi – The Fiery Two-Tailed Cat Beast

Most Recent Jinchūriki: Yugito Nii of The Cloud Village

Matatabi is a prime example of how ninja exploited tailed beasts in past ages. Captured by Konoha’s First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, Matatabi was sold to the Hidden Cloud as part of a deal supposed to foster peace and balance between the five major villages. The only known Matatabi Jinchuriki is Yugito Nii, who inherited the monster as a child.

Yugito would go on to become a Jonin in her village, learning control over her Bijuu – a process potentially made more manageable by Matatabi being one of the less aggressive tailed beasts. Like many of the tailed beasts, Matatabi bears the appearance of two mythological Japanese folk monsters – the Bakeneko and the Kasha, but the Naruto version is covered in blue flame. As implied by its design, Matatabi uses fire-based techniques, arguably making the creature a better fit for Konoha than the Hidden Cloud.

Isobu – The Three-Tailed Armored Sea Beast

Most Recent Jinchūriki: Yagura Karatachi, The Fourth Mizukage of the Mist Village

Like Matatabi, Isobu was sold by Hashirama as part of the Five Kage Summit agreement, this time to the Hidden Mist village. When war inevitably broke out, Isobu was forcibly sealed within Obito’s crush and Kakashi’s closest friend, Rin Nohara, with the intention of releasing her upon an unsuspecting Leaf. Aware of the plot, Rin sacrificed herself so she wouldn’t hurt the people she loved.

When a Jinchuriki dies, their beast restores over time, and the revived Isobu is eventually placed into Yagura Karatachi, the Hidden Mist’s Fourth Mizukage. Isobu is loose in the wild when introduced in Naruto, meaning Yagura must’ve died, and Isobu was restored a second time. Isobu primarily uses water techniques, explaining the beast’s long-standing affiliation with the Hidden Mist.

Son Gokū – The Four-Tailed Monkey King Beast

Most Recent Jinchūriki: Rōshi of the Rock Village

Son Goku was sold to the Hidden Rock village and came to be sealed within Roshi. Compared to many Bijuu/Jinchuriki pairings, Roshi and Son Goku shared a respectful relationship, but the shinobi came to regret never learning his beast’s true name. Resembling a monkey, Son Goku was inspired by the Monkey King character from the legendary Chinese story Journey to the West. It’s impossible to ignore Naruto‘s Dragon Ball connection as well, as Masashi Kishimoto has admitted that Dragon Ball was indeed a huge influence upon Naruto.

Son Goku is incredibly agile and likely the most skilled taijutsu user of the tailed beasts, but his signature techniques are lava-based, and Naruto later adopts this power. By the end of the original series, a piece of each tailed beast’s chakra resides within Naruto Uzumaki, allowing him to combine the Rasengan with Son Goku’s lava. The attack was so powerful that it nearly defeated a wounded Sage of the Six Paths Madara while cutting down the colossal God Tree.

Kokuō – The Majestic Five-Tailed Beast

Most Recent Jinchūriki: Han of the Hidden Rock Village

Kokuo joined Son Goku in the Hidden Rock and eventually passed to a powerful ninja known as Han. Like many other Jinchuriki, Han was killed when the Akatsuki (secretly led by the evil Madara Uchiha) began collecting the Tailed Beasts, forcibly extracting each critter from their human hosts. Kokuo is one of the less prominent Bijuu in Naruto, but is seen using steam nature release (a blend of fire and water) – even though it seems to prefer a quiet life in the forest.

Most of Naruto‘s best villains and beasts are based on mythical monsters and legends, but author Masashi Kishimoto revealed that Kokuo is a mixture of a horse and a dolphin. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations reveals that Kokuo, Matatabi, and Chomei distanced themselves from humanity after Naruto freed them. This is not surprising considering the decades of harsh treatment the creatures were forced to endure from every ninja village.

Saiken – The Slimy Six-Tailed Slug Beast

Most Recent Jinchūriki: Missing-Nin of the Hidden Mist, Utakata

Along with Isobu, Saiken belonged to the Hidden Mist village, the idea being that each village’s beasts would total roughly nine tails (apart from the Sand). This was to keep the power balance relatively equal, as the more tails a Bijuu possesses, the stronger they’re considered to be. Saiken was sealed within Utakata, who began as a Hidden Mist villager but later abandoned his home during their dark “Bloody Mist” phase.

Like most of the other Jinchuriki, Utakata was killed by the Akatsuki for their inner beast. Although they were one of the more elusive ninjas to host a tailed beast spirit, they were found and defeated by the Six Paths of Pain. The bubble-wielding ninja starred in one of the best Naruto filler arc, which fleshed out his story. Saiken possesses water-based abilities, a slug-like appearance, and can attack with sticky and corrosive substances.

Chōmei – The Seven-Tailed Flying Beetle Beast

Most Recent Jinchūriki: Fū of the Waterfall Village

Chomei is similar to a Japanese rhinoceros beetle and, compared to its Bijuu kin, is remarkably placid and laid-back, which is likely why Chomei doesn’t resemble typical demons in anime. The Seven-Tails was formerly sealed within Fu, a female ninja from the Hidden Waterfall, after being sold to the village by Hashirama. This was unusual since the Waterfall isn’t one of Naruto‘s five major nations, but it was considered powerful enough to be included in the arrangement.

Naruto flashbacks show each of the tailed beasts as babies, soon after their creation by the Sage of Six Paths. While most of these young creatures are cuter, smaller versions of their present-day selves, Chomei actually took a larval state, reflecting its insect-like design as an adult. In their adult form, the flying creature manuvers with one tail and six huge wings that can emit a blinding powder. Like the other tailed beasts, Chomei can also shoot tailed beast bombs, but their ability to fly makes that attack even more terrifying.

Gyūki – The Eight-Tailed Octo-Ox Beast

Most Recent Jinchūriki: Killer B of the Cloud Village

Gyuki was sold to the Hidden Cloud village along with Matatabi, but the nation struggled to find a Jinchuriki who could control it. One of these was Blue B, the nephew of the Third Raikage, but after Gyuki went on a rampage, the Raikage was forced to seal him away, causing his nephew’s tragic death. Being the Eight-Tailed beast, Gyuki was incredibly difficult to control, but the perfect host was eventually found: the five-year-old aspiring rapper Killer B.

Gyuki was ultimately sealed within Killer B, the Third Raikage’s adopted son, who surprisingly proved himself a compatible host. B befriended his Bijuu, and their relationship became perfectly two-way, allowing the ninja to draw out Eight-Tails’ power at will. Even after Gyuki was forcibly extracted from Killer B during the Fourth Great Shinobi War, he was later re-sealed into his former host. Gyuki is an ox-like yokai with sheep horns and tentacle tails, and is regarded as the second strongest bijuu.

Kurama – The Ravenous Nine-Tailed Beast

Most Recent Jinchūrikis: Naruto & Himawari Uzumaki

As the only Bijuu not captured by the First Hokage, Kurama roamed in the wild for many years until he was found by Madara Uchiha and forced to fight Hashirama. Kurama was defeated and sealed within the Hokage’s wife, Mito Uzumaki, before being transferred to Kushina Uzumaki. Despite valiant attempts to protect Kushina during her labor, Obito extracted Kurama and wreaked havoc on the Hidden Leaf. Eventually, Kushina and Minato restrained Kurama and sealed half the demon fox in the Fourth Hokage himself and the other half in their newborn son – a certain Naruto Uzumaki.

Kurama resembles a kitsune, a mythical Japanese nine-tailed fox, and is regarded as the most powerful of the Bijuu, revealing Obito’s place among Naruto‘s Akatsuki. Initially, Kurama only offered his aid when Naruto’s life was in danger. With help from his mother, Naruto harnessed Kurama’s power, but only by becoming friends was the full potential of their Jinchuriki and Bijuu partnership unleashed. The bond forever changed the once terrifying creature, and he would go on to become a close ally to Naruto and, surprisingly, other members of the newly established Uzumaki family.

In the Boruto sequel series, Kurama sacrifices his life force to give Naruto an incredible but temporary power boost called Baryon Mode. Years after the Nine-Tail’s death, he was mysteriously reincarnated in Naruto’s daughter Himamari Uzumaki, who was able to use the newly manifested powers in a shockingly short time compared to her father. The impressive power boost will be needed against the monstrous threats Boruto’s time-skip has presented so far.

A Catastrophic Force of Nature, The Ten-Tailed Beast

Most Recent Jinchūrikis: Obito & Madara Uchiha, and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

All Tailed Beasts listed above were created through the Juubi – the ten-tailed beast that the dimension-hopping Otsutsuki clan brought to Earth. Like the Otsutsuki, the exact origin of the Ten-Tails is unknown. The villains travel to other worlds in pairs and unleash their Juubi, which transforms into a God Tree and yields a chakra fruit under the right conditions. These tasty treats sustain the Otsutsuki clan’s long lives and incredible power.

Despite being regarded as a god-like force of nature and the progenitor of Naruto‘s Tailed Beasts, a few powerful characters have played host to the Juubi. After gaining chakra from each beast and placing it within the Juubi’s husk, aka the Gedo Statue, the Ten-Tails was reborn and eventually absorbed by Obito, then Madara Uchiha, granting them the status of Sage of the Six Paths. The power of the Ten-Tails is virtually unlimited, with no affinity towards one nature over another, and is essentially unstoppable without using Senjutsu, an incredibly complex form of Natural Energy.

Isshiki Otsutsuki’s Mysterious Juubi

Controlled by Isshiki and Code

As if one Juubi wasn’t bad enough in Naruto, the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations sequel series introduces a second monster. Boruto reveals that Kaguya and Isshiki Otsutsuki arrived on Earth together. The Rabbit Goddess betrays her partner and steals the Juubi (and, more importantly, its chakra fruit) for herself. Isshiki hid and took control of a human monk called Jigen, plotting his revenge and founding the villainous organization known as Kara. During this period, Isshiki took possession of another Ten-Tails, which he keeps in an alternate dimension under constant guard.

Isshiki’s Juubi would have been impossible to find in its secret dimension, but the ultimate weapon was found thanks to Sasuke’s Rinnegan and dimensional travel abilities. Boruto hasn’t yet revealed the origin of Isshiki’s Ten-Tails, but the beast is smaller and younger than Kaguya’s from the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Isshiki’s goal – and the entire purpose of Kara – is to turn this Juubi into a God Tree and grow yet another chakra fruit from Earth’s population. However, things would take a much different turn after Isshiki’s defeat.

A disciple of Isshiki Otsutsuki took on the mantle of leader of Kara after the villain’s death, and while Code is one of the franchise’s most disappointing villains, his actions would trigger the greatest threat Naruto’s world has seen yet. After manipulating the Ten-Tails beast’s power, Code’s abilities transformed it into sentient God-Tree-like creatures that are capturing and repurposing characters like Sasuke for stunning confrontations. The mysterious new Boruto villains hold absurd levels of power, and fans anxiously await to see how they are dealt with and what mysteries will unfold before that.

Differences Between Naruto And Boruto’s Tailed Beasts And Jinchiruki

Most Tailed Beasts Went Their Separate Ways After The Fourth Shinobi War

Many of Naruto‘s Tailed Beasts are living very different lives in the Boruto series. Although Naruto retained Kurama and Killer B kept Gyuki, the rest were freed, maintaining a chakra bond with Naruto Uzumaki. Boruto‘s anime-only Urashiki arc reveals the Two-Tails, Five-Tails, and Seven-Tails all separated themselves from civilization, fearing capture by humans. While this could eventually threaten the balance of power between villages, it also means that beasts without a Jinchuriki are free to live as they choose, without embroiling in human warfare.

Another key Naruto/Boruto Tailed Beast difference is that the beasts’ chakra bonds with Naruto and allows them to use him for telepathic communication. This means that the Tailed Beasts and Naruto can aid each other or respond to larger threats more quickly in the future. While Kurama is also no longer a part of Naruto the Jinchuriki can continue to live due to the method of Nine-Tails death. Still, there is likely more to learn about the Tailed Beast in Boruto’s entertaining time skip series: Two Blue Vortex.

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  Naruto (2002)

  Naruto is an action-adventure anime series based on the manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. The titular Naruto Uzumaki is a fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit sealed inside him, which once wreaked havoc on his village. Shunned by his community yet determined to earn their respect, Naruto dreams of becoming the greatest ninja, the Hokage. This series follows his journey through the Ninja Academy as he continues to train and grow, hoping to prove himself to his peers- and himself.

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  Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017)

  Boruto Uzumaki, son of Naruto Uzumaki, the Seventh Hokage, seeks to make his mark in the ninja world. Resenting his father’s absence due to his duties, Boruto aims to surpass Naruto with his friends from the ninja academy. As he develops his own ninja way, Boruto faces the challenges of a changing world that brings new threats and technologies that test his abilities and resolve.