Shukaku is the one tailed bijuu in the anime Naruto, Naruto Shippuden and later in Boruto. Shukaku is introduced in the 135 manga chapter and episode 78. It was believed that he was the vengeful spirit of an old monk that had been sealed within a tea kettle. Of all of the tailed beast he was the first to have had his name revealed.
Looks
Shukaku looks as if he is made up of mounds of sand and covered in cursed black (blue in the anime) seal marks all over its face, body, and tail. He is a giant sandy-brown tanuki boasting a large single tail. He has a jagged, concave mouth with no tongue.
Personality
Shukaku is described as juvenile and short-tempered. He is quite proud of his own talents, particularly it’s sealing techniques and defences. He has a long standing rivalry with the nine tailed beast, Kurama. This is because Kurama believes the number of tails each beast has determines the strength that the beast will have. Since Shukaku only has one tail, he is seen as the weakest of the the tailed beasts. Thus he calls the nine tails, “stupid fox”.
As evidenced in its original harsh attitude toward Bunpuku, it might still be polite to individuals who show real respect and care to it. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, when Gaara battled valiantly to keep it from being sealed and openly praised it for guiding him through life, it began to perceive Gaara in the same way as Bunpaku.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Shukaku has the capacity to influence its jinchriki as they sleep, causing its host to become an insomniac. Shukaku’s most prominent talent is its capacity to manipulate sand and use it as a weapon and shield. Because his whole body is formed of sand, he can disregard most injury that would otherwise be harmful. It has the ability to swiftly fire wind bullets with enough force to level whole woods, and it can combine its wind talents with Gaara’s sand to create fast-moving sand bullets. He could also charge these wind bullets to the point where they might erupt like a Tailed Beast Ball, wiping out entire landscapes.
Jinchūriki
Shukaku is the one tailed beast and the jinchūriki who hosts him will suffer insomnia and develop dark black circles around their eyes. Shukaku also pushes his hosts to become emotionally unstable. The known Jinchūriki are Bunpuku, Gaara, Obito and Naruto.
Shukaku is Voiced by:
- Kirk Thornton in the original Japanese (subbed) anime.
- Hiroshi Iwasaki in the English (dubbed) anime.
