The Naruto universe revolves around several prominent ninja villages, each home to their own personal weapon of mass destruction, a tailed beast called a bijuu that is sealed inside a special shinobi called a jinchuuriki.
The Naruto x Nine-Tails pair may have impacted the series the most, but the others have just as much originality and power. Let's explore the array of beautiful bijuu in the Naruto and Naruto Shippuuden series.
Ichibi (One-Tail)
Name: Shukaku | Voice Actor: Hiroshi Iwasaki | Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Gaara
All Jinchuuriki: Bunpuku → Gaara
Appearance: a tanuki-like beast with strange marks all over its body
Originally believed to be the vengeful spirit of an old monk that was sealed inside a tea kettle. This bijuu was the first tailed beast to have its name revealed.
Hosts of the One Tail tend to suffer from insomnia, getting large dark circles around their eyes. They also may become emotionally unstable.
It looks like this bijuu is made of mounds of sand, with a single large tail. It is able to control several elemental chakra such as wind and earth, and can use them either offensively by spitting out projectiles, or defensively by covering itself in an impenetrable layer of sand.
He refers to himself as ore or ore-sama. According to Gama-kichi, his personality is "funky" and warlike. This bijuu has a longstanding rivalry with Kurama, the Nine tails, who he calls "stupid fox," because of Shukaku's theory that the number of tails determines the amount of power the beasts have.
While he hates almost all humans, he liked Bunpuku because he treated him with respect and never blamed him. Shukaku also eventually warms up to Gaara.
As the only tailed beast not to have given Naruto a portion of his chakra while sealed in the Six Paths of Pain, Gaara had to pull him out himself.
Nibi (Two-Tails)
Name: Matatabi | Voice Actor: Ryoko Shiraishi | Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Yugito Nii
Appearance: a cat-like monster surrounded in blue flames, and different colored eyes
Like Shukaku, Matatabi was at first thought to be a vengeful spirit. It possesses immense speed, and can use and lend the ability to use Fire Release. Despite its power, this bijuu is quite refined and polite, referring to itself as watashi (a more feminine, courteous word).
Matatabi was removed from its host Yugito, by Hidan and Kakuzu, and was sealed into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Yugito dies from being separated from her tailed beast.
Sanbi (Three-Tails)
Name: Isobu | Voice Actor: Shigenori Soya| Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Yagura (Fourth Mizukage)
Jinchuuriki: Rin Nohara → Yagura
Appearance: resembles a large turtle with a spiky, crablike shell, three shrimplike tails, as well as hands with opposable thumbs
Isobu refers to itself as boku, generally a more diminutive, humble mannerism.
Despite its large size, Isobu is able to swim or roll at high speeds. It controls Water Release, and can release a hallucinogenic mist, as well as create large shockwaves and tidal waves. This bijuu's armor is nearly impenetrable, and its one weakness is its eyes.
Isobu's first known jinchuuriki was Rin Nohara, Kakashi's teammate. In a plan to sabotage the Hidden Leaf Village, the Hidden Mist Village sealed Isobu inside Rin, hoping she would lose control of it and destroy the village. Rin opts to take her own life with the help of Kakashi, and Isobu is sealed inside Yagura, who establishes a partnership with it.
Yonbi (Four-Tails)
Name: Son Gokuu | Voice Actor: Hiroki Yasumoto | Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Roushi
Appearance: a red-furred gorilla with a circlet like the Son Gokuu from Chinese story; also has two long tusks from its top jaw, and a mouth opening that can spit lava
Son Gokuu hates to be referred to as "Four-Tails," and is excessively proud of his namesake, Son Gokuu, King of the Sage Monkeys. He uses ore to refer to himself.
Son Gokuu hates humans, but tends to like those that treat the bijuu with respect. He himself is also respectful to his fellow tailed beasts.
He seems to have great knowledge of taijutsu (physical attacks), as well as Fire and Earth (combined to make Lava) Releases.
While at first belligerent, he warms up to Naruto after talking to him and discovering that he is a straightforward, good person. He offers Naruto some of his chakra.
Gobi (Five-Tails)
Name: Kokuou | Voice Actor: Mie Sonozaki | Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Han
Appearance: has a dolphin's head with horns, a white horse's body, and blue-green eyes rimmed with red
Despite being proud and a fierce fighter, Kokuou is reserved and does not speak much, referring to itself using the old-fashioned, polite watakushi.
This bijuu combines Fire and Water to use Boil Release. Kokuou can also increase the heat of its chakra itself, giving itself or its jinchuuriki massive bursts of power and speed.
Kokuou was the only tailed beast to be able to at least temporarily break free from Tobi.
After the war, it isolates itself in the forest to avoid more conflict.
Rokubi (Six-Tails)
Name: Saiken | Voice Actor: Miyu Irino | Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Utakata
Appearance: a slimy white slug with six tentacle-like tails
Saiken refers to itself as ore, and also seems to speak with a kansai accent. It seems to be quite kind, although not much is known about it. This bijuu can expel sticky slime or corrosive gasses during combat.
Saiken kills Utakata's teacher Harusame after Harusame tries to extract Saiken from Utakata's body in an attempt to save Utakata. This move would have killed both Saiken and Utakata.
Utakata dies anyways after Saiken is extracted from him by the Akatsuki.
Nanabi (Seven-Tails)
Name: Choumei | Voice Actor: Kenichi Suzumura | Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Fuu
Appearance: a giant beetle with six wing-like tails, as well as a seventh insect tail, that has a younger form resembling larvae
Choumei seems to be rather cheerful, referring to himself as "Lucky Number Seven."
Its attacks are insect based, and it can fly, bite, and even create cocoons from chakra absorbing thread.
This bijuu was extracted from its jinchuuriki, Fuu, after she was kidnapped by Hidan and Kakuzu.
Hachibi (Eight-Tails)
Name: Gyuuki | Voice Actor: Masaki Aizawa | Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Killer Bee
All Jinchuuriki: Blue B (Fukai) → Killer Bee
Appearance: the front half of a monstrous bull, and the lower body of an octopus
Gyuuki has a rough personality, and refers to itself as ore.
It had been transferred to many different hosts, with no success until Killer Bee. Before becoming friendly with B, Gyuuki had been dangerous to humans, going on many rampages.
Despite often squabbling, Gyuuki and got along very well, to the point where Gyuuki voluntarily gave a piece of himself to Bee in order to save him. Gyuuki is not afraid to speak his mind, and often tells Killer Bee exactly what he thinks.
Its left and right horns are both broken in battle, one to A, and the other during the fight against Ten-Tails.
Rumored to be the second most powerful tailed beast, it can fire multiple Tailed Beast Balls in quick succession, as well as possessing immense physical strength. Gyuuki even manages to push back the ten-tail's beast ball into itself.
Its chakra recharges extremely quickly.
His tentacles grow back when they are cut off, the discarded bits can also be used as chakra receivers. In line with his octopus like lower half, he can also produce a blinding ink.
Kyuubi (Nine-Tails)
Name: Kurama | Voice Actor: Genda Tessyo| Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Naruto Uzumaki
All Jinchuuriki: Mito Uzumaki → Kushina Uzumaki → Naruto Uzumaki
Appearance: a red, nine-tailed fox of immense size; when it was split into two, both smaller Kurama's were comparable in size to the other tailed beasts
The bijuu is the most famous of all the tailed beasts.
Kurama was at first thought to be a sort of divine disaster that attacked places that attracted evil. Uchiha Madara tried to use Kurama's power to take over the Hidden Leaf, but he was defeated, and Kurama was sealed into Uzumaki Mito, the first jinchūriki of the nine-tails.
Cynical and clever, it believes itself to be the most powerful as it had the most number of tails (causing a rift between itself and One-Tail). It refers to itself as washi, a word more common among old men. Although it plagued Naruto for much of Naruto's early life, they eventually learn to trust and depend on one another, to the point where Naruto allows Kurama full control of his body on occasion.
Kurama was split into two halves because it was regarded as too powerful. At first only the Yang half was sealed into Naruto at birth, but Kurama's Yin half was returned Naruto after the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Kurama has the largest chakra reserve out of any of the tailed beasts. It can use Fire and Wind Release, and is able to create tailed beast balls many times its own size without help. It's fast, strong, and thinks quick on its feet, able to handle fighting against five other tailed beasts at the same time.
Kurama has the ability to sense negative emotions. This is probably one of the reasons why it is so cynical- it detects all the negative feelings the humans have about it.
Naruto's appearance changes with the increase of each tail, marking the increase of control Kurama has over his body.
0-3 Tails: nails and fangs grow, as the irises become red and catlike; red chakra shrouds his body, and tails made of chakra appear as well
4 Tails: the chakra starts to burn Naruto's skin
6 Tails: a skeleton starts to appear around Naruto, along with the chakra
8 Tails: skinless Kurama takes shape
If the Tailed Beast Mode is not used, relinquishing complete control of the tailed beast will result in the death of the jinchuuriki, in this case, Naruto.
Juubi (Ten-Tails)
Alternative Names: One-Eyed God, Datara, Deidarabotchi | Most Recent Jinchuuriki: Uchiha Madara
All Jinchuuriki: Hagoromo Ootsutsuki (Rikudou Sennin) → Obito Uchiha → Madara Uchiha
Appearance: bigger than all of the tailed beasts combined, it has many different forms, but it generally has a large, single, eye
The original Tailed Beast from which the other nine split from.
The Ten-Tails has no feelings or emotion of its own, as it is the embodiment of Kaguya Ootsutsuki combined with the Shinju. Immeasurably powerful, it has the power to create or destroy whole countries with. Kurama, generally an arrogant individual, admitted it wouldn't be able to defeat Ten-Tails alone.
Ten-tails is defeated with the combined efforts of the other nine tailed beasts, Naruto, and his companions.
For more information about bijuu and jinchuuriki, please be sure to check out the Collection of the 9 Naruto Jinchuuriki and Bijuu in Naruto Shippuuden article as well!
Want to hear a fun way to memorize the names of the jinchuuriki and tailed beasts? Check out the song below from the Naruto Shippuden anime series, and you'll learn the names in no time!
