Masashi Kishimoto is a pro at creating characters and giving them the most heartbreaking backstories in Naruto. His philosophy can be best represented by Gaara, the shinobi from Sunagakure. Initially debuting as an antagonist, Kishimoto did an awesome job of showing why he turned out to be a villain.
But did you know Gaara didn’t always look like the one you see in the manga and anime? In fact, his original character design looks much different. In an interview, Masashi Kishimoto showed the original draft of the character and it looks oddly similar to another popular Naruto character.
Masashi Kishimoto Revealed Gaara’s Original Character Design for Naruto
In an interview with Yahagi, Masashi Kishimoto‘s editor for Naruto, the duo discussed how Gaara‘s character design came to be. Yahagi stated that while some characters were resuscitated from their original designs, others were made by creating variations of several characters.
Gaara, on the other hand, had a nice design from the very beginning. The interview also had an image of the original design, and it looks incredibly similar to that of Kiba. Kiba Inuzuka is a member of Team Kurenai and is always accompanied by his trusted dog, Akamaru.
Under the image, it was stated that Gaara’s name was supposed to be Kumomaru. The character was supposed to be an elite shinobi who became a drug addict at a young age. This in turn raised his body functions to a higher limit. Eventually, his design as well as character, was changed to fit the context more.
Gaara’s Initial Character Design Looked Oddly Similar to Kiba
Despite all the changes made to Gaara’s character, the fact remains that the initial one looked too similar to Kiba. Kiba has extremely similar hair to that of the illustration, and it is even accompanied by a dog. Still, it looks admittedly different compared to Akamaru, Kiba’s dog. While Akamaru has a gentle and kind appearance, the dog from the illustration looks violent and ready to abide by orders, quite matching Gaara’s aesthetic.
While it is understandable that Gaara’s design needed a change, fans might never forgive Kishimoto for taking away the dog. Some fans have also speculated what it could have been like if Gaara had a pet. He could have made a pet out of sand, which would have made it almost indestructible. This way, he would have found a companion who he loved, and thus, he would not be filled with as much hatred as he was.
Kiba, on the other hand, also has a similar history, where he was an egotistic and headstrong guy who always thought himself to be ahead of everyone. That is until one day, he realized that Naruto had surpassed him by miles, and he began to train with Akamaru for real.
You can read Naruto on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
