One of the coolest elements in Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto was the names given to the moves, characters, villages, etc. While they did not always have much influence on the story, they made Naruto more appealing to anime and manga fans. One such name was Gaara, a Shinobi, and the Kazekage of Sunagakure.
Gaara was the first character to achieve the title of Kage in Naruto’s generation. He initially was introduced as a villain as he was the jinchuriki of the one-tailed Shukaku, but later on, he shifted towards the good side and became one of the most prominent characters in the series, especially during the Fourth Great Ninja War, in which he was the commander in chief.
Kishimoto once revealed that he initially came up with a different name for Gaara. However, his editor was not too happy with the name, and he suggested the name “Gaara.” Kishimoto even revealed that he had a fight with his editor for the character’s name.
Masashi Kishimoto Disclosed What Gaara Was Supposed To Be Called
In a 2013 interview, which was later translated and shared by @Yagami1211 on Naruto Fandom, Naruto’s creator talked about how he was going to name Gaara Kotarou Fuuma. However, his editor was not a fan of this name and suggested changing it. However, Kishimoto believed that the name was perfect for the Sand Ninja.
Kishimoto stated:
“For me, Gaara’s name was supposed to be Kotarou Fuuma. But my editor strongly disagreed. I objected and said it was a name fitting for a sand ninja and that went on for weeks. Maybe he did refused because of Fuuma no Kojirou? Even today, I still don’t know the reason for that. When I said “Then how a I supposed to call him ?” My editor said “Gaara” like An Ashura that only likes himself.”
According to Kishimoto, he still does not know why his editor disagreed with him regarding the character’s name. But he did reveal that his editor was the one who came up with the name Gaara, which was instantly liked by the manga creator.
Masashi Kishimoto Reveals Gaara Was The Reason He Stopped Focusing on Surnames
During the interview, Masashi Kishimoto also talked about the origin of the Gaara name. According to the creator, his editor went to a ski resort that was named Gaara Yuzawa, and the name thus became the perfect identification for the sand ninja.
Kishimoto stated:
“I actually liked that so I kept it. Then later he told me that was the name of a Ski Resort (Gaara Yuzawa in Japan) and That he just returned from the place. I said “That’s just bullsh*t !” but since I already took the name in the story and I liked it, I kept it. Later on I stopped focusing on surnames and just went for how the name sounds and what the name means.”
While talking about Gaara’s name, Kishimoto revealed that he liked his name so much that he decided not to give him a surname. From there on, the creator focused on the first names, how they sound, and the meaning behind them.
You can watch Naruto on Hulu.
