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{{Short description|Fictional character from Naruto}}
{{Naruto
{{For|the Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari character|Orochimaru}}
| image = ]
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Orochimaru (''Naruto'')}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Orochimaru
| series = ]
| image = Orochimaru, Screenshot (manga).jpg<!--Replace it only if a coloured artwork by Kishimoto is available. Do not replace it with an artwork by anime staff.-->
| caption = Orochimaru by ] | caption = Orochimaru by ]
| first = ''Naruto'' chapter 45
| character_name = Orochimaru
| voice = {{Collapsible list|title=]|]|] (Shiore)|] (young)<br />] (female body)|] (fourth Kazekage)<ref name="thirty">{{cite episode|title=蘇れ写輪眼！必殺・火遁龍火の術！|number=30|series=Naruto|credits=Studio Pierrot|network=TV Tokyo|airdate=April 23, 2003}}</ref>}}{{Collapsible list|title=]|]|] (female body and Shiore)|] (Fourth Kazekage)<ref name="othirty">{{cite episode|title=The Sharingan Revived: Dragon Flame Jutsu!|number=30|series=Naruto|credits=Studio Pierrot|network=Cartoon Network|airdate=April 22, 2006}}</ref>}}
| character_name_unicode = 大蛇丸
| data31 = ] (son)
| debut = Manga Chapter 45 <br/> Anime Episode 27
| lbl31 = Notable relatives
| seiyu = ] <br/> ] (as Grass ninja) <br/> ] (as a child) <br/> ] (as an adolescent)
| data32 = Rogue Ninja<ref name="Stats">{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=NARUTO―ナルト―［秘伝・闘の書］|year=2005 |publisher=Shueisha |isbn=4-08-873734-2 |page=57}}</ref>
| voice_actor=] <br/> ] (as Grass ninja)
| lbl32 = Ninja rank
| age = 50-51 in Part I <br> 53 in Part II
| eyes = Yellow, slit-like pupils
| hair = Black
| height = 172
| weight = 57.3
| birthday = October 27
| blood_type = B
| registration_number = 002300
| rank = ]
| current_affiliation = ]
| current_team = n/a
| previous_affiliation = ] <br>
] from ]
| previous_team = Team Orochimaru (Orochimaru, ]) <br> Team Sarutobi (], Orochimaru, ], ])
| relatives = Unknown
|jutsu =
* ] (])
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}} }}
{{nihongo|'''Orochimaru'''|大蛇丸}} <onlyinclude>is a fictional character from '']'', a ] created by ]. Orochimaru is a former ] from the village of Konohagakure who is well known for work in wars which earned him the title of Sannin and becomes a terrorist as a means to cheat death, and built his own ninja village Otogakure. He succeeds to some extent in obtaining immortality by transferring between different host bodies, which became one of his driving motivations throughout the series as he targets ] for his genetic heritage. By the events of '']'', he has seemingly redeemed himself and has sent his experiment ] to Konoha to become a ninja. Orochimaru has appeared in media outside the ''Naruto'' anime and manga, including several ]s.
'''Orochimaru''' is a fictional character and major villain in the ] and ] series '']''.


Based on ], Orochimaru was created as one of the series' main antagonists, and was intended to represent the opposite of the protagonists' morals and values.</onlyinclude><ref name="ArtBook142">{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi |author-link=Masashi Kishimoto|title=Uzumaki: The Art of Naruto|year=2007|publisher=Viz Media|isbn=978-1-4215-1407-9|page=142}}</ref> His snake-like appearance features were intended to make it easier for the reader to recognize that he is a villain. Orochimaru is voiced by ] in the Japanese version, and by ] in the English dub.
== Part I ==
=== Background ===
]s.]]
{{spoilers}}
The prodigy student of the Third Hokage, he, ], and ] are known as the Legendary Three Ninjas (伝説の三忍, "Densetsu no Sannin"). A missing-nin from Konoha, Orochimaru is a twisted, manipulative, and ruthless man, whose prime ambition is to become "the ultimate being" by achieving ] and knowledge of all jutsu in the world. While technically a ], as it was the last rank he made in Konoha before defecting, his abilities are obviously far beyond those of the average Jōnin, and even those of some Kage-level ninja. Orochimaru has a knack for winning otherwise desperate people to his cause, filling the void in their life with loyalty to him; he brands some of his subordinates with a cursed seal which corrodes their body and free will in exchange for power. He relishes conflict and unrest.


Several anime and manga publications have praised and criticized Orochimaru's character. He has been praised as one of the series' premiere villains by reviewers for his lack of redeeming qualities and open malevolence. Among the ''Naruto'' reader base, Orochimaru has been a popular character, ranking within the top twenty in several polls. Numerous pieces of merchandise with Orochimaru's likeness have been released, including action figures, posters, and plush dolls.
Orochimaru's specialty is forbidden techniques having to do with souls, departed or otherwise, which he has researched to the point where he can defy death itself and his mind transcends the body it happens to currently inhabit. He is also very talented with techniques related to snakes (hence the name Orochi, a legendary eight-headed snake from Japanese folklore) and can summon snakes of various powers, such as the 'Boss Snake', ]; the equal to Jiraiya's ] and Tsunade's ]. In fact, his introduction is riding a gigantic snake. His own appearance is bordering on inhuman, with very pale skin, slitted eyes, and an extending, snake-like tongue (Vollldeemooortt...) (this tongue is actually a permanent jutsu, which enables the user to extend parts of their body to infinite lengths). Orochimaru has the unique ability to molt or repair his skin as easily as someone else's clothes. Even ], Konoha's veteran torture and interrogation specialist, admits that when he saw Orochimaru for the first time, he was very frightened and was convinced that what stood before him was not a man but rather something else which had merely donned human skin. Overall, Orochimaru is meant to embody evil incarnate and does not possess a single redeemable quality.


==Creation and conception==
=== Years in Konoha ===
]
]
Most of the traits of Orochimaru's character were taken from Japanese mythology. Orochimaru originates from the ] ''Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari'' where he opposes the title character who also appears in ''Naruto'' as his former ally.<ref name="myth">{{cite book|title=Japanische Zauberfüchse zwischen Bits und Bytes|language=de|author=Schütz, Florian|isbn=978-3-643-13514-8|year=2016|publisher=Schriften zur Märchen- und Mythenforschung|page=118}}</ref> He wields a sword named ], which is said to be related to the creature known as the ];<ref>{{cite book|title=The Naruto Saga: The Unofficial Guide|author1=Fujie, Kazuhisa|author2=Lane, Matthew|author3=Wyman, Walt|publisher=DH Publishing|year=2006|isbn=978-1932897166|url=https://archive.org/details/narutosagaunoffi0000fuji}}</ref> in Japanese mythology, Yamata no Orochi is defeated by the god ], a scene which is re-imagined in the manga and anime: Orochimaru uses a technique called ''Yamata no Orochi'', but is ultimately defeated by ]'s ''Susanoo'' technique.<ref name="myth"/><ref>{{cite book |author=Bagwe |first1=Tejal Suhas |url=https://www.academia.edu/42126244 |title=The relevance of the Japanese myth of creation and the Tale of Jiraiya in the anime manga series Naruto |last2=Salian |first2=Shweta |date=February 2020 |publisher=Mithibai College of Arts, Chauhan Institute of Science & Amrutben Jivanlal College of Commerce and Economics |language=en |chapter=Chapter 1 |access-date=June 8, 2021}}</ref>
Orochimaru was originally a student of Sarutobi (who was also the Third Hokage) as a part of a three-man team containing himself, Jiraiya and Tsunade. He was considered the most talented out of the three and Sarutobi had high hopes for him, often berating the clumsy Jiraiya and telling him he should be more like Orochimaru; he hoped that one day, Orochimaru would succeed him.


The introduction of Orochimaru to the series was first suggested by Masashi Kishimoto's superiors to improve the series' popularity. Kishimoto believed the series grew personality based on the Chunin Exams story arc and wanted it to end normally with ]'s victory. However, he eventually accepted their advice and Orochimaru was used to interrupt the arc.<ref name="koba">{{Cite AV media |title=漫道コバヤシ第13号「NARUTO完結！岸本斉史SP」 |date=December 13, 2014 |language=ja |publisher=] |trans-title=Kobayashi No. 13 'Completion of Naruto! Masashi Kishimoto SP'}}</ref> In an interview, Kishimoto asserted that making the villains "flamboyant" was one of his "guiding principles", and attributed this to his desire to have the villains have a "powerful aura".<ref name="ArtBook142"/> When asked if Orochimaru was still good, Kishimoto answered that Orochimaru is "truly evil" and that he is one of the several "hopeless evil characters" that appear in the series.<ref>{{cite journal |date=August 2007 |title=Interview: Tracking Down the Source|journal=Shonen Jump Naruto Collector 3 |publisher=Viz Media}}</ref> Kishimoto originally planned to make Orochimaru look androgynous, but made him creepier due to the concept of him being a strong antagonist.<ref name="kizuna">{{cite book|title=NARUTO－ナルト－名言集 絆－KIZUNA－ 天ノ巻|publisher=]|year=2013|isbn=978-4-08-720681-4|author=Kishimoto, Masashi|pages=188–195}}</ref> Out of most of the characters, Orochimaru was the hardest one to write. Kishimoto wanted him to be a terrifying opponent, so he wondered if that was really the way to go to make him sound strong{{Clarify|reason=What was "the way" to make Orochimaru sound strong?|date=January 2021}}: "Then I started thinking it was good like that, he's strong and creepy, and the creepiness started increasing."<ref name="kizuna"/>
While Orochimaru's ambitions did include becoming Hokage, his eyes were set upon goals quite alien to the ideals traditionally associated with the title and emphatically embraced by his teacher. Sarutobi knew that "a shinobi's true strength will manifest when protecting something important," and the Hokage's role is to love and protect the people of the village as if they were family. For Orochimaru, however, Hokage was nothing more than a potential conquest on the way to what truly interested him - power.


To follow the theme of distinguishing villains, Kishimoto attempted to make Orochimaru's face appear "pasty and sickly", which serves to emphasize the "scary looks" that Orochimaru expresses in the manga. Orochimaru's nature types are fire, earth, and wind. As these occurrences are his "trademark", Kishimoto modifies Orochimaru's appearance and the scene to focus on Orochimaru's face; for instance, highlights that are normally added to Orochimaru's hair are removed and the background is blanked out to create a "creepy atmosphere".<ref name="ArtBook128">{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi |author-link=Masashi Kishimoto|title=Uzumaki: The Art of Naruto|year=2007|publisher=Viz Media|isbn=978-1-4215-1407-9|page=128}}</ref>
Sarutobi hoped to make his student see the error of his ways, but the more time that passed, the more it became clear that Orochimaru was a lost cause. This culminated in Orochimaru kidnapping his fellow Konoha shinobi as human guinea pigs. He experimented on them to develop techniques that would grant him immortality, as he had already decided that he would settle for no less than to learn all jutsu in the world, a task that would take much more than one human lifetime. When the many disappearances were finally traced back to Orochimaru, Sarutobi knew that it was his duty to kill him, but even then he couldn't bring himself to kill his prized student for whom he had had such high hopes. But at the same time he realized that Orochimaru was a twisted man that was not fit to fill the role of Hokage, and when he finally retired years later he chose a student of Jiraiya's over Orochimaru as his successor, making the student the Fourth Hokage. Though it is not known just how much of a capable ninja the Fourth was compared to Orochimaru, it is implied in the series that the Fourth could at least equal Orochimaru in battle.


==Appearances==
While it is unknown how many and what experiments Orochimaru had conducted during his stay in Konoha, a few things are currently known. The first is that he had developed his cursed seal, first tested upon Anko. The second would be the injection of the ] genes into sixty babies, in the hope of using First's mokuton and ]-control ability; 59 babies died, but one, ] survived.


=== Defection from Konoha === ===In ''Naruto''===
Orochimaru acts as the primary antagonist for the first part of the series. After his parents were killed when he was young, Orochimaru's only source of affection was his teacher — ], the Third Hokage — and his two teammates.<ref name="Secret">{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 38|year=2007 |publisher=Shueisha |chapter=Chapter 344|isbn=978-4-08-874364-6 }}</ref> As they grew older, Orochimaru, ], and ] collectively became known as the {{nihongo|Legendary Sannin|伝説の三忍|Densetsu no Sannin}} due to their exemplary ] abilities in the Second Great Ninja War against Hanzo of the Salamander.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 19|year=2007|publisher=Viz Media|chapter=Chapter 170|isbn=978-1-4215-1654-7|page=|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/narutokish19kish/page/155}}</ref> Many of Orochimaru's abilities deal with ]s, which he summons to battle multiple opponents while simultaneously keeping himself out of harm's way.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 19|year=2007|publisher=Viz Media|chapter=Chapter 166|isbn=978-1-4215-1654-7|url=https://archive.org/details/narutokish19kish}}</ref> Through his experiments, he has been able to add some snake-like characteristics to his own body.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 33|year=2006 |publisher=Shueisha |chapter=Chapter 292|isbn=978-4-08-874108-6 }}</ref><ref name="Extend">{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 33|year=2006 |publisher=Shueisha |chapter=Chapter 295|isbn=978-4-08-874108-6 }}</ref> In his desire to attain immortality to learn every jutsu ({{Literal translation|technique}}), Orochimaru developed a forbidden jutsu to steal his victim's body. Although he is essentially immortal, Orochimaru learns the process can not be done more than once every three years.
Realizing that he had hit a dead end in his quest to become the ultimate being and had nothing to gain from staying in Konoha, Orochimaru defected from the village and joined the elite criminal organization ]. His old teammate, Jiraiya, tried to convince him to reconsider, but to no avail - he betrayed the village and the title of the 'Three Legendary Leafs' was no more, though he is still known as one of the Legendary Three. The role Orochimaru played in Akatsuki is unclear, as are his reasons for leaving sometime later (it's implied that ] growing power was somewhat responsible). He eventually founds his own village, ].


Orochimaru craved more power than could be obtained from training with his master and began abducting Konohagakure villagers for various experiments, with ] among his surviving victims. Unwilling to bring himself to harm Orochimaru upon learning of his actions, Hiruzen allowed his former pupil to escape and flee the village.<ref name="Immortality">{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 14|year=2007|publisher=Viz Media|chapter=Chapter 121|isbn=978-1-4215-1088-0|url=https://archive.org/details/narutokish14kish}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 14|year=2007|publisher=Viz Media|chapter=Chapter 122|isbn=978-1-4215-1088-0|url=https://archive.org/details/narutokish14kish}}</ref> Orochimaru eventually joined the criminal organization, ] and became partners with a fellow rogue ninja named Sasori. However, after his attempt to steal the body of ] through a forbidden jutsu to gain the {{nihongo|Sharingan|写輪眼||lit. "Copy Wheel Eye", English manga: "Mirror Wheel Eye"}} failed, Orochimaru was forced to leave the organization.<ref name="Sharingan">{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 38|year=2007 |publisher=Shueisha |chapter=Chapter 345|isbn=978-4-08-874364-6 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 16|year=2007|publisher=Viz Media|chapter=Chapter 140|isbn=978-1-4215-1090-3|page=|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/narutokish16kish/page/95}}</ref> Orochimaru then founded his own ninja village, Otogakure, populated with ninjas loyal to him. They mostly serve as test subjects in his experimentation to become an ultimate being and as pawns to do his dirty work.<ref name="Purpose">{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 8|year=2005 |publisher=Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 69|isbn= 1-4215-0124-4}}</ref>
=== Attack on Konoha ===
For a while, Orochimaru left Konoha alone, plotting to destroy them when he was ready. The opportunity presented itself with the start of the Chūnin exams. With this, Orochimaru saw both a chance to destroy his former home and acquire ]'s body as his own. Having Sasuke's body would give him the ], which would aid him greatly in his ultimate goal.


During the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru plans the invasion of Konoha with the ninja of Sunagakure to not only kill Hiruzen, but also claim the body of Itachi's brother ].<ref name="Immortality"/> To that end, Orochimaru infiltrates the Chunin Exam during the Forest of Death portion by killing a Kusagakure ninja named Shiore, assumes her identity, and personally tests Sasuke before branding him with a Curse Mark. He also faces ], who effectively resists Orochimaru's giant snake jutsu using the chakra of the Nine-Tail Fox. Orochimaru, using the Five Elements Seal, blocks access to the chakra of the Nine-Tails by disturbing the balance of the original seal. For the duration of the Exams, Orochimaru lays in wait and secretly murders the Fourth Kazekage to assume his identity and get close to his mentor as the invasion begins. However, Orochimaru is forced to retreat when Hiruzen sacrifices himself through the Reaper Death Seal to take away Orochimaru's ability to perform jutsu, with his forces pulling back while Sunagakure later learns of Orochimaru's treachery.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 16|year=2007|publisher=Viz Media|chapter=Chapter 138|isbn=978-1-4215-1090-3|page=|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/narutokish16kish/page/51}}</ref> Orochimaru attempts to get aid from Tsunade before seeking out another way to cure himself in an attempt to be able to use jutsu again. When all his efforts prove unsuccessful, Orochimaru sends his ] to fetch Sasuke in the hopes that a body-transfer will allow him to use his arms again.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 20|year=2007|publisher=Viz Media|chapter=Chapter 173|pages=|isbn=978-1-4215-1855-8|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/narutovol21pursu21kish/page/44}}</ref> When Sasuke takes too long to arrive, Orochimaru is forced to switch to the body of one of his prisoners instead,<ref>{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 22|year=2007 |publisher=Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 199|isbn=978-1-4215-1858-9}}</ref> and decides to train him until the day that he will be able to take Sasuke's body for himself.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 27|year=2007 |publisher=Viz Media |chapter=Chapter 238|pages=48–49|isbn=978-1-4215-1863-3}}</ref>
Before the exams begin, Orochimaru enlisted the help of Sunagakure (Hidden Sand), since his own village lacked the necessary strength to defeat Konoha. Already being weakened by their feudal lord, the village gladly accepts. Orochimaru would later kill the Fourth Kazekage and assume his place to get close to the Third Hokage.


Two and a half years later, in the second part of the series, Orochimaru confronts Naruto and his friends when they attempt to track down Sasuke. When Sasuke attempts to kill Naruto, Orochimaru dissuades him by pointing out the Naruto's use in taking down Akatsuki and thus reducing the number of enemies he has. Sasuke eventually uses his Sharingan to void Orochimaru's technique and retains control of his body while trapping Orochimaru's soul within him,<ref>{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 38|year=2007 |publisher=Shueisha |chapter=Chapter 346|isbn=978-4-08-874364-6 }}</ref> which gives Sasuke access to many of Orochimaru's abilities in the process.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 40|year=2007|publisher=Shueisha|chapter=Chapter 365|isbn= 978-4-08-874432-2}}</ref> During Sasuke's later fight with Itachi, Sasuke is left too weak to continue suppressing Orochimaru's soul, allowing Orochimaru to escape and try to take his body again. Before he can do so, Itachi seals him away.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 43|year=2008 |publisher=Shueisha |chapter=Chapter 392|isbn=978-4-08-874552-7 }}</ref>
During the second part of the Chūnin exams, he brands Sasuke with his cursed seal of Heaven. He's also discovered by Anko, but the exams continue due to his threat of retaliation. His Genin team is sent to kill Sasuke, unaware that they're just measuring posts for Sasuke's power. They're fought off by a combined effort from ] and Team Asuma, who happen to discover them while Sakura was holding them at bay. Sasuke's awakening of his cursed seal causes them to retreat.


After ]'s defeat, Sasuke learns of Orochimaru's survival, as the Cursed Seals are revealed to hold copies of Orochimaru's consciousness in them, along with Orochimaru's cells that Kabuto injected into himself and subjugated. Using the Cursed Seal Orochimaru placed on his former student Anko Mitarashi, Sasuke releases Orochimaru and gives him a new body that Jugo provides with an absorbed part of Kabuto's flesh.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 62|year=2012 |publisher=Shueisha |chapter=Chapter 593|isbn=978-4-08-870515-6}}</ref> Despite expressing no interest in the ongoing war and still desiring to claim Sasuke's body, Orochimaru joins Sasuke in his quest for answers over the nature of ninja, taking him and Taka to the Nara Shrine, where he undoes the Reaper Death Seal and regains the use of ninjutsu before transferring his being into a White Zetsu clone placed on Sasuke. In his new body, Orochimaru brings the first four Hokage back to life with the Reanimation Jutsu to give Sasuke the answers he wants. Seeing that his methods were flawed from inside Kabuto and interested in observing his former apprentice's new path, Orochimaru aids the Allied Shinobi Forces by helping Tsunade and the Kage, and assists in subduing the Shinju. After the Fourth Great Ninja War ends, among those caught under Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi before being freed{{Clarify|reason=Who was caught in Infinite Tsukuyomi? Orochimaru? Taka?|date=January 2021}}, Orochimaru resumes his experiments, albeit in a more humane manner, with Sasuke's Taka teammates supporting him as lab assistants, though Konoha remains suspicious of him and keeps tight surveillance on him in case he resumes his former human experimentation activities.
During the final part of the Chūnin exams, Orochimaru starts his attack, hoping to unleash giant snakes outside Konoha while ] is released from ] within the stadium. Things do not go as planned, however, and only the first of these occurs. During the attack, Orochimaru attempts to assassinate the Third Hokage. After a long battle, the Third Hokage sacrificed himself to seal Orochimaru's arms, preventing him from using any more techniques. Orochimaru's forces were also being repelled by the sudden appearance of all of Konoha's most powerful ninja, forcing a retreat.


===In ''Boruto''===
=== After the Failed Invasion ===
In the sequel series '']'', which takes place 15 years after ''Naruto'', Orochimaru created two artificial humans based on his DNA, naming the youngest ] whom he considers a son and sends to live in Konoha to find his own path in life.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=]|last1=Kishimoto|first1=Masashi|last2=Ikemoto|first2=Mikio|last3=Morimoto|first3=Mari|publisher=]|year=2017|isbn=9781421592114|volume=1|chapter=Naruto: The Path Lit by the Full Moon|oclc=962009375}}</ref> He also appears in the '']'' side story with his younger appearance noted by the confused main characters.<ref>{{cite book|title=NARUTO―ナルト― 外伝 ～七代目火影と緋色の花つ月～|date=August 8, 2015|publisher=Shueisha|author=Kishimoto, Masashi|trans-title=]|isbn=978-1-4215-1407-9}}</ref>
Initially, Orochimaru planned to have his condition healed by appealing to his old team-mate, Tsunade, who had since become a legendary medical ninja. He offered to revive her brother and boyfriend, both of whom died in battle, hoping it would persuade her to cooperate. At the same time, Jiraiya also contacted Tsunade, asking her to replace the late Sarutobi as Konoha's Fifth Hokage. Though inclined to give in to her weaknesses and accept Orochimaru's offer at first, she ultimately chose to live her loved ones' dream rather than linger on their dead bodies and accepts the position of Hokage, becoming Orochimaru's opposition and leaving him with only one option of replacing his crumbling, useless arms: his original plan of transferring to another body through the use of Fushi Tensei.


===Appearances in other media===
Though Orochimaru was right about Sasuke after all, who did eventually seek him out for power, by the time Sasuke found Orochimaru, he was already in a critical state, the pain in his arms and the constant bleeding reaching the point when soon it wouldn't matter whether Sasuke arrived or not. Desperate for a new body to transfer to, Kabuto held a tournament of fights to the death between his prisoners and Orochimaru takes over the body of the last man who remains standing, ]. This, while getting rid of his condition, drastically delayed his plans for Sasuke, since he can only take over a new body once about roughly every three years. When he took over him, he also noted that parts of Gen'yūmaru's will and consciousness would remain in the new body's subconscious.
Out of the five films on the series, Orochimaru so far has only appeared in the fifth ''Naruto'' film, '']''.<ref>{{cite video |date = 2011 |title = Naruto Shippuden: The Movie - Bonds|format = ] |publisher = Viz Video|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DVIPE4/}}</ref> He briefly appears in the fifth OVA "The Cross Roads". Orochimaru is a playable character in nearly all ], including the ] and the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/736/736611p1.html|title=Naruto: The Complete Fighter Profile|author=Bozon, Mark|publisher=]|date=2006-09-29|access-date=2008-02-08}}</ref><ref name="IGNCoN3HandsOn">{{cite web|url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/551/551374p1.html|title=TGS 2004: Naruto Gekitou Ninja Taisen! 3 Hands-on|author=Alfonso, Andrew|publisher=]|date=2004-09-26|access-date=2008-02-08}}</ref><ref name="GUIDE1 26">{{cite book|title=Naruto: Ultimate Ninja English instruction manual|year=2006|publisher=]|page=26}}</ref> In some games, he utilizes variations of his techniques not seen in the anime or manga, and in the ] of the ''Ultimate Ninja'' series, Sealed Arms Orochimaru is available as a separate character.<ref name="GUIDE2 21-30">{{cite book|title=Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 English instruction manual|year=2007|publisher=]|pages=21–30}}</ref> '']'' marks the first appearance of Orochimaru in a video game set in ], with the second one being '']''.<ref name="Accel2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/naruto/goods/game2007.html |title=ＮＡＲＵＴＯ－ナルト－ 疾風伝:ＴＶ東京 - Goods |publisher=] |access-date=2008-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321113158/http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/naruto/goods/game2007.html |archive-date=March 21, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


Orochimaru also appears in two ]s from the franchise: in ''Sasuke's Story'', he aids Sasuke in a mission by providing him information about his target,<ref>{{cite book|title=Naruto: Sasuke's Story — Sunrise|isbn=978-1-42-159129-2|year=2017|author=Kishimoto, Masashi|publisher=Viz Media}}</ref> and in ''Konoha Hiden'', he makes a cameo congratulating ] and ]'s wedding.<ref>{{cite book|title=Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding|isbn=978-4-08-703360-1|year=2015|author=Kishimoto, Masashi|publisher=Shueisha}}</ref>
== Part II ==
It is unknown what Orochimaru had been up to during the three-year timeskip, though reason suggests he had been training Sasuke and biding his time until he would finally be able to use Fushi Tensei to transfer into him. Recently in the manga, he is revealed to have been spying on the meeting between ] and ] disguised as ]. Orochimaru explains that Sasori's "binding jutsu" on Kabuto had long ago been undone by him, before calling out Naruto, Sakura and Sai to do battle. He explains that Yamato was the only one out of sixty test subjects that survived one of his genetic experiments, to duplicate the First Hokage's Mokuton techniques and his previously unknown ability to "control bijū". Orochimaru demonstrates a number of inhuman abilities during his battle with four-tailed Kyūbi Naruto: he can shed his skin like a snake and by doing so, repair any damage to his body, make a large number of snakes and even a replica of himself (apparently also made up of snakes) emerge from his mouth. This clone was able to land a hit on Naruto, and also reform itself after being cut in half at the waist with no apparent side effects. Also in this battle, Orochimaru demonstrates his immense reserves of chakra when he summons ] to block the black chakra ball that Kyūbi Naruto spit at him.


==Reception==
The battle with Naruto comes to an end after Naruto parries an attack from Orochimaru's extended Kusanagi sword. He comments that his body had reached its limits, and says that he must wait for Sasuke's body to come to fruition.
Orochimaru has been featured consistently in the '']'' popularity polls, commonly placing in the top twenty characters.<ref name="JumpPopularityPoll">{{cite book|last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 28|year=2008|publisher=Viz Media|chapter=Chapter 245|pages=|isbn=978-1-4215-1864-0|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/naruto00kish_2/page/8}}</ref> However, in the last popularity poll, he was out of the top thirty characters.<ref name="PopularityPoll2">{{cite book |author=Kishimoto, Masashi|title=Naruto, Volume 56|year=2011|publisher=]|chapter=Chapter 531|isbn= 978-1-4215-4207-2}}</ref> Merchandise based on Orochimaru has also been released, including action figures,<ref name="AmazonActionFigure">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WN5KWS|title=Naruto Battle Packs > Sannin Battle Action Figure Multi-Pack|website=Amazon |access-date=2008-03-12}}</ref><ref name="AmazonActionFigure2">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IL5ITE/|title=Amazon.com: Mattel Naruto Battling Basic Figure Orochimaru|website=Amazon |access-date=2008-03-16}}</ref> plush dolls,<ref name="AmazonPlushDoll">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VZRUJS|title=Naruto Orochimaru 12" plush|website=Amazon |access-date=2008-03-12}}</ref> and key chains.<ref name="AmazonKeyChain">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XTEB9Y/|title=NARUTO: Orochimaru figure Cellphone / Key chain Charm + Pin|website=Amazon |access-date=2008-03-12}}</ref> ] listed him as the tenth best villain in anime due to his objectives and methods, particularly how he scares Sasuke Uchiha the first time seeing him despite Sasuke's strength.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animecentral.com/news/story.aspx?ID=308|title=Friday Feature|publisher=]|access-date=November 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013221335/http://animecentral.com/news/story.aspx?ID=308|archive-date=October 13, 2010 }}</ref> In the book ''Listverse.com's Ultimate Book of Bizarre Lists: Fascinating Facts and Shocking Trivia on Movies, Music, Crime, Celebrities, History, and More'' by Jamie Frater, Orochimaru was listed as the eighth most evil villain with the writer calling him "pure evil".<ref>{{cite book|title=Listverse.com's Ultimate Book of Bizarre Lists: Fascinating Facts and Shocking Trivia on Movies, Music, Crime, Celebrities, History, and More|author1=Frater, Jamie |author2=Press, Ulysses |year=2013|isbn=978-1606711934|page=473|publisher=Publishers Group West}}</ref>


Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other related media praised and criticized Orochimaru's character. ] writer Jason Van Horn compared Orochimaru's search for power and subsequent fall into villainy to that of ] from '']'', and labeled Orochimaru as "something more than just pure evil".<ref name="IGNEpisode72Review">{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/759/759242p1.html|title=Naruto: "A Mistake from the Past: A Face Revealed!" Review|publisher=]|author=Van Horn, Jason|date=2007-01-29|access-date=2008-02-25}}</ref> Justin Rich from Mania Entertainment considered Orochimaru the "first real villain" of the series, noting that unlike ], the villain of the previous arc, he had no redeeming qualities.<ref name="AnimeOnDVDReview">{{cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/naruto-box-set-03-also-wspecial-edition_article_79215.html|title=Mania.com > Disc Reviews >> Naruto Box Set 03 (also w/special edition)|publisher=Mania.com|access-date=2008-03-11|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121206034413/http://www.mania.com/naruto-box-set-03-also-wspecial-edition_article_79215.html|archive-date=December 6, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> ]'s Todd Douglass Jr. celebrated the introduction of Orochimaru into the series, as well as the potential plot development from the curse seal Orochimaru placed on Sasuke, describing it as one of the best parts of the series.<ref name="DVDTalkReview">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=28611|title=Naruto Uncut Boxed Set, Volume 3|publisher=DVDTalk|date=2007-06-14|access-date=2008-03-11|archive-date=2007-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017191728/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=28611|url-status=dead}}</ref> Carl Kimlinger from ] stated that Orochimaru's influence over Sasuke kept the tension high, even when he had minor appearances.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/naruto-gn-8-10 |title=Naruto G.novel 8-10 |publisher=] |author=Kimlinger, Carl |date=November 2, 2006 |access-date=April 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204230415/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/naruto-gn-8-10 |archive-date=February 4, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Javier Lugo from Manga Life praised the fight between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage based on the surprises this encounter showed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mangalife.com/reviews/narutov14.htm|title=Naruto v. 14 Review|publisher=Mangalife.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070629195613/http://www.mangalife.com/reviews/Narutov14.htm|archive-date=June 29, 2007|author=Lugo, Javier|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Bamboo Dong from Anime News Network labeled Orochimaru as a character that can not be killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/shelf-life/2008-04-28|title=Shelf Life Funky Town|publisher=]|author=Bamboo Dong|date=2008-04-28|access-date=2008-04-28}}</ref> IGN's Charles White considered Orochimaru as "one of the more interesting characters on the show" as he stateed Orochimaru "can literally steal the show at any time".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/768/768585p1.html|title=Naruto: "Orochimaru's Shadow" Review|publisher=]|author=White, Charles|date=March 10, 2008|access-date=2008-04-28|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140525121100/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/10/naruto-orochimarus-shadow-review|archive-date=May 25, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> A. E. Sparrow from the same site praised Orochimaru's scenario in the 13th volume of the manga as he interrupts the story arc to engage with the Third Hokage in a possible deathmatch despite interrupting the fight between Sasuke and Gaara which readers had been looking for.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/768/768585p1.html|title=Naruto Vol. 13 Review|publisher=]|author=Sparrow, A.E.|date=February 27, 2007|access-date=July 11, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120703022928/comics.ign.com/articles/768/768585p1.html#selection-3047.0-3047.13|archive-date=July 3, 2012}}</ref>
Afterwards, back at Orochimaru's lair, it is made apparent that Orochimaru plans to team up with Danzō and destroy Konoha as it is today. (The wording would seem to indicate a revolution or takeover, rather than outright annihilation.) After a training exercise with Sasuke, he interrupts Sai and Naruto after they form a bond to question Sai's loyalty in Chapter 304.


After Orochimaru's fight against the Hokage, ] writer Deb Aoki commented that Orochimaru was in such poor shape to the point where he was replaced by Akatsuki as the new antagonists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://manga.about.com/od/vizmedia/gr/Naruto16.htm|title=Naruto Volume 16|publisher=]|author=Aoki, Deb|access-date=July 11, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090204224724/http://manga.about.com/od/vizmedia/gr/Naruto16.htm|archive-date=February 4, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the book ''The Rough Guide to Manga'', Jason S. Yadao noted Orochimaru's impact in Part I of the series due to his influence on one of the protagonists, Sasuke, to abandon his comrades and join him.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Rough Guide to Manga|author=Yadao, Jason S.|year=2009|asin=B01K14VO9U|page=166|publisher=Rough Guides}}</ref> Holly Ellingwood from Active Anime described him as "sinister" and noted his proposal to revive Tsunade's loved ones in exchange for healing his arms made it appealing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://activeanime.com/html/content/view/3024/57/|title=NARUTO UNCUT BOX SET 7 LIMITED EDITION|publisher=Active Anime|author=Ellingwood, Holly|access-date=July 11, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080423133844/http://activeanime.com/html/content/view/3024/57/|archive-date=April 23, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Additionally, Kimlinger considered ], Orochimaru's Japanese voice actress, to be one of the best from the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/naruto/dvd-uncut-dvd-box-set-9|title=Naruto DVD - Uncut DVD Box Set 9 Review|publisher=]|author=Carl Kimlinger|date=2008-08-04|access-date=2008-08-06}}</ref> Orochimaru's transfer of bodies was used as a reference by manga author ] for his work '']'' where an ancient being changes bodies as time progresses, more prominently the one of ].<ref>{{cite book|last=Akutami|first=Gege|script-title=ja:呪術廻戦 公式ファンブック|trans-title=Jujutsu Kaisen Official Fanbook|language=ja|publisher=]|date=2021|isbn=978-4-08-882636-3|pages=75}}</ref>
In chapter 305 it seemed like Orochimaru would resume his heated fight with Naruto, but instead he retreated, saying that he would let Naruto go just one last time, in hopes that Naruto and company can take down more Akatsuki members for him.


Despite the character's minor appearances in Part II, most of them were well received. The way Orochimaru angers Naruto Uzumaki in their battle and his management over events ever since his reintroduction are deemed as "near perfect" by Mania's Chris Beveridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/naruto-shippuden-box-set-04-also-wle_article_124771.html |title=Naruto: Shippuden Box Set 04 (also w/LE) |publisher=Mania Entertainment |author=Beveridge, Chris |access-date=November 17, 2011 |date=November 17, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119081609/http://www.mania.com/naruto-shippuden-box-set-04-also-wle_article_124771.html |archive-date=November 19, 2010 }}</ref> Orochimaru's fight against Sasuke in later parts of the series is praised by ]'s Park Cooper due to how it changes "the nature of things" in a short time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mangalife.com/features/MangaLifeSpotlightonNaruto.htm |title=MangaLife Spotlight on: Naruto v34-v40! |work=Manga Life |publisher=Silver Bullet Comics |author=Cooper, Park |access-date=September 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412110120/http://www.mangalife.com/features/MangaLifeSpotlightonNaruto.htm |archive-date=April 12, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> While Beveridge agrees with Cooper, he finds that the fight did not bring a certain end to Orochimaru, which he thought would have made it more entertaining. On the other hand, Beveridge likes how a flashback showed Orochimaru's backstory in Konoha, which helped explain the reason for his character during the fight between the two.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fandompost.com/2012/04/24/naruto-shippuden-box-set-10-anime-dvd-review/|title=Naruto: Shippuden Box Set 10 Anime DVD Review|author=Beveridge, Chris|work=The Fandom Post |access-date=April 24, 2012 |date=May 21, 2012}}</ref> His apparent redemption to follow Sasuke in later parts of the story is criticized by writer ] during a review of the manga.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2014-11-13/naruto-part-ii/.80991|title=House of 1000 Manga - Naruto Part II|publisher=Anime News Network|author=Thompson, Jason |date=November 13, 2014|access-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref> On the other hand, Bryce Coulter from the Fandom Post finds Orochimaru's change based on Sasuke's new interest intriguing due to the future possibilities of becoming Konohagakure's ally.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fandompost.com/2017/07/14/naruto-shippuden-set-29-anime-dvd-review-2/|title=Naruto: Shippuden Set 29 Anime DVD Review|publisher=Fandom Post|author=Coulter, Bryce |work=The Fandom Post |date=July 14, 2017|access-date=July 14, 2017}}</ref> Ramsey Isler from IGN praises the relationship between Orochimaru and his ally Kabuto as the former often wondered if Kabuto was ever going to betray him.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/top-10-naruto-characters |title=Top Ten Naruto Characters |date=November 12, 2014 |access-date=June 12, 2017 |publisher=] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170712134453/http://www.ign.com/articles/top-10-naruto-characters |archive-date=July 12, 2017 }}</ref> In the final episodes of the anime ''Naruto Shippuden,'' Orochimaru made small cameos during the preparations for Naruto and Hinata's wedding which Amy Mcnulty from ] found hilarious.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/naruto-shippuden/episode-497/.112942|title=Naruto Shippuden Episode 497|publisher=Anime News Network|author=McNulty, Amy |date=March 4, 2017|access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref>
Orochimaru returns again in Chapter 309; just in time to stop Sasuke from performing a certain jutsu. Kabuto also informs Sasuke to let the Konoha shinobi manage the other Akatsuki to make his revenge a little easier. Although Sasuke is hesitant, the trio disappears in a puff of smoke.


== Trivia == == References ==
{{Reflist}}
*Orochimaru borrows heavily from Japanese literature — The names of ], ] and ] come from the Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari (児雷也豪傑物語, "The tale of the Gallant Jiraiya"), and the Orochimaru in that story excels in snake magic. In Japanese myth, the eight-headed snake ], when slain, had the legendary sword '']'' salvaged from one of his tails; Orochimaru has the actual Kusanagi in the series, and uses it when he battles the Third Hokage, as well as in his later fight with Jiraiya and Tsunade and again against Naruto's four-tail transformation. In the dub (Or at least Naruto: Ultimate Ninja), Kusanagi has been renamed "Grass Halbard", similar to its true meaning, "Grass-Cutter,"
*Orochimaru's theme music in the anime seems to borrow some elements from ]'s '']''. Orochimaru's theme is usually played when he appears as himself, not in a disguise.
*Orochimaru is male, yet he still speaks in very formal female Japanese. This is done to make him creepier (similar to ] of DBZ).
*While he appears in his original image, during the fight against Sarutobi, he removes what appears to be a mask covering his host's body. This happens again when he fights Jiraiya and Tsunade; a portion of his mask was ripped off. Jiraiya remarks, "No wonder he doesn't seem quite like himself."
*Orochimaru, along with Tsunade and Jiraiya, follow a trio trend. Orochimaru was the "Sasuke" of his group, while Tsunade and Jiraiya were the "Sakura" and "Naruto," respectively. Interestingly, he now trains Sasuke, while Tsunade trains Sakura and Jiraiya trains Naruto. This similarity is also show with the 4th Hokage team with Kakashi being the "Sasuke", Obito being the "Naruto" and Rin being the "Sakura".


== External links ==
{{Naruto info}}
{{Portal|Anime and manga}}
{{Commons category-inline|Orochimaru}}
{{Naruto}}


{{good article}}
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Latest revision as of 04:38, 21 January 2025

Fictional character from Naruto For the Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari character, see Orochimaru. Fictional character
Orochimaru
Naruto character
Orochimaru by Masashi Kishimoto
First appearanceNaruto chapter 45
Voiced by Japanese English
Notable relativesMitsuki (son)
Ninja rankRogue Ninja

Orochimaru (大蛇丸) is a fictional character from Naruto, a manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Orochimaru is a former ninja from the village of Konohagakure who is well known for work in wars which earned him the title of Sannin and becomes a terrorist as a means to cheat death, and built his own ninja village Otogakure. He succeeds to some extent in obtaining immortality by transferring between different host bodies, which became one of his driving motivations throughout the series as he targets Sasuke Uchiha for his genetic heritage. By the events of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, he has seemingly redeemed himself and has sent his experiment Mitsuki to Konoha to become a ninja. Orochimaru has appeared in media outside the Naruto anime and manga, including several video games.

Based on Japanese mythology, Orochimaru was created as one of the series' main antagonists, and was intended to represent the opposite of the protagonists' morals and values. His snake-like appearance features were intended to make it easier for the reader to recognize that he is a villain. Orochimaru is voiced by Kujira in the Japanese version, and by Steve Blum in the English dub.

Several anime and manga publications have praised and criticized Orochimaru's character. He has been praised as one of the series' premiere villains by reviewers for his lack of redeeming qualities and open malevolence. Among the Naruto reader base, Orochimaru has been a popular character, ranking within the top twenty in several polls. Numerous pieces of merchandise with Orochimaru's likeness have been released, including action figures, posters, and plush dolls.

Creation and conception

Yamata no Orochi fighting Susanno. This scene is similarly shown in Naruto.

Most of the traits of Orochimaru's character were taken from Japanese mythology. Orochimaru originates from the Japanese folktale Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari where he opposes the title character who also appears in Naruto as his former ally. He wields a sword named Kusanagi, which is said to be related to the creature known as the Yamata no Orochi; in Japanese mythology, Yamata no Orochi is defeated by the god Susanoo, a scene which is re-imagined in the manga and anime: Orochimaru uses a technique called Yamata no Orochi, but is ultimately defeated by Itachi Uchiha's Susanoo technique.

The introduction of Orochimaru to the series was first suggested by Masashi Kishimoto's superiors to improve the series' popularity. Kishimoto believed the series grew personality based on the Chunin Exams story arc and wanted it to end normally with Shikamaru Nara's victory. However, he eventually accepted their advice and Orochimaru was used to interrupt the arc. In an interview, Kishimoto asserted that making the villains "flamboyant" was one of his "guiding principles", and attributed this to his desire to have the villains have a "powerful aura". When asked if Orochimaru was still good, Kishimoto answered that Orochimaru is "truly evil" and that he is one of the several "hopeless evil characters" that appear in the series. Kishimoto originally planned to make Orochimaru look androgynous, but made him creepier due to the concept of him being a strong antagonist. Out of most of the characters, Orochimaru was the hardest one to write. Kishimoto wanted him to be a terrifying opponent, so he wondered if that was really the way to go to make him sound strong: "Then I started thinking it was good like that, he's strong and creepy, and the creepiness started increasing."

To follow the theme of distinguishing villains, Kishimoto attempted to make Orochimaru's face appear "pasty and sickly", which serves to emphasize the "scary looks" that Orochimaru expresses in the manga. Orochimaru's nature types are fire, earth, and wind. As these occurrences are his "trademark", Kishimoto modifies Orochimaru's appearance and the scene to focus on Orochimaru's face; for instance, highlights that are normally added to Orochimaru's hair are removed and the background is blanked out to create a "creepy atmosphere".

Appearances

In Naruto

Orochimaru acts as the primary antagonist for the first part of the series. After his parents were killed when he was young, Orochimaru's only source of affection was his teacher — Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage — and his two teammates. As they grew older, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade collectively became known as the Legendary Sannin (伝説の三忍, Densetsu no Sannin) due to their exemplary ninja abilities in the Second Great Ninja War against Hanzo of the Salamander. Many of Orochimaru's abilities deal with snakes, which he summons to battle multiple opponents while simultaneously keeping himself out of harm's way. Through his experiments, he has been able to add some snake-like characteristics to his own body. In his desire to attain immortality to learn every jutsu (lit. 'technique'), Orochimaru developed a forbidden jutsu to steal his victim's body. Although he is essentially immortal, Orochimaru learns the process can not be done more than once every three years.

Orochimaru craved more power than could be obtained from training with his master and began abducting Konohagakure villagers for various experiments, with Yamato among his surviving victims. Unwilling to bring himself to harm Orochimaru upon learning of his actions, Hiruzen allowed his former pupil to escape and flee the village. Orochimaru eventually joined the criminal organization, Akatsuki and became partners with a fellow rogue ninja named Sasori. However, after his attempt to steal the body of Itachi Uchiha through a forbidden jutsu to gain the Sharingan (写輪眼, lit. "Copy Wheel Eye", English manga: "Mirror Wheel Eye") failed, Orochimaru was forced to leave the organization. Orochimaru then founded his own ninja village, Otogakure, populated with ninjas loyal to him. They mostly serve as test subjects in his experimentation to become an ultimate being and as pawns to do his dirty work.

During the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru plans the invasion of Konoha with the ninja of Sunagakure to not only kill Hiruzen, but also claim the body of Itachi's brother Sasuke Uchiha. To that end, Orochimaru infiltrates the Chunin Exam during the Forest of Death portion by killing a Kusagakure ninja named Shiore, assumes her identity, and personally tests Sasuke before branding him with a Curse Mark. He also faces Naruto Uzumaki, who effectively resists Orochimaru's giant snake jutsu using the chakra of the Nine-Tail Fox. Orochimaru, using the Five Elements Seal, blocks access to the chakra of the Nine-Tails by disturbing the balance of the original seal. For the duration of the Exams, Orochimaru lays in wait and secretly murders the Fourth Kazekage to assume his identity and get close to his mentor as the invasion begins. However, Orochimaru is forced to retreat when Hiruzen sacrifices himself through the Reaper Death Seal to take away Orochimaru's ability to perform jutsu, with his forces pulling back while Sunagakure later learns of Orochimaru's treachery. Orochimaru attempts to get aid from Tsunade before seeking out another way to cure himself in an attempt to be able to use jutsu again. When all his efforts prove unsuccessful, Orochimaru sends his Sound Four to fetch Sasuke in the hopes that a body-transfer will allow him to use his arms again. When Sasuke takes too long to arrive, Orochimaru is forced to switch to the body of one of his prisoners instead, and decides to train him until the day that he will be able to take Sasuke's body for himself.

Two and a half years later, in the second part of the series, Orochimaru confronts Naruto and his friends when they attempt to track down Sasuke. When Sasuke attempts to kill Naruto, Orochimaru dissuades him by pointing out the Naruto's use in taking down Akatsuki and thus reducing the number of enemies he has. Sasuke eventually uses his Sharingan to void Orochimaru's technique and retains control of his body while trapping Orochimaru's soul within him, which gives Sasuke access to many of Orochimaru's abilities in the process. During Sasuke's later fight with Itachi, Sasuke is left too weak to continue suppressing Orochimaru's soul, allowing Orochimaru to escape and try to take his body again. Before he can do so, Itachi seals him away.

After Kabuto's defeat, Sasuke learns of Orochimaru's survival, as the Cursed Seals are revealed to hold copies of Orochimaru's consciousness in them, along with Orochimaru's cells that Kabuto injected into himself and subjugated. Using the Cursed Seal Orochimaru placed on his former student Anko Mitarashi, Sasuke releases Orochimaru and gives him a new body that Jugo provides with an absorbed part of Kabuto's flesh. Despite expressing no interest in the ongoing war and still desiring to claim Sasuke's body, Orochimaru joins Sasuke in his quest for answers over the nature of ninja, taking him and Taka to the Nara Shrine, where he undoes the Reaper Death Seal and regains the use of ninjutsu before transferring his being into a White Zetsu clone placed on Sasuke. In his new body, Orochimaru brings the first four Hokage back to life with the Reanimation Jutsu to give Sasuke the answers he wants. Seeing that his methods were flawed from inside Kabuto and interested in observing his former apprentice's new path, Orochimaru aids the Allied Shinobi Forces by helping Tsunade and the Kage, and assists in subduing the Shinju. After the Fourth Great Ninja War ends, among those caught under Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi before being freed, Orochimaru resumes his experiments, albeit in a more humane manner, with Sasuke's Taka teammates supporting him as lab assistants, though Konoha remains suspicious of him and keeps tight surveillance on him in case he resumes his former human experimentation activities.

In Boruto

In the sequel series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, which takes place 15 years after Naruto, Orochimaru created two artificial humans based on his DNA, naming the youngest Mitsuki whom he considers a son and sends to live in Konoha to find his own path in life. He also appears in the Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring side story with his younger appearance noted by the confused main characters.

Appearances in other media

Out of the five films on the series, Orochimaru so far has only appeared in the fifth Naruto film, Naruto Shippūden 2: Bonds. He briefly appears in the fifth OVA "The Cross Roads". Orochimaru is a playable character in nearly all Naruto video games, including the Clash of Ninja series and the Ultimate Ninja series. In some games, he utilizes variations of his techniques not seen in the anime or manga, and in the second installment of the Ultimate Ninja series, Sealed Arms Orochimaru is available as a separate character. Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX 2 marks the first appearance of Orochimaru in a video game set in Part II, with the second one being Ultimate Ninja 5.

Orochimaru also appears in two light novels from the franchise: in Sasuke's Story, he aids Sasuke in a mission by providing him information about his target, and in Konoha Hiden, he makes a cameo congratulating Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga's wedding.

Reception

Orochimaru has been featured consistently in the Weekly Shonen Jump popularity polls, commonly placing in the top twenty characters. However, in the last popularity poll, he was out of the top thirty characters. Merchandise based on Orochimaru has also been released, including action figures, plush dolls, and key chains. AnimeCentral listed him as the tenth best villain in anime due to his objectives and methods, particularly how he scares Sasuke Uchiha the first time seeing him despite Sasuke's strength. In the book Listverse.com's Ultimate Book of Bizarre Lists: Fascinating Facts and Shocking Trivia on Movies, Music, Crime, Celebrities, History, and More by Jamie Frater, Orochimaru was listed as the eighth most evil villain with the writer calling him "pure evil".

Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other related media praised and criticized Orochimaru's character. IGN writer Jason Van Horn compared Orochimaru's search for power and subsequent fall into villainy to that of Darth Sidious from Star Wars, and labeled Orochimaru as "something more than just pure evil". Justin Rich from Mania Entertainment considered Orochimaru the "first real villain" of the series, noting that unlike Zabuza Momochi, the villain of the previous arc, he had no redeeming qualities. DVDTalk's Todd Douglass Jr. celebrated the introduction of Orochimaru into the series, as well as the potential plot development from the curse seal Orochimaru placed on Sasuke, describing it as one of the best parts of the series. Carl Kimlinger from Anime News Network stated that Orochimaru's influence over Sasuke kept the tension high, even when he had minor appearances. Javier Lugo from Manga Life praised the fight between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage based on the surprises this encounter showed. Bamboo Dong from Anime News Network labeled Orochimaru as a character that can not be killed. IGN's Charles White considered Orochimaru as "one of the more interesting characters on the show" as he stateed Orochimaru "can literally steal the show at any time". A. E. Sparrow from the same site praised Orochimaru's scenario in the 13th volume of the manga as he interrupts the story arc to engage with the Third Hokage in a possible deathmatch despite interrupting the fight between Sasuke and Gaara which readers had been looking for.

After Orochimaru's fight against the Hokage, About.com writer Deb Aoki commented that Orochimaru was in such poor shape to the point where he was replaced by Akatsuki as the new antagonists. In the book The Rough Guide to Manga, Jason S. Yadao noted Orochimaru's impact in Part I of the series due to his influence on one of the protagonists, Sasuke, to abandon his comrades and join him. Holly Ellingwood from Active Anime described him as "sinister" and noted his proposal to revive Tsunade's loved ones in exchange for healing his arms made it appealing. Additionally, Kimlinger considered Kujira, Orochimaru's Japanese voice actress, to be one of the best from the series. Orochimaru's transfer of bodies was used as a reference by manga author Gege Akutami for his work Jujutsu Kaisen where an ancient being changes bodies as time progresses, more prominently the one of Suguru Geto.

Despite the character's minor appearances in Part II, most of them were well received. The way Orochimaru angers Naruto Uzumaki in their battle and his management over events ever since his reintroduction are deemed as "near perfect" by Mania's Chris Beveridge. Orochimaru's fight against Sasuke in later parts of the series is praised by Manga Life's Park Cooper due to how it changes "the nature of things" in a short time. While Beveridge agrees with Cooper, he finds that the fight did not bring a certain end to Orochimaru, which he thought would have made it more entertaining. On the other hand, Beveridge likes how a flashback showed Orochimaru's backstory in Konoha, which helped explain the reason for his character during the fight between the two. His apparent redemption to follow Sasuke in later parts of the story is criticized by writer Jason Thompson during a review of the manga. On the other hand, Bryce Coulter from the Fandom Post finds Orochimaru's change based on Sasuke's new interest intriguing due to the future possibilities of becoming Konohagakure's ally. Ramsey Isler from IGN praises the relationship between Orochimaru and his ally Kabuto as the former often wondered if Kabuto was ever going to betray him. In the final episodes of the anime Naruto Shippuden, Orochimaru made small cameos during the preparations for Naruto and Hinata's wedding which Amy Mcnulty from Anime News Network found hilarious.

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