Shikamaru Nara is a shinobi hailing from the world of Naruto. He’s one of many secondary characters who help make the Hidden Leaf Village feel alive and operational as a ninja haven. While it’s a bit of a running joke that Shikamaru is as lazy as they come (possibly more so), he’s actually a really solid character to have at your back. He’s one of the sharpest minds around, which, when combined with his loyalty, makes him one of the best allies to have. This explains why he became the provisional Eighth Hokage when Naruto was missing as of the start of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. We have no doubt that had he been given this role sooner, for whatever reason, he would have nailed it.
Granted, Shikamaru is smart enough not to volunteer to become Hokage. Even at a young age, it was pretty clear that this wasn’t what Shikamaru wanted in life. That circles back around to that laziness element, but it’s more than that. He’s content serving as an aide to Naruto, and we love that for him. Looking back, it’s easy to see the moments that led to Shikamaru becoming a solid leader and potential Hokage.
4) The Chunin Exams Revealed Shikamaru’s Incredible Strategist Side
The Chunin Exams were a surprisingly major moment in Naruto lore. We say “surprisingly” because it feels so long ago, yet the seeds sown during those series of events had long-reaching consequences. For example, this example allowed Shikamaru’s intelligence and ability to plan a battle to shine through, which is ultimately the reason why he passed.
As a refresher, the Chunin Exam was several stages, including a written exam, a survival scenario in the Forest of Death, a preliminary round of battles, and the final matches. Shikamaru made it through the previous challenges, making his way to the final matches. That’s not to say he and his team didn’t face some difficulties (more on those in a moment), but facing and getting through those challenges is the point.
Originally, Shikamaru was slated to battle Dosu Kinuta, but he ended up dead, so Shikamaru got to face off against Temari instead. Their battle is a tense one; Temari is strong, fast, and lethal. Notably, Shikamaru traps Temari using his Shadow Possession Jutsu. This brings the match to a standstill, as Shikamaru cannot win with this move, nor can he lose. So he forfeits the fight.
One might think this would be cause enough to keep Shikamaru from passing the Chunin Exam, but they’d be wrong. Shikamaru is actually the only participant who gets to pass this year’s exam, proving that they were looking for more than battle-readiness. Shikamaru’s forfeit proved that he knew when to push the advantage and when to back down, which is an essential skill for any shinobi or leader to have.
3) Joined Team 7 Against the Sound Ninja
While we’re on the subject of the Chunin Exam, things went seriously bad for Team 7 (Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura) during the Second Stage within the Forest of Death. To be fair, the team might have been okay, had they not been directly targeted by a team that cared not for the rules. They were targeted by a team of Sound Ninja under the orders of Orochimaru, which was made all the worse because Team 7 had already been weakened by their battle with Orochimaru. The odds were stacked against them.
Shikamaru and his team could have looked away. It wasn’t their fight, and they didn’t know how high the stakes were. However, they didn’t. Ino jumped in front of Sakura without any hesitation, and Shikamaru pulled Choji along to back her up. In Shikamaru’s mind, he couldn’t let one teammate run into the battle without backup; thus, the whole team had to go.
2) Stepping Up as Chief Strategist During the Fourth Shinobi War
The Fourth Shinobi War occurs toward the end of Naruto: Shippuden. It pulls all the fan-favorites (and most hated) characters into one outstanding battle, with stakes higher than we could have ever anticipated. Okay, maybe the latter isn’t entirely accurate; this is shonen we’re talking about, so almost everyone knew that the power scale was going to keep sliding up.
Everyone gave the Fourth Shinobi War their all, including Shikamaru. He played a vital role during the intel gathering phase, where everyone was under the gun to figure out what was going on. Shikamaru’s Shadow Possession Jutsu helped his allies understand ways to tackle the Ten-Tails, which is the sort of thing that can’t be overlooked.
Likewise, Shikamaru was forced to step into more of a leadership role, taking a step back to guide from behind. This hit so much harder because during one of the final battles, Shikamaru knew that HQ was under attack. There wasn’t time to do anything to save HQ, so Shikamaru and the rest had to keep forging onward. However, there’s a bit of a catch here, as Shikamaru’s father was inside that building. He kept going during the war, even when he believed that his father had just died. He pushed aside his grief, didn’t allow himself to process what happened, and focused on the war efforts. Many heroes have been distracted by less, so we need to give Shikamaru the credit he deserves here.
1) Avenging Asuma’s Death
Asuma was an amazing but understated teacher. Fans didn’t really get a chance to appreciate him, at least not until it was too late. Shikamaru and his teammates were forced to watch Asuma die, but that didn’t stop Shikamaru from plotting his revenge. Shikamaru gathered Team 10 to assist, and together they tracked down Hidan and Kakuzu. This fight is pretty unforgettable, even when compared to all the battles that follow. During the battle, Shikamaru utilized his Shadow Possession Jutsu to drag Hidan into the woods, effectively splitting the pair up. This was the only way to win the battle. Moments later, Shikamaru tricked Hidan into attacking Kakazu, thanks to the blood Kakashi had stolen earlier. With Kakazu temporarily down, it gave Shikamaru the opening he needed to permanently lock Hidan away.
The villain may not be dead, but we have no doubt that he’ll be wishing he were. Being buried (in pieces) under the sand does not sound like a fun time for anyone, and we know Hidan isn’t going to be digging himself up anytime soon. The icing on the cake is that Shikamaru used Asama’s lighter to land the final blow against Hidan. It’s karmic justice, and that moment pretty much lives rent-free in our minds. This is how you get revenge.
What are some of your favorite Shikamaru moments in Naruto? Would you like to see other shinobi get the spotlight next? Let us know in the comments below!
