Kisame loves to fight. He is quite sadistic and demonstrates no hesitation in mutilating his opponents, as seen when he suggested cutting off Naruto's legs to make him easier to carry and to prevent the latter from escaping on foot.[7] Despite his aggressive nature, Kisame is very perceptive and keen mind in battle, able to deduce the basics behind an opponent's technique and react to any potential danger he is aware of. Also, being paired with Itachi, Kisame is usually unable to finish or even start his battles with Itachi around, because the latter doesn't enjoy fighting as much as Kisame does. He would often inform his opponents that they "don't know how lucky they are". Kisame also has a deep loathing for Might Guy since their first encounter, with Guy's inability to remember Kisame prior to his death agitating him.[8]
Originally when first partnered, Kisame warned an equally hostile Itachi to be careful of him. But in time, Kisame became one of the few members of Akatsuki that got along well with his partner despite the fact they had opposite personalities. The only common ground between both ninja being that they betrayed those close to them, Kisame was loyal to Itachi as he would only take action after being ordered to or after being given permission by him. Despite his pride, Kisame acknowledged Itachi as the stronger of the duo, evident by Kisame saying to Itachi that he himself couldn't defeat Jiraiya, but stated his certainty that Itachi could go one-on-one with the Sannin.[9] Although he wasn't above reprimanding Itachi for being reckless with his Mangekyō Sharingan. In the anime, Kisame appeared saddened upon hearing of Itachi's death.[10] Kisame ultimately considered Itachi as a good friend, even thinking of him in his last moments. Kisame's loyalty to Itachi is so great even Zetsu thought he only stayed in Akatsuki because of Itachi and couldn't help but wonder if Kisame would stay with the organisation with Itachi dead.
Kisame questioning
Kisame questioning his place in the world.
Kisame was motivated to help in completing the Eye of the Moon plan because of his own disillusionment with the world he lived in. He never felt as though he had a place or knew who he truly was as he was often ordered to undertake gruesome missions such as killing his own comrades. As such, he came to the conclusion that his entire life has been a lie.[11] His partner Itachi has noted that he was a rogue that was unable to find a place for himself,[12] something he himself may have understood because of his own treacherous past.
Kisame had a playful and morbid sense of humour and would often make light of serious situations while sporting a sadistic grin. This trait would even show during his fights as he would often mock his opponents as seen in the cases of Killer B and Guy. Upon hearing of the death of Hidan and Kakuzu, he referred to them as the "Zombie Brothers" in reference to their longevity.
Kisame was also shown to be honest and humble to his comrades, especially Itachi, as shown when Itachi reprimanded him for taking so long to capture Rōshi. Although defending himself by saying Itachi had no idea how powerful Rōshi was, Kisame quickly admitted he asked to capture Rōshi alone. He was also a very appreciative person. When Obito had disguised himself as a useless, incompetent, and clumsy person and having no idea of who he really was at the time, he still enjoyed his upbeat nature as he thought he livened up the mood of Akatsuki's meetings. He also reprimanded Tobi for taking so long to come clean that he was in fact alive after most of the members believed he died from Deidara's C0 suicide attack.
Kisame committing suicide
Kisame preparing to commit suicide in order to protect Akatsuki's secrets.
Other than believing everything he knew was a lie and desiring to see Tobi's "world of truth", Kisame lived strictly to protect valuable information as reflected in killing the Cypher Division to keep their intel from Konoha and executing Fuguki for selling their village's secrets; on a related note, he refused to bond with his team-mates when they were on a mission together. This ideal became his philosophy, ultimately motivating his assisted suicide when left with no other choice. His actions made Yamato have difficulty believing he died so nobly, despite having witnessed his death with his own eyes.
Appearance
Kisame Hoshigaki full
Kisame's full appearance.
Kisame was a very tall and muscular shinobi, and was the tallest member in Akatsuki. He had a distinctive shark-like appearance, complete with pale, green skin in the manga,[13] and depicted as blue-grey in the anime. He also has small, round, white eyes, gill-like facial markings under his eyes, and actual gills on his shoulders,[14] and sharp triangular teeth, much like the other members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He also styled his blue hair in the form of a shark fin. As a member of Akatsuki, he also wore dark-purple nail polish. During his time as a Kirigakure shinobi, he sported the standard outfit of the village, complete with a flak jacket and a forehead protector. Later, he donned what appears to be the standard attire of the Seven Swordsmen which consists of: a dark sleeveless shirt paired with matching pants, provided with a waist guard, and striped arm and leg-warmers typical of his village. He also switched to a modified version of Kirigakure's forehead protector, which covered his ears as well. After defecting from the village, he donned the typical cloak members of Akatsuki wore, and underneath it he was bare-chested. He also wore a brown sash across the front and back of his cloak to hold Samehada in place. He wore his Akatsuki ring on his left ring finger, bearing the kanji for "south" (南, nan) which was yellow in colour.
Abilities
Daikōdan no Jutsu
Kisame using one of his advanced shark-oriented techniques.
Kisame was a very powerful and dangerous S-rank missing-nin, whose strength earned him admittance into the Akatsuki. As a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kisame is one of the most powerful shinobi ever produced within Kirigakure; in fact, he easily killed his former master, who was a member of the Seven Swordsmen strongest generation and the wielder of Samehada at the time. He also successfully captured the Four-Tails' jinchūriki Rōshi by himself, despite noting his target's exceptional powers. Though a difficult task, by his own admission, Kisame merely complained that he was "a bit tired".[15] Though openly admitting Itachi being stronger than him, in the anime, Kisame showed able to calmly hold his own against the genius ninja.[16] He also claimed that he was the best in the Akatsuki at capturing targets alive[17] as seen when he was able to capture Rōshi. He has shown to be more than capable of handling his own against multiple worthy foes and not be pressured which was demonstrated in his battle against Team Guy. Also during battles with Might Guy — one of Konoha's top shinobi — Kisame proved to be more than a match for him, forcing the Konoha-nin to open six of the Eight Gates with only a 30% power clone,[18] and seven gates against the real Kisame.[19]
Physical Prowess
Kisame breaks free
Kisame breaks free of the stocks.
Unlike his partner Itachi, Kisame preferred direct physical combat, with which he has repeatedly been shown to be very proficient and dangerous. Generally while fighting, he combined strong taijutsu strikes with powerful slashes from Samehada. He had been seen displaying astonishing raw speed and immense physical strength, which combined with his high taijutsu prowess allowed him to directly overpower most opponents, as shown when he overpowered Might Guy, a very powerful taijutsu master, during their second battle. A single punch from Kisame was able to smash Might Guy to the bottom of the lake and displace the water around the area. He also managed to overpower another skilled melee-weapon user, Asuma Sarutobi, by using only the tip of Samehada (wielded with one hand), against Asuma's two blades, which he held overhead using his body as extra support.[20] He has also demonstrated especially fast hand seal prowess.
Kisame also has matching durability and endurance. He managed to survive one of Killer B's Version 2 Lightning Release: Lariat, that had completely destroyed his entire ribcage. He was also able withstand what was usually a one-hit instant kill technique from Guy, and retained enough strength to break free of his restraints even though Yamato was suppressing his chakra, further showing his raw strength and endurance.
Stamina and Chakra Prowess
Kisame had a massive amount of chakra, even by Akatsuki standards.[21] Karin, upon sensing Kisame, stated she had never seen so much chakra in one place.[22] Even when he fought at 30% power in one instance,[23] Neji compared his chakra supply to that of Naruto;[24] at such an instance, Kisame was able to transform a dry wasteland into a small ocean. Chōjūrō claims that Kisame is a "Tailed Beast without a Tail" (尾を持たない尾獣, O o Motanai Bijū; English TV "Tailless Tailed Beast"), due to his superhuman chakra level and combination with Samehada.[5]
Aside from his own massive reservoir, Kisame has been shown to absorb chakra even without Samehada. Aoba Yamashiro discovered this when he used his Secret Technique Stone Needles in an attempt to paralyse Kisame, who instead just sucked the chakra through the threads and exhausted him.[25] He can even steal chakra from Samehada by simply grabbing onto it.[14]
Ninjutsu
Kenjutsu
Samehada Unwrapped Anime
Kisame with an unbandaged Samehada.
As his speciality, Kisame was a very powerful swordsman, and favoured the use of brute strength and melee fighting in battle. Originally, Kisame wielded a normal katana, with which he was proficient enough to kill all of his comrades on one mission. After slaying his master with the said katana, Kisame's signature weapon became Samehada, a sentient, scale-covered sword, that shaves flesh instead of cutting it. Samehada is also capable of detecting and absorbing chakra. However, it seems to be unable to automatically absorb ambient chakra, judging by the fact that all instances in which it has used the ability have either been when the opponent had a visible aura around them or when direct physical contact had already been established.[14][26] When Samehada absorbs chakra, its scales grow and it slowly begins to unwrap itself, revealing a mouth with several rows of shark-like teeth.
Kisame could heal injuries and replenish his chakra by temporarily fusing with Samehada. He could also fuse fully to further increase his power, and expanding upon his shark-like appearance. When fused with Samehada, he gains the ability to breathe underwater using gills which form on his neck. While using his Water Prison Shark Dance Technique, he could take full advantage of that ability by drowning his opponents while remaining unharmed. In this form he can sense other people's chakra, and absorb it just by touching the foe with any part of his body. He can also hide within Samehada, which he states is flawless due to the fact that he and Samehada have identical chakra, to the extent that not even sensors can detect him.
Only Kisame was able to wield Samehada; if anyone besides him tries to pick it up, spikes protrude from its handle, and it returns to Kisame's side. Samehada's loyalty seems to be due to the sword's liking of Kisame's chakra. If it finds a ninja with better chakra, it may betray it's owner in favour of the new ninja, as demonstrated when Samehada protected Killer B from Kisame's attempt to slash off his legs.[27] Despite its wavering loyalty, Kisame was capable of wielding Samehada against its will.[28] Chōjūrō describes the Samehada as the most terrifying sword of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.[5]
Nature Transformation
Water Prison
Kisame using his water clones in conjunction with the Water Prison Technique.
Kisame was a master of Water Release techniques, being able to alter an entire battlefield by create a large volume of water to give him the field advantage, and to use for attacks.[29] Kisame's shark-like attributes carried over into techniques, for he even shaped his Water Release attacks into sharks. He could also use this skill as a means for transportation, riding inside of a water shark. Against stronger opponents, he increased his field advantage even further by creating a giant dome of water around himself, forcing his opponents to battle him underwater. He was able to make many sharks that overwhelmed Might Guy's Morning Peacock, producing more than all the blows Guy could unleash.[30] He was also proficient with Earth Release techniques, able to use Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage to travel under the earth, with the tip of his sword, Samehada, jutting out making him look like a shark swimming towards his prey. Kisame also had proficiency in Fire and Wind Release.[31]
Summoning Technique
Kisame's Summon
Kisame summons a shark to deliver intel to Akatsuki.
In keeping with his shark theme, Kisame had shown the ability to summon sharks for both battle and message sending purposes,[32] and can combine the one summoned shark with the Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks as a way to conceal the messenger shark location and allow it to escape.[33] He also used them with the Water Prison Technique to commit suicide.
Stats
Databook Ninjutsu Taijutsu Genjutsu Intelligence Strength Speed Stamina Hand seals Total
Third 4.5 4.5 2.5 3.5 5 4 5 3.5 32.5
Part I
Search for Tsunade Arc
Team Itachi Kisame
Itachi and Kisame's début.
Kisame accompanied Itachi to Konoha to help kidnap Naruto Uzumaki. After the two gained attention due to their unusual clothing, they were stopped by Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yūhi. Asuma and Kurenai found themselves outmatched, but Kakashi arrived to help balance the odds. Asuma was able to distract Kisame while Itachi fought Kakashi. He waited patiently for Itachi's fight to finish, but before Itachi delivered the final blow, Kakashi remembered Jiraiya's warning and recognised the duo as members of Akatsuki from their black cloaks. Itachi changed his mind and ordered Kisame to kidnap Kakashi and kill Asuma and Kurenai. Before he could do so, however, Might Guy showed up and kicked an attacking Kisame in the face. Following Guy's arrival, Itachi ordered Kisame to retreat, not wanting to start a large-scale battle. Kisame seemed quite annoyed with Itachi's idea, as he desperately wanted to fight the Konoha shinobi.
Gama stops Kisame
Gama stopping Kisame's attack on Naruto.
Itachi and Kisame then continued to hunt Naruto, finding him under the protection of Jiraiya. After Itachi hypnotised a woman to distract Jiraiya and leave Naruto alone, Kisame and Itachi confronted Naruto in a hotel hallway. Kisame considered cutting off Naruto's legs so he could not run away, though Sasuke, Itachi's younger brother, showed up and drew their attention from Naruto. When Naruto attempted to fight, Kisame used Samehada to absorb all of Naruto's chakra. Kisame then attempted to cut off Naruto's arms so he wouldn't put up a fight. Before he could do this, however, Jiraiya arrived, and had the toad Gama defend Naruto. Following the encounter, Kisame and Itachi were driven off by Jiraiya's Summoning: Toad Mouth Bind, failing in capturing Naruto.
Sasuke Retrieval Arc
At the end of Part I, Kisame made a cameo appearance as a silhouette during an Akatsuki gathering where they discussed Orochimaru's taking of Sasuke Uchiha as well as the capturing of the Nine-Tails and the furthering of their plans.
Part II
Kazekage Rescue Arc
Kisame attacking team 10
Kisame attacking Team Guy.
While Akatsuki extracted the One-Tailed Shukaku from Gaara's body, they learned that Team Guy was nearing their location. Remembering his last encounter with Guy, Kisame volunteered to keep them occupied while the sealing was completed. Pain used the Shapeshifting Technique to make a duplicate of Kisame's body that would be remotely controlled by Kisame. The clone located and confronted Team Guy, but was disappointed that Guy didn't remember him. He converts the surrounding desert into a lake to give him a battlefield advantage and attacks Team Guy. After numerous attempts Team Guy made attacking Kisame, Guy managed to separate him from Samehada, leading to the rest of his team launching an assault. Kisame swiftly made water clones to block their attacks and immediately used the Water Prison Technique to imprison them.
Asakujaku
"Kisame" being defeated.
Guy then attempted to attack Kisame with his own sword but Samehada intervened and returned to its owner. Now that it was a one on one fight, Kisame directed all his attention towards Guy leading him to use his nunchaku. After exchanging blows with each other, Kisame overpowered Guy, launching him to the bottom of the newly formed lake. Seeing that he had the geographical advantage, Kisame repeatedly attacked Guy until he was forced to open the sixth gate. Doing so, Guy forced away the surrounding water and immediately attacked Kisame, sending him flying into the air, giving an opportunity for him to use his Morning Peacock technique to end the fight, resulting in Kisame's clone being killed. Afterwards Kisame voiced his regret to Itachi that their clones only had 30% of their chakra and thus was not as powerful as their actual self's but ultimately the two accomplished there task to delay the two teams long enough for the rest of the Akatsuki to extract Shukaku from Gaara.
Hidan and Kakuzu Arc
Kisame was present during the sealing of the Two-Tails.
Itachi Pursuit Arc
Kisame captures Roshi
Kisame captures Rōshi.
Later, Kisame successfully managed to capture the jinchūriki of the Four-Tails, his assigned tailed beast, without a scratch. During the following Akatsuki meeting to seal the Four-Tails, Kisame and Itachi were informed of Hebi's formation, with Sasuke as its leader. They are soon afterwards told that Sasuke has been killed, and Kisame tries to comfort Itachi for finally being the last Uchiha. Itachi replies that Sasuke is not dead. After a brief sparing session with Itachi, Kisame is instructed to stand guard outside the Uchiha Hideout and to let only Sasuke through. Kisame openly admitted he was somewhat saddened to be parting with his long time companion. After Sasuke left the rest of Hebi, Suigetsu, being an old acquaintance of Kisame, exchanged words with him, and then the two started fighting, with Suigetsu wanting to claim Samehada as his own. It was later revealed that Zetsu had stopped the fight.
