The Movie Corner

Posts Tagged ‘gaara of desert’

Have you heard of Gaara of the Desert?  Is it some kind of desert buffalo?  Or is it a city of nomads that flies through the air?  The truth is even stranger. Because Gaara of Desert is a character in the Japanese Anime and Manga “Naruto.”

Gaara of the Desert has an interesting name and is associated with many Japanese names and concepts that have to do with his character.  A Japanese letter is written on Gaara’s head.  It’s a character that comes from his name, meaning love.  The words self and carnage are also carried in his name.  So his name overall means self-loving carnage or, by some interpretations, carnage loving self (guy who loves carnage).

The name fits well with the character because Gaara of the Desert is a killer. When he was young, perhaps only six, his father became concerned when Gaara killed a man simply for passing him in the street. His father sent assassins to kill Gaara, but instead Gaara killed them. His father then tried to send Ninjas, even more deadly assassins, but Gaara proved to much for them. He killed the Ninjas and escaped death a second time.

When “Naruto” begins Gaara of the Desert is only 12 years old. He was created by his father, yes the same one who tried to kill him, as a perfect fighting machine. His father placed a demon inside the boy, which is what gives him his hyper violent nature and the powers he has to kill. Because of this demon, Gaara can never sleep because if he does the demon will take control.

Gaara of the Desert was originally designed as a foil, or antagonist, for the main hero Naruto. Both were born in similar circumstances. But they took different paths in life. Naruto became a force for good while Gaara became the wild killer, a force for evil. The two fight throughout the series. Naruto eventually kills Gaara by removing the demon from inside him. But later Naruto brings Gaara back to life.

Every hero needs a villain to bring out the best in him. Gaara of the Desert has filled this role throughout the Naruto narrative. He is very well liked by fans of the series, and his battles with Naruto are considered the high points of both the Manga and the Anime.

One thing is for certain. You wouldn’t want to meet Gaara of the Desert on a dark night, in a desert or in any other place.