Zabuza Momochi
Zabuza Momochi is a male anime and mang character who features in Naruto.
Contents |
Biography
Zabuza Momochi (Japanese: 桃地再不斬, Hepburn: Momochi Zabuza) was a male human born in the Ninja World in the shinobi village of Kirigakure where from a young age he came to be known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist (霧隠れの鬼人 Kirigakure no Kijin). This title was a result of his singlehanded slaying of all the graduating Academy students in the village one year, bringing an end to Kirigakure's custom of pitting students against their classmates in battles to the death. Zabuza would go on to become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist (霧の忍刀七人衆 Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu) where he acquired his zanbatō, which he enjoyed sharpening in his spare time. While one of the Seven Shinobi, Zabuza apparently had trained Suigetsu Hozuki for a time, the latter someday wanting to become one of the Seven Shinobi himself. Before he defected, Zabuza was also a member of the Kirigakure ANBU, honing his stealth skills to a great degree. At some point in time, Zabuza found a young boy named Haku wandering the countryside, and offered to take Haku in as his tool. Haku accepted and became loyal to Zabuza, learning from Zabuza and protecting him whenever necessary. Zabuza eventually attempted a coup d'état on the Land of Water by trying to assassinate the Mizukage. The coup failed, forcing Zabuza and his subordinates to leave the country. In retaliation, Kirigakure sent out ANBU personnel to kill Zabuza, who managed to evade them at every turn. In the hopes of gaining funds for a second coup, Zabuza became a hired assassin, killing anyone if the price was right.
In time, he came to be hired by a ruthless businessman by the name of Gato who wanted Zabuza to kill the bridge builder Tazuna. Upon tracking down his target, Zabuza finds that Tazuna was being protected by Kakashi Hatake and his students. Wanting to test his ability, Zabuza battled Kakashi, though through use of his Sharingan Kakashi was able to copy Zabuza's jutsu and defeat him. Before he can be killed, Haku arrives to take him to safety with him tricking the Konohagakure shinobi that he was a tracker ninja sent to kill Zabuza. After he recovered, Zabuza set plans into motion for him and Haku to confront Team 7 for a rematch. Once tracking down Team 7 again, Zabuza was drawn into battle with Kakashi while Haku dealt with his students. Although he covers the area in a thick mist to avoid Kakashi's Sharingan and allow him to use his assassination abilities, Zabuza was restrained by Kakashi. As Kakashi charges at him to deal a finishing blow with his Lightning Blade, Haku appears to use himself as a human shield, fulfilling his promise of being a tool for his master. Freed as a result of Haku's intervention and not willing to allow the opening Haku has created go to waste, Zabuza tries to slash through Haku's body to kill Kakashi, though Kakashi is able to avoid it and disable Zabuza by stabbing both of his arms. With Zabuza no longer able to battle, Gato arrives and revokes their contract, deciding instead to have his own men kill Tazuna. No longer having a reason to battle, Zabuza and Kakashi end their fight, though Naruto is not satisfied by this. Angered that Haku died for Zabuza while Zabuza has shown no signs of remorse, Naruto lectures him on the feelings Haku had for him and wonders out loud if he, when he grows up, will become as cold-hearted as Zabuza. Brought to tears by Naruto's words, Zabuza reveals that he really did care about Haku and valued him higher than a simple tool, and that Naruto's words "cut him deeper than any sword". Wanting to repent for what he has done, Zabuza wields one of Naruto's kunai in his mouth and charges through Gato's men to get to Gato, being stabbed multiple times along the way. Upon reaching Gato, Zabuza killed him, and collapsed due to his injuries. As Gato's men flee, Zabuza asks Kakashi if he can be brought to Haku, to which Kakashi complies. Being by Haku's side in death as Haku was by his in life, Zabuza wishes that he could go to the same place as Haku, and Kakashi believed that they will be able to go to that place together.
His remains were later gathered by Kabuto Yakushi alongside that of Haku where they were revived as reanimated shinobi to serve as elite warriors for the Akatsuki. This saw them being deployed during the start of the Fourth Shinobi World War where they were made to fight against their will. He was mobilised alongside Haku, Gari, Pakura and Toroi. Overhearing Zabuza as he told Haku that they were no longer in the afterlife, Gari informed them of their current situation, infuriating Zabuza who did not want to obey someone who would stoop so low as to use the dead. When later ambushed by the Surprise Attack Division, Haku protected them both from the explosive tags carried by Sai's ink birds, though Zabuza indicated that it was unnecessary after he observed the others regenerating. This irritated him further, since not only were they brought back, but they were also made impossible to kill. Remarking that he was the only one amongst his group to not possess a kekkei genkai, Zabuza stormed the recently grounded opposition but was intercepted by Kakashi, whom he never expected to confront again. Greeting Sakura and noting her growth since they last met, Zabuza inquired about Naruto, learning from Kakashi how famous he had become since his death. As Kabuto erased their consciousness, Zabuza pleaded with Kakashi to stop him no matter what it took, as his humanity was already dead. Enveloping the battlefield in a thick mist, Zabuza then assaulted the Third Division, until he was confronted by Kakashi. Amidst the battle, the previous generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were summoned to the field in order for Akatsuki to retain the upper hand, with Zabuza soon joining them whilst wielding his broken Kubikiribōchō. During the ensuing battle, after surviving a futile bombardment of various techniques, Zabuza's blade began to reform using the iron collected from the blood of his victims.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Zabuza Momochi was a tall and noticeably muscular man with light grayish skin, short spiky black hair, dark brown eyes, and small eyebrows. He was normally seen wearing bandages like a mask over the bottom half of his face. Under his mask, he had a relatively narrow jawline and jagged-teeth, a trait he shared with his fellow Swordsmen. He wore his forehead protector sideways on his head, and prior to his defection from Kirigakure, donned the village's Anbu uniform and flak jacket. After his defection, and during his first appearance, he was seen shirtless, with his chest only covered by a belt to which he attached his Kubikiribōchō, wearing baggy pants with the striped pattern typical of Kirigakure and mimetic wrist-warmers extending up to his elbows, with matching leg-warmers. He came to be regarded by the fearsome epithet of the Demon of the Hidden Mist (霧隠れの鬼人 Kirigakure no Kijin).
According to his former follower Gengo, Zabuza was once seen as charismatic and inspiring as he had previously dreamed of a society with shinobi as the ruling class; a dream which motivated his attempted coup against the Fourth Mizukage whom he disagreed with. However he would become bitter and cynical after the coup ended in failure, and over time made him a ruthless hitman willing to be hired out by anyone corrupt. He willingly uses his own men and others as pawns to fulfil his ambitions. He was shown to be blunt about the purpose that his recruits were needed for, forgoing any form of manipulation by pretending to be benevolent to inspire loyalty. This corresponds with his cynical view of the world, which only consists of the used and the users, as well as viewing shinobi to be nothing more than tools.
Initially, Zabuza came to see Haku as a simple tool that had only one purpose which was to support his bid for greater power. This even went to the extent that he seemingly allowed Gato to kick Haku's dead body. However, after hearing Naruto's words about how devoted Haku was to Zabuza, Momochi came to be cut deep than any blade had ever done to him with him having tears in his eyes at seeing Haku's dead body. After Haku's death, while Zabuza initially only laughs at his usefulness, Kakashi notes Zabuza is no longer able to fight to his true potential as he is secretly distraught at Haku's loss. In his last moments, Zabuza realised how deeply he truly cared for Haku, and after being convinced by Naruto Uzumaki, he sacrifices his life to kill Gatō, and dies wishing he could join Haku in the afterlife. However, he seems reluctant to speak or hear about it, telling whoever does so to shut up. Kakashi has also noted that Zabuza had hesitated for a moment before the thought of slashing through Haku to get to Kakashi during their battle on the bridge; the lack of hesitation during the Fourth Shinobi War made Kakashi know that the controlled Zabuza was completely different.
He has also shown a sense of honour, as seen after his reincarnation when he expressed disgust about the idea of working for anyone who would stoop down so low as to use the dead as their tools, in the meantime making the revived immortal. His sense of honour is extended even further when he pleads with Kakashi to stop him and Haku from causing damage, wishing his death as a human being to be preserved.
Zabuza came to see himself as a demon and that when he faced dying he relegated himself to going to hell.
Powers and abilities
As a former high-ranking ninja of Kiri, Zabuza was a very powerful fighter. Vicious in battle, his talent for combat was seen even as a child, who had yet to begin in the Academy, as he killed over one hundred trained students single-handedly. As an adult, even when gravely injured and both arms crippled, Zabuza proved himself a dangerous adversary. Zabuza was very physically strong, able to effortlessly wield the large Kubikiribōchō for long periods of time unfazed, even with one hand. He was also blazingly fast and equally proficient in taijutsu, able to match Kakashi in both and with the latter able to fight off and kill dozens of Gatō's men with the loss of both his arms, using well-coordinated kicks and a kunai in his mouth. During which, he showed remarkable levels of stamina and endurance, able to continue fighting effectively despite the injuries he received from Kakashi and the large number of blades that pierced him.
Being from Kirigakure, Zabuza excels in water-oriented jutsu, the first of which to be seen was the Water Clone Technique. With it, Zabuza can create a copy of himself that does his bidding within a certain range. He can also use Water Prison Technique to trap opponents in a watery cage that they are unable to break out of so long as he remains in contact with it. With Water Release: Water Dragon Blast Technique (水遁・水龍弾の術 Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu, Viz "Water Release: Water Dragon Missile") he can form a dragon from the surrounding water to attack others as needed. The final water-based technique he was seen using was Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique (水遁・大瀑布の術 Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu, English TV "Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu"), which fired a massive spiralling blast of water at an opponent.
In addition to the offensive capabilities of his water jutsu, Zabuza was very skilled in assassinations. By blanketing the area in mist with Hiding Mist Technique (霧隠れの術 Kirigakure no Jutsu, Viz "Art of Hiding in the Mist"), Zabuza can blind an opponent and use his training as an ANBU to find them based on the sounds they make. Once found, Zabuza uses Silent Homicide Technique (無声殺人の術 Muon Satsujin Jutsu, English TV "Silent Killing Jutsu") to kill the opponent without their noticing his presence. This talent with assassinations is very well-known, as even the ninja of Konohagakure are familiar with Zabuza's history.
He was the wielder of the 'seversword' (断刀, dantō) known as Kubikiribōchō (首斬り包丁, literally meaning: Decapitating Carving Knife) that as a massive blade. The generation of swordsmen he belonged to was noted as the strongest ever produced within Kirigakure, a further testament to Zabuza's impressive skills. The large weapon has the unique ability to absorb and utilise the iron from all the blood it sheds, from whoever it cuts, in order to reform itself if damaged or broken. Zabuza was a master in its use, being capable of dispatching numerous enemies with a few slashes, and claiming that his sword "never cut a second time", implying to have killed a large number of people with a single attack.
Among the techniques known to him included:
- Flying Revolving Sword (飛旋剣, Hisenken) :
- Hiding in Mist Technique (霧隠れの術, Kirigakure no Jutsu) :
- Silent Killing (無音殺人術サイレントキリング, Sairento Kiringu) :
- Water Clone Technique (水分身の術, Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu) :
- Water Prison Technique (水牢の術, Suirō no Jutsu) :
- Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique (水遁・大瀑布の術, Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu) :
- Water Release: Water Bullet Technique (水遁・水弾の術, Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu) :
- Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique (水遁・水龍弾の術, Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu) :
Zabuza Momochi was a ninja from Kirigakure (霧隠れの里, Kirigakure no Sato, English TV: Village Hidden in the Mist, literally meaning: Village Hidden by Mist) where he rose to be a prominent jonin amongst their ranks. His skill and status led to him joining the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist (霧の忍刀七人衆, Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū) leading to him being given one of their swords. This was until he abandoned the group and village in order to become a mercenary missing-nin.
Notes
- Zabuza Momochi was created by Masashi Kishimoto where he featured in the Naruto setting.
In other media
Television
- In Naruto, Zabuza Momochi appeared in the setting of the anime television series where he was voiced by Japanese aactor Unshō Ishizuka and by English actor Steven Blum in the dub. In the anime, Zabuza and Haku witnessed the Kaguya clan attacking Kirigakure yet chose not to help his village. Soon after, they encountered Kimimaro, the soon-to-be-sole survivor of the Kaguya. Although Haku wanted to talk to the boy, Zabuza forced him to leave Kimimaro alone and keep moving.
Video games
Appearances
- Naruto:
External Links
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