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Temari Nara is a powerful wind user from the Hidden Sand Village. She is introduced in episode 20 of the anime as a member of the Three Sand Siblings team alongside Gaara and Kankuro and under the supervision of Baki. Although not as powerful as her other two teammates, Temari is still a force to be reckoned with.
As the story progresses, Temari would eventually get engaged to Shikamaru Nara and would relocate to Hidden Leaf Village. The thing that makes this ninja stand out from various generic wind users is her giant folding fan. This weapon adds power to her wind attacks while also allowing Temari to glide in the air.
Key Info Up Front
Temari Nara is a Hidden Sand Village Ninja that is most known for her affiliation with Three Sand Siblings and marriage to Shikamaru Nara. Although somewhat of a side character, she has very powerful ninjitsu and analytical skills.
Temari Nara’s Personal Info
Temari is a very intelligent warrior who, although presented as calculated and calm, doesn’t shy away from physical conflict. Furthermore, she can be very blunt and visceral. Despite initially depicted as a brutal character who embraces death as a reality of the ninja life, she became more mellow with age.
In fact, as her role in the series increased, Temari became a much more likable character willing to sacrifice for fellow ninjas and would even question the reasoning behind the war.
Temari Nara was often connected to Shikamaru. In later episodes, the female ninja would often make brief appearances where she would flirt with Shikamaru or discuss strategy. She probably started admiring the Hidden Leaf warrior because of his analytical skills, something that Temari is also great at.
She had a major impact on Shikamaru’s development as a ninja. Temari would often criticize him, which is a clear sign that she cared deeply about the warrior from the earliest episodes. For example, she once told Shikamaru that he needs to be serious about his duties so that he can become jonin as soon as possible.
When Shikamaru became the group leader of the Allied Shinobi Forces, she encouraged him to lead by example, and she cried when the male warrior didn’t tell her about his secret mission, believing that he broke the trust between them. Temari would eventually give birth to their son, Shikadai.
Later life
Temari made sure to pass the ninja values and discipline to her son. Shikadai would get scolded whenever he made a mess. On top of that, she was adamant about teaching him good manners. In a few instances, she would even hit Shikamaru for not being involved enough with their son. According to her, he wasn’t the best role model for Shikadai, as he lacked discipline.
You could see Shikadai and Shikamaru playing shogi on many occasions, the same way Shikaramu played the game with his father in the past. Temari is always annoyed by this because the two of them tend to become enthralled with the game and would neglect their duties.
Despite all of that and her rather violent disposition, she was always very loyal to the Naras. Although she is a very strict mother to Shikadai, she exhibits the same type of care as she did towards Shikamaru back in the day. This is best seen when Shikadai participated in chunin exams.
Temari Nara’s Appearance
Temari has very fluffy, wild blonde hair. In time, her hairstyle changed slightly, but it always remained uncontrollable. The female ninja has two pigtails that look like cacti. With bright blue eyes and blonde hair, she resembles her mother a lot.
During the show, from Naruto to Boruto, she is seen wearing various attires. In the first iteration, Temari wears a ninja headband around her neck, which is a rare fashion. Her clothes are bright purple, almost reaching her knees. Another thing that was really specific for Temari was the fishnets. We also cannot neglect the giant fan that gives the ninja a cool appearance.
As the story goes on, Temari receives a much more mature look. During the second part of the Naruto story, she has a long black dress with a red scarf around her waist. Instead of wearing the headband around her neck, she now has it on her forehead.
During the war, Temari changed her haircut. She now had bangs on the side of her face. The ninja still wears two pigtails, but her hair is now noticeably longer. This version of the outfit resembles the one she had when the joint team was recovering Sasuke.
Temari Nara’s Appearances in Manga and Anime
As previously mentioned, Temari was initially portrayed as a villain in the same manner as Gara and Kankuro. Although her character hasn’t completely changed over the course of the story, it became easier to empathize with her. In time, we would learn more about her motivations, and she would receive several redeeming character traits, which would turn her into a hero.
Although Temari remained relevant in Boruto, we will focus on her appearances during the Naruto show.
Chunin Exams
Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara would first appear during the Chunin Exams arc. Initially, it is shown that Temari has a crush on Sasuke, a storyline that the creators didn’t want to pursue. Sakura noticed this and would blast her verbally.
All three Hidden Sand Village ninjas would participate in the exam. During the first round, Temari would battle Tenten, a ninja who focuses on using various weapons. The battle was pretty one-sided, though. Although Tenten was the aggressor, for the most part, throwing numerous weapons and objects toward Temari, the sand ninja would easily swap them away with the fan and would go to win by eliminating her opponent with a cyclone.
From the get-go, you could see that Temari has a mean streak. After using the cyclone attack, she wanted to drop Tenten on her weapons, which were dispersed on the ground. Rock Lee would prevent an accident by grabbing Temari in mid-air.
Temari and Shikamaru
Temari and Shikamaru were first seen together during the second round of chunin exams. The sand ninja was well aware of the Shikamaru’s shadow technique and would try to position herself in a way so that Shikamaru could not imprison her.
Given that the match started in broad daylight, the Hidden Leaf ninja tried to prolong it as much as possible. That way, he would gain access to an even larger shadow. Temari wasn’t aware of the stalling strategy, which made her believe that Shikamaru was a coward. However, as the day closed to an end, there was much more shade, making it easier for Shikamaru to win the battle.
Unfortunately, he decided to bail on the tournament. According to the ninja, he used too much chakra to beat Temari and couldn’t efficiently battle in the next round. The whole situation left a deep impression on Temari, who also has a keen intellect and appreciation for strategy.
Konoha Crush
Temari also had an important role during the Konoha Crush arc. Her main duty was to help Gaara evacuate. Both Kankuro and she did their best to help Gaara flee. Although Kankuro was against it, Temari demanded to stay behind and fight Sasuke, thus giving Kankuro and Gaara enough time to escape.
Sasuke would easily beat Temari, while Naruto eventually caught up with Gaara, defeating him and thus eliminating the threat to Hidden Leaf Village. The whole sequence of events had a profound impact on Gaara and would initiate his character change.
Sasuke Recovery Mission
Tsunade insisted that Temari and her Hidden Sand brethren help Naruto, Shikamaru, and others in retrieving Sasuke. Sand Village ninjas caught up with Shikamaru and the others in the nick of time. Her future husband was battling Tayuya, who proved to be a tough out.
After analyzing the situation, Shikamaru told Temari they should retreat. Temari completely disregarded that request and used one of her summons to kill the opponent. Bruised and beaten, Shikamaru had to be escorted back to the hospital in Konoha.
Although she initially blasted him for not having enough emotional control in the heat of battle, she felt sorry when his father, Shikaku Nara, scolded him. At the end of the arc, Shikamaru left the hospital to escort Temari and her companions. Temari wows that she will always be there to protect him if he needs assistance.
Sunagakure Support Mission
Once again, we can see the trio of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. The siblings are on a mission to save Matsuri, who was Gaara’s student. The young ninja was taken by Four Celestial Symbols Men, who were depicted as an intimidating faction.
During the arc, Temari would go on to battle Kujaku, who has very similar ninjitsu to hers. Although she had some initial success, the battle was even for the most part. As the fight dragged on, Temari slowly started depleting her chakra reserves. Just as the opponent was looking to finish her, Ino and Shikamaru made their appearance.
As soon as the duo appeared, Temari would get into a verbal disagreement with Shikamaru. Luckily, they somehow managed to squash their differences and create a strategy that would help them eliminate the threat.
Temari would utilize her wind ninjitsu to change the trajectory of a local waterfall, thus increasing its shadow. Shikamaru would use this advantage to capture the opponent, after which Temari killed him off with her powerful weasel summon.
Kazekage Rescue Mission
Temari had a brief appearance in the story’s interlude. During the second part of Naruto, she would first appear in the Kazekage Rescue Mission arc. The sand ninja came to Konoha to help organize chunin exams. As per usual, she was escorted by Shikamaru. Naruto confronted the duo, asking them whether they dated, something that both of them denied.
As the female ninja was going back to Hidden Sand Village, Temari’s cup of tea suddenly broke off. While Temari is a very intelligent, rational person who doesn’t believe in such stuff, she did mention that this looks very ominous. She would learn that her fears were justified, as Gaara was apprehended by Akatsuki during her absence.
Temari would quickly group up with team Kakashi, which was rushing to Hidden Sand Villiage to analyze the situation. She knew that Naruto would do everything in his power to help Gaara because he bore the same burden within his body. Once they arrived, the team found out that Kankuro was severely injured in the attack.
Although Temari initially wanted to go with the team to save Gaara, she opted to stay with Kankuro and help him heal. When her brother recuperated his strength, the two of them would go after team Kakashi. Eventually, the Hidden Leaf ninjas would go on to rescue Gaara, something that Temari was grateful for.
Five Kage Summit
During the Five Kage Summit, Temari provides support to Gaara, who was invited to a Kage Summit. The five strongest representatives from the five ninja nations went to the Land of Iron to discuss politics. Temari is very annoyed by the way other kages treat Gaara.
Sasuke and his group made an appearance during the summit. Raikage quickly jumps to his feet, wanting to address this threat. Kankuro, Gaara, and Temari would, later on, join the lightning kage. Once reaching the scene of the battle, Kankuro and Temari would help out samurais who were being consumed by Amaterasu, Sasuke’s powerful genjutsu.
By talking to Sasuke, Gaara finds out that he is the newest member of Akatsuki. Temari and Gaara try to change his mind by saying that this would make him a marked man. Sasuke made a diversion destroying the room’s pillars and trapping his opponents inside. Upon regrouping, Raikage was approached by Tobi, who declared war upon ninja nations.
Immediately following these events, the kages decided to create a Shinobi Alliance that would deal with this overwhelming threat. After the meeting, Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro would go back to Hidden Sand Village to prepare for the ensuing conflict.
Paradise Life on a Boat
Pain’s invasion has left Hidden Leaf Village in ruins. Temari now performs the role of an ambassador who needs to relay information to Konoha’s kage, Tsunade. Once reaching the village, Konohamaru jumps in front of her, together with his inseparable friends, and challenges the sand ninja to a duel.
Although Temari completely ignores this knucklehead, he attacks nevertheless. She quickly disposes of him and proceeds to taunt him afterward. The sand ninja claims that Naruto has taken in such a bad student. Furious with her response, Konohamaru takes things up a notch. He channels rasengan, forcing Temari to take things up a notch.
Before they could clash, Shikamaru comes to the scene and stops the young Konohamaru. Temari was impressed by Konohamaru’s ability to master such a devastating technique at such a young age. She suddenly changes her tune, stating that there is a lot of potential in the young chunin, encouraging him to proceed with his training.
Later on in the arc, Temari once again takes the mantle of an escort. She would accompany Gaara as he went to a meeting with other kages in Kumogakure.
Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation
Temari was a member of the Fourth Division during the war. As previously mentioned, Shikamaru was the leader of the group, and Temari was working closely with the Hidden Leaf ninja throughout the operations. Although this was initially Gaara’s group to command, he didn’t have time to manage the troops.
The Fourth Division was waiting for Onoki’s and Gaara’s sign to join the fray. The two of them went ahead to test the enemy forces. Eventually, Temari and the Fourth Division would join the battle. The sand ninja was shocked to learn that her own father was on the other side of the field.
The Start of the Battle
As always, Temari was quite fearless during the conflict. She rushed towards the third raikage utilizing her Wind Release: Cast Net ability. Although a strong attack, she was still shocked when she managed to hurt the powerful opponent. Temari immediately gave the command for the sealing team to capture the kage.
However, raikage’s power was simply too much for them. Despite being injured, he easily disposed of the entire unit. Temari was forced to take a back seat and rethink her strategy. One of her allies, Dodai, provided some extra information about raikage, suggesting the best way to defeat him. According to him, they can still beat the powerful enemy, but they would need a stronger version of the wind release.
Naruto comes out of nowhere and offers his assistance. To everyone’s dismay, not even Naruto managed to break the opponent’s defenses. Lost and confused, some of the group members decide to take things into their own hands by performing an improvised ambush.
Unfortunately, the ambush falls flat, after which Temari orders a full retreat. Somehow, the team still manages to capture the kage. After that, Temari ordered the rest of the division to go towards Gaara, who was engaged with the second mizukage.
Encounter with Daimaru
As the battle group was going towards the sand kage, Tamari received news that the sealing team needed assistance. Apparently, a few powerful resurrected shinobis scrambled to the third raikage’s position. Temari was shocked when she saw an old childhood bully, Daimaru, who was currently being sealed by the allied forces.
There was a somewhat bizarre moment where Daimaru confessed his love for Temari. Suddenly, the female ninja realized the meaning behind his provocations. Temari told Daimaru that she actually admired him because he was so fearless. Unlike most other men, Daimaru never feared Gaara and Kankuro, her notoriously vicious siblings.
The deceased ninja then asked Temari whether she cried when she learned about his passing, to which she replied that she had never cried in her life. He continued pressing by asking whether she would’ve gone out with him if he had survived. Temari found this proposal laughable, which infuriated the male ninja.
Although very angry, Daimaru was happy to finally receive his answer, allowing the ninjas to seal him and end his existence.
Temari and Torune
After saying the bittersweet farewell, Temari was facing a new threat. Torune Aburame, one of the numerous resurrected ninjas, appeared in front of Temari. The sand ninja cautioned her battle group to be extra careful. She took the lead, quickly attacking Torune. To her surprise, this was an insect clone.
Later on, there was a short clash between Temari and Madara. Uchiha created two massive meteorites and would cast them onto the opponents’ heads. Although a devastating attack, it barely had any impact on Temari, who suffered minor cuts and bruises.
Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax
Later on, her battle group would rejoin the rest of the Fourth Division, which was led by Shikamaru. They would focus on a new threat in ten tails. Temari grouped up with other fan users, and together, they would climb atop of a rock from which they used Wind Cutter to strike at the ten-tails tail.
During these scenes, Temari shows appreciation for Shikaku and his battle genius. He managed to create an incredible strategy moments after learning about team members’ techniques. This made her realize all the similarities between Shikamaru and his father.
Later on, she would marvel at Shikamaru, who provided moral support to the troops during their battle with resurrected ninja. Temari noted that he had a lot of potential to become a hokage one day, as someone who can instill courage in the hearts of others.
Kaguya Otsutsuki Strikes
Temari’s last appearance in Naruto was during Madara’s attack. He would use Infinite Tsukuyomi to capture the entire world into his genjutsu. During these moments of obscurity, Temari would dream of her siblings, who always looked at her as a trusty advisor.
Eventually, Naruto and Sasuke would eliminate the opponent and bring peace to the world.
Temari’s abilities and skills
Tessenjutsu
Temari is renowned for her ability to control the wind. She utilizes a large iron fan to manipulate the element. She can create extremely strong wind torrents that are deadly for most opponents. She rarely uses the weapon for offensive melee combat, but she does utilize it as a shield and to glide in the air.
Temari can adjust the power of her fan by opening more sections. Although you might think that the wing ninjutsu is affected by the direction of the fan, she can slightly adjust its trajectory by imbuing the wind with chakra. As a real sand ninja, she sometimes adds sand to her wind strikes as a way of blinding enemies.
By the end of the Naruto storyline, Temari is depicted as one of the strongest wind users in the world. She uses the ninjitsu both offensively and defensively, swatting away enemies’ elemental strikes. Furthermore, she can utilize the wind with utmost precision allowing her to focus on weak points in enemy armor.
Analytical skills
Front the onset, Temari is presented as an incredibly battle analyst. She utilizes all information available to create genius strategies, thus countering opponents’ ninjitsu. Temari uses this information to calculate distances and strength of various abilities. She also has a great intuition that saved her numerous times in close battles.
Summoning Jutsu
Summoning Kamatari gives Temari a bit of flavor. Although the monster’s skills are very similar to hers, it provides a layer of depth to the character. Although not the best melee fighter, she is more than capable of defending herself against taijutstu users.
Temari Trivia
Like numerous other characters in Naruto and Boruto, Temari received a lot of development over the course of the show. Although the character didn’t receive as much coverage as some fan favorites, we know a lot about her backstory and motivations.
She is the Oldest Genin
During Naruto, you gain a feeling that all genins and chunins are of the same age, or at least, there is a one-year difference between them. However, there are some variations as to when some characters gain their titles.
Temari is the best example of this. She is a 15-year-old ninja, making her the oldest genin in the show. For comparison, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke are 12 years old. This explains why she is a de facto team leader, although Gaara and Kankuro are more powerful than her. This is also the reason why she is so emotionally stable and mature.
Almost a Host
After a careful selection process, Gaara was selected to be a host for Sand’s jinchuriki. However, he wasn’t the first choice. Before they tried the procedure with Gaara, the village elders tried imprisoning the beast in Temari and Kankuro. Neither of them were good hosts.
A Character Makeover
Although Temari has somewhat stayed true to her character, and we still see her vicious, stoic nature in the later arcs, she was significantly changed as the show went on.
Initially, the creators depicted Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari as real villains with little to no redeeming traits. As the show dragged on, and they eventually became Hidden Leaf allies, the trio would receive some tweaks, portraying them in a much more favorable light. They also received backstories, which explained their vicious, relentless nature as well as loyalty toward each other.
Temari’s Name
Like many other anime protagonists, there is a meaning behind Temari’s name. The specific term is used to describe a type of Japanese ball that kids often use for handball. However, Temari can also refer to an accessory.
There is even a reference to “Temari” in the character’s design. She always wears a kimono, which makes sense given that the old Temari balls were made from kimono fabric. However, there is another interesting fact about these objects. They are often given as a sign of loyalty and friendship, which, once again, can be connected to the on-screen character.
Plant Hobby
Interestingly enough, there was a brief scene in the show where you could see Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari growing plants. The fascination with flora makes sense, given they are from a sand country with little to no vegetation.
Although this was just a brief moment, the show’s creators probably used it as a reference to their gentle side. Or it might’ve been a spoof.
Jonin Level
During the initial Naruto run, prior to Shippuden, all Hidden Leaf kids are genins. They would rise to the rank of chunins after the exam, but no one, except Shikamaru, would reach the level of jonin during the initial storyline years.
On the other hand, when Shippuden started, you can see Temari and Kankuro as jonins. Furthermore, Gaara managed to reach the rank of kage. This might be a testament to the siblings’ talent, or it might be used to depict Hidden Sand’s resilience and good training methods.
Very Emotional
Despite the fact that Temari is shown as emotionless and even cruel during battle, she has a soft side. To be precise, she has a soft spot for Shikamaru. During some of their interactions, you could see her blush when Shikamaru teases her.
She often changes her common behavior around Hidden Leaf ninja, and on a few occasions, she would dress nicely to make an impression.
FAQs
Question: How much older is Temari than Shikamaru?
Answer: As already mentioned, Temari was a few years older than most protagonists in the show. While Naruto was 12, she was 15. The 3-year age gap is also the same with Shikamaru. In most cases, this could be seen in her commanding behavior toward Shikamaru, although she sometimes looked like a little girl in his presence, getting flustered when he teased her.
Question: Did Temari like Sasuke?
Answer: At the start of the show, Sasuke was portrayed as a heartbreaker. All the girls would go crazy in his presence. Similar happened to Temari. During the chunin exam, the two of them met for the first time. After asking Temari about her name, her face briefly turned red.
Question: Is Gaara related to Temari?
Answer: Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari are called the Three Sand Siblings. They were all children of the Hidden Sand’s fourth kazekage. They are very close, and you can notice this bond throughout the show.
Temari Naruto Guide: Conclusion
Temari is a smaller yet important character in Naruto. She is best known for her relationship with Shikamaru, but also for having a close bond with Gaara and Kankuro.
The sand ninja is adept at using wind jutsu. She channels her attacks through a giant fan, which can also be utilized for defense and utility. Although stoic and sometimes cruel, Temari has a soft side that is best seen through her relationship with Shikamaru.