Shikamaru Nara | |
---|---|
Naruto character | |
![]() Shikamaru Nara in Part I. Art by Masashi Kishimoto | |
First appearance |
|
Created by | Masashi Kishimoto |
Voiced by | Japanese Showtaro Morikubo[1] Nobutoshi Canna (Naruto episode 141)[2] English Tom Gibis[3] |
Notable relatives |
|
Ninja rank | |
Ninja team | Team 10 |
Shikamaru Nara (奈良 シカマル, Nara Shikamaru) is a fictional character in the manga and anime franchise, Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto. In the manga, Shikamaru is a shinobi affiliated with the village Hidden in the Leaves. He is a member of Team 10, a group of ninja consisting of himself, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka, and team leader Asuma Sarutobi. Shikamaru is portrayed as a lazy character, unwilling to apply his prodigious intelligence; Kishimoto has noted that he likes Shikamaru due to his easygoing nature.[5] Outside the Naruto anime and manga, Shikamaru has appeared in several other media in the franchise, including video games, original video animations, and six feature films.
Numerous anime and manga publications have commented on Shikamaru's character. Many reviewers commented on his laziness and intelligence, and noted his transformation into a leader; Anime News Network celebrated Shikamaru's emergence in the Naruto storyline. Shikamaru has also been highly popular with the Naruto reader base, placing high in several popularity polls. Merchandise based on Shikamaru has been released, including action figures, key chains, and patches.