Background
Anko was once the student of Orochimaru. During the second test of the Chūnin Exams, Anko and her team-mates confronted Hayate Gekkō and his team-mates.[2] Some time later she, along with nine others, were used by Orochimaru to test the finalised versions of the Cursed Seal of Heaven he developed from synthesising the enzymes of Jūgo with his own chakra. Of the ten subjects, Anko was the only survivor. This in turn established the one-in-ten survival rate of those who are inflicted with the cursed seal.[3]
In the anime, after her ordeal ended while at the Land of the Sea, Anko refused to follow her mentor. Seeing that she was more valuable to him alive for the sake of his research, Orochimaru altered Anko's memory into believing that she was abandoned for not having the ideal drive to fuel the cursed seal.[4] She was found by Konoha ninja soon after and was brought to the village with a grudge on Orochimaru since.
Personality
Anko is easygoing, tomboyish, playful, stubborn, bold, rough, short-tempered and sometimes hyperactive, which makes her somewhat similar to Naruto Uzumaki in many ways.[5] Despite portraying several "Naruto-like" habits, she has shown to be very knowledgeable and studious. However, she is also shown to have a bloodthirsty (in a literal sense) side, as shown when she scratched Naruto's face with a kunai, and licked away his blood (in the anime, she merely used her finger to wipe it off).[6] Anko has also shown a slightly sadistic side and is seemingly not the most sympathetic of people, which comes as no surprise, being the former student of Orochimaru. However, she does genuinely care about her comrades or people who suffer as shown in her encouraging words to Isaribi during the Land of the Sea Arc. Anko is also a very strict and blunt person, wasting no time in announcing bad news. She regularly makes sure to have at least basic knowledge of the landscape for which her next mission will take place. Anko is also highly self-confident in terms of her own abilities, frequently opting to face a powerful opponent single-handedly or continue a dangerous mission alone.
As shown in flashbacks during the Land of the Sea Arc, Anko greatly admired Orochimaru while under his tutelage, seeing him as a role model and was inspired to be more like him. After being branded by Orochimaru with the cursed seal, Anko became enraged and carried a deep loathing for her former teacher. From there on, Anko continues to search for Orochimaru in hopes of taking him down, feeling that it is her duty as his former subordinate to stop him, even at the cost of her life.
Appearance
Anko has light brown, pupil-less eyes, and black hair which has a blue tint to it,[7] (depicted as violet in the anime) which is styled in a short, spiky, fanned-ponytail. She is commonly seen wearing a tan overcoat with a purple in-seam, which has a pocket on both sides, and complete with a fitted mesh body suit that stretches from her neck down to her thighs.[8] She wears a dark orange mini-skirt, as well as a forehead protector, a small pendant that looks like a snake fang on a thick cord rather than a chain to prevent it from being easily torn off in combat, a wrist watch, and pale grey shin guards. She also wears a dark blue belt around her waist that connects to her skirt that has an appendage-like sash. The Cursed Seal of Heaven, which takes the appearance of threetomoe, was at the back of her neck on the left side before Sasuke Uchiha removed it with the Evil Releasing Method.
As a child, Anko wore a short-sleeved burgundy T-shirt and khaki shorts, as well as knee-high mesh stockings, white wristbands, black shinobi sandals, and would occasionally wear a beige backpack. When she took the Chūnin Exams, she wore a sleeveless fishnet mesh shirt, dark shorts, along with fishnet armbands that reach to her elbows, and knee-length boots.[2]
Abilities
As a child, Anko's talent for ninja arts were presumably high, as shown from Orochimaru's initial interest in her, even comparing her abilities to Sasuke. Her training with Orochimaru made her a powerful fighter as she was shown to have very quick reflexes and precise aim. The fact that she was sent to lead the team searching for Kabuto is strongly suggestive of how much Konoha respects her skills. During her brief scuffle with Orochimaru, she was able to outmanoeuvre him several times. She was also able to counter Kabuto Yakushi's ambush, despite losing to him. In the anime, it was also stated that she had also built up an immunity to poisons due to Orochimaru in a similar manner as what he had done with Sasuke.[9]
She has good aim, as she made a perfect Konoha symbol out of dango sticks without looking.[10]
Despite never using the Cursed Seal of Heaven, Kabuto said she retained some of Orochimaru's chakra because of the mere fact that she was branded with it.[11][12] It was fully removed when Sasuke Uchihaused it as a medium to revive Orochimaru's consciousness and body via the Evil Releasing Method.[13]
Ninjutsu
Nature Transformation
In the anime, Anko displayed competent use of nature transformation as she was using a powerful Fire Release technique, the Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique.[14]
Snake Techniques
Anko knows several forbidden and snake-related techniques taught to her by Orochimaru, the most notable of which is Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique — a murder-suicide technique she attempted to use to eliminate her former sensei in the Forest of Death for the sake of her village.[15]
She also has the ability to summon snakes and use them for the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands technique[16] and its stronger variant.[17]
Stats
| Databook | Ninjutsu | Taijutsu | Genjutsu | Intelligence | Strength | Speed | Stamina | Hand seals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 3.5 | 2.5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 25 |
Part I
Chūnin Exam Arc
Anko was the proctor for the second exam, which she announced duringIbiki Morino's speech, after she made a rather loud entrance into his class, annoying him since she was early. During the second exam, Izumo Kamizuki, Kotetsu Hagane, and Mozuku notified her of three deadKusagakure ninja. Anko saw that all of their faces had been stolen, and, after she recognised the face-stealing technique, she demanded the Kusa-nin's IDs. After seeing the IDs, Anko realised that the Kusa ninja, who she met earlier, was Orochimaru in disguise. Later, she arrived at a confrontation with Orochimaru, and it was revealed that he used to be her sensei.
Orochimaru was able to reawaken her cursed seal during their battle in the Forest of Death, thus incapacitating her with the pain and ending their fight. She then rushed to inform the Third Hokage, and then found by the ANBU. During the preliminaries, she strongly requested to pullSasuke Uchiha out of the exams in order to keep the cursed seal under control, but was denied. Feeling guilty that she was unable to kill Orochimaru, she later talked over her encounter with the Third Hokage, but he reassured her that it wasn't her fault that Orochimaru got away.
In the anime, she appears briefly in her favourite dumpling restaurantwhere Naruto asks her about the legacy of the Fourth Hokage, but quickly becomes angry with him when he eats her dumplings without permission and chases him away by throwing dumpling sticks at him like senbon.[18]
Invasion of Konoha Arc
When the Oto and Suna villages invaded Konohagakure, she did not take the front lines, and instead assisted civilian villagers in getting away from harm by evacuating to the Hokage Monument. Anko was later seen attending the Third Hokage's funeral, mourning his death.
Search for Tsunade Arc
In the anime, Anko makes an appearance along with most of the village to watch Tsunade's inauguration as Hokage.[19]
Sasuke Retrieval Arc
In the anime, Anko is seen alongside Ibiki, Tsunade and Genma as Shikamaru is promoted to chūnin.[20]
Curry of Life Arc
In the anime, Anko appears briefly after returning from an escort mission in the Land of Swamps. While Tsunade congratulates Anko on a job well done, she absent-mindedly takes her last dango stick, which irritates Tsunade and frightens Shizune.[21]
Land of the Sea Arc
In the anime, Anko's past was explored somewhat from a nightmare of when she was still Orochimaru's apprentice. She led Naruto, Ino Yamanaka, and Shino Aburame on a mission to protect a shipping convoy in the Land of the Sea, which was the country where she was found after Orochimaru had branded her with his Cursed Seal, and subsequently abandoned her. Because her memories were intentionally erased of the event, she was purposefully sent to the Land of the Sea by Tsunade in order for her to regain her memories of the event. After the mission, Anko found her way back to the place where she received the Cursed Seal and regained her full memory of how she and Orochimaru parted ways. She was glad to discover that she was not tossed away like trash as she first had thought, but chose to leave him herself.
Part II
Anko made a number of cameos in the Naruto: Shippūden anime; when Kakashi recalls Jiraiya's warning about Naruto's transformation in the dumpling shop, Anko is seen walking in front of it.[22] Anko is also seen during one of Naruto's dreams, he interrupted a number of kunoichi (amongst them was Anko) relaxing in a hot spring while he was peeking.[23] She later appeared at Asuma's funeral, along with several other characters not present at the funeral in the manga.[24] She was also mentioned by Naruto in one of the anime's ending sketches; in the sketch, Naruto invited Chiyo to try Konoha's best dumpling restaurant, saying that even the "scary snake lady" liked to eat in this place.[25]
Itachi Pursuit Arc
In the anime, after Sasuke absorbed Orochimaru, Anko was shown to be on a mission with Mozuku andIwashi. Sensing someone behind her, she threw a kunai into a bush and killed a white snake. Knowing that a white snake was Orochimaru's signature, she covered her seal with her hand and looked toward the sky ominously. Also, she was seen in Orochimaru's flashback when he talked of the white snake skin. He offered to teach her about immortality, which she eagerly accepted.[26]
Invasion of Pain Arc
Before Pain attacked, Anko, Sai and Yamato were dispatched to track and locate Kabuto Yakushi. Anko cautioned the rest of them to not let Kabuto detect them. However, right after discovering his location, Yamato is forced to return to the village, detecting that Naruto had achieved his six-tailed transformation.
Confining the Jinchūriki Arc
Anko and a restaffed Infiltration and Reconnaissance Party pick up Kabuto's trail again, eventually coming across three dead Takigakure ninja. Examining the damage done to their bodies, Anko concludes that Kabuto has finally gained control over Orochimaru's remains. Although suspicious about why Kabuto is leaving bodies behind for them to follow - fearing a trap - they continue to follow the trail of bodies to theMountains' Graveyard. There, Anko has Tokuma Hyūga use his Byakuganto examine the area. He informs her that Kabuto is in the company of "Madara Uchiha". Believing they have found the Akatsuki base, Anko immediately sends word of their discovery to Konoha, only briefly wondering why Kabuto would lead them there.
Shinobi World War Arc
Anko and her team continue to monitor the Mountains' Graveyard. When Tokuma reports unusual activity, Anko has Muta Aburame scout the area. He reports thousands of living beings moving beneath the ground. With it clear that Akatsuki is mobilising for war, Anko instructs her team to make contact with the Allied Shinobi Forces while she goes after Kabuto. She tries to sneak up on Kabuto and attacks him, but is quickly defeated. Though Tobi ordered him to kill Anko, Kabuto kept her in a comatose state so he can extract the trace amounts of Orochimaru's chakra within her to increase his power and control over the ninja he reincarnated with the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation.
Ten-Tails Revival Arc
Throughout the entirety of the fight between Kabuto and the Uchihasiblings, Sasuke and Itachi, Anko remained undisturbed on the floor of the cave. Once Kabuto had been defeated and the Impure World Reincarnation was released, Suigetsu Hōzuki and Jūgo arrived with the latter noticing Anko's body, alerting the others. Jūgo picked up Anko's body, causing Sasuke to notice the cursed seal on her neck. Sasuke then declared that he was going to speak with Orochimaru, the cursed seal having contained a fragment of its creator's mind and saw events unfold through Anko. Once Sasuke used the Evil Releasing Method to revive Orochimaru, Anko's cursed seal was removed in the process. Anko, still unconscious, was left in the cave. Her fate remains unknown.
Video Games
Anko Mitarashi is a playable character in the following video games:
| Game name | Japanese release | English release |
|---|---|---|
| Naruto Shippūden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 | 17 November 2009 | |
| Naruto Shippūden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! Special | 2 December 2010 | |
| Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja 4 | 5 April 2007 | 24 March 2009 |
| Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja 5 | 20 December 2007 | 27 November 2009 |
| Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 | 21 October 2008 | |
| Naruto: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! 3 | 20 November 2004 | |
| Naruto: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! 4 | 21 November 2005 | |
| Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 | 22 December 2005 | 25 March 2008 |
In the Ultimate Ninja games, Anko has the ability to go into Curse Seal Mode instead of Ultimate Mode when facing Orochimaru.
In some games, she makes non-playable appearances as a background character, a guide when navigating the main menu and various game modes, a shopkeeper for purchasing unlockable items, or an assist character.
Trivia
- Anko is Kishimoto's favourite female character, due to her "relationship with Orochimaru".[8]
- Anko is quite popular for a side-character, and even came in 11th place, right behind Hinata, in the first official character poll.
- Anko Mitarashi's name is derived from the sweet red bean paste used in popular dango, while her family name is after the Mitarashi syrup.
- Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets of Anko show that she was 143cm when she was first part of Orochimaru's genin team.
- According to the databook(s):
- She likes conducting tea ceremonies as a hobby.
- Anko wishes to fight Orochimaru.
- Anko's favourite foods are sweet bean soup and dango. Her least favourite type of food is spicy-tasting food.
- Her favourite phrase is "Calling on" (参上, Sanjō).
- Anko has completed 647 official missions in total: 72 D-rank, 86 C-rank, 398 B-rank, 89 A-rank, 2 S-rank.
Quotes
- (To the genin) "Heads up, boys and girls, this is no time to be celebrating! I'll be your next proctor. Anko Mitarashi. You ready for the second test? Good! Then let's go, follow me!"[27]
- (To Naruto) "Tough guys like you usually leave their blood all over this forest."[28]
- (To Orochimaru, before engaging him) "This is no time to reminisce, you’re an S-class criminal, top of the most wanted list. You’ve got to be taken down, and it's only fitting that I'm the one to do it. 'Cause after all, you're the one that taught me everything, right, Sensei?"[29]
- (To Kakashi, about Sasuke) "I don’t care what the heck he is! If he stays, he's a danger to everyone! Don't you see!? As he gets stronger, so does the Cursed Seal! That thing is feeding off his chakra! It's a forbidden technique that devours the one who bears it! It's incredible the kid's still standing. By now, he… should be dead."[30]
References
- ↑ First Databook, pages 122-123
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Naruto chapter 599, pages 2-4
- ↑ Naruto chapter 50, page 15
- ↑ Naruto episode 173
- ↑ Naruto chapter 44, page 15
- ↑ Naruto chapter 45, pages 3-4
- ↑ Naruto chapter 604, pages 3-4
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Naruto Anime Profiles Volume 1, episodes 1-37, page 198
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 261
- ↑ Naruto chapter 49, page 3
- ↑ Naruto chapter 521, page 17
- ↑ Naruto chapter 522, page 9
- ↑ Naruto chapter 593, page 9
- ↑ Naruto episode 169
- ↑ Naruto chapter 50, page 13
- ↑ Naruto chapter 50, page 10
- ↑ Naruto chapter 516, pages 8-9
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 170
- ↑ Naruto episode 100
- ↑ Naruto episode 107
- ↑ Naruto episode 152
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 30
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 37
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 82
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 20 omake
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 114
- ↑ Naruto chapter 44, pages 14-15
- ↑ Naruto chapter 45, pages 2-3
- ↑ Naruto chapter 50, page 7
- ↑ Naruto chapter 66, page 15
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