Starting from being a student of the shinobi Academy with Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara was trained under the tutelage of Asuma Sarutobi as part of Team 10. Then Shikamaru was able to become the first person of his generation to become a chunin.

His intelligence allows Shikamaru Nara to adapt to many situations, and his peers often view him as a leader. Fans of the Naruto universe watched him grow from a genius but slacker who turned into an advisor of the seventh Hokage. Who is Shikamaru Nara, the lazy genius who grew up to be the Hokage's advisor? Find out his 15 facts here!

1. His Name Means Deer

Like many character names in the Naruto universe, Shikamaru Nara has a deeper meaning too. Shikamaru translates to "as a deer" with the prefix "Shika" literally meaning deer. The word "Shika" became the first part of the names of all the boys in the Shikamaru family.

The name of the Nara clan also refers to the habitat of the deer. Nara was the name of the capital city of ancient Japan in the eighth century, and is famous for its tame deer. In Naruto, the Nara clan has a special bond with the deer, which live in the forest that surrounds the Nara family's residence.

2. Differences in Shikamaru's First Appearance in Anime and Manga

Like Naruto's classmates at the Academy, there’s a difference between Shikamaru Nara’s first appearance in the anime and manga.

In the anime, Shikamaru appears in the first episode where Naruto and his classmates are taking their graduation exams. Unlike in the manga, the story only shows Naruto and team 7 at the beginning of the long story. Shikamaru did not officially appear in the manga until the fourth volume. In particular, he appears during the Chunin exam which begins in chapter 34 titled "Intruder?!"

3. Kishimoto Created Shikamaru as a Genius

In a 2014 interview for Fuji Television, Masashi Kishimoto gave a little background on the characters he created. In Shikamaru's case, Kishimoto created a character devoted to passing the Chunin exams. He was meant to be the only character to be promoted to chunin in Naruto's generation.

Kishimoto wanted Shikamaru's intelligence, not his strength, to give him an edge in the exam. The storyline was eventually disrupted by the addition of Orochimaru's plot, but the idea persisted. So Shikamaru was always meant to be a genius.

4. A Great Strategist

There is much discussion about Shikamaru Nara being a great strategist. That's why he is often assigned to carry out missions with his friends in the anime. Not only is he good at planning strategies, Shikamaru is also good at figuring out the next few steps in life, as he does in shogi or traditional Japanese chess.

When Asuma first became a teacher in the manga, he began to test Shikamaru's intelligence through various puzzle and logic games. Asuma realized that Shikamaru likely had an IQ of over 200, which was unprecedented. By the time Boruto rolled around, Shikamaru was considered the smartest person in Konohagakure by everyone in his village.

5. Shikamaru and Naruto Became Close Friend

It's not entirely clear when Shikamaru Nara and Naruto Uzumaki actually started getting along. In the manga, Shikamaru didn't really become Naruto's close friend until the Fourth Shinobi War. They were classmates and teammates before, but it was during the war that Shikamaru became inspired by Naruto and vowed to stay by his side because he wanted to make sure Naruto could become a great Hokage.

In the anime, Shikamaru really got along with Naruto when they first started attending the Academy. In flashbacks, Naruto, Choji, Shikamaru, and Kiba were friends at a young age but gradually drifted apart due to their respective destinies.

6. Shikamaru Play A Big Role in Naruto Movies

In Legend of The Stone of Gelel, Shikamaru Nara is one of the Naruto team members sent on a mission. The Will Of Fire shows Shikamaru and all the ninjas from Naruto's generation involved in the main storyline. In The Last: Naruto The Movie, Shikamaru is the leader of the team sent to save Hanabi and stop Toneri's evil plans.

7. His Earrings are Gifted From Asuma

Team 10 consisting of Shikamaru Nara, Ino, and Choji is part of a family tradition. Their three shinobi clans had long allied themselves, and had also long trained under the members of the Sarutobi clan. Team 10's teacher, Asuma, gave the threenew earrings as a ceremonial act. The earrings were an acknowledgment that the three of them were no longer children and had graduated to become fully capable ninja.

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8. A Virgo

Born on September 22, Shikamaru Nara is a Virgo according to western astrology.

This is actually a very fitting sign for Shikamaru. Virgo tend to be critical thinkers, great analysts, and show loyalty. Funnily enough, Shikamaru also seems to be able to attract other Virgos. His wife, Temari, is also a Virgo. So does his teammate Ino, who is also a Virgo.

9. Shikamaru Has Completed 39 Missions

The Naruto databook revealed many interesting statistics about the series’ characters. For example, the databook also revealed official mission stats.

During the series, Shikamaru officially completed 39 missions. All of them included 8 D rank missions, 3 C rank missions, 9 B rank missions, and 19 A rank missions. Unfortunately, Shikamaru never completed the most difficult of the S rank missions in Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.

10. Shikamaru Didn’t Want to Marry Temari in Mugen Tsukuyomi

During the Fourth Shinobi War, Madara Uchiha planned to put people around the world in a genjutsu. The Mugen Tsukuyomi causes everyone to live in the ideal world they want. Some people who are not trapped in it are Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura.

Shikamaru's dream world is interesting because it reminds him of important relationships in his life. He observed his mother and father together, as well as sensei Asuma with his wife Kurenai. Shikamaru commented that he would never marry, and Temari who was there with him agreed instead. Despite Shikamaru's initial refusal, he eventually married and started a family with Temari a few years later. The hallucinations show how a character's mindset can change.

11. An Amazing Shogi Player

If you want to fight Shikamaru Nara in a shogi match, you better be prepared. Shikamaru started playing shogi against his father and Asuma. Then finally Shikamaru started teaching his son Shikadai how to play shogi too.

One of his hobbies is facing strong opponents in shogi. This is in stark contrast to his attitude in physical fights because Shikamaru is too lazy to fight strong enemies which he finds very troublesome.

12. He Dislikes Boiled Eggs

Shikamaru Nara's favorite food is relatively simple, he likes mackerel cooked with miso and sukonbu (traditional Japanese food seasoned with vinegar). On the other hand, he doesn't like boiled eggs. All of that is disclosed in the data book.

13. His Hobby is Napping

Is napping a hobby? In the case of Shikamaru Nara, that was his passion. Considering how hard he had worked his entire life as a genin to become the seventh Hokage's right-hand man, he deserved to make napping a hobby in his spare time.

14. His Chakra Nature is Unexpected

Shikamaru Nara is best known for his Shadow Imitation Technique, which requires Yin Release chakra. But Yin Release is not the only chakra trait that Shikamaru possesses.

Although rarely, Earth Release or Fire Release moves are two of his innate abilities. If Shikamaru wanted to start using the Fire Jutsu or Earth Jutsu, he would probably be able to master it in no time.

15. Afraid of His Wife

As a child, Shikamaru Nara was not very impressed with his parents' relationship, he thought his father was very afraid of his mother. But as an adult, his perspective has changed. Shikamaru married Temari who was very similar to his mother named Yoshino.

The two women were able to quickly subdue their husbands, because both women were hard and fierce personalities. Shikamaru and his father who are great at war strategy can only obey their respective wives who are very scary.

Those are the 15 facts about Shikamaru Nara, a genius ninja and strategist from Konoha. Do you think there are any other Shikamaru facts that haven't been discussed here? You can share them in the comment section.

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