Anime are weird. There is not much logic to most of the things that take place in it. But not everything is illogical despite them being a fantasy. Naruto’s whiskers is one such thing. He ain’t a cat so why does Naruto have whiskers?
It has not been explained in the series but it is clear that the offspring of a Jinchuriki has some mark that identifies the beast their parents had. And since Kushina was Kurama’s Jinchuriki, the whiskers of Naruto can easily be explained as a simple birthmark to signify his relation with Kurama.
There might be no functionality to the whiskers but they are undoubtedly one of Naruto’s core symbols. He does have the red spirals on his cheek but the first thing that most people notice are his whiskers. And due to this, the whiskers have also been carried on by both Boruto and Himawari.
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Does Naruto Have Whiskers?
If you have seen the 700+ episodes of both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, then you must have noticed all the quirky traits that Naruto has.
For example, he has the catchphrase Dattebayo which he uses at the end of every sentence. Or like how he has his signature orange jacket.
Even if you noticed all his features, you might not have noticed the whiskers he has. Now you might be thinking, does Naruto have whiskers? The thing is yes, he does.
At first glance, these whiskers seem like normal straight lines that Kishimoto sensei drew on his face accidentally. But that is not the case.
During a fan Q&A session, Kishimoto sensei was asked about the whiskers and he did confirm that those three lines on each cheek were indeed whiskers. But he didn’t confirm their cause of existence. This caused many to doubt the whiskers’ existence.
But if one looks at the 12th episode of Naruto then one can clearly see the whiskers appear as soon as Naruto starts leaking Kurama’s chakra.
In fact, before every single Jinchuriki transformation, these whiskers become more and more vivid till the incomplete Jinchuriki transformation takes place.
So, what are these whiskers for and why didn’t Kishimoto sensei explain them? Well, that’s because these whiskers have no impact on the story and are only the part of Naruto’s character design. But this didn’t stop the fans from brainstorming and establishing a head cannon.
Why Does Naruto Have Whiskers?
Even though the world of anime has the stigma of being illogical, the reality is different. Yes, there are many physics-defying cases and otherworldly developments but even those scenarios or elements can be explained using the plot of that particular anime. And this certain freedom is what the Naruto fans adopted to explain Naruto’s whiskers.
Here are some of the most common theories that explain your curiosity about why does Naruto have whiskers.
Because Naruto is a Jinchuriki
Many suspect that the whiskers that Naruto has are to symbolize his Jinchuriki nature. His sealed beast is the Nine-tailed Fox, Kurama. And the fox-like nature of his beast influenced him to grow those whiskers.
This theory is further supported if you look at his tailed beast transformations. One of the most prominent scenes where this theory was further strengthened was during the bridge fight with Haku.
Many forgot about it till the 42nd episode of Naruto Shippuden was released. Even in that fight Naruto’s whiskers had the most prominent change prior to the incomplete Tailed Beast transformation.
Symbolizes His Birth
Another theory that was further supported after the introduction of Boruto and Himawari was that these whiskers symbolize his birth.
Naruto is the only son of Minato and Kushina. Even though Minato wasn’t a Jinchuriki, Kushina was one during the time of Naruto’s birth.
When Naruto was conceived, Kushina had Kurama sealed within her. And many believe that this is the reason for Naruto’s whiskers. This theory has no ground as there was no other point of reference. That is until Boruto and Himawari appeared.
Both Boruto and Himawari are the son and daughter of Naruto and Hinata. And the most important thing is both of them have whiskers similar to their dad. Yes, they might have two less whiskers but no one can deny that they are there.
When both of them were born, Naruto still had Kurama within him. So the speculation that the children of Jinchuriki have a birthmark that symbolizes the tailed beast their parents had was perfectly supported.
Moreover, a new theory was established stating that as the number of generations increases, the number of this birthmark decreases as long as it’s the same Tailed Beast.
It’s a Design Choice
Now if you are not satisfied with the head cannons, then here is the most logical explanation for Naruto’s whiskers, they were a simple design choice by Kishimoto sensei. Yes, this logic seems to be the weakest of the three but it still is the most logical.
In fact, even in the Pilot Manga of Naruto where the boy is depicted as a fox. Such a case implies that Naruto is indeed the human form of the vicious Nine-tailed Kurama. But Kishimoto sensei never gave a positive response to this claim.
Frequently Asked Facts
Even though the entirety of Naruto has more than seven hundred episodes, there are many questions still remaining about the main character’s whiskers. Let’s answer some of the most frequently asked ones to clear your confusion.
Can Naruto shave his whiskers?
Throughout both Naruto and Boruto, Naruto has never been seen trimming his whiskers. Despite this, the whiskers never grew. So, it is safe to say that Naruto did indeed trim it or maybe, his whiskers can never grow!
Why does Naruto have three whiskers on each side while his children have only two?
Both Boruto and Himawari have their father’s whiskers but they both have one less. The reason for this has not been confirmed but it is speculated that the reason is because they are the second generation of children from the Nine-tailed Jinchuriki.
Will Boruto’s children have whiskers?
The possibility of Naruto’s third-generation having whiskers is almost zero. This is because the theory of whiskers states that the children of Kurama’s Jinchuriki will have them.
And since neither Boruto or Himawari have Kurama sealed within them yet, the possibility of passing down the whiskers is zero.
Final Words
After going through the head cannons, you might still be confused. And being this confused still makes sense. This is because the answer for “why does Naruto have whiskers?” is still to be obtained from an official source.
Not even Kishimoto sensei himself clarified the reason behind this facial hair. It just might be a design choice or it might be a big issue like a Jinchuriki offspring’s birthmark. But no matter the reason, one can’t simply think about Naruto without his whiskers.