Jiraiya is one of the most beloved characters in Naruto. He was one of the most inspirational people in the titular hero's life. As a Shinobi of the hidden leaf, he is well known for his talent in espionage and mastery of Sage Jutsu. In the Second Great Ninja War, he earned the title of Legendary Sannin alongside his teammates Tsunade and Orochimaru.
They were given the title by Hanzo of the Salamander of Hidden Rain Village. It is also a rumored fact that no one could face the three when they joined forces.
Jiraiya was nominated for the Hokage position twice, but turned it down both times. He is also responsible for training two generations of Hokage in the Hidden leaf. He not only trained Minato and Naruto, but also trained Boruto for a short period of time in the Boruto Series. He is also the renowned author of the Make-Out Tactics series of novels.
As a tribute to our favorite Ero Sennin, here's a list of his 10 most memorable quotes throughout the entirety of the Naruto Series.
Here are 10 famous quotes by Jiraiya in the Naruto series
1. "A place where someone still thinks of you is a place you can call home."
As Naruto still wallows in regret for failing to bring Sasuke back 3 years ago. Jiraiya begins to explain his story about his former friend and teammate, Orochimaru.
Naruto promises to never give up on Sasuke, gaining the admiration of his mentor, who feels a tinge of sadness and regret for giving up on Orochimaru. Naruto says he needs to get stronger to bring Sasuke home. Jiraiya responds by saying Sasuke will always have a home with him as long as he never forgets about him.
2. “If you can’t accept and move past rejection, or at least use it as writing material – you’re not a real man.”
Jiraiya is no stranger to rejection, as he is seen constantly being shut down by women. Despite that, he always claimed he was unbothered by it, saying he doesn't see anything wrong with rejection because it only makes him stronger. He also tells Naruto that any "real man" should be able to use their rejection to help them grow stronger.
3. “Training a genius is no fun.”
Each legendary sannin eventually trained a member of Hatake Kakashi’s Team 7. With Orochimaru training Sasuke, Tsunade takes Sakura, while Jiraiya trains Naruto himself.
In a confrontation with Orochimaru, they both discuss their students, with Orochimaru praising Sasuke for being a genius. Jiraiya replied by telling him that teaching someone like Sasuke, who is considered a genius, is no fun. This stems from the fact that Jiraiya gets to do more hands-on training with Naruto, while Sasuke would instead master a lot of his skills on his own.
4. “The most important thing for a shinobi to have is the spirit and the guts never to give up.”
Singularly one of the greatest quotes in the entire Naruto Series, helping pave the path to Naruto’s Ninja way—the three legendary sannin face-off, with Jiraiya and Tsunade fighting to stop Orochimaru.
As they fight, they exchange words and detail their conflicting philosophies. Orochimaru measures a shinobi's worth by the jutsu or genjutsu they possess. Jiraiya responds by telling his former teammate how misguided he still is. He says a shinobi's ability has nothing to do with becoming a ninja – a ninja is simply "one who has the guts to never give up."
5. “You bet that I will die. After all, you always lose.”
Before leaving on his mission to infiltrate the hidden rain village, Jiraiya opts to spend some time with Tsunade. The two recount memories, and Tsunade is filled with dread as it seems like Jiraiya is saying goodbye. Tsunade is a compulsive gambler with a streak of bad luck. For her, winning is a bad omen.
To ease her mind and make her smile, Jiraiya tells her to bet against him to ensure his safe return. Tsunade is surprised to hear him talk casually about his death, and his laughter makes her uneasy.
6. "The Tale of Naruto Uzumaki has a nice ring to it."
Jiraiya accomplished his mission and confirmed the identity of Pain. He delivered his final message to Fukasaku in hopes of assisting the leaf village in taking down Pain.
Reliving his memories, Jiraiya sinks to the bottom of the ocean with a smile. He also has a moment to consider what a sequel to his life would be called. He decides on "The Tale of Naruto Uzumaki."
7. "A ninja's life is not measured by how he lived."
In his final moments, Jiraiya begins to relive some of his failures: His rejection from Tsunade and his inability to save Orochimaru. Jiraiya always tried to better the situations he came across. Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Minato, and Naruto are pupils he holds dear.
He says that he wants to obliterate his failures and die like a Hokage, with no regrets, just simply knowing he and the students he trained were able to change the world for the better.
8. “They say a novel is a lot more interesting if you do not know how it ends.”
A person of Jiraiya's age and experience can't be surprised by much. He often sees the results of conflicts - that's part of what makes him such a great fighter and a master spy. Jiraiya equates being surprised in life with readers enjoying a novel. The enjoyment comes from not knowing how the book ends but enjoying the journey.
9. "Knowing what it feels like to be in pain is exactly why we try to be kind to others."
Jiraiya is heartbroken to discover that his former student Nagato is the Akatsuki leader he'd been tracking. Looking across to see the sensitive child he once knew, whose only dream was to protect his friends, fills him with sadness.
During their battle, he recounts his memories with a younger Nagato. He tells him that understanding pain creates kindness, which makes them human, which is why they should be kind to others.
10. "My duty is to be a model for the next generation."
Tsunade tells Jiraiya that tracking the Akatsuki alone is dangerous, but Jiraiya is a master of espionage and works better alone. As they discuss the risk and also reminisce, Tsunade apologises to Jiraiya for always getting "the short end of the stick."
Jiraiya expresses that he doesn't regret tracking Orochimaru, passing up becoming the Hokage or preparing to find the Akatsuki's leader alone. He tells her his duty is to be a model for the next generation and set an excellent example. And for that, he’ll gladly lay down his life with a smile.
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