Naruto's Ibiki Morino was so scary, people killed themselves rather than face him

Modified Apr 08, 2024 08:38 GMT

Ibiki Morino as seen in Naruto (image via Pierrot)

The characters of the Naruto franchise are a major reason behind the series' overwhelming popularity and success. The vast and vibrant cast of characters of Masashi Kishimoto's magnum opus left a mark on the world of anime and are fondly remembered for their impact on the series to this day.

Among this expansive roster of characters, there is one particular character who might not have been a major part of the series, but stood out in his own unique way. The character referred to here is the leader of Konoha's Intelligence Division, Ibiki Morino, who has a reputation for being one of the scariest and most brutal men in his village.

Naruto: Exploring the authenticity of Ibiki Morino's terrifying reputation

Ibiki Morino interrogating Karin Uzumaki (image via Pierrot)

As the leader of Konoha's Intelligence Division, Ibiki Morino is one of the most important figures in his village. He is a tokubetsu jonin of Konoha, as well as the commanding officer of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force.

Due to his deep understanding of the working of the human mind, Ibiki Morino is an expert at interrogation and torture. In fact, he has often been described as the best interrogator of Konoha. Ibiki is also described as a sadist by Kakashi Hatake, which in itself speaks volumes of the former's terrifying nature.

Ibiki excelled at intel gathering from his genin days itself when he used to be a part of a team with Hayate Gekko. What's interesting about his methods of interrogation is that it isn't focused on the conventional methods of physical torture, but rather on psychologically breaking down his opponents, which makes it impossible for them to withhold any information from him.

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Ibiki had a strong belief that pain is the most effective form of communication, which is something he carried out while conducting his interrogations. That said, Ibiki's mental fortitude is just as impressive as his interrogation skills. He doesn't only excel at dishing out punishment, but also in enduring it when the same was done to him.

One time, Ibiki got captured by Aoi Rokusho and was brutally tortuted by him. However, Ibiki did not falter one bit and never revealed any information to Aoi, despite the horrifying torture that the former had to endure.

Ibiki's reputation as the top Anbu interrogator was renowned across borders, as seen during the time when Ibiki and his squad confronted the Cypher Division of Kiri (Village Hidden in the Mist).

When one of the members of the Divison, Kisame Hoshigaki, recognized Ibiki as the top Anbu interrogator of Konoha, he opted to kill all the members of his team rather than have them be interrogated by Ibiki and reveal crucial information.

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As twisted as Ibiki was, he was visibly disturbed at the sight of Kisame going so far as to kill his comrades rather than have them face him and jeopardize their village. After taking all these points into consideration, one can have a clear idea about how terrifying Ibiki's reputation is, since it led people to resort to such extreme measures rather than face him in a head-on battle.

It should be noted that Ibiki is not always a scary torturer with a reputation frightening enough to instill fear into his enemies' hearts. Apart from his usual strict nature, Ibiki sometimes shows a more relaxed side to him, which understandably causes a great deal of shock among those who witness the drastic shift in his personality.

While he certainly may not be a major part of the series, Ibiki Morino did leave his impact on the story as well as several characters. As such, fans often look back fondly on his character and are grateful for his contribution to making the Naruto franchise as epic as it is today.