Who was Hanzo in Naruto? Explained

Hanzo is one of anime’s least explored villains, but even with that, he holds a vital role in Naruto. Some of the villains shown in Naruto Shippuden resulted from Hanzo’s actions. Even the names of the legendary Sannin came after a battle with him, but who was Hanzo in Naruto?

Hanzo was the leader of Amegakure, also known as the Hidden Rain Village, before Pain. He held that position for a long time but was killed by Pain after a civil war in the Hidden Rain Village. Hanzo was famously known as “Hanzo of the Salamander” and was one of the strongest ninjas in Narutoverse.

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Hanzo's origins and role in Naruto

Hanzo’s origins

Ibuse, the salamander, was Hanzo's companion (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Not much is shown of Hanzo in Naruto, but he was born in the Land of Storms under the Hattori Clan, a clan known for its expertise with poisons. A poisonous salamander protected the Hattori Clan from invaders before Hanzo was born. However, when Hanzo was young, the salamander died. This led to the clan putting the salamander's poisonous sac into Hanzo.

From there on, Hanzo protected his clan and rallied the men to form a hidden village. What they formed was the Hidden Rain, and Hanzo became its leader.

Hanzo began as a benevolent leader, protecting the Hidden Rain from the spillouts of the First and Second Shinobi Wars. While he grew a reputation for being strong, he also had a reputation for his mercy.

Hanzo spared the life of Mifune, who would later become the General of the Land of Iron. He also spared a young trio from Konoha after eliminating their entire platoon. That trio was comprised of a Young Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. Furthermore, he named them Sannin for surviving a battle with him.

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Hanzo’s downfall

After Hanzo's death, Konan and Nagato ruled the Hidden Rain (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Hanzo's downfall began after he became autocratic. He isolated the Hidden Rain Village from outsiders, and when he saw a young Akatsuki group vying for peace, he called them for a peace talk. The peace talk eventually turned out to be a trap, and it was later discovered that Hanzo was in cahoots with Konoha’s Danzo Shimura.

His actions lead to Yahiko’s death and Nagato fully awakening the Rinnegan. Pain then waged a civil war, which resulted in the death of Hanzo and his loved ones.

Hanzo’s existence changed the entire dynamic of the ninja world in Naruto. He changed how wars were waged and made villages go through other areas to wage wars instead of using other lands. He was also responsible for creating the Hidden Rain Village and for Nagato’s descent into evil.

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Hanzo's powers and abilities explained

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were given the name Sannin by Hanzo (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Hanzo was feared due to his combat abilities. Before he stopped honing his skills and became lazy, he could take out armies on his own. Due to Hanzo's strength, Jiraiya found it hard to believe he was defeated.

Hanzo’s trademark ability was his summoning Ibuse, a poisonous salamander who could exhale poisonous gases to overwhelm opponents. Ibuse could also burrow through the ground and launch a sneak attack from under the ground.

Hanzo was adept at using a Kusarigama, a weapon a handful of ninjas used, but none with Hanzo’s mastery. He was so good with the weapon that he overpowered Kenjutsu expert Mifune. Furthermore, he could combine explosive tags and fire release to generate devastating explosions.

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Final thoughts

Baruto fans often ask questions about Hanzo because of the little screen time he got. Not many minor characters, except Danzo, were as pivotal to the plot as Hanzo. His actions might have been focused on one village, but they resulted in the deaths of many. From Jiraiya, Utakata, Gaara, and any other life Akatsuki took, it could all be traced to Hanzo.

Hanzo’s redemption came in the Fourth Shinobi War when he broke free of Kabuto’s reincarnation jutsu and ruptured the poisonous sac within his body. This enabled the Allied forces to defeat him. Hanzo died as a hero, a huge contrast to the cowardly villain he became at the end of his life.

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