Why did Orochimaru want Kimimaro in Naruto? Explained

Orochimaru remains one of the most repulsive characters in Naruto. While he has changed allegiance in Boruto from the path of evil to good, his past deeds still haunt him and affect how he is perceived among fans of the Narutoverse. Kidnap, torture, and regicide are high on the list of sins the Sannin has committed, but none of these sins come close to the streak of child experimentation. For a long time in Naruto, Orochimaru experimented on children.

Most times, he will kidnap these children and implant dangerous chemicals and abilities in them. He did this with Anko and Yamato, where he gave Anko the cursed seal and Yamato, Hashirama’s wood jutsu. Every kid he abducted and experimented with alongside Yamato died because their bodies could not handle Hashirama’s cells.

Orochimaru also manipulated children into blindly serving him and discarded them when they were of no use. The clearest example of this in Naruto is Kimimaro. He served under Orochimaru and worshipped him like a god, but the Sannin viewed him as a tool.

Many Naruto fans who see Kimimaro and his devotion to Orochimaru are puzzled. “Why did Orochimaru want Kimimaro?” is constantly asked by these fans. The simple answer is that Orochimaru wanted Kimimaro because he needed a strong vessel. Kimimaro, before his illness, was one of Orochimaru's strongest cronies, and his body would have allowed the Sannin to gain the abilities of the Kaguya clan.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s opinion and may contain spoilers.

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Orochimaru's plans for Kimimaro in Naruto

Orochimaru wanted to utilize Kimimaro's strong body and Kekkei Genkai (Image via Studio Pierrot)

To understand Orochimaru’s plan for Kimimaro in Naruto, it is important to revisit the villain’s goals. Orochimaru's ultimate goal in Naruto was to amass all the world’s jutsu and gain immortality. Each time he changed vessels, he accomplished two of these goals. He cheated death and gained access to the jutsu learned by the ninja.

Orochimaru wanted Kimimaro to be his vessel because of his powerful body and forbidden technique. However, his plans changed when Kimimaro developed a strange illness. Orochimaru quickly discarded him and turned to the next big thing, Sasuke.

Sasuke was everything that Kimimaro wasn’t. His Dojutsu was one of the strongest in Naruto, bringing Orochimaru closer to learning all jutsu, as he could use the Sharingan.

When Kimimaro discovered that Sasuke was Orochimaru’s new desired vessel, he felt no anger. Instead, he took measures to secure Sasuke’s arrival at Orochimaru’s lair. He fought Gaara, Rock Lee, and Naruto to prevent them from capturing Sasuke. He eventually died as he was about to defeat Gaara.

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Orochimaru and Kimimaro's relationship explained

Orochimaru planned to possess Kimimaro (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The relationship between Orochimaru and Kimimaro was like one between a father and son. Before meeting Orochimaru, he was treated as less than human. This treatment was due to his Kekkei Genkai; when his clan got eliminated, he felt aimless.

Orochimaru took an aimless Kimimaro and imbued him with a sense of direction. Kimimaro's sole purpose was to aid Orochimaru in accomplishing his ambitions. He revered the Sannin as a god, but Orochimaru viewed him as nothing but a tool.

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Final thoughts

One reason Orochimaru could take advantage of Kimimaro was due to his treatment by his clan. When his Kekkei Genkai came to the fore, he was kept in a cage and used as a weapon.

This poor treatment allowed an older Orochimaru to act as a pseudo-father figure and influence the young ninja. Orochimaru heavily manipulated and used Kimimaro; even the cursed seal that Orochimaru created for many of his minions was a result of Kimimaro's relationship with Jugo.

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