Naruto is one of the most beloved anime out there, and it has a wide variety of characters that have managed to captivate fans. And one of the most beloved characters in the entire Naruto fan community is Kakashi! However, a question has always lingered regarding the shinobi, why is he always wearing a mask?
Naruto has had an anime adaptation for nearly 15 years, and now getting a direct sequel focused on the new generation of ninjas. However, even with the end of the anime, some theories, suspicions, and timeless mysteries remain.
For example, who are Rock Lee's parents? What is Jiraiya and Orochimaru's clan? What is the purpose of the Akatsuki rings? Etc... But none of these mysteries intrigue fans as much as why Kakashi is always wearing a mask. This theme has even yielded one of the best and funniest fillers in Classic Naruto! Where Team 7 tries to make Kakashi take off his mask. Well, let's try to unravel this mystery now!
Content Index
What does Masashi Kishimoto say?
It is unknown when Kakashi adopted the use of masks, however, since his first appearance in the anime, and in Flashbacks of his childhood, he was always wearing a mask. Obviously, one of the easiest and most objective ways to find out why is by asking the creator of the work directly.
Masashi Kishimoto has already been approached on the subject, and revealed that he always idealized Ninjas as mysterious people, and because of that he idealized his design that way. However, because it is very complicated to create facial expressions in a masked character, this design ended up being only Kakashi's, believing that he would keep the accessory to mark the character.
Despite revealing the reason behind the character's design, he did not reveal the reason in the anime's history that led him to adopt this accessory in his life. And that's where the theories begin!
The White Fang of Konoha
The main theory coming up by fans involves his father Hatake Sakumo, better known as the White Fang of Konoha. He was considered a great hero of the village, and one of the most talented ninjas. However, during an important mission, he chose to save his comrades, instead of completing his mission. Because of this, he became a cause of disgrace within the village, which eventually led him to take his own life.
Because he bears a lot of resemblance to his father, something noticed by everyone, including Chiyo from the sand village, Kakashi chose to use the mask as a shield, after his father failed in the mission. This mask would prevent retaliation.
In fact, in all Flashbacks, even with him still 5 years old, he was already wearing a mask, however, this theory is up to each one's interpretation.
Read too:
Is Kakashi a pervert?
One theory by fans is that the ninja would wear masks to stop the frequent nosebleeds. A demonstration that the character is "excited", something frequent in anime, especially with Jiraiya. However, this possibility enters the list just to relax. After all, Kakashi has been wearing the mask since he was very young, when he wouldn't even be interested in that kind of thing.
However, this theory emerged from the spin-off Lee & His Ninja Pal. Where it is said that he would wear the mask so as not to lose his credit as a ninja, thanks to frequent nosebleeds.
Kakashi's Face
As much as the real reason behind the ninja's choice for such an accessory is not known. One of the biggest mysteries in the entire Naruto anime was what the ninja's face looked like. He would use the mask to cover up some deficiency, some bruise, super plump lips…
For those who are curious, Kakashi's face has already been shown in the anime! His face was first revealed in a special chapter released in 2015, this chapter was adapted into anime in episode 469. And just as many suspected, he has nothing unusual on his face, just a mole on his chin, which is not would be great reason to cover up!
Read too:
