Summary
Perhaps no mentor in the anime world is as loved as Jiraiya fromNaruto. While he may have seemed like a typical perverted teacher character on the surface, there was much more to him than could meet the eye.
Jiraiya was and still is universally beloved by theNarutofandom. One of, if not the most, painful moments in the series was when he sacrificed himself to extract more information from Pain. His loss had Naruto and the show’s fans reeling, and that’s because he was so much more than just a pervy sage. He was a mentor and an example, and his story is relatable to most people.
Jiraiya’s Story
Jiraiya’s story is characterized by failure and perseverance despite said failures. He was given a prophecy about his destiny and walked that path even through his failures and doubts. Jiraiya ultimately became one of the most respected ninjas of his era, though he never considered himself worthy.
Growing Up
Jiraiya was a lazy child with no interest in reaching his potential, much like Naruto at the start of the series. He remained this way for quite some time. Tsunade constantly rejected him, andhe couldn’t save Orochimarufrom going down his dark path, so he began to travel in search of meaning.
He wandered until he discovered Mount Myoboku while on his travels. The Toad Sage Gamamaru gave Jiraiya the prophecy that one of his students would have the power to save or destroy the world and that his choices would ultimately create the outcome.The Toad Sage trained him in sage jutsu, and at a certain point, he became a Jonin and would take charge of his very first team.
Minato, Nagato, and Naruto
Jiraiya was the mentor to incredible students and a brilliant ninja, precisely as the Toad Sage predicted. He would eventually teach the child of prophecy, Naruto, but he would only realize he had done so at the very end of his life.
Minato Namikaze
Minato Namikaze was Jiraiya’s most brilliant student. Jiraiya had a strong feeling that this was indeed the child of prophecy. He took him under his wing and trained him to be one of the most potent ninjas the shinobi world had ever seen:The Yellow Flash of Konoha. Minato would be a significant factor in ending the Third Great Ninja War. However, this would be long after he was Jiriaya’s student.
Minato became the Third Hokage but ultimately sacrificed himself to seal the unleashed nine-tail fox inside his son, Naruto, and save the Konoha village.
Nagato
Better known as Pain, Nagato would be Jiraiya’s second student. During the Third Great Ninja War, Jiraiya would find these orphans in the Amegakure village. Not wanting to leave them alone, he took the three children in and trained them. His primary focus was Nagato, who possessed all-powerful Rinnegan eyes.
Noting his eyes, Jiraiya was confident that Nagato was the child of prophecy.When he learned Nagato was Pain, he was disappointed that his choices had led to him being on a path to destroy the world. However, upon his death, Jiraiya realized that Naruto was the child of prophecy and was certain he would save the world.
Naruto Uzumaki
Initially agreeing to train Naruto by stumbling into him in a chance encounter, Jiraiya knew the boy could do great things. After all, Jiraiya trained his father, and he knew the nine-tailed beast within Naruto better than most. Despite Jiraiya’s shortcomings, he was the perfect sensei for the goofy but incredibly dangerous Naruto. Under his tutelage, Naruto became a powerful ninja.
As the fandom knows very well,Naruto would go on to fulfill his roleas the child of prophecy trained by Jiraiya. He would master sage jutsu, form a partnership with the nine-tailed beast, Kurama, and become the seventh Hokage. Naruto wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without Jiraiya’s massive impact on his life. Jiraiya not only taught him how to be a great ninja, but he also prepared Naruto to face thechallenges he would have to facethroughout the rest of his life.
Jiraiya’s Legacy
Jiraiya left an undeniable mark on the ninja worldby training three incredible shinobi who would impact the world in their own ways. However, Jiraiya’s character also significantly affected the people watching the show.
Jiraiya would show an entire generation of viewers that it was okay to fail. His ninja way, which is to persevere despite adversity, is a beautiful moral code that many in the fandom picked up for themselves consciously or subconsciously while making their way through life. Despite his shortcomings, Jiraiya never gave up, and he never went back to his word, which is something more people should live by.
Narutois available to stream onCrunchyroll.
Naruto
A popular shonen anime based on Masashi Kishimoto’s manga, Naruto follows its eponymous shinobi’s journey as he goes from his town’s outsider to its hero.
