Naruto: 10 Times Shikamaru Is The Most Relatable Character

Throughout the decades of the Naruto franchise, it seems that every fan has their favorite character. While some love the main character of Naruto Uzumaki due to his perseverance, others love Sasuke Uchia for his journey out of tragedy and anger. Shikamaru Nara is another firm fan favorite. He doesn’t get quite as much of the spotlight as the other two, but his intelligence and his skill make him memorable.

Beyond being memorable though, Shikamaru is also relatable. He’s the kind of character that could be present in any series, not just shonen anime, for the audience to relate to as a point of view character.

10 Shikamaru Would Rather Play Games Than Study

It’s no secret that Shikamaru is one of the most intelligent characters in anime. Not everyone can be a genius strategist. Everyone can, however, relate to getting bored with subjects that don’t interest them – or just wanting a break from the pace of school or work.

Shikamaru prefers games to school work in the early days of Naruto. Specifically, his favorite is shogi. This game actually ends up helping him develop his strategic mind further, so it’s a win-win, even if he thinks he’s just skipping out on studying to play.

9 He Feels Guilty For Putting His Friends In Danger

When Sasuke defects from Konohagakure, it’s a big deal. The (only known) last Uchiha decides to seek out Orochimaru, Konoha’s biggest enemy, to gain more power. That’s potentially a huge blow to village security, even if he’s still a teenager. That’s why recovering him is Shikamaru’s first official mission as a Chunin and a leader.

Unfortunately, though Shikamaru populates his team with his friends, and those he thinks have a chance of taking on Sasuke, his team doesn’t succeed. One by one, he has to leave his friends behind as they battle the enemy and end up in seriously bad shape. Shikamaru blames himself for failing as a leader, and the audience completely understands when he does. There’s a lot of pressure placed on him, and he does his best, but it’s his first big mission and his friends go up against ninja who are clearly way more powerful than them. Shikamaru was set up to fail, and it’s hard to swallow.

8 He Admires Asuma

Among the sensei in the Naruto franchise, Asuma Sarutobi is easily the coolest. He’s laid back, connects with his students, and finds fun ways to appeal to them during training. Asuma gets Ino to care about more than her looks, gets Shikamaru to hone his strategic skills by playing games, and doesn’t judge Choji for his large appetite, treating the team to regular celebratory dinners.

Asuma’s care and teaching style seems effortless and fun. It’s easy to understand why Shikamaru, king of putting in little effort, would admire him. When Asuma dies in battle for him, it hits Shikamaru hard, just as it hits the audience.

7 Shikamaru Has A Knack For Sarcasm

There’s something inherently fun about a character who consistently mutters sarcastic quips under their breath. They’re not necessarily mean-spirited characters, but ones who have a knack for deadpan humor and calling out the absurdities in their situation.

That sometimes makes Shikamaru the voice of the audience. Other times, it just makes him the one naysayer in a scene. His tendency to sarcastically comment on things going badly, however, is just what the audience needs.

6 He Doesn’t Want To Be In Charge

Some people are born for leadership roles. They jump into action before anyone else and are able to delegate tasks as easily as they can perform them. Shikamaru has a lot of leadership skills, but he doesn’t want to be the person calling the shots in Konoha. He knows himself well enough to know that he doesn’t want the pressure of the Hokage position resting on his shoulders.

That’s definitely a relatable trait. For every person who grows up wanting to run a country or a business, there are just as many (if not more) who understand that level of responsibility and pressure just isn’t for them.

5 Temari Initially Intimidates Him

While Shikamaru plays off his initial apprehension at facing Temari in the Chunin exams as not wanting to fight a girl, it’s clear he’s intimidated by her skills as their match begins. Temari has excellent command of wind and she’s able to strategically match him, even when he controls her movements with his shadows.

Shikamaru might make insulting comments toward her, or even ignore her completely on occasion when she returns after their match, but he never underestimates her again. He finds her skill, her confrontational nature, and her tendency to make quips at his expense intimidating. Can anyone blame him? Temari’s one of the most skilled shinobi in his age group that he has to directly confront. It’s no wonder that intimidation becomes admiration.

4 Shikamaru Doesn’t Always Get Credit For Heroics

Anyone who has been the student doing the bulk of the group project understands what it’s like to not get credit for all of their hard work. Shikamaru is someone who prefers to stay in the background, so he probably doesn’t mind as much as the average person does that he doesn’t often get credit for saving the day.

In the later episodes of the series, and even into the Boruto series, Shikamaru is placed in an advisory position to Konoha’s governing body. The plans that often save the village are his plans. The methods that lead to victory are his ideas. It’s often, however, the more powerful shinobi on the front line that gets the credit.

3 He Doesn’t See Eye-To-Eye With His Parents

Like any child, no matter how much they might love their parents, Shikamaru doesn’t always get along with his. In fact, he finds himself not understanding the relationship between his parents at all.

Shikamaru frequently questions why his father allows his mother to order him around. It’s clear that Shikaku loves his wife so much that he’s willing to do just about anything to make her happy, contrasting with his personality outside of the house. It leads to conflict only because Shikamaru resists attempting to understand his father’s point of view – until he meets Temari, of course. Teenagers not understanding their parents is a story as old as time itself, so any audience member can likely relate.

2 He Holds A Grudge

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who let wrongs roll right off their backs and those who hold on to avenge them. Shikamaru’s tendency to ask if Temari will ever let go of seeing him cry might make fans think he’s the former. He is, however, definitely the latter.

When Shikamaru is bested by several of Orochimaru’s henchmen on his first official mission, he trains harder. When Asuma is killed by Hidan, Shikamaru forms the perfect plan to stop Hidan, taking on the task himself. He doesn’t let things go, and half of the audience will absolutely get that.

1 Shikamaru Has Awkward First Dates

Shikamaru and Temari spend a lot of their early years working for their villages interacting with one another. They help run the Chunin exams, visit one another’s villages on diplomatic missions, and escort one another around town. Their growing feelings for one another, however, don’t result in a real date for a very long time.

Their initial “dates” are clearly awkward as Temari isn’t prepared to hold his hand at Naruto’s wedding, and Shikamaru accidentally allows her to think they’re going on a honeymoon before they’ve even started dating. The two have so many awkward interactions before they finally get things right, and anyone starting a new relationship can understand that.

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