Lion is a fictional character from the popular anime and manga series Naruto. He is a member of Team Guy along with Might Guy, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, and Tenten. Lion plays a supporting role in the series as one of the recurring side characters.
Introduction to Lion
Lion first appears in the Naruto manga and anime during the Chunin Exams arc. He is a genin level shinobi from Konohagakure and is placed on Team Guy along with Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, and Tenten under their jonin sensei, Might Guy. Lion’s most distinctive features are his bushy hair and thick eyebrows, making him look similar to Rock Lee.
Not much is revealed about Lion’s background or family. However, it is known that like his teammate Rock Lee, Lion can only use taijutsu and lacks capability in ninjutsu and genjutsu. He is considered a hard worker who makes up for his weaknesses through intense taijutsu training under Guy. Lion dreams of becoming a splendid ninja through diligence and effort.
Lion’s Personality and Abilities
Lion is portrayed as energetic, passionate, and hot-blooded similar to his sensei Guy and teammate Lee. He is almost always seen training hard to improve his taijutsu skills. Lion is sometimes shown to be more rational and relaxed compared to the exuberant Lee and Guy.
In terms of abilities, Lion specializes in taijutsu like Lee. He is proficient in hand-to-hand combat and physical attacks. Some of Lion’s signature moves include the Leaf Whirlwind, Primary Lotus, and Leaf Hurricane. He can also open the first 3 inner gates through arduous training, granting him enhanced strength and speed. However, Lion is unable to use either ninjutsu or genjutsu techniques.
Lion in the Chunin Exams
Lion’s first major appearance is during the Chunin Exams in Konoha. During the written test stage, Lion relies on his teammate Neji’s Byakugan to pass and make it to the second round. In the Forest of Death, Team Guy successfully acquires the scrolls and qualifies for the preliminaries.
In the preliminaries, Lion faces off against Naruto Uzumaki. He almost defeats Naruto using his quick, close-range taijutsu attacks. However, Naruto manages to fart in Lion’s face, distracting him and leaving him vulnerable. Lion loses to Naruto but puts up an impressive fight that shows off his skills.
Lion vs. Naruto
| Fighter | Techniques Used |
|---|---|
| Lion | Taijutsu, Leaf Whirlwind, Leaf Strong Whirlwind |
| Naruto | Shadow Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu |
Although he loses in the preliminaries, Lion’s performance against Naruto earns him promotion to the rank of chunin by the judges. This shows that Lion possesses the qualities required of a chunin rank shinobi despite not actually winning the match.
Lion in the Konoha Crush Arc
During the final rounds of the Chunin Exams, Lion accompanies his team to watch the matches in the stadium. However, the invasion of Konoha by Orochimaru and Sunagakure forces leads to the exams being disrupted. Lion ends up battling several Otogakure ninja alongside his team during the Konoha Crush arc.
Lion holds his own against the enemy-nin, showcasing his proficiency in taijutsu again. He helps defeat many opponents alongside Neji, Lee, and Tenten. However, the team is overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. They are eventually rescued and treated by Medic Ninja after the invasion is repelled and Konoha emerges victorious.
Lion in the Search for Tsunade Arc
After the Konoha Crush invasion, Lion recovers from his injuries and resumes training with Guy and Lee. During the Search for Tsunade arc, he accompanies the team on a mission to retrieve goods and supplies for Konoha from bandits.
Lion battles the bandits relying on his strong taijutsu skills and nearly defeats them single-handedly. However, the mission proves to be a trap by the bandits who were expecting them. Fortunately, Team Guy manages to overcome the ambush and complete their mission with Lion’s help.
Team Guy vs Bandits
| Fighter | Techniques Used |
|---|---|
| Lion | Leaf Whirlwind, Leaf Great Whirlwind |
| Lee | Leaf Hurricane |
| Neji | Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven |
| Tenten | Tool Manipulation Jutsu |
| Bandits | Kenjutsu, Shurikenjutsu |
Lion in the Sasuke Recovery Mission
Lion also plays a small role in the Sasuke Recovery Mission after Sasuke defects from Konoha. He is sent along with Neji, Choji, Kiba, and Naruto by Tsunade to retrieve Sasuke. Each team member faces off against a member of the Oto Four protecting Sasuke.
Lion battles Jirobo of the Oto Four. Despite opening 3 gates and fighting valiantly, Lion is unable to get past Jirobo’s absorbing earth wall technique. He ends up defeated and hospitalized but survives the ordeal through medical ninjutsu.
Lion vs Jirobo
| Fighter | Techniques Used |
|---|---|
| Lion | Front Lotus, Gates 1-3 Open |
| Jirobo | Earth Style Wall, Earth Prison Dome |
Lion in Shippuden
In the Shippuden series, Lion continues to train and go on missions under Guy’s guidance, but has limited screen time compared to his team members Neji, Lee and Tenten. He appears briefly during the Kazekage Rescue arc but plays no major role.
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Lion is assigned to the Third Division under Lee. He fights against reanimated enemies using his Taijutsu. Later, Lion helps Naruto defeat the Ten-Tails clones as part of the Shinobi Alliance. However, overall he has limited participation compared to other major characters.
Other Notable Details
Here are some other key points about Lion in Naruto:
- His taijutsu fighting style is very similar to Rock Lee’s, given their same sensei Might Guy.
- Lion is the same age as Neji and Lee, approximately 1 year older than Tenten and 2 years older than Naruto.
- He seems to get along well with his teammates and shares a close bond with them.
- Lion apparently has feelings for Tenten though it’s never confirmed if she reciprocates.
- His favorite foods are curry rice and spicy chicken while his least favorite is sashimi.
- Lion wishes to fight Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake to test his skills against their Sharingan.
- His hobbies include physical training, morse code, and reading mystery novels.
Conclusion
In summary, Lion is a secondary character in the Naruto series who belongs to Team Guy of Konoha. He specializes in taijutsu but lacks skills in ninjutsu and genjutsu. Lion plays a supporting role during the Chunin Exams, Konoha Crush, and Sasuke Recovery arcs, showcasing his fighting capabilities.
However, he is relatively underutilized compared to more prominent characters. Still, Lion demonstrates hard work and determination to reach his goals despite his limitations. His intense training under Guy helps him become a capable shinobi who defends Konoha proudly alongside his teammates.