Naruto has one of the most beloved cast of anime characters, and one of the strongest fan favorites is Jiraiya. Jiraiya is special because not only is he a legendary warrior, but he is the lovable uncle that Naruto never had but always deserved. He was basically his uncle/grandfather, after all.
Jiraiya’s life, teachings, and eventual passing are some of the strongest aspects of Naruto and he was always a great addition to the series. While most adults were fairly serious, he was one of the strongest ever and fit right in with Naruto’s goofiness. It was nice for the knucklehead ninja to have someone older to relate to. Jiraiya became an easy role model for the young hero.
The Sannin’s ultimate mission in life was to train the Child of Prophecy well, and he did that for Naruto. The boy grew into a powerful young man and ultimately saved the world. However, there was still much more to Jiraiya’s life than just being the teacher of the savior. Some of his journey is heartwarming and only makes Jiraiya a better, more rounded character. Other aspects make no sense at all.
Here are the 20 Things About Jiraiya That Make No Sense.
20. His Friendship With Orochimaru
Throughout Naruto, there is a heavy emphasis on the line between rival and friend. Most of these relationships exist out of camaraderie and/or the drive that each person has to get better than the other. Jiraiya has a similar relationship in Orochimaru. However, only the rival aspect of their relationship makes sense. Friendship? Much less.
Orochimaru never really got along with other kids and often kept to himself. Jiraiya, conversely, was a boisterous troublemaker.
Though they learned to work as a team, they never saw quite eye to eye. This is best shown in their opinions on the Ame orphans: Orochimaru preferred mercifully ending their lives, while Jiraiya chose to care for them himself. Jiraiya and Orochimaru never really had anything connecting them other than being Sannin. Jiraiya caring so deeply about him as a friend doesn’t make much sense.
19. His Negligence In Caring For His Godson
Jiraiya was very aware that Minato and Kushina named their son after his novel’s protagonist, making him the godfather. When the two passed, instead of coming to care for Naruto, Jiraiya stayed away. Though he did have his prophetic mission, Jiraiya also believed very much in loyalty to those he loved. Settling down in Konoha with Naruto would not fit his lifestyle, but it’s nonsensical that he never tried to build a life with Naruto.
He could have easily brought the child on his journeys. Or, if travelling with a baby concerned him, he could have at least provided for Naruto and visited often to check on him. Naruto would have had someone looking out for him instead of being a lone orphan in an apartment. Jiraiya, regardless of the prophecy, doesn’t seem a man to abandon a helpless baby.
18. His Womanizing
Despite his honor, abilities, and dedication to Tsunade, Jiraiya is one of the most creepy men in all of Naruto. He’s always peeping in on women and giving unwanted advances. Though it became an integral part of his personality, it doesn’t actually make much sense for him do this. His main goal is to be the best teacher he can be.
This side of his personality has greatly harmed his teaching before so it should be something he tries to do less of.
After all, he nearly lost Naruto because he got distracted by an attractive woman. Instead of it being funny for such a serious warrior to be so creepy, these actions hinder his ultimate goal. Jiraiya didn’t let the love of his life get in the way of that goal, why would he let being a creep do it?
17. His Absence At The Third Hokage’s Funeral
Hiruzen was the Third Hokage and the teacher of the legendary Sannin, a powerful ninja trio that included Jiraiya himself. As Hokage, Hiruzen was protective, dedicated, and kind. He had wanted Jiraiya to be Hokage but he always refused. Despite this, they were always close. When Orochimaru infiltrates and attacks Konoha during the Chunin Exams, he has a one-on-one battle with the mad scientist and loses his life protecting the village.
Though Jiraiya is a private man, the fact he didn’t attend Hiruzen’s subsequent funeral doesn’t make sense. He would have wanted to support the great man as he’s laid to rest. It would have made more sense if he went to the funeral but only got emotional somewhere else on his own.
16. How He Convinced Naruto Not To Follow Sasuke
When Sasuke left to join Orochimaru, Naruto was very determined to track him down and bring him back. Jiraiya is very lucky that he was able to convince Naruto to train with him instead after saying Sasuke wasn’t worth fighting for. After all, regardless of what Sasuke does, Naruto always remains very loyal to him. By telling Naruto that Sasuke wasn’t worth the trouble just like Orochimaru, Jiraiya could have risked being able to train Naruto by offending him.
Naruto easily could have been very hot-hotheadedly upset on Sasuke’s behalf.
Jiraiya was lucky that Naruto, at that moment, valued training to save Sasuke over his devotion to the Uchiha heir. His method of appeal was brash and nearly irresponsible, knowing how much Naruto cares for Sasuke.
15. His Appearance
During Naruto, it’s discovered that many older ninja use some of their chakra to maintain a younger appearance. Tsunade and Orochimaru do this, making them look more in their thirties, not their fifties. Jiraiya, though, doesn’t use this tactic. He simply has let his body look its natural age. However, this is complicated by the fact that, for a man in his fifties, Jiraiya looks quite youthful and attractive.
For his age, Jiraiya distinctly lacks any wrinkles, any signs of bodily aging, and only looks older with his white hair. He’s always had white hair, though, so that hardly counts. It’s neat Jiraiya doesn’t use these anti-aging techniques, but it’s confusing since he doesn’t show the typical signs of aging that Tsunade and Orochimaru display when they drop the chakra facade. At least, the man needs far more wrinkles.
14. When He Write His Novels
Ever since the Second Shinobi War, Jiraiya has been traveling and trying to find the Child of Prophecy that he’s meant to train. On the way, he’s trained many other students, helped other villages, and generally been a heroic ninja. However, supposedly, Jiraiya has also found time during all of this to write several novels.
Though he’s a hard-working man, it’s hard to imagine that he’s had time to create well-written novels at the same time of all of his adventures.
Or, even crazier, where he wrote them. After all, most of his travels were on the road. Did he buy paper in one town and write some of his best work on top of a rock? Between being a hero, a teacher, a surrogate father to orphans, and even more, it’s hard to believe Jiraiya had this much time for writing.
13. Teaching Naruto The Rasengan
Jiraiya always was a bit of a mysterious man, but one of the strangest things he did was teach a young kid like Naruto such a powerful move like the Rasengan. The rationale was that it was a strong move that he could use against Sasuke’s Chidori, but Sasuke likely never should have learned that so early, either.
If his end-goal was to convince Naruto to be his student, Naruto was already interested. He could have taught such a powerful move with time instead of force it on him so quickly. Just because Sasuke learned Chidori too young, doesn’t mean that giving another troubled ninja a powerful move would make things better. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
12. His Promise To End Tsunade’s Life
When Jiraiya and Naruto go hunting for Tsunade, they find her at an inn and in talks with Orochimaru. Understandably, this raised alarm bells. Jiraiya promised Tsunade that if she was doing anything to harm Konoha, he would destroy her. Though he loved her, this kind of dedication to protect Konoha made sense. It wasn’t the threat that was senseless. It was how quickly he rushed to the threat.
Jiraiya had been in love with Tsunade all his life, so it hardly makes sense for him to go straight to threatening her life before finding out what’s really going on.
Furthermore, he knows Tsunade better than anyone else. Though that doesn’t mean that Tsunade never would turn evil, this does mean he can be fairly certain where her loyalties lie. She may have issues with Konoha, but she’s very unlikely to betray it.
11. Jiraiya’s Unwillingness To Train Naruto
Jiraiya’s main goal is to find the Child of Prophecy, train them, and help save the world. One of the children he once thought was the savior was Naruto’s father, Minato Namikaze. It’s fair to guess that his son might be fairly powerful, then, and a possible candidate to be the child savior.
It’s understandable that Naruto was a tad too overzealous, but this should have made it a great opportunity for Jiraiya to test a new possible Child of Prophecy. He seems terribly short-sighted about rgis when Naruto eagerly asked to be his student. For a man dedicated to finding the young person who could save the world, he was far too quick to overlook someone like Naruto.
10. His Ability To Will His Heart Into Beating
Naruto generally tries to be logical when it comes to destruction and life-ending situations, with the notable exception of Orochimaru and all his mad scientist dealings. However, at the end of his fight with Nagato, Jiraiya casually wills his heart into beating to write a final note to Konoha before passing on.
Willpower can make people achieve great feats of strength, endurance, tolerance, but it can’t bring people back from the grave.
Though it only lets Jiraiya live for a little bit longer, the concept of him willing his heart to beat is still absurd. The show should have just had him write the note with his last reserves of strength. The reanimated heart part is a little bit too much to make sense.
9. The Intelligence Of His Toads
All three of the legendary Sannin have deep connections with a different animal. For Orochimaru, it’s snakes. Tsunade has her slugs. Then Jiraiya, of course, has his iconic toads. Unlike the other two, though, Jiraiya’s toads are highly intelligent, have a village of their own, and even speak the same language.
While the great intelligence of the toads and their work with ninja is fascinating, it’s odd and doesn’t make much sense. Why don’t the slugs or snakes have these levels of intelligence? The snakes can communicate with Orochimaru and other snake specialists, but they aren’t this organized. Even worse, the slugs have shown nothing intelligent of the sort, at least not compared to the toads. They are a marvelous part of Jiraiya’s story, but the toads’ heightened intelligence doesn’t make sense.
8. His Shoes
Most of the time, the shinobi of Naruto are practical about their attire. After all, they have to be mobile, comfortable, and camouflaged. Unfortunately, many times the main characters of the show make poor fashion choices anyway. One of the more egregious examples is Jiraiya’s signature footwear. The shoes are called “geta sandals.” These shoes are used to keep feet dry in rain or snow or are used as a fashion statement.
While they are outstanding and unique, they hardly seem comfortable and functional for ninja work.
They may be striking, but it doesn’t make sense for a ninja who travels a lot and is an expert fighter to wear these unusual shoes.
7. Avoiding Telling Naruto About His Abilities
When Jiraiya finally seeks Naruto as a student, it’s to help protect him from the Akatsuki and hone his Nine-Tails abilities. However, Jiraiya instead entices Naruto’s interest with the Rasengan. He’s decidedly avoidant about talking to Naruto about his Nine-Tails side. He’s not the first adult to treat Naruto like this, but as one of the best teachers in Naruto, it would be logical for him to realize Naruto would be better off knowing the strength, and danger, in him - especially because then he’d understand why the Akatsuki are such a danger to him.
Instead, Jiraiya, like others, willingly keeps him in the dark. If Jiraiya wanted to train a possible Child of Prophecy right, he should have told him all he has at his disposal from the beginning.
6. His Hypocrisy About Orochimaru and Sasuke
Sasuke leaving Konoha is an understandably traumatic experience for Naruto. Not only did his best friend beat him within inches of his life, but he’s also now gone down a dark path that may spell doom for Sasuke. Jiraiya quickly decides that Sasuke is just like Orochimaru: a lost hope. He spent years trying to get his friend back, after all.
However, Jiraiya’s dismissal of Sasuke is hypocritical. He did chase after Orochimaru and a part of him always held out hope for his old teammate.
To ask the young Naruto to give up on Sasuke would be like asking his younger self to do that about Orochimaru. While he means well and doesn’t want Naruto to feel that disappointment and pain, he knows better than that.
5. His Luck With Women
Jiraiya has a confusing relationship with women. He’s a romantic, he loves one particular woman, and he’s an honorable warrior. However, he’s also a creep and almost no woman shows any interest in him. No matter how much his creepy moments warrant that, in context of the Naruto universe, it doesn’t make any sense.
In this same world, several women, namely Sakura and Karin, love Sasuke despite his angst, darkness, and attempts on their lives. Kaguya fell in love and had children, despite her small flaw of wanting to destroy the world. Comparatively, Jiraiya’s creepiness is off-putting but not irredeemable. If people can still fall all over intense villains, it’s illogical that Jiraiya would have so must endless trouble with women.
4. Why He Left The Orphans
After the Second Shinobi War, Jiraiya felt immense guilt for his part in it. To redeem himself, he immediately became the teacher of three Ame orphans: Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato. Surprisingly, the three children showed great promise as shinobi. Jiraiya even suspected that Nagato might be the Child of Prophecy, the one to save the world. However, only after three years, Jiraiya left them. His rationale was that he was pleased with their development enough to go back to Konoha.
The orphans were still children, though, and should have been protected until they were old enough. Instead, he left and heard later that they had perished.
Of course, the truth was only one had perished, Yahiko, and the other two were warped into righteous villains. Jiraiya, logically, should never have left them so early.
3. His Prophecy
Jiraiya’s destiny that he would become a great teacher for the Child of Prophecy and that he would find this child in his travels, is a little incorrect. After all, 2/3 of the individuals that he thought might be the savior he met in his home city, and the third was a child he happened to run into after war. None of them were on his official “travels.”
Also, Jiraiya seemed to react oddly to it. He was always on the hunt for possibilities, but ignored Naruto the first time he encountered him. There’s also the fact he only taught his students for three years. Logically, when teaching the Child of Prophecy, he should try to teach them as much as he can for as long as possible. Though the prophecy came true, it was ultimately a little inaccurate and vague at best.
2. His Love For Tsunade
The one-sided love story of Jiraiya and Tsunade add a softer side to Jiraiya, showing that there’s more to him than being a great warrior and a lover of smut. However, Jiraiya’s love for Tsunade persisting hardly makes any sense. It makes even less sense when considering there’s not much reason for him to love her in the first place. When they were children, Tsunade was hot-tempered, blunt, and had a gambling problem. She often hit Jiraiya and teased him, having zero romantic interest in him. She only ever softened for her brother and Dan Kato.
As they grew older, she and Jiraiya grew to be close friends, but she never shared his feelings.
Tsunade never directed any of her affectionate side to him. He has no reason to be so hung up on a woman who can’t love him back.
1. His Overzealous Identifications For The Child Of Prophecy
Jiraiya’s dedication to his destiny superseded all other things he cared about. However, for a man so dedicated, he chose a few false prophets before he found the true Child of Prophecy. Granted, the prophecy itself was fairly vague and gave little information about what the child would be like. It did give Jiraiya the means to assume almost any strong child he met could be “the one.”
Meanwhile, it caused a lot of internal conflict when each time he thought he found “the one,” he treated that child better than others and it effected their peers. Nagato could have used a bit less selfish righteousness in his beliefs. Either the prophecy should have been more deliberate or Jiraiya should have been more careful about his favoritism.
Was there anything more that didn’t make sense about Jiraiya in Naruto? Let us know in the comments!
