We may earn compensation from the products mentioned in this post. Please see our Affiliate Disclaimer.
Kakashi Hatake, leader of Team Kakashi, better known as Team 7, is one of the more notable Jonin-ranked ninjas in the Hidden Leaf Village. He even rose to become the Sixth Hokage after the events of the 4th Great Shinobi War.
But, before becoming Hokage, Kakashi didn’t have a comfortable life. His father, known as the White Fang of the Leaf, killed himself, leaving a young Kakashi to fend for himself. The circumstances of his father’s death also left a lasting impression on Kakashi, turning him into someone who follows the rules no matter what.
However, one of his teammates on Team Minato, Obito Uchiha, changes Kakashi’s outlook on the world. When Obito dies to rescue both Kakashi and their other teammate, Rin, he leaves one of his Sharingan and his Will of Fire to Kakashi.
From this point on, Kakashi realizes that rules aren’t meant to be followed absolutely, especially when following them means leaving behind one of your comrades. The Sharingan he received from Obito also replaces the eye he lost earlier in the war. The gifted eye turns Kakashi into the top-level shinobi, for which he’ll later be known.
However, Obito wasn’t the final friend Kakashi would lose. Later on, Rin also dies, but this time by Kakashi’s hand. And, with the birth of Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi finally loses his team’s final member and leader, Minato Namikaze.
After working amongst the ANBU team for several years, Kakashi is eventually placed in charge of his very own genin squad because the 3rd Hokage believes it will be good for his mental health. However, due to his childhood experiences, Kakashi fails every single one of his squads for not working as a team.
That is until the team of Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno comes along.
Notable Skills
Kakashi Hatake has an affinity for Lightning Release, but he can also use Water, Earth, Fire, Wind, Yin, and Yang release as well. With his Lightning release, he developed a jutsu known as Chidori when he was younger. However, this was considered an incomplete jutsu until he received his Sharingan because he was unable to control it.
And it’s his Sharingan that sets Kakashi apart from anyone else. Yes, there are a couple of other Sharingan users around, but thanks to Itachi Uchiha murdering most of the Uchiha clan, just owning a Sharingan is enough to make a character unique.
Through the use of his Sharingan eye, Kakashi has copied thousands of jutsu from friends and foes alike, earning himself the nickname of Copy Ninja. It is one of his biggest strengths, as it allows him to call forth a vast number of unique jutsu, as well as defend against jutsu in real time.
His Mangekyō Sharingan also has a unique ability called Kamui, which opens a portal into another dimension. This portal is useful whether on the offensive, defensive, or providing support.
Finally, Kakashi Hatake also has a summoning pact with some ninja hounds from an unknown land. The largest of the ninja hounds is useful for offensive attacks. The summoned ninja hounds mainly function as his tracking team.
Match-Ups
As a primarily close-range fighter, one of Kakashi’s most significant weaknesses is ranged attacks. However, his Kamui can be used to either intercept incoming projectiles or damage a target at range.
That said, his Kamui alone isn’t enough to make up for this weakness due to the amount of chakra it uses.
But how about match-ups in which he’s successful? Compared to the majority of other close combatants, Kakashi comes out on top only due to how he’s able to use his Sharingan. Not only can he read his opponent’s moves, but he can copy them, too.
However, if he’s up against someone like Might Guy, his Sharingan is less effective because he can’t keep up with the speed or power of Guy’s attacks. But that’s the thing about Kakashi: he’s a tremendous jack-of-all-trades, but there’s always someone better than him at each element.
There are not many other characters he would be in a terrible situation fighting against, but there’s also nobody who he would completely outmatch thanks to any skills he has.
Team Composition
So, if Kakashi is neither the best nor worst at anything, that means he could theoretically be a decent member regardless of the overall composition of a team. And this is backed up by evidence directly from the series.
While a member of both Team Minato and Team Kakashi, he primarily fulfilled the same role of both team leader (when Minato wasn’t around) and jack-of-all-trades. However, he’s also been on teams such as the Eight Man Squad, where his tracking skills came into play.
And, despite his skill in combat, his ability to track down enemies, missing allies, or just about anything else is probably the best role he can play on a team. Due to this, some of the best teammates for him would be Shino Aburame or Sai due to their abilities to scan large areas in a short amount of time.
After the target’s general direction is located, Kakashi and his ninja hounds can follow them to the ends of the Earth. However, Kiba and Akamaru wouldn’t necessarily be good teammates because they overlap a bit too much with Kakashi and his dogs.
It should also be noted that Kakashi doesn’t need to be paired up with a medic of any sort. He doesn’t often put himself in situations where he’d be seriously injured, and if he’s part of a tracking team, a medic is needed even less.
As for someone from another village who would pair well with Kakashi, Ao of the Hidden Mist would be a solid choice. Not only does he have experience tracking down missing-nin, but he also possesses a Byakugan to complement Kakashi’s Sharingan.
Kakashi Hatake DIY Cosplay Ideas
We’ve gathered a list of Kakashi Hatake DIY cosplay ideas that cosplay fans can use for piecing together their own cosplay.
- Classic Kakashi:
- Outfit: His standard Konoha jonin attire, including a blue flak jacket, black pants, a grey mask covering the lower half of his face, and a white headband with a single scratch across the symbol.
- Accessories: Kunai pouches, gloves, and a forehead protector.
- Anbu Kakashi:
- Outfit: Anbu Black Ops uniform, typically consisting of a black bodysuit, arm guards, and a stylized animal mask.
- Accessories: Weapons pouches, Anbu tattoo on the arm, and a white forehead protector.
- Hokage Kakashi:
- Outfit: His outfit as the Sixth Hokage, which includes a white cloak with red flames pattern, black pants, and sandals.
- Accessories: Hokage hat, gloves, and the forehead protector with a line through it.
- Time-Skip Kakashi:
- Outfit: Kakashi’s casual attire during the time-skip, including a black long-sleeved shirt, a vest, and grey pants.
- Accessories: Fingerless gloves, a necklace with a single bead, and his signature hitai-ate (forehead protector).
- Young Kakashi:
- Outfit: Kakashi’s appearance during his childhood and early teenage years, often seen wearing the standard Konoha academy uniform.
- Accessories: A kunai or a small pack of kunai, and a headband worn loosely around the neck.
- Kakashi in Training:
- Outfit: Kakashi’s attire from his time as a Genin, featuring a white short-sleeved shirt, black pants, and a blue vest.
- Accessories: A small pack of kunai, gloves, and a loosely tied headband.
- Kakashi with Sharingan:
- Outfit: Any of his outfits combined with Sharingan contact lenses to replicate his eye technique.
- Accessories: You can carry a copy of the “Make-Out Paradise” book, as Kakashi is often seen reading it.
- Casual Kakashi:
- Outfit: Kakashi’s everyday outfit when not on missions, which includes a black shirt, grey pants, and sandals.
- Accessories: His gloves, a book, and a relaxed attitude.
- Kakashi in Action:
- Outfit: Kakashi wearing his standard outfit, but with disheveled hair and an intense expression, as if he’s ready for combat.
- Accessories: Various ninja tools and a determined look.
- Alternate Universe Kakashi:
- Get creative! Imagine how Kakashi might look if he lived in a different time period, was part of a different culture, or had a different occupation.
Remember, attention to detail can make your cosplay stand out. From the iconic hitai-ate to his laid-back yet mysterious demeanor, there are plenty of ways to capture Kakashi’s essence. Enjoy cosplaying as one of the most beloved characters from the Naruto series!