Product Code Database
lead=yes is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto and Naruto Shippuden created by Masashi Kishimoto. At first Masashi designed Lee to symbolize human strength. In the anime and manga, Lee is a ninja affiliated with the village of Konohagakure, and is a member of Team Guy, which consists of himself, Neji Hyuga, Tenten, and Might Guy—the team's leader. Unable to use most ninja techniques, Lee dedicates himself to using solely taijutsu, ninja techniques similar to martial arts. Lee dreams of becoming a "splendid ninja" despite his inabilities. Lee has appeared in several pieces of Naruto media, including the third and fourth featured films in the series, the third original video animation, and multiple video games.
Numerous anime and manga publications have commented on Lee's character. IGN compared Lee to Bruce Lee and Noel Gallagher, and Anime News Network called Lee the "goofiest looking character" in the series. Among the Naruto reader base, Lee has been popular, placing high in several popularity polls. Numerous pieces of merchandise have been released in Lee's likeness, including Action figure and Plush.
In an interview, Brian Donovan, the voice actor for Rock Lee in the English adaptation of the anime, commented that he likes Lee because he felt he was attempting to be a "knight in shining armor but bumbling and stumbling at the same time".
When Tsunade, a Konohagakure medical ninja, returns to lead the village as the Fifth Hokage, she offers to operate on him. Despite the procedure's fifty percent chance of failure, Guy encourages Lee to have the operation. Ultimately, Lee undergoes the surgery, which succeeds in healing his arm and leg. Immediately after the operation, Lee follows a team of ninja led by Shikamaru Nara who attempt to stop Sasuke Uchiha from defecting from Konohagakure to the village of Otogakure. Lee battles the Otogakure ninja Kimimaro through using the literally "Drunken Fist", English TV: "Loopy Fist" fighting style in which he becomes inebriated with unpredictable attacks. When Kimimaro is on the verge of defeating Lee, Gaara intervenes, continuing the battle.
In Part II, Lee obtains the rank of Chunin, and is dispatched with his team to help save Gaara following his abduction by the criminal organization Akatsuki. During the events of the Fourth Shinobi War Lee is assigned to the Third Division, Lee helps in fighting the Kabuto Yakushi's reanimated army and later aids Naruto Uzumaki in the fight against Obito Uchiha and Madara Uchiha. Years after the war, Lee marries an unknown woman and has a son named Metal Lee. In the epilogue, Lee is last seen many years later, training with his son. In , Lee hosts the third stage of the Chunin Exam.
Lee is a playable character in nearly every Naruto video game, including the and the . In some games, he utilizes variations of his techniques not seen in the anime or manga. and marks his first appearance in video games set in Part II. Rock Lee is also the main character of a spin-off manga by Kenji Taira that follows his training in comical misadventures. The manga was adapted into an anime series titled Rock Lee and his Ninja Pals.
Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other media have provided commentary on Lee's character. IGN's A.E. Sparrow called Lee one of his favorite characters in the series and compared his personality to that of Bruce Lee and Noel Gallagher. Fellow editor Ramsey Isler ranked him as the eight best character on the series and said he "was the true underdog of the series." Isler added, "Perhaps a little too intense, but always fiercely devoted to his cause, Rock Lee added all sorts of flavor to the series." However, Rock Lee's profile on IGN describes him as "kind of stiff" because of his very polite demeanor. Active Anime celebrated Lee's introduction in the series as a comedic relief to the growing tension of the story at that point. Anime Insider listed him in their top five list for "pure-hearted heroes" from anime and manga publications, ranking at number five. Insider praised him for "never giving up, even in the face of people with actual ninja powers."
Anime News Network referred to Lee as the "star of the", and claimed that he "almost single-handedly rescues this arc from being tossed into the 'entertaining but disposable' bin". His fight against Gaara in the exams was listed as second best one in anime by AnimeCentral. Anime News Network also called Lee the "goofiest looking character" in the series and praised Kishimoto's "ninja-punk visual sensibilities" that allowed him to make Lee "damn cool when the action starts". In the NEO Awards 2007 from Neo, Rock Lee won in the category "Best Anime Character". He was also listed as one of the three "Honorable Mentions" from Naruto by Wizard Entertainment's Danica Davidson with comments from the article being focused on Lee's determination. When the Naruto manga ended, writer Yūto Kubota expressed that Lee was his favorite character.
External links
Categories: Anime And Manga Characters Introduced In 2000, Fictional Ninja, Fictional Nunchakuka, Fictional Practitioners Of Chinese Martial Arts, Naruto Characters, Male Characters In Anime And Manga, Teenage Characters In Anime And Manga, Fictional Practitioners Of Japanese Martial Arts, Fictional Child Soldiers
|
|
