Sasuke Uchiha is one of the most popular Naruto characters of all time (in the popularity polls, he's one of just four characters to rank in the top ten every time), not to mention one of the strongest; needless to say, there's also a lot of interesting stuff to be learned about him.
While anybody who's watched the series will likely know a little bit about his character, backstory, and interests, we've assembled a list of ten facts about him that, unless you're a diehard fan of the series, you probably didn't know.
10 He Doesn't Like Sweet Foods
One of Sasuke's favorite foods is Onigiri, or rice balls; white rice shaped into a triangle or cylinder to serve as a dish of sorts for a variety of different fillings - Sasuke's top picks are tomatoes and okaka (a flaky dish made from fermented fish filet, most commonly that of skipjack tuna).
However, Sasuke's least favorite foods include basically anything with a hint of sweetness; maybe it's connected to his personality, or maybe he just never acquired the taste. He's also been shown to particularly dislike nattō, a traditional Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans and known for its strong aroma.
9 He Almost Didn't Exist
There are some shounen tropes that are so ingrained in the genre that a series will have a much harder time becoming successful without them, and one of those is the classic rivalry arc. Naruto creator Mashashi Kishimoto hadn't written a rival for his main character into the manga's original outline, so his editors pressured him to add one. After doing a good deal of research in order to create the perfect rival, he came up with Sasuke; a character he described as the yin to Naruto's yang.
The series would have been much different if Sasuke never even appeared; after all, he's one the best characters, and we quite literally couldn't imagine the manga becoming nearly as influential without him.
8 He Is The Hardest Character To Draw
Kishimoto has said Sasuke is the hardest character for him to draw, but he's also said that Sasuke is his favorite character to draw - maybe just because it's nice to see the fruits of time and effort in the form of an illustration. Nevertheless, Sasuke's detailed and complex appearance still plagues the mangake somewhat, as the long-ish hair can be difficult to perfect and the facial features, a blend between youthful and mature, can be especially hard to capture.
Once, Horikoshi tried updating Sasuke's costume, but after realizing how complicated the newer version was to draw, he went back to the original.
7 His Inspiration
Since, as we mentioned before, Sasuke's character was suggested by Horikoshi's editors, the mangake didn't have as much of a chance to make him completely original. This isn't a problem; after all, Sasuke is still fairly unique - but it did mean Horikoshi had to take more inspiration than usual from other sources. The manga series Yu Yu Hakusho made a big impact, as clairvoyant fire demon Hiei served as the inspiration for Sasuke's character.
Meanwhile, Sasuke's name comes a manga of the same name which Horikoshi is a self-proclaimed fan of; as well as from Sarutobi Sasuke, a Japanese ninja character with roots in historical fiction.
6 He Has His Own Spin-Off Series
Mangaka Kenji Taira, Kishimoto's long-time assistant, was the one responsible for the somewhat satirical Naruto spin-off series Rock Lee's Springtime Of Youth, which debuted in 2010 to critical and commercial success. However, Rock Lee wasn't the only character to receive such a series - in 2014, the first chapter of a new Naruto spin-off called Sasuke Uchiha's Saringan Legend appeared in Saikyo Jump.
Like Springtime of Youth, the series is drawn in a chibi style, and focuses more on the comical elements of the well-known characters than fight scenes and drama.
5 His Favorite Word Is Power
The Naruto databooks reveal a lot of information about our favorite characters that never would have seen the light of day otherwise - for instance, the fact Sasuke's favorite word is chikara, which means "strength" or "power". Let's be honest, this just makes sense considering that Sasuke is one of Naruto's strongest characters.
Not only that, but even if it's not really what he's truly seeking, for much of the series the basic outline of the same selfish lust for power that has consumed others is still visible within his character.
4 His Signature Forehead Poke
Throughout the series, one of the strongest emotional connections between two characters is that of Sasuke and his older brother Itachi. When Sasuke was very young, Itachi would often poke his forehead, kind of as an affectionate way of teasing him; Sasuke can be seen exhibiting this same behavior as he grows older.
For instance, after he is pardoned for his crimes, all set to leave Konoha and begin a new life, he pokes Sakura on the forehead, thanking her for all she did and promising he will one day return. Later, he uses the same forehead poke on his daughter, Sarada, to show her that he still loves her despite the fact that he's away all the time.
3 He Is Cross-Dominant
Like many of the ninjas in the Naruto series, Sasuke has been seen using both hands fairly well, which many have said hints at him being ambidextrous. However, his skills align more clearly with cross-dominance, which is completely different; those who are ambidextrous use both hands equally well, while those who are cross-dominant use their separate hands for separate tasks.
For instance, Sasuke's left hand seems reserved for tasks that require more power, like using his Chidori, while his right hand is for those which require more dexterity, like writing, sword-fighting, or shooting his bow and arrow.
2 His Summonings
Throughout Naruto, many characters have the ability to summon various animal species to assist them during a fight. Sasuke can summon hawks in order to gain increased mobility, for instance; under Orochimaru's teaching, he also learned how to summon snakes - which is useful in all sorts of ways, as snakes can be used as both defensive and offensive weapons.
His Summoning Jutsu is so powerful that as long he has the contract, absolutely monolithic beasts such as Manda are at his side in a moment's notice.
1 His Mangekyō Sharingan
A Dōjutsu is a ninja ability encoded in the bearer's DNA, manifested through their optic nerves; it's certainly nothing to be sneezed at in terms of power and deadliness. One of the Three Great Dōjutsu, Sharingan, is seen only in members of the Uchiha clan, but a unique, advanced version known as the Mangekyō Sharingan appears even less, only visible in the eyes of those who have been devastated by the loss of someone close to them.
Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan makes its debut after the death of his brother, Itachi; later, Sasuke replaces his eyes with Itachi's in order to gain access to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, which is much less tiring to use and doesn't bear any of the side effects, such as vision loss, that the advanced Dōjutsu's normal form does.