Unique and creative combat styles are one of many things at the heart of what makes Naruto so engaging and fun to watch. After all, the series starts with Naruto unlocking a forbidden jutsu that most characters within the series are taken aback by and enables him to create some truly devastating combos with other jutsu he learns later on. Surprisingly, some of the most unique combat styles come from side characters in the series rather than the main cast.
One such character is Shino Aburame, and while his bug-based fighting style can creep some out, it's still one of the most original seen within the series. He's one of the members of the Konoha 11 who's showcased less frequently compared to many others, but there are still tidbits about him that fans may not be aware of.
10 The Insects He Uses Are Actually Infused Into Him At Birth
Shino's insect army is so much more - and so much creepier - than simply having a fleet of insects that he commands when he pleases. As a member of the Aburame Clan, Shino is actually infused with a special type of insect at birth, which use his body as a host and feed off of his chakra. In return, he is able to command them to do various things for him, such as attack enemies, track targets or even create insect clones of himself.
9 He Has Two English Voice Actors, One Of Whom Only Voices Shino For Two Episodes
It's typical for characters to have two different voice actors, one for childhood and another for their present-day self. While this isn't the case for Shino, he still has two different English voice actors, and one only sticks around for two episodes.
Shino's original English voice is done by Sam Riegel, however by his next appearance a little over ten episodes later, he's instead voiced by Derek Stephen Prince. The reason for this change is rather simple: a future villain that Shino would have to fight is voiced by Sam, so they ended up switching to avoid any conflicts.
8 He Never Reaches Jonin Level Despite Others Noting Him To Be Strong Enough
Along with his teammates, Shino is promoted to chunin-level during the timeskip leading up to Shippuden. However, he's never seen taking the final step and advancing all the way to a jonin, but this isn't because he lacks the power required to do so.
During the Fourth Shinobi World War, he's able to take on several White Zetsu at once and emerge victorious, despite them being classified as jonin-level enemies. After the war, he's regarded by others to be jonin-level in skill, but as he ends up becoming an academy teacher, there's no need for him to actually rank up.
7 He Would Have Worked For Root Under Danzo If Not For His Brother's Sacrifice
For a time, Shino actually grows up alongside an adoptive brother named Torune after his father, a fellow member of the Aburame Clan, passes away. Although the two have different views on subjects such as friendship, they manage to become rather close in their time together.
One day, Danzo arrives with the intent of recruiting one of them to Root, and specifically expresses an interest in Shino. However, Torune didn't want Shino to live a life of loneliness and went in his stead, meaning that Shino was very close to serving as a member of Root under Danzo.
6 He And Kiba Are Frequently At Odds During Their Academy Days Due To Their Polar Opposite Personalities
Shino is a quiet yet kind individual, whereas Kiba is loud and doesn't have a problem speaking his mind even when it may irritate others. Due to their personalities being the polar opposite of each other, they often end up butting heads, and they don't grow close until much later.
Once, when Kiba picks on Shikamaru and says he'll be a genin forever with his lackluster work effort, Shino tries to get a rebuttal in, but Kiba quickly cuts him off. Shino can be seen allowing his bugs to run around on Kiba's desk during their breaks, which is the most someone like Shino will do to show his distaste for someone.
5 Despite His Calm And Quiet Demeanor, He's Surprisingly One To Hold Grudges
Shino is typically portrayed as a quiet, calm and mysterious person. He isn't one to raise his voice or start arguments for the sake of it, however he is one to hold grudges, and he actually has a long-lasting grudge against the series' titular character himself.
At the start of Part II, Naruto fails to recognize Shino but instantly recognizes both Hinata and Kiba. While this is fair - Shino's Shippuden design covers nearly every recognizable inch of him - this causes Shino to react bitterly towards Naruto, and it's a grudge that he's never really seen getting over.
4 He Actively Recognizes That He's Not Good With Others And Tries To Work On His Relationship With His Teammates
Due to Shino being a more introverted and quiet person, combined with his tendency to spend his free time with his bugs rather than people, others come to find him creepy. His teamwork at first also leaves much to be desired, but this is actually something that he becomes aware of and attempts to fix.
He goes on to help Hinata train her abilities, and he's one of the few people who actually states that he has confidence in her, thus helping her to grow. During the War, he's constantly aware of his teammates' chakra levels and helps keep them consistent using his bugs.
3 There Are Only Two Situations That Cause Shino To Lose His Cool
While Shino typically wears a calm demeanor that's hard to crack, there are actually two situations that can cause him to panic. The first is when he's faced against insectivorous enemies, since he does care for his bugs despite using them as weapons in battle.
The other actually relates to his later-in-life career of being an Academy teacher. He's incredibly passionate about teaching others, and is shown to be caused considerable distress when they don't listen to him.
2 Despite Primarily Being A Long-Range Fighter, He's Also Proficient In Taijutsu
Shino's primary combat style involves keeping his distance from his opponents while using his bugs for long-range strikes. However, this also means that his primary weakness is close-range fighters, though he can use his bugs to create a pseudo-defensive wall around him, similar to Gaara's sand.
He circumvents this by making sure he's proficient in taijutsu, and he later trains to further enhance his melee abilities. In the Chunin Exams, he's able to block a melee strike from Zaku and then take him out with a single punch.
1 His Official Statistics Are Quite High, Most Notably His Ninjutsu And Intelligence
Numbered combat statistics exist for all of the main members of the Naruto cast, thanks to the official databooks created by author Masashi Kishimoto. Shino's statistics are quite high, but this is no surprise considering he ends up being considered jonin-level in skill.
His strength and taijutsu rank the lowest at one-and-a-half out of five, though he does train the latter to be more effective in combat. His genjutsu and hand seals are a two, while his speed and stamina are an above-average three. Finally, his ninjutsu and intelligence come in at a staggering four.