Sand

As the jinchūriki of the One-Tailed Shukaku, Gaara has the ability to manipulate sand. While Gaara is capable of controlling any sand, he keeps in his gourd, also made from this sand. This sand is infused with his chakra, allowing him to make faster and more powerful attacks, as well as being used to make his Shield of Sand. Due to the number of people Gaara has killed, the sand smells of blood. The sand will always protect Gaara, because it has his mother's will in it.

The sand can be countered to some degree by things which make it heavier, such as mixing it with gold, or in the anime, by making it wet.

Kankurō also uses sand to disguise his puppets, allowing him make his puppets appear as another person, or as himself, to trick enemies into attacking his puppets instead of him.