A (Fourth Raikage)

is the of Kumogakure.

Background
A is the son of the Third Raikage, who groomed him for the position of the Fourth Raikage. At some point in the past, due to A not having a blood sibling who could be his tag-partner, try-outs consisting of young children were gathered in order to determine one, in keeping with a long-standing Kumogakure tradition of the Raikage having a tag-team partner. After many attempts, they found only one child who was able to successfully match A's power and use the Lightning Release: Double Lariat on a training dummy.

As a result, that child was given the name "B", and A stated that they would be brothers from that day on. He and B would eventually be teamed together on a mission with A's cousin, the jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails. While on the mission, he told A that Killer B would need something to fill the void that would be created if he was chosen as the beast's next jinchūriki.

Some time later A's cousin Blue B lost control of the beast and it went on a rampage. A was made part of a special team tasked with subduing the rampaging Eight-Tails. After A and the Third Raikage arrived to deal with the matter, A was instructed to restrain the beast as his father prepared to use the Kohaku no Jōhei. As the team attempted to bind the Eight-Tails, the beast impaled Furui with its horn, leading to A to cut it off. With enough preparation, the Third sealed the beast away temporarily. After B became the beast's jinchūriki, A, remembering what his cousin had said to him, tried his best to fill that apparent void.

At some point during the Third Shinobi World War, A would clash with Minato Namikaze for the first time. Before Minato retreated he recognised Killer B as the jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails and told A that next time they met it would be to put the title of "Kage" on the line and also offered A the advice of making sure his brother knew who he was before becoming neither human nor jinchūriki. They would clash many more times after that. A was once even told by Jiraiya that he believed Minato was the "Child of Prophecy". When A's father died during the third war, he inherited the title of Raikage. Afterwards, out of fear of losing him, he forbade B's continued training in the Lightning Release: Lariat and ordered him to complete his training in the Tailed Beast Ball at the Valley of Clouds and Lightning and restricted him to the confines of the village. At some point, he forbade B from fully transforming into his tailed beast due to its extreme power.

In the anime, after an encounter with the Nokizaru Group, A crossed paths with Tsunade and requested her aid in removing the Exploding Insect implanted in his subordinate. After accepting her arm wrestling challenge, realising that he could not beat Tsunade in terms of strength, but at the same time, he needed to help his subordinate, A used speed to defeat her. After Tsunade diagnoses the situation and realises that one of the insects was also inside A, she decided to conduct the surgery. However, when she had Shizune conduct the surgery and later left after blood splattered on her. Shizune explained Tsunade's haemophobia caused by the loss of her two great loves, A dismissed her state of mind as a weakness and would not trust his mens' lives to her with Shizune, who had successfully completed the surgery, defending her mistress.

Two years after Tsunade returned to her village to become the Fifth Hokage, she sent A an invitation to join an impromptu Chūnin Exams hosted by Konohagakure and Sunagakure. He immediately rejected the offer, believing it to be a joint effort by the two villages to attack Kumogakure. A instead sent a respond saying the village was too busy to prepare and had C and Darui make sure B wouldn't sneak off to this event.

Personality
A is generally characterised as stern, outspoken and decisive. After becoming Raikage, A grew more humble as he referred to himself as "washi", a more humble term used by old men, instead of "ore", a prideful way of saying "I" or "me". It also becomes surprising when someone manages to convince him. He believes that actions and strength mean everything in the shinobi world and that ninja should never compromise or bow down in front of each other. Similarly, he views jinchūriki not as individuals, but as tools of villages that have no right to speak for themselves. He can also be somewhat hypocritical as he would voice his disdain at the other Great Shinobi Nations for allow their finest shinobi to go rogue, while denying his own village's shameless acts in the past of stealing other villager's secrets and going back on promises.

However, he rationalises his actions on the goal of wanting to protect his village. He has shown willingness to sacrifice others for the greater good, insisting to destroy the approaching Moon even though Naruto and his friends were still on it. Despite his militant demeanour, A has quite an emotional side; his short temper and eagerness can cause him out to act recklessly with regards to certain matters. He burst through his office window to attend the Kage Summit, smashed the table when the conversation was deviating and punched through a wall to pursue Sasuke Uchiha. Characters such as Mabui, Mifune, and Ōnoki are left exasperated by A's rash behaviour, commenting that it undermines his position as Raikage. However, A has shown compassion at times, telling Darui not to blame himself over A's lost arm and that Darui is his right-hand man.

A also loves and deeply cares about his father A and, especially, his adoptive brother Killer B. Since the day they became partners, A and B bonded deeply as they completed missions and honed their skills together as the. When B became Gyūki's jinchūriki and A's father died, A became determined to keep his village and B safe, confining his brother's movements to the village even if it went against B's personal wishes. As such, he is upset by his younger brother's capture by Akatsuki, and even more so upon discovering it was a ploy for B to have a vacation, swearing to punish him with his "Iron Claw". At the same time, A claims he has resolved to kill his brother if the situation ever called for it.

When confronting his older brother during the Fourth Shinobi World War, B points out the flaw in A's viewpoint: his over-protection of B prevents him from acknowledging and believing in B's own strength. When B and Naruto prove their worth by surpassing A in strength and speed respectively, A realises they are truly essential in ending war and lets them pass. A benefits greatly from serving in the Allied Shinobi Forces as well. He was initially distrustful of other villages for their connections to Akatsuki, but now accepts them as comrades, expressing care when they start to over-exert themselves or when they save him on the battlefield. A and Tsunade have somewhat of a rivalry and he is often critical of her, but he concedes her as a valuable comrade and shows concern for he during their battle against Madara. A is also capable of forgiveness although rarely. Despite his hatred towards Sasuke for his attempt to kidnap Killer B and his desire to kill him in retaliation, as well as the loss of his left hand from their battle, A recognises Sasuke's remorse for his crimes and decides to forgive him.

Appearance
A has dark skin with a large muscular build, white hair (blond in the anime) combed back, a small moustache and goatee. His face has pronounced cheekbones and tear troughs under his eyes, and a prominent crease across his forehead. He has pointed canines and his top lip also has a darker hue than the bottom one; traits he inherited from his father. During his fight with Sasuke, he amputated his left forearm after it was burned by Amaterasu.

A often wears a white haori without a shirt underneath and occasionally the traditional Raikage hat. He has black Fūma Shuriken tattoos on both shoulders and originally wore large, golden vambraces on his wrists, though he discarded them after the Five Kage Summit, wearing one on his remaining arm briefly near the start of the Fourth Shinobi World War. He also wears a gold belt around his waist with a boar's face engraved in the centre, black pants with torn ends, Kumo-nin shin guards, and shinobi sandals. All of these aspects combined give him the appearance of a professional wrestler.

After relinquishing the role of Raikage to Darui, A began wearing a simple black kimono held closed by a white sash. He has also begun balding with visible wrinkles.

Abilities
As the Fourth Raikage, A is an extremely powerful shinobi, being chosen as the Supreme Leader of the Allied Shinobi Forces, even after losing his dominant arm. His signature fighting style combines the elements of ninjutsu and taijutsu to form nintaijutsu. Using it, he could easily defeat a fully transformed Jūgo and overwhelm a Mangekyō Sharingan-wielding Sasuke. A also possesses an enormous amount of strong chakra, comparable to that of a tailed beast, according to Karin.

Nature Transformation
A's nature transformations include Lightning, Earth, and Water Release. He could collaborate with a Water Release user to power up their technique with lightning to add the effect of electrocution and paralysis.

Physical Prowess
A is naturally quite fast, able to intercept an opponent before they realise he has approached them. However, it is his Lightning Release Chakra Mode that enhances his physical parameters and reflexes to a level comparable to Konoha's Yellow Flash. Such speed allows him to create after-images, and evade point-blank attacks, such as Jūgo's multiple-cannon blasts and Amaterasu. Even the Sharingan had trouble tracing his movements. Until Naruto Uzumaki, A proclaimed to be the world's fastest shinobi since Minato Namikaze's death.

A has enormous physical strength, which Madara Uchiha estimates is just below that of Tsunade. Using only a single hand, his physical capabilities include: lifting a massive, two-handed barbell; smashing through walls; severing one of the Eight-Tails' horns; and breaking through Susanoo, an "absolute defence". While possessing powerful and extremely fast punches, A prefers to use wrestling-style moves rather than standard taijutsu, such as powerbombs, backhanded chops, take-downs, and leg drops.

A inherited his father's immense durability, having survived being transported by Mabui's Heavenly Transfer Technique unharmed. While in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, A's durability is enhanced to the point of withstanding otherwise fatal attacks. His pain tolerance is high as well, as he didn't even flinch from cutting off his own arm to keep the black flames of Amaterasu from spreading.

Pain's Assault
He was first seen when he received news of Killer B's capture by Akatsuki. Enraged that his own brother had been lost so soon after Yugito Nii, A called for a meeting of the five Kage to discuss Akatsuki. Because B's captor was Sasuke Uchiha, a former Konoha ninja, A had Team Samui take a letter to the Hokage to inform Konoha that he would personally deal with Sasuke.

Five Kage Summit
A departed for the Kage summit with two bodyguards: Darui and C. On their way to the Land of Iron they reunited with Team Samui, who provided them with information on Sasuke acquired in Konoha. C quickly discovered that Team Samui had been followed by Naruto Uzumaki. A kept his men from attacking Naruto and agreed to listen to what he had to say. Naruto pleaded with the Raikage to spare Sasuke, but even with Kakashi and Yamato's help his request was flatly refused and the Raikage berated him for sticking up for a criminal and advises him to think about what he should really be doing.

When the Kage Summit began, A quickly showed his disapproval of the other villages by smashing the table in front of him, prompting all of the bodyguards to come to their Kage's aid. After they returned to their position, A voiced his suspicions of the other Kage: that Sunagakure used Akatsuki in order to destroy Konoha; that the Third Tsuchikage employed Akatsuki in the past; that the Fifth Mizukage and the rest of her village is the least trustworthy due to suspected ties with Akatsuki. He pointed out that only Kumogakure has never had an Akatsuki representative, nor has it ever employed Akatsuki for a battle. He insinuated that Danzō Shimura used Akatsuki to dispose of the Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage.

When the idea of a Shinobi Alliance was raised, Danzō was nominated to lead it. A was outraged, but before he could raise much of an objection Zetsu appeared and revealed that Sasuke was nearby. A immediately grabbed Zetsu by the neck and demanded information on Sasuke's location, and later broke his neck when he took too long to respond. He then left with C and Darui to track Sasuke down. Upon finding them, A tried to attack Sasuke but he was instead drawn into battle with Sasuke's team. He first snapped Suigetsu's damaged sword and then engaged a transformed Jūgo, A overpowering him after a brief fight. With his team out of the way, A was able to attack Sasuke uninhibited.

Sasuke had difficulty breaking through A's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, with his Chidori only managing to cause a minor wound to A. A went on the offensive with his Liger Bomb, but he too had difficulty damaging Sasuke due to the latter's Susanoo. Sasuke tried to hit him with Amaterasu, but A was too fast. Sasuke then coated his Susanoo with Amaterasu's flames to deter additional physical attacks. In his growing rage, A ignored this and attacked through the flames to smash through the defence and hit Sasuke. Although his arm was caught ablaze he continued the assault, only to be stopped by the Fifth Kazekage. The Kazekage asked for a chance to speak with Sasuke. Although irritated, A used this as an opportunity to deal with his arm; he cut it off to prevent Amaterasu from spreading to the rest of his body and then had C stop his bleeding.

While A was being healed, Sasuke caused a cave-in to cover his escape. A smashed the falling debris and joined the Kazekage in pursuing him back to the Summit hall. When they arrived, they were met by Tobi, who sent Sasuke to safety before telling them about his Eye of the Moon Plan, in the process revealing that B eluded capture. Tobi then requested that B, along with Naruto be handed over to him. A and the other Kage refused, prompting Tobi to declare the start of the Fourth Shinobi World War. A Shinobi Alliance was suggested again, this time with A as the proposed leader of the alliance. The Kage agreed to this before returning to their respective villages to prepare for war.

Before going back to Kumo, A and his men tracked down B. They found him in the middle of a fight with Kisame Hoshigaki. A and B teamed up to decapitate "Kisame" with a Lightning Release: Double Lariat. Later, A angrily scolded B for pretending to be captured on their way back to the village. They were informed that the daimyō had agreed to the Shinobi Alliance's formation when they returned. A then convened a war council to assess the village's military-readiness.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown
Three days later, the other Alliance heads met with A in Kumogakure to discuss the Alliance's organisation. As their first matter of business they discussed what to do with the jinchūriki. The recently-reinstated Fifth Hokage, believed that Killer B and Naruto should be allowed to fight on the front lines, whereas A and the other leaders believed they should be sent into hiding, to prevent the enemy from capturing them.

The Hokage eventually agreed with their decision, albeit reluctantly. A selected the Island Turtle as the hiding place and assures them of its security. In the anime, after the meeting with the other heads of the Alliance the Hokage asked to speak with A privately and requested that B teach Naruto to achieve the control over the Nine-Tails in the event that the two of them would have to be deployed, a request A approves, which is also why he chose Island Turtle. When Akatsuki later discovered this location, A refused to have B and Naruto moved. He instead sent the Tsuchikage as extra protection and had him bring the island back to Kumo.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation
A remained at headquarters with the Hokage and the Tsuchikage while the Alliance's armies mobilised. Shikaku Nara provided a great deal of input on how to organise the army and engage Akatsuki's White Zetsu Army, forcing A to acknowledge the calibre of Konoha's ninja. Despite being the leader of the Alliance, A was uncomfortable not being on the front lines; when news reached headquarters of his father's reincarnation, A wished to go and confront him, but opted to send the Tsuchikage instead after learning that Mū was also amongst the reincarnated.

He had a similar response when the First Division engaged the Gold and Silver Brothers. A explained to the people at headquarters about the brothers and made preparations to deal with them should they begin using their Nine-Tails chakra. He had Mabui send the Kohaku no Jōhei to Darui and called in reinforcements from other divisions to help out the First Division. His plans paid off and the brothers were sealed.

Upon learning that B and Naruto had escaped from confinement, A and Tsunade decided to personally stop them, leaving Shikaku in charge while they were gone. Upon intercepting them, A tried to impress upon them the importance of keeping them out of Akatsuki's grasp. Naruto tried to flee using his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, but A was able to keep up with him and block his escape. Feeling that he wouldn't be able to sway Naruto, A tried to kill him to prevent his capture. B blocked his attack and informs his brother that he would have to be willing to kill both of them. A claimed to have no problem with this, but B unbelieving, bumped fists with him to remind him of all they had been through together. When A still wouldn't listen to words, B attacked and defeated him with a Lightning Release: Lariat, proving his strength. Despite his defeat, A still refused the pleas of B and Tsunade, prompting Tsunade to decide to battle A as well.

B however tried once more to reason with his brother, telling him that the tailed beasts weren't the only thing that made them strong but also the people who cared about them, referring to them as "suns". B told A that Naruto had two of them. A then asked him about it and Naruto told him about his parents, and that despite them dying shortly after he was born, they made him strong. After hearing this, A fully charged his lightning armour and attacked, however, Naruto was able to completely evade the attack. With this as proof of Naruto's power, A allowed Naruto to enter the battlefield stating that the "saviour" might still be alive in the form of him. After returning to headquarters, he was briefed about the White Zetsu Army. As Tsunade diagnosed the situation, A asked her if there were any hints on how to defeat Tobi to which she declared that he might just be the true definition of an immortal. When news from Inoichi of Naruto's arrival to each battlefield gave the Allied Forces a huge upper hand, Tsunade teased A, who stubbornly smiled in response.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax
After hearing that the real Madara Uchiha had been summoned to the battlefield, he and the others at headquarters tried to decipher who the masked man really was. However, after hearing Inoichi's report of the onslaught that was taking place on the battlefield, and Tsunade's intention to have Mabui teleport her there, he told Mabui to prepare her Heavenly Transfer Technique for two people instead of for just Tsunade. Despite Mabui's initial protest, since the technique could potentially kill humans it was used on, they were transported to the battlefield where A immediately attacked Mū with a powerful punch sending him flying into nearby rocks.

After asking if Tsunade was all-right, as well as remarking that he was finally able to cut loose, an opportunity he said he had waited days for, he stood together with the other Kage to face Madara. Covering Tsunade while she healed Gaara and Ōnoki, A and Mei faced Madara head-on. Punching Madara into Mei's lava after he evaded it, A crashed into Madara's Susanoo using his Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop technique. This failed to have any effect, and A realised that he would have to up the speed of his attacks in order to break through Susanoo's defence. As Madara retaliated with his Yasaka Magatama technique, they were protected by a combination of Gaara's sand and Ōnoki's giant rock golem. Combining their skills, Ōnoki first made A lighter so as to increase his speed and then as he attacked Madara increased the weight behind his attack, breaking through Susanoo and punching Madara. Before Naruto's clone disperses A and the other Kage left him with one final message: "win".

As the battle between the Kage and Madara waged on, A stood atop Ōnoki's golem which beared down on Madara. The golem was however destroyed by Madara and A took to the skies with Ōnoki to avoid the pollen being released by Madara's attack. The Kage were however ambushed by a twofold attack from Madara, fell prey to the pollen, and were knocked unconscious. After Ōnoki destroyed the forest and part of Madara however, A and the others regained consciousness in time to see the face formed from the DNA of the First Hokage jutting out from a regenerating Madara's chest. As Madara regenerated, A, who was noticeably irritated, told Madara to stop ranting while making himself sound important after listening to him berate Tsunade and her lineage and then praise it all in the same breath. With Ōnoki still allowing A greater manoeuvrability, A assisted Tsunade in a two fold attack on Madara which sent the latter plummeting into the ground. A then calls out to Gaara who seemingly bound and sealed Madara. A later watched in shock as Tsunade was impaled by a Susanoo Sword and Madara revealed that they had sealed a wood clone.

A was later shocked even further to see Tsunade launch a surprise attack on an unsuspecting Madara and then spured the Tsuchikage on as Ōnoki launched a surprise attack of his own. As Madara later sent his wood clones to confront each of the Kage, A looked on in shock as Madara asked them whether or not they'd prefer his clones use Susanoo.

Fending off an attack from one of the Susanoo-clad clones, A reprimands the Hokage for her reckless fighting, A loses concentration long enough for the clone to grab him and put him under genjutsu much to A's dismay. Saved by the quick-thinking of the Tsuchikage and freed from the genjutsu, A is spurred on to fight more still as the other Kage rally to each other's side. Waiting for the opportune moment to strike the real Madara after Ōnoki annihilates the clones, A infuses Mei's Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique with lightning to create a numbing effect on Madara, slowing his responsiveness. Before their assault is able to completely seal Madara, however, their opponent manifests his complete Susanoo. As Madara's Susanoo stabilises, A along with the other Kage stare in shock at the giant construct before being knocked down by a single swing from its sword. Despite this, the Kage stand and face Madara once again.

As the Mizukage remarked that situation looked grim for the Kage, A unceremoniously told her to shut up as he wasn't going to give up just yet. As Madara's attack failed to land due to his Susanoo de-materialising, A watched on as Madara is enveloped in a light of sorts. Shocked to hear that the Impure World Reincarnation technique had been released, A and the other Kage discuss how such a feat was possible in the short time that they had begun searching for Kabuto and the Tsuchikage noted that regardless of who undid the technique, they were a hero to the shinobi world. The Kage are then attacked by Madara in a desperate final attempt. With Mei unable to counter in time, Tsunade moving to counter Madara's Fire Release: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique with her bare fist. After she fell unconscious, A and the other Kage rush to her aid when Madara tried to impale her with his Susanoo's sword but was surprised to see Tsunade dodge the attack. With Tsunade all-right, A questions why Madara didn't disappear since the technique had been cancelled. Madara then revealed that he had broken the contract between himself and his summoner and as such was acting on his own with an immortal body. Despite their attempt to stop Madara from leaving their battlefield, A and the other Kage were ultimately defeated and left severely wounded.

Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki
Later, upon the arrival of Karin, Suigetsu and Orochimaru at the battlefield, Tsunade was healed by Karin. After being healed considerably, she in turn helped in healing A and the other Kage. With no time to lose, they all made their way to the battlefield atop Gaara's sand. While closing in on the battlefield, they first see the tree form of the Ten-Tails and are informed by Katsuyu about the most recent developments before being contacted telepathically by Hashirama Senju who informed every one on the battlefield about what he had learned about the tree from his battle with Madara. As Naruto's anger at the loss of the comrades he had fought so hard to protect grew, his emotions and memories were conveyed to everyone via Ino Yamanaka's technique.

A would later view Hashirama's memories of the first Summit of the five Kage before arriving on the battlefield as Hashirama declared his wishes for the future of the world. Responding to Hashirama's mention of dreams, A noted that in their generation, the mention of preserving dreams was a moot point. He later relocated to where B was where he contemplated that despite what he thought of it, those who would become Hokage had a proclivity for lowering their heads to others mulling over whether this in itself was a sign of power. In rallying the troops around him and his brother, A exclaimed that they better get ready to wreak havoc.

Though the Alliance is able to defeat Obito through the collaborative efforts, the battle takes a turn for the worst when Madara is revived via the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. The battlefield is soon assaulted by Tobi and a miniature version of the Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands technique. Cloaked in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, A was one of the few shinobi still able to fight. As the battle waged on, A and the Alliance started to feel tremors which were revealed to be more meteorites hitting the ground. He and the others would later fall prey to the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes
Ultimately, A and the rest of the world were freed from the genjutsu by Naruto and Sasuke after they ended the war.

Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky
A and the other Kage inspect the Blood Prison to determine the suitability of its new warden, Kahyō. To prove herself, Kahyō uses her ice to freeze off A's beard. A is humiliated, which the other Kage feel is reason enough to keep her on as warden.

The Last: Naruto the Movie
Two years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, with the moon beginning to descend towards Earth, the five Kage band together once more to discuss their solution to this ongoing threat.

With B's assistance, he pulls out a special Chakra Cannon and manages to destroy the meteors heading to Earth. Afterwards, he has a meeting with the Kage and they all refuse to let him destroy the moon while Naruto and the others are on it. A decides to give them one hour. With the hour up he prepares to fire, but B refuses to kill Naruto. Just then, he learns that the mission was a success and the Earth is saved.

Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze
When rumours of Sasuke joining a terrorist organization begin circulating among the hidden villages, A and the other Kage believed it to be someone disguised as Sasuke due to the latter having been instrumental in the Allied Shinobi Forces' victory in the war. However, as Sasuke refused to confirm or deny the rumours, A considered holding a Kage Summit on whether or not to pursue Sasuke as an International criminal once more. After it was discovered to be an imposter, plans for the meeting were cancelled.

Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise
When word gets out that more than a hundred Konoha, Kumo, and Kiri shinobi have gone missing, A agrees to work together with Konohagakure and Kirigakure to investigate the matter, and consents to having Sasuke lead the investigation.

When Sasuke finds and delivers the missing Kumo shinobi to their village, A thanks Sasuke for his help and offers to send other Kumo shinobi to help him find the people responsible, but Sasuke declines because only his ocular abilities can cancel the genjutsu. A thinks back to the moments when Naruto begged A to spare Sasuke for attempting to kidnap B and when he fought Sasuke at the Kage Summit. Having finally forgiven Sasuke after helping his village, A grudgingly acknowledges Sasuke as the only person qualified for the job and and advises Sasuke to continue to do great deeds for everyone so they will look up to him again.

New Era
Twelve years later, A retired as Raikage and passed on the title to Darui. On the day of the Five Kage Summit, he and the other retired Kage visit Ōnoki at the Tsuchikage's residence, where he remained living at.

Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison
A, Mabui, and Team Samui have a conversation about the Box of Ultimate Bliss from the Hōzuki Castle of the Kusagakure. He and the others were ambushed and knocked out unconscious from the smoke screen. Despite that, A ambushed the enemy after he noticed it was a shadow clone. The enemy was Naruto Uzumaki, much to A's shock, and escaped after the battle. As Mabui and Team Samui regain their consciousness, A told them to summon B.

Creation and Conception
Masashi Kishimoto noted that he drew A as a muscle-bound character to convey just how powerful he is. Predominantly as a taijutsu user, Kishimoto had him use pro-wrestling moves adding a champion's belt to the character to enhance this effect.

Trivia

 * His name is the Japanese pronunciation of the English letter "A". This is similar to the names of several shinobi from his village such as: B, C and F that are the pronunciations of the letters "B", "C", and "F" respectively.
 * A was left-handed before his self-amputation.
 * On the last page of chapter 562, A is depicted with his left hand. This was however corrected in tankobōn release.
 * In the thirteenth opening, A is shown replacing his amputated left arm with an artificial arm made out of Lightning Release chakra as he assaulted Madara's Susanoo with both hands.
 * In the anime, within Tsunade's Infinite Tsukuyomi dream, A, along with Ōnoki and Mei Terumī, were killed and transformed into human puppets by Sasori.

Quotes

 * (To Naruto) "Shinobi ought not lower their heads so easily, action and power are what shinobi respect! There should be no compromise between shinobi. The history of the human race is a history of war! Ever since the three Shinobi World Wars… Every country… every village has fought for the strongest techniques. The weak will be crushed! That is inescapable truth of the ninja world!"
 * (To Killer B) "Discretion is the better part of valour! You would do well to remember that! I don't need my strong hand, all it takes is my off hand. That's more than enough to defeat any man."
 * (To Killer B) "You're a special being to me! We're the strongest tag team!"
 * (To Darui) "I have no regrets about my left arm, because I still have both of my right arms. This one, and you."
 * (To Naruto) "It seems our saviour is alive and well… inside you.