Name Meaning: Orochi= Large Serpent, Maru= Male Name
Age: 50-51 (I); 54 (II)
Sex: Male
Birthday: October 27
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Height: 179.4 cm (Part I); 172.0 cm (Part II)
Weight: 67 kg (Part I); 58 kg (Part II)
Blood Type: B
Bloodline Limit Wood Release
Nature Type: Wind, Water, Wood, Earth and Fire.
Originally From: Konohagakure (Leaf)
Affiliations: Konohagakure (Leaf), Root, Akatsuki, Otagakure (Sound)
Classification: Sannin, Sage, S-rank, Missing-nin
Rank: ANBU
Ninja Registration Number: 002300
Academy Graduation Age: 6
Akatsuki Ring: Void (Sky)
Finger Position: Left little finger
Partner: Sasori, Yakushi Kabuto
Favorite Foods: Eggs
Least Favorite Foods: Cold Food
Personality: Ambitious, cruel, egoistic
Favourite Word: Destruction, chaos
Interests: Developing new jutsu
First Manga Appearance: Chapter 45
First Anime Appearance: Episode 27
Assignments Completed: 16 D-Rank, 132 C-Rank, 521 B-Rank, 491 A-Rank, 108 S-Rank

Orochimaru is a major antagonist of Naruto series. He is a missing ninja from Konohagakure, who is recognised as one of the most powerful ninjas and known as one of the "Legendary Sannin" (Legendary Three Ninja), which was a title that was given to him and his former team mates, Jiraiya and Tsunade, by Hanzō during the Second Shinobi World War. His main goals are to capture Uchiha Sasuke as his new body to gain possession of the Sharingan and to destroy Konoha.

Background

From his childhood days Orochimaru was identified as a genius shinobi and a once-in-a-generation prodigy. His parents died when he was young and according to Jiraiya, Orochimaru's goals, which were quite alien to the ideals within the village, were associated with these painful memories.

He was a student of the Third Hokage, who recognized Orochimaru's natural talent and often told Jiraiya to be more like Orochimaru. The Third was aware of a malice and a lust for power within Orochimaru, but chose to pretend not to notice and hoped that he could quell this part of Orochimaru's personality.

Orochimaru's desire for power grew as the years went by. One day while visiting his parents' grave he found the shedded skin of a white snake. As the Third Hokage explained, it was known to represent good forture and luck which inspired Orochimaru. He began to study kinjutsu (forbidden techniques) and became obsessed with learning all ninjutsu that exists in the world.

After leaving Konoha, Orochimaru joined an elite criminal organisation called Akatsuki. What he did while he was a member of the organization is pretty much unknown. The only information that was revealed is that his partner was Sasori and he made an attempt to take control of Uchiha Itachi's body to gain the possesion of the Sharingan.


After a failed attempt to take over Uchiha Sasuke's body, he was absorbed by Sasuke who didn't want to give himself up to a weakened Orochimaru. During Sasuke's later fight with Itachi, as Sasuke was too weak to suppress his chakra, he managed to escape and tried to take over his body once again, however was trapped in an inescapable dream-like realm by the legendary sword of Totsuka used by Uchiha Itachi.

He was resurrected by Uchiha Sasuke during the Fourth Shinobi War, who used Anko's cursed seal and a piece of Kabuto's flesh to bring him back. After his resurrection, he reabsorbed the chackra Kabuto stole from him and revealed that he doesn't have enough power to take over Sasuke's body and has no interest in the war.