Haku, the sidekick of Zabuza, is the one character who managed to win over fans despite having just a brief appearance in the anime. Haku appeared in Naruto in one of the very first arcs, cementing a place forever in the fans’ hearts. After a brief debut, Haku didn’t appear in any filler episodes of Naruto (or Naruto Shippuden) or any of the Naruto movies. Although Haku did make a return during the massive Fourth Shinobi War. However, during all of Haku’s appearances, there was one common question on everyone’s mind – what is Haku’s gender? Is Haku a boy or girl in Naruto? This is one of the most heated and never-ending discussions among Naruto fans, and it still eludes some of them. Nevertheless, the anime and manga have already provided an answer to this question. So, continue reading to learn about Haku’s gender in Naruto.
Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers about Haku from Naruto. We suggest you watch the anime and read the manga first to avoid ruining your experience.
Is Haku a Boy or a Girl in Naruto?
Now, this is a contentious topic among Naruto fans, which has been discussed for decades. As mentioned earlier, the simple answer to this unsolved mystery was already answered in the anime (and the manga). In episode 12 (manga chapter 21), Naruto meets Haku for the first time, and he was mesmerized by Haku’s cuteness. During their whole meeting, Naruto considered Haku to be a female (much like all fans) until Haku cleared the confusion in the end.
Haku wishes Naruto to get strong and hopes to meet him again in the future. And finally, when taking leave, Haku mentioned that “I’m a man,” putting an end to all the confusion among fans. This is a clear statement that confirmed that Haku is indeed a male character in the Naruto anime series. So yeah, Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto didn’t leave us in the dark about Haku’s gender.
Haku is not a young girl, as we assumed at first, and lived as a young boy until his death in the same arc. We discuss Haku’s character and his backstory in detail in the section below.
Haku’s Backstory in Naruto Anime
Who Is Haku in Naruto
- Debut: Naruto Episode 9, Manga Chapter 15
- Clan: Yuki
- Kekkei Genkai: Ice Release
- Classification: Mercenary Ninja
- Nature type: Ice, Wind, and Water Release
Haku was born in the Kirigakure village to an unnamed couple. He is neither from the renowned Uchiha clan nor Uzumaki clan in Naruto but is confirmed to be a descendant of the Yuki clan. Haku was born to a simple family in Kirigakure village; his father being a farmer. But he was orphaned at a young age because he possessed the Kekkei Genkai technique (inherited from his mother). Let me explain.
Haku could use the Kekkei Genkai, and his mother kept it a secret from everyone in order to survive, as the villagers considered it a taboo. When Haku showed the technique to his mother, she became hysterical and explained him that he has to hide his power at any cost. But it was already too late since Haku’s father had witnessed his powers from the shadows. As a result, Haku’s dad gathered all the local villagers and killed his own wife. When he tried to kill Haku next, Haku unleashed his ice techniques to kill his dad and the rest of the villagers who tried to eradicate him.
Later on, Zabuza took the orphaned Haku under his wing and trained him to become a proud shinobi. Right after that, they both teamed up together to become a Mercenary Ninja duo. Haku was with Zabuza until his last breath and even when he was reincarnated later in the Shinobi war. Haku had a tragic past in Naruto, but that’s got nothing to do with his gender or feminine (bishonen) appearance.
Haku’s Tragic Death
After getting defeated by Naruto, Haku asked Naruto to finish him right away. But as we all know, Naruto isn’t that kind of a person. While this was going on, Haku noticed that Zabuza was going to get killed by Kakashi. So, he immediately threw himself in front of Zabuza (like a shield), which resulted in Kakashi piercing his heart with Chidori. Haku always wanted to be useful to Zabuza until his end, and well, unfortunately, that’s how he died in the show. Finally, Zabusa and Haku were both buried together.
Where Is Haku Right Now
Years after Haku’s death, he was reincarnated into the world by Kabuto, along with Naruto’s Pain, a few Akatsuki members, and several others during the Fourth Shinobi World War. Again, he was reunited with Zabuza and forced to fight against the Allied Shinobi Forces in Naruto.
Before his memories were erased by Kabuto, Haku and Zabuza were able to share some time with Kakashi, and they both were informed about Naruto’s growth. Once they became complete puppets of Kabuto, they dealt some serious damage against the Allied forces.
But Itachi and Sasuke quickly put an end to the Impure World Reincarnation technique. The technique was subsequently stopped, and the resurrected warriors from the past quickly began to vanish. As a result, Haku’s spirit was sent back to the afterlife along with Zabuza, as he had previously wished for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Haku’s gender in Naruto was confirmed to be male both in the anime and the manga.
There is no definite answer to this question, but feminine-looking boys (also known as bishonen) have slowly found their way into modern pop culture. And well, Haku is the perfect example of a bishonen character in Naruto. He is a beautiful looking male character in the Naruto anime.
Zabuza was the one who took the helpless and orphan Haku under his wingsand taught him everything to become a shinobi. At first, Zabuza considered Haku like a tool. But in the end, this changed as they both shared a deep friendship.
