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Why does Naruto have whisker marks on his face?

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Does it have anything to do with the kyuubi inside him? Is it to signify that he is the host of the kyuubi or is it just a plain birthmark? Was it ever explained in the anime or manga?

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  • Never explained AFAIK
    – Washu
    Commented Apr 4, 2013 at 23:39
  • Similar, but regarding Gaara's dark circles: anime.stackexchange.com/a/2147/49
    – JNat ♦
    Commented Apr 5, 2013 at 11:02
  • Ahh common mistake, my friend. Those are not actually whiskers but instead whisker marks. Naruto got them from the Kyuubi while in his mother's womb.
    – user9059
    Commented Nov 7, 2014 at 6:10
  • I'm not sure where everyone claims them to be actual whiskers.
    – Madara's Ghost
    Commented Nov 7, 2014 at 19:28

3 Answers 3

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They're not actually whiskers. They're whisker marks, just marks on his face that resemble whiskers.

Yes, this has to do with the kyuubi. When Naruto was influenced by Kurama prior to birth, he gained the whisker marks:

Naruto's most prominent physical characteristics, however, are the whisker marks on his face that he gained from Kurama's influence on him while he was in Kushina's womb.

  — Naruto Uzumaki, Naruto Wiki

The reason Naruto's mother did not have them is because these are as a result of prolonged exposure (being in the womb) rather than the beast simply being sealed within the host.

Both of Naruto's kids, Bolt and Himawari, have two whisker marks on each cheek, neither of them is a Jinchuuriki but both are the children of Kurama's Jinchuuriki, which implies that this is an inherited trait.

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  • So it's like a birthmark caused by the kyuubi?
    – xjshiya
    Commented Apr 4, 2013 at 23:51
  • @xjshiya You could think of it that way, yes.
    – Cattua
    Commented Apr 4, 2013 at 23:51
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Naruto got the whisker marks from the nine-tailed fox while he was in his mom's uterus because they were both inside her at the same time and while naruto was in her uterus, the nine-tails probably had a little of his power given to Naruto.

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    This answer seems to be correct, but generally we like answers that cite their sources. In addition, the other answer already says the same thing and has been around a while longer, so there's no need to post redundant content.
    – Logan M
    Commented Nov 5, 2013 at 1:43
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    Welcome to the Anime & Manga SE. I am afraid this site is not a discussion board unlike some other sites you may be familiar with, so you need to stop digging out old questions if your answer has nothing substantial to add. Please go through the FAQ to get yourself familiar with how to ask questions or provide answers here.
    – Masked Man
    Commented Nov 5, 2013 at 13:24
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There has never been a canon stated reason for the whisker marks in the story or by creator Masashi Kishimoto himself, so the acquisition of the whisker marks is still undetermined.

However, there are popular fan theories, like the other answers people have given here, for example. Due to the fact that the only explanations so far have been fandom speculation, the wiki citation given in one of the other answers has since been removed from his wiki page for lack of confirmation or sources to back it up, if that clears up any confusion.

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