Gamaken in Naruto

Gamaken is a giant toad who resides in Mount Myōboku and not a lot is known about his past beyond that. He first appeared when Jiraiya summoned him to assist during the latter’s battle against Pain.

Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant

Jiraiya summoned Gamaken when the former faced the Akatsuki leader Pain, and decided to use the Sage Mode. However, using Sage Mode takes some time to prepare, and he couldn’t afford to risk leaving himself defenseless.

During the time it took Jiraiya to prepare the technique, Gamaken was forced to face a wide range of Pain’s animal summons, and was kicked back and forth throughout the tower until he was pushed into a sewer, after which Jiraiya told him to return because he had finally finished preparing his technique.

Pain’s Assault

Gamaken, along with Gamabunta and Gamahiro, were later summoned to aid Naruto in his battle against Pain. He faced the Giant Rhino summoned by the Animal Path, and attacked it with his sasumata and severely injured it. He then engaged with Pain’s Giant Multi-Headed Dog once more and informed Gamabunta and Gamahiro about its ability, though Gamabunta believed he was a little too late.

After Naruto disabled the Animal Path and its summons vanished, the toads battled Preta Path and Deva Path until the latter used Shinra Tensei to send them flying behind Konoha’s borders. He was later seen unconscious after collapsing into the mountains.

Gamaken is very quiet. He is constantly referring to his clumsiness and appears nervous. During Pain’s invasion, while fighting the summons of the Animal Path, he tells Gamabunta once again about how clumsy he is.

Despite this, he has shown no signs of being any more clumsy or “ungraceful” than the other toads, though he also claims to always do his best. His nickname “Ken-san” gives him a sense of dependability, as though he will always be there for a timely rescue whenever the need be.

Gamaken is a massive magenta-colored toad with black patterns on his face, arms, and legs, as well as horn-like protrusions on his head. He is as tall as Gamabunta and towering over most buildings, trees, and large rock formations (save for the massive skyscrapers of Amegakure, which exceed even other summonses.

He is dressed in a black kimono with a white sash and mesh armor beneath. He wears a sakazuki-style shield across his back and carries a sasumata in his hand.

Despite his lack of faith in his talents, Gamaken is a very powerful opponent. His fighting style is based on armed melee combat with both a sasumata and a sakazuki shield, which he wields with great proficiency. His skills were demonstrated both times he met Pain’s summons, as he was originally able to ward off a variety of summons as Jiraiya prepared to summon the Two Great Sage Toads, and subsequently able to seal a damaging blow to Pain’s Giant Rhino when summoned to protect Konoha.

He can also produce explosions with his sasumata which make his attacks much more lethal. He is also extremely agile, having escaped numerous attacks while fighting in an industrialized city. He uses his shield both defensively, to defend against attacks, as a flail, and for other auxiliary functions.

He possesses great endurance and commitment, which was witnessed when he sustained several bite wounds from Pain’s dog summon but still continued to battle.

Movies

Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie

(To Jiraiya) “Though I’m pretty weak, I’ll try my best.”

“I guess I really am.. just.. clumsy.”

Q. When and why did Jiraiya summon Gamaken?

A. Jiraiya summoned Gamaken to counter Pain’s summoning jutsu. Jiraiya decided to use the Sage Mode, which takes time to prepare, so he summoned Gamaken to assist him while he gathered chakra to activate the Sage Mode.

Q. Who are the giant toads in Naruto?

A. Gamabunta, Gamahiro, and Gamaken are a few of the giant toads depicted in the Naruto series.