Kakashi Hatake from Naruto/Boruto might be one of the most popular anime characters. However, thanks to the ambiguity left by Masashi Kishimoto, there is still some question about Kakashi’s age.
Naruto is undoubtedly one of the most beloved, most successful anime series based on manga of the same name. When Naruto inevitably ended, many fans were sad that it was over and clamored for more from this intriguing universe. When it was announced that it would receive a spin-off sequel series centered around Naruto Uzumaki’s son Boruto, fans everywhere were excited by the prospect. One reason fans were excited was that it would give them a chance to see some of their favorite characters and how they had developed over the time jump between Naruto and Boruto. One of these characters is the mysterious Kakashi Hatake, and when he shows up in Boruto, many begin to ponder how old he is.
Boruto synopsis
Boruto is a manga and anime series that follows Naruto’s son Boruto and his team of ninja friends as he enters the Chûnin exams. Many characters are both new and returning, including Kakashi Hatake.
Who is Kakashi Hatake?
Kakashi Hatake is a shinobi of Konohagakure’s Hatake clan. He is a highly skilled ninja who is often approached for advice, leadership, and guidance despite his reluctance to be a leader. He constantly instills the importance of friendship in his students, including Naruto himself. His childhood friend Obito Uchiha obtained these values, and after the fourth Shinobi world war, Kakashi was cemented as Konoha’s sixth Hokage.
His first appearance was in volume 1, chapter 3 of Naruto, and in the anime, he first shows up in Episode 3. He also appears in the novels Innocent Heart and Demonic Blood and Naruto in the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow. He even shows up in the video game Naruto: Konoha Ninpocho and others, as well as the OVA, Find the Four-Leaf Red Clover!
Kakashi in Boruto
Kakashi shows up in Boruto in largely minor appearances but, at one stage, does test the new group of students to see if they are fit to be ninjas. He is still very mysterious, and even after all these years, he maintains his gray hair, scarred face, and weary attitude. This begs the question, how old exactly is Kakashi in Boruto?
How old is Kakashi in Boruto?
While it is never explicitly spelled out, we can look at the evidence presented across Naruto and Boruto to determine an approximate age for Kakashi. Naruto’s birthday is October 10th, the same day his parents perished. Much later in the timeline, it is also the exact date that the Fourth Shinobi world war was won. Kakashi’s birthday is said to be September 15th, and using this date and the passage of events previously described, we can discern that upon the formation of Team 7, he is 26 years old.
Part 1 of Naruto has a story that spans a year, with Part 2 covering two years. Between the two parts, there is a time jump of two years, meaning that Kakashi would have aged five years throughout the series. This puts Kakashi at the age of 31 by the end of the events of Naruto Shippuden. We know that after the Fourth Shinobi world war, Kakashi becomes Konoha’s sixth Hokage. This event took place two years after the end of Naruto Shippuden, which tells us that at this stage, Kakashi was 33.
After the world war, there is a time jump of 3 years to the point that Boruto was born, which tells us that Kakashi is approximately 36 years old at the time of his birth.
At the beginning of Boruto, we know that the titular character is 12 years old. This is the same age that Naruto was at the start of his journey. Using all this information, we can determine that Kakashi is approximately 48 years old at the beginning of Boruto: Naruto’s Next Generations.
How old is Kakashi in the latest volumes?
The Boruto manga is still ongoing, with 17 volumes released and no end in sight. Mikio Ikemoto reportedly wants to end the series at volume 30, so there is still plenty of content to come. People have estimated that the series will run until at least 2028, with many more arcs in the Boruto story.
In a flashforward after the destruction of Konoha following the Otsutsuki attack on the village, we see a sixteen-year-old Boruto. Boruto faces Kawaki on the remnants of the Hokage Rock, where Kawaki threatens to end the shinobi era.
If Boruto is 16 after the time skip, that means that Kakashi is at least 52 years old in Boruto, although he is not seen at this time. Who knows how many years the Boruto series could span, meaning we could see Kakashi mature into old age. Despite his aging throughout the two series, he does not appear physically much different, so perhaps he will hit a point where his older age becomes noticeable.
Will Kakashi show up again in Boruto?
Kakashi consistently ranks among the fan-favorite characters of the Naruto and Boruto manga and anime series, meaning that writers and artists will utilize him further. There is still plenty to explore with Kakashi’s character, although fans would want this inclusion to make sense and do justice to the beloved character. He is no longer the Hokage and is much older and weaker than he was in his prime, so it would be unreasonable to expect a total return to tough battles and action sequences, but we can still hold out hope for the odd cameo here and there.
