Kimimaro was the sole survivor of the Kaguya clan, who were battle-loving barbarians. Being a rare owner of the kekkei genkai, Shikotsumyaku, Kimimaro's father, fearing his son's abilities, locked him up in a cage for most of his life, releasing him only when he was needed to fight for the clan. The Kaguya clan was wiped out when they attacked Kirigakure, seemingly for no reason other than desire to kill. Having underestimated their opponent's defences, they were slaughtered, with only Kimimaro surviving. With nowhere to go, Kimimaro began to wander, he was eventually found by Orochimaru, and recruited as one of his most loyal ninja. While belonging to a clan that loved killing, murder, and slaughter, and being the most powerful of this clan, Kimimaro was not truly violent, because he never really knew the outside world. Thus, the only reason he fought was because his clan needed him to do so, and being needed by someone was the one thing he truly desired. However, when he met Orochimaru, his desires changed to serve him, and to ensure the continuation of his master's dreams and ambitions. Kimimaro was selected to be one of Orochimaru's next bodies, primarily because of the rare kekkei genkai he possessed. However, Kimimaro was unfortunately afflicted by an unknown disease, and hence, was no longer useful to Orochimaru.
Kimimaro and Jūgo.
Kimimaro was a close friend of Jūgo, one of Orochimaru's test subjects, and was the only person capable of suppressing Jūgo's killing instincts. After hearing that Kimimaro had died in Part I to ensure Sasuke Uchiha reached Orochimaru, Jūgo believed that Kimimaro's spirit continued to live on in Sasuke, which was why he joined Taka in Part II.
Personality Edit
Unlike the rest of his clan, the battle loving Kaguya clan, Kimimaro didn't have a particular interest in fighting or killing. He merely saw it as a means to be of use to others. He was a calm and quiet individual who would dedicate himself to whatever mission was at hand. As a child, he was more gentle despite his natural talent for combat and unique abilities which made him the strongest of his clan, as seen from him not wanting to hurt others he had no involvement with, and his interest in flowers.
After meeting Orochimaru, Kimimaro developed a strong devotion towards him, bordering on religious zeal or considering him a father figure (the manga suggesting the former, and the anime suggesting the latter), as Orochimaru was the only person to seemingly care for and inspire him. Kimimaro's relationship with Orochimaru was similar to Haku's relationship with Zabuza, both having similar backgrounds, and both found a purpose in living for their respective master. His dedication to Orochimaru was so great, that, despite his body's failing strength, he was able to will himself into battle, and still proved himself as an extremely dangerous opponent for the likes of Naruto Uzumaki, Rock Lee and Gaara. Kimimaro believed that his purpose was to serve and protect Orochimaru, and that the only reason for him to exist was to serve the one who rescued him from a life of despair and loneliness. Gaara compared the eyes of Kimimaro to those of Sasuke Uchiha's, the eyes of those who only sought to prove their own existence, nothing more.
Kimimaro demonstrated extreme distaste for "trash" ninja, as he put it. He generally attempted to "clean them up", by killing the people who were the "trash" ninja, even if they were his allies (he plotted to kill Tayuya after she defeated Shikamaru, because she was unable to deliver Sasuke by sunset). Despite his verbal disrespect of his opponents, Kimimaro had been shown to have a sense of honor in battle, as demonstrated when he stopped the battle to allow Rock Lee to take his "medicine". He also had a habit of underestimating more powerful opponents, as he underestimated Gaara multiple times during their battle.
The most notable trait that separated him from his four colleagues was that he rarely showed emotions, other than surprise, until Gaara insulted his faith in Orochimaru, causing him to become enraged before his death. It was also shown that Kimimaro was crying silently when he discovered he was no longer useful to Orochimaru.
Appearance Edit
Kimimaro was characterized by his pale skin, vivid green eyes, masculine facial features, and shoulder-length white hair, which he wore divided down the middle on his head (distinguished by an atypical 'zigzag' hair parting) with two separate partings on either side of his face. As a child, Kimimaro wore his hair longer, tied in a loose pony-tail near the middle of his back, though the initial style was very similar to his later one. He had two dots on his forehead symbolizing his clan.
