Monkey King Enma was a personal summon of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. Enma is an extremely strong summon in Naruto with a wealth of wisdom and expertise. In a hand-to-hand battle, he could easily render a resurrected Hashirama and Tobirama Senju helpless due to his exceptional physical strength.
Enma was called upon during the Sannin’s training sessions in the anime when Hiruzen served as their teacher. Enma was called when Hiruzen chose to meet Orochimaru, who had become suspicious, at some point in the past. Nevertheless, despite Enma’s plea for him to be killed, Hiruzen let Orochimaru escape during the conflict.
He and Hiruzen battled the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox together during its assault on Konoha. Later on, he and Hiruzen saw how Naruto Uzumaki’s Nine-Tails were sealed.
Monkey King Enma Deserved More Screen Time In Naruto
In a Reddit post made by Ok_Drawer1408, a question was asked regarding the most powerful summon in Naruto. Undoubtedly, the popular answer was Enma. A user commented that Enma himself is a Shinobi who can use Ninjutsu and Taijutsu and is strong enough to push Kurama and fast enough to destroy Obito’s Roots.
Which summon is the most powerful?
byu/Ok_Drawer1408 inNaruto
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see Enma on screen too often as user opper-hombre1 stated under the post: “Wish we could’ve seen more of him. Sick a** design”. Masashi Kishimoto certainly deprived the fans of seeing more of a powerful character like Enma.
Enma has supported Hiruzen for decades, as certain Naruto memories demonstrate, but it all ended when Hiruzen lost his life battling Orochimaru during Operation Konoha Crush.
Similar to Hiruzen, Enma is not only a highly experienced and perceptive creature, but he also possesses immense strength. Enma has the advantage in most battles because he is aware of the nature, advantages, and disadvantages of several techniques. Enma can also change into an elongating staff, a direct allusion to the Sun Wukong epic from Chinese mythology.
How Did Hiruzen Sarutobi Lose His Life?
Hiruzen died during Orochimaru’s invasion of Konoha, during which he called out the spirits of Tobirama and Hashirama to oppose him. Hiruzen managed to hold off by himself with a transformed Enma until he realized his resurrected opponents were unbeatable in combat.
Hiruzen was forced to seal away his predecessors’ souls at the expense of his own by using the Death God Jutsu. In an effort to keep from hurting Konoha again, he tried to do the same for Orochimaru. However, Orochimaru pierced Hiruzen’s face with his Kusanagi blade as he was being sealed.
Hiruzen, who was destined to die for calling upon the Shinigami, tried to gather the strength necessary to complete sealing Orochimaru. Hiruzen concedes that he won’t be able to finish the seal after an hour goes by with no improvement. He chooses to take the bare minimum of action to thwart Orochimaru’s schemes and safeguard the village, so he has the Shinigami seal Orochimaru’s arms to prevent him from using them. Hiruzen died with a smile on his face, as both a true shinobi and a great Hokage.
Naruto, streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Monkey King Enma in Naruto?
Enma is the personal summon of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. A highly experienced and perceptive monkey, he is known for immense physical strength, mastery of ninjutsu and taijutsu, and the ability to transform into an extending adamantine staff. That staff form is a direct nod to Sun Wukong from the Chinese classic Journey to the West.
What role did Enma play in Hiruzen’s final battle?
During Orochimaru’s invasion of Konoha (Operation Konoha Crush), Hiruzen summoned Enma and, using his transformed staff form, held off the reanimated Hashirama and Tobirama Senju. Realizing he could not defeat them, Hiruzen used the Death God Jutsu (Reaper Death Seal) to seal his predecessors’ souls, dying in the attempt and managing only to seal away Orochimaru’s arms.
Why do fans say Enma deserved more screen time?
The article cites a Reddit thread where users named Enma one of the strongest summons in Naruto, with commenter opper-hombre1 writing “Wish we could’ve seen more of him. Sick a** design.” Fans feel his power and design were underused. This is community sentiment, not an official statement from Masashi Kishimoto or the production.
