Baki

Baki (バキ) is a jonin level shinobi of Sunagakure, and is a member of it's advisory council.

Background
Not much about his past is shown, except that he is the Sensei to the Sand Siblings. However he was born on the day of July 4th.

Personality
Baki is described as being a very loyal, kind and respected ninja. Although, like many Sand ninjas, he is very ruthless and stern in battle, as they are all trained to put accomplishing missions before comradeship. With his experience in battle, he holds a lot of confidence in his power. He also knows his priorities, as he went to the famous Chiyo and Ebizo for dealing against Sasori, as opposed to having another meeting with the Suna council.

During the Chunin Exams, he had confidence in the ability of all of his team members, although he commented on Kankuro not taking the battles very seriously enough. He also worried frequently about Gaara's mental stability, and his control over Shukaku. After Gaara became more mentally stable and had become the fifth Kazekage, Baki showed absolute respect for Gaara even bowing, and referring to him with an honorific even though he was Gaara's former teacher.

Appearance
Baki is a very tall man. He has two distinctive, red markings on the right side of his face. The only visible part of his head, with the rest being covered by his turban like head gear, and by a sheet hanging from it on the left side of his face. He dons the standard attire of a Suna nin, complete with a forehead protector and flak jacket.

Abilities
Baki is a powerful jonin of his village, as well as one of its council highest-ranking members: he's often shown taking charge of military operations, as seen during Deidara's raid on the village at the start of Part II. In Part I, while engaging high ranking Konohagakure shinobi was of no concern for him. He also appears knowledgeable of other village's techniques, as he was also able to recognise one of Konoha's high level techniques at first sight, as well as how to counter it.

Taijutsu
He is shown to be very strong and resilient in a battle, able to easily take a sword strike to his shoulder after the blade went through part of his flak jacket unfazed, and how to stop Hayate from removing his sword with a single hand. Also, having used taijutsu as his first strike on Hayate suggests that he has some skill in the art. In the anime, his skill in taijutsu was further elaborated on, being able to fend off Hayate's close-range attacks for a considerable period of time, ultimately forcing Hayate to rely on shadow clones to create an opening, two of which Baki defeated. He could spit out powder to distract his opponent.

Nature Transformation
Baki can use Wind Release, and seems to be very adept at it, creating an intangible Blade of Wind with a wave of his hand to slash through his opponents with ease; an attack which he claims to be "unblockable". In the anime, Baki was shown able to use this technique in rapid succession.

Chunin Exam arc
Baki was first seen watching the preliminary rounds of the third part of the Chunin Exam. He didn't talk much except for giving advice to his students and to warn Gaara to be careful whilst killing. He also commented on Rock Lee's power, and was worried that Gaara might not win his fight. Baki was seen again after Dosu died trying to kill Gaara before the third part of the Chunin Exam began so that he could get a better chance of fighting Sasuke. Baki then met Kabuto Yakushi and they discussed the upcoming Suna and Oto's invasion of Konoha.

When they discovered an uninvited Konoha ninja, Hayate Gekko, listening in the shadows. Baki offered to kill Hayate as a sign of trust between the Suna and Oto. Hayate tried to escape, but Baki caught up with him.

Hayate began to fight but, when his Dance of the Crescent Moon was unable to faze Baki, he was struck down by Baki's Blade of Wind. Baki praised Hayate's skill before he died. He later delivered the scroll, which contains Otogakure's plan for the invasion of Konoha, that he received from Kabuto to the Fourth Kazekage. Shortly after this, he informed the Sand Siblings of Suna's plan where he stated that it will depend a lot on Gaara's abilities.

Before the finals he was angry and told Gaara's siblings to find him because he wasn't in his room.

Invasion of Konoha arc
He was shown next during the final rounds, which led to the Konoha invasion of the Sand and Sound shinobi. When Gaara lost control, he told his team to take Gaara to safety, noting that his earlier transformation had slightly changed their plans. However, before he could follow them, he was challenged by Shiranui Genma, a battle that was interrupted when the invasion was abandoned.

He was later seen discovering the decomposed bodies of the Fourth Kazekage and his bodyguards, before realising that they had all been tricked by Orochimaru.

Pre Shippuuden Filler arc
He gave the mission of pursuing the kidnappers of Matsuri to Kankuro, Temari and Gaara. Kankuro protested that the kidnappers' goal was Gaara and if the mission will be assigned to them, he must at least come with them. Baki remembered his conversation with an adviser about the possibility of letting Gaara go, so he did not join them and said he was assigned to a different mission.

Kazekage Rescue arc
Baki was seen serving on Suna's advisory council. During the fight between Gaara and Deidara he was quick to order the evacuation of the village, and ordered the remaining shinobi to prepare offensive measures to help their new Kazekage. Later, when Kankuro was injured by Sasori, Baki seemed to be concerned about Kankuro's condition.

When Kankurō managed to say the name of his attacker and one of the people who had kidnapped Gaara ("Sasori of the Red Sand"), Baki immediately tried to inform the squad that had been sent to pursue the Akatsuki to retreat, only to find out that they had lost contact after retrieving Kankuro, and were most likely dead. He then decided to persuade the retired elders, Chiyo and Ebizo, who were also Sasori's grandmother and granduncle, respectively, to help, by revealing Sasori's membership to do so.

Later, during Team Kakashi's attack against the Akatsuki, Baki was shown in a meeting with other council members, with some that were determined to choose Gaara's successor, rather than try to retrieve him. When Kankuro tried to attack the one who had suggested that, Baki told him to stop, as they were in front of the Kazekage's monuments.

After Team Kakashi and the rest of the sand ninja, returned to the village with Gaara revived. Baki was the first to thank Naruto, and his team for bringing Gaara back. Naruto ojected, and told Baki it wasn't him who did all the work. In which everyone smile at him.

Five Kage Summitt arc
Baki was seen, along with the rest of the villagers, sending off Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari to the Kage Summit. After Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari have returned to the village after the Five Kage Summit Conference was over, he is seen in a meeting with the Sand Siblings along with the other Sand Councillors about what happened at the Summit.

Blank Period
Many years later, Gaara is to meet his future wife at a formal gathering of the Land of Wind's various dignitaries. Kankuro is meant to provide security for the gathering, but he is abruptly called away at the last minute, replaced by Baki. Both Gaara and Baki find this suspicious and increase the security for the event in case somebody is planning something.

Later after Gaara was attacked twice by assassins. In the aftermath, Baki recommends that the proceedings continue as scheduled so that other criminals will not be encouraged to try similar attacks in the future. He also shares his belief that the attack was part of some plot to eliminate Gaara, who plays politics behind closed doors, and replace him with Kankuro, who leads from the frontlines and as such is much-loved by the standard infantry. Gaara instructs Baki to look into everything. Later on Baki, who had interrupted Gaara from sleeping, reports that Hakuto has been kidnapped.

Baki then learns that Gaara is targeted to be kill by Tojuro. He then encounters Tojuro's henchmen, and kills them on the spot. Baki then realizes that Gaara must have learn about this ordeal the entire time without even telling him, after saying this he silently tells Rasa that his time of looking after Temari, Kankuro and Gaara has finally come to an end.

Video Games
Baki is a playable character in the following video games:
 * Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution 2
 * Naruto Shippuuden Clash of Ninja Revolution 3
 * Naruto Shippuuden Gekito Ninja Taisen! EX 3
 * Naruto Shippuuden Gekito Ninja Taisen! Special
 * Naruto Shippuuden Ultimate Ninja Blazing
 * Naruto Ultimate Ninja Online

Trivia
According to the databook(s):
 * Despite Baki now officially being an ally to Konohagakure, Hayate's lover, Yūgao Uzuki, swore to avenge Hayate. It is unclear how the two have resolved or will resolve their differences.
 * Baki's face as a mask made a cameo appearance in the ending omake of Naruto: Shippuuden episode 129 along with Obito's mask and Haku's mask.
 * His birthday is July 4, and his bloodtype is A.
 * His hobby is taking sand baths.
 * His favorite food is freeze dried tofu. While his least favorite food is Horse meat sashimi.
 * He has completed 694 missions: 116 D-rank, 210 C-rank, 251 B-rank, 106 A-rank, 11 S-rank.
 * His favourite phrase is "Indomitable perseverance" (堅忍不抜).

Voice Actors

 * Japanese : Joji Nakata
 * English : Sam Riegel

all information on Baki is from http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Baki