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Naruto: Did Bruce Lee Serve As The Inspiration Behind Rock Lee? Explored
Was Bruce Lee Masashi Kishimoto’s inspiration behind the fan-favorite Naruto character Rock Lee? Here is what we know.
Mangakas often use legendary people from the real world as an inspiration behind their popular characters. Yoshikage Kira from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures was based on David Bowie, the bounty hunter Coffee from Cowboy Bebop was based on Pam Grier’s character in the movie Coffy, Victor Nikiforov from Yuri on Ice was based on the Soviet skater Evegeni Plushenko and actor John Cameron Mitchell, and so on. One of the most popularly known nods to a legendary man in anime has to be Rock Lee from Naruto, who is a homage to martial arts icon Bruce Lee.
Who is Rock Lee in Naruto and how is he similar to Bruce Lee?
Rock Lee is a student of Might Guy and an integral member of Team Guy. Even though he was born without any Chakra and had little to no talent in genjutsu and ninjutsu, through sheer determination he decided to hone his taijutsu skills to a level unknown. His dedication and grit resulted in him becoming one of the best hand-to-hand combatants in the world of Naruto. Even though his character was sort of left on the sidelines in Shippuden, fans love him for defying all the limitations of life and becoming a great fighter through sheer force of will and determination. 
If you are both a fan of Bruce Lee and Naruto, then you might have already seen some of the icon’s characteristics in Rock Lee. Not only do they look similar with their hairstyle and clothes, but also their stamina, determination, and fighting style. This makes it very easy to determine that Rock Lee was indeed inspired by the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee.
How exactly are Bruce Lee and Rock Lee similar?
The mangaka of Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto admitted that he based the character of Rock Lee on Bruce Lee. Both Bruce Lee and Rock Lee also have the same birthday which is on 27th November. Rock Lee’s looks are also reminiscent of Bruce Lee’s iconic hairstyle and clothes in the movie Game of Death.
It is very easy to see all the respect and love Kishimoto has for Bruce Lee in his character design of Rock Lee. Not only does the character look like the martial arts icon, but both of their fighting styles are also the same. Similar to Bruce Lee, who recovered from a debilitating back injury in 1970 against all odds, Rock Lee also recovered from the grave injuries he suffered in the hands of Gaara, despite Tsunade saying he might never work again.
Not only in combat techniques, the two of them are similar in their persevering personalities and their determination to defeat every obstacle to come out on top. Rock Lee’s unyielding spirit is something that can only be a homage to a great man like Bruce Lee. Much like Bruce Lee, who proves to be a formidable opponent to his foes, Rock Lee, despite his Chakra limitations, is also one of the strongest combatants in the world of Naruto. They might not be exactly the same in nature and personality, as anyone who has watched Naruto will understand. But their similarity does go beyond just physical appearance as Bruce Lee’s philosophy is clearly mirrored in Rock Lee.
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