Naruto Series: Kakashi Hatake (INTP)

Kakashi was a bit tricky to type. I’ve seen quite a few people label him as an ISTJ due to him being such a stickler about the rules early on in life. However, while I can agree that Kakashi has Si, he doesn’t display any obvious signs of Te which helped put me on the path toward INTP.

Ti:

“Well I kinda figured it might be difficult making you understand all this.”

Kakashi is an introverted thinking dominant. He’s quiet and keeps to himself for the most part. Kakashi is shown frequently second guessing himself and making hesitant statements, which is indicative of Ti. He’s not typically shown making absolute statements. In addition, Kakashi, at times, shares incomplete thoughts, leaving those around him in a state of confusion. For instance, when Iruka Sensei is considering taking the test to become the principal, Kakashi initially makes a seemingly unsupportive statement, which discourages Iruka Sensei. Later, people realize that he was referring to scheduling conflicts and not Iruka Sensei’s eligibility. Kakashi frequently demonstrates this type of unstructured or “trailing off” communication. Kakashi also shows little desire to control his external environment. He goes with the flow. He doesn’t desire any kind of leadership or extra responsibility, but will reluctantly accept a position when it’s thrust upon him. When younger, Kakashi is known for being somewhat dark, cold, calm, and apathetic, especially during his time in the Anbu. He keeps people at a distance. He’s rarely shown to be emotional, the exceptions being when tragedy strikes. He is very analytical and usually makes his decisions based on logic, rather than feelings. He’s shown trying to abandon Rin for the sake of the mission. In another instance, he’s quick to turn on Danzo and lend support to the Third Hokage once presented with evidence proving Danzo to be untrustworthy.

Ne:

“Don’t worry, Naruto. I’ve got a couple of strategies in mind, but I need a little more time to work at all the angles.”

“Do you think I’ve just been lying here doing nothing the whole time? I’ve been brainstorming, and I have an idea.”

Kakashi’s Ne is somewhat subdued. This can partially be explained by his unhealthy childhood state. He appears to be in a Ti-Si loop for the majority his childhood and possibility partway into adulthood. However, Kakashi’s Ne does show itself clearly. Kakashi is somewhat scattered and frequently running late. He always invents some kind of random, creative excuse though, and usually a new one each time. For instance, once he claims that he stopped to dance with a lady in the street. As Hokage, he’s not organized and looks to Shikamaru to find things for him. As a child (and an adult), Kakashi is shown to constantly be reading. Even amidst a training exercise with lower level ninja, Kakashi is usually shown reading a book. He doesn’t often focus solely on training exercises, but instead chooses to split his attention. Reading is also the method by which he learns, which is what helped to initially shift my focus away from him being an ISTP. Once, he gets asked if he practices all the time and he just responds by explaining that he read a few books. He teaches himself to fish and to cook via reading, and is shown experimenting with new recipes. Kakashi’s out-of-the-box thinking is clearly demonstrated in the brilliant idea he comes up with to optimize Naruto’s training regime. His Ti-Ne working in conjunction recognized the possibility of using clones to train much faster then is typically plausible, and Kakashi suggests this training technique to Naruto. It ends up working perfectly. Kakashi’s fighting style can also be seen as a combination of Ti-Ne, since he frequently uses shadow clones to scope out his enemies, allowing himself time to observe and develop a strategy before jumping headlong into the battle.

Si:

Kakashi leans heavily on past experiences and adopts the ideals of others. He sees what happens to his father and determines that rules must be followed no matter what. After the tragedy involving Obito and Rin, Kakashi then places a high value on teamwork. As a teacher, he fails every team up until Team 7, because he fails to see adequate teamwork. Of course, he repeats training tactics that he learned from the past (like the bell exercise). However, repeating things like that is not solely an Si behavior, and thus isn’t really solid evidence by itself. Kakashi is also shown to be very sentimental. Guy Sensei at one point warns him that there’s no time to wallow in sentimentality. In another instance, Kakashi gets distracted in the middle of a critical battle and begins wallowing in the past. He chides himself later once he realizes what he’s doing. As a child, in that Ti-Si loop, Kakashi is shown to be very patterned. He follows a daily routine and cleaning schedule. As Hokage, Kakashi is also shown trying to follow the rules as Hokage, and Tsunade berates him for it. She ends up having to explain the original purpose behind the rule to him so that he can understand that it doesn’t need to be followed.

Fe:

Kakashi conceals his emotions and tries to ignore them. He has bursts of emotion on occasion when things have been bottled up for too long or another tragedy strikes. Kakashi also demonstrates Fe insecurity. As Hokage, Kakashi is shown worrying on multiple occasions about being known as the worst Hokage in history. In addition, after failing several teams and sending them back to the academy due to bad teamwork, Kakashi begins to worry that his methods are too harsh. However, his worries are alleviated once he sees his former students prospering due to his teachings.