Which tailed beast does Roshi host exactly?

The Yonbi, Son Goku, also known as the Four-Tails: a huge monkey/gorilla with red fur and green skin. It is not the Gobi (Five-Tails), which is sealed inside Han, the other jinchuriki of Iwagakure.

Where does his lava power come from?

From Yoton (Lava Release), a kekkei genkai combining Fire Release and Earth Release, which he shares with Son Goku, himself a Lava Release user. Not to be confused with the Yoton of Mei Terumi or Kurotsuchi, which carry the same name but produce different effects.

He is captured by Kisame Hoshigaki, who exploits his weakness to Water Release (Suiton), then Son Goku is extracted from him by the organization. Extracting a tailed beast kills its jinchuriki: Roshi dies at that moment. The duel itself takes place off-page in the manga.

Why does he reappear during the Fourth Great Ninja War?

Kabuto brings him back with the Edo Tensei and Obito controls him to send him against Naruto and Killer Bee. Swallowed by the tailed beast, Naruto talks not with Roshi but with Son Goku himself; convinced of his sincerity, the beast entrusts him with part of its chakra.

What is the difference between Roshi and Han?

Both are jinchuriki of Iwagakure, but Roshi carries the Yonbi (Four-Tails, the red monkey) and uses Yoton (Lava Release); Han carries the Gobi (Five-Tails, Kokuo) and fights with steam-powered armor. They are two distinct characters who are often confused.

Rôshi : le jinchûriki du Yonbi (Son Gokû)

Roshi: The Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails (Son Goku)

July 18, 2026

1376 words | Reading time: 7 min

UniverseIwagakureJinchuriki

Who remembers the jinchuriki who spat lava? Roshi, host of the Four-Tails (Yonbi), left Iwagakure to travel alone and better master Son Goku, the huge red-furred monkey with green skin. His Yoton, a fusion of Fire Release and Earth Release, hurls molten rock. We then follow his capture by Kisame, his reanimation through the Edo Tensei, and the moment when the tailed beast speaks up in front of Naruto.

A ninja who spits molten rock: Roshi draws this power from the beast sealed inside him, the proud Son Goku. A solitary jinchuriki from Iwagakure, he is one of those hosts we see far too little of — and yet they are essential to the final war.

The Host of the Four-Tails
Son Goku, the Proud Monkey
Yoton, the Lava Release
A Loner from Iwagakure
Captured by Kisame
The Tailed Beast's Voice Before Naruto
Summary Table
FAQ

The Host of the Four-Tails

Roshi (老紫) is a shinobi of Iwagakure and the jinchuriki of the Yonbi, the Four-Tails. He became a host very young and carried his beast for more than forty years before the war.

He should not be confused with Han, the other jinchuriki of Iwagakure: both share the same village, hence the frequent confusion between them.

Son Goku, the Proud Monkey

The Yonbi has a proper name, Son Goku, and he hates being reduced to "the four-tailed beast". He is a huge monkey with a gorilla's build, with red fur and green skin, plus two long curved horns.

His name is the Japanese reading of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King; Kishimoto explicitly drew inspiration from Dragon Ball, right down to the name "Roshi", borrowed from Goku's master. Very proud, he spits green-colored fire and lava.

A huge monkey with red fur and a pale face, with two long curved horns, several tails raised behind him and an orange glow in his mouth. — The Yonbi's silhouette: a gorilla's build, red fur and two curved horns.

Yoton, the Lava Release

Roshi's power is Yoton (Lava Release), a kekkei genkai born from the combination of Fire Release and Earth Release, which he shares with Son Goku. He spits projectiles of molten rock and cloaks himself in armor of lava.

Be careful not to confuse his Yoton with that of Mei Terumi or Kurotsuchi: all three carry the same name but with very different effects.

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A humanoid silhouette entirely covered in molten rock, a glowing tail at his back, standing in a clearing. — The lava armor: Yoton covers its user's body with a glowing crust.

A Loner from Iwagakure

A man of solitary temperament, Roshi had left his village to travel alone, seeking to better understand and master his beast. Son Goku even judged him "as stubborn as Onoki”.

That character trait says a lot about the relationship between a jinchuriki and his demon: control is not won in a crowd, but through a long inner dialogue.

Captured by Kisame

Roshi was tracked down by Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi, members of the Akatsuki. Kisame chose to face him alone and won by exploiting his weakness to Water Release (Suiton).

After the organization extracted Son Goku, Roshi dies — tearing out a tailed beast always kills its host. The fight itself takes place off-page in the manga.

In pouring rain, on a bare plain, Kisame walks with his bandaged sword on his shoulder; a limp red-haired man is slung across it, arms and legs dangling. A second, shorter Akatsuki member walks beside him in a black cloak with red clouds. — Of the fight, the work shows nothing: we cut straight to the result, Roshi unconscious on Kisame's shoulder — Kisame having demanded to face him alone — while Itachi only had to watch.

The Tailed Beast's Voice Before Naruto

Reanimated by the Edo Tensei, Roshi is turned by Obito into one of his jinchuriki "Paths", sent against Naruto and Killer Bee.

A striking scene: when the Yonbi swallows Naruto, it is Son Goku himself — and not Roshi, a mere body under control — who talks with him, demands to be called by his name, then willingly entrusts him with part of his chakra.

Naruto, wrapped in a golden chakra cloak, punches a massive dark red creature streaked with glowing molten flows. — The Four-Tails is sent against Naruto under control; it is only once swallowed that Naruto will speak with Son Goku.

Summary Table

Aspect	Details
Identity	Roshi (老紫), shinobi of Iwagakure, jinchuriki of the Yonbi since a young age; solitary character.
Tailed Beast	Son Goku, the Four-Tails: a huge monkey/gorilla with red fur and green skin, two curved horns, spits green fire and lava; very proud, hates the label "Four-Tails".
Power	Yoton (Lava Release), a fusion of Fire Release and Earth Release: spits molten rock, forms an armor of lava.
Personality	Left Iwagakure to travel alone and better control his tailed beast; Son Goku judges him as stubborn as Onoki.
Fate	Captured by Kisame (weakness to Water Release) → Son Goku extracted → death; reanimated by the Edo Tensei. Inside the tailed beast, it is Son Goku who speaks to Naruto and gives him some of his chakra.

FAQ

Which tailed beast does Roshi host exactly?
The Yonbi, Son Goku, also known as the Four-Tails: a huge monkey/gorilla with red fur and green skin. It is not the Gobi (Five-Tails), which is sealed inside Han, the other jinchuriki of Iwagakure.
Where does his lava power come from?
From Yoton (Lava Release), a kekkei genkai combining Fire Release and Earth Release, which he shares with Son Goku, himself a Lava Release user. Not to be confused with the Yoton of Mei Terumi or Kurotsuchi, which carry the same name but produce different effects.
How did Roshi die?
He is captured by Kisame Hoshigaki, who exploits his weakness to Water Release (Suiton), then Son Goku is extracted from him by the organization. Extracting a tailed beast kills its jinchuriki: Roshi dies at that moment. The duel itself takes place off-page in the manga.
Why does he reappear during the Fourth Great Ninja War?
Kabuto brings him back with the Edo Tensei and Obito controls him to send him against Naruto and Killer Bee. Swallowed by the tailed beast, Naruto talks not with Roshi but with Son Goku himself; convinced of his sincerity, the beast entrusts him with part of its chakra.
What is the difference between Roshi and Han?
Both are jinchuriki of Iwagakure, but Roshi carries the Yonbi (Four-Tails, the red monkey) and uses Yoton (Lava Release); Han carries the Gobi (Five-Tails, Kokuo) and fights with steam-powered armor. They are two distinct characters who are often confused.

In summary

Roshi has only a handful of panels to his name, but he embodies a truth of the ninja world: behind every jinchuriki lives a thousand-year-old consciousness. His greatest feat of arms is not a fight, but a conversation — the one where Son Goku finally chooses to trust a human.