When Gaara was six years old, Gaara's father (the Kazekage - leader of the Village Hidden in the Sand) sent assassins to kill Gaara because the Kazekage believed Gaara was too dangerous to stay alive. This was after Gaara killed a man that passed him in the street. However, the attempt failed, and more ninjas were sent only to be killed by Gaara.

Yashamaru, Gaara's uncle from his mother's side, acted as a foster-father for Gaara. He was kind and understanding to Gaara, all because of his obligation to Gaara's mother/Yashamaru's sister. One night, Gaara was attacked by yet another ninja but defeated him, and took off the helmet. To his terrible surprise, it was Yashamaru who had tried to kill Gaara. In his dying breaths, Yashamaru revealed that he was given the choice to kill Gaara by the Kazekage and he accepted the mission instead of rejecting it. Yashamaru had never let go of the fact that his sister's life had to be taken in exchange for Gaara's life. Yashamaru blew himself up with a bomb, hoping to kill Gaara with it, but the protective sand that comes to Gaara's aid whenever he is threatened saved Gaara's life without even a scratch.

Much later, Gaara's father was killed by Kimimaru (who Gaara later killed with Lee), so Orochimaru took his body and pretended to be him during the tournament. Some ninja found the real Kazekage's body after the tournament, therefore finding out about Orochimaru's plan.

Gaara's gourd is made of sand and the blood of those he's killed, which he said gave him strength. In battle, he takes out the sand and uses it to kill his opponents by his techniques Sand Coffin and Sand Burial. The gourd itself is also made out of sand, like his armor that covers his skin in case he is hit (you can't see the armor until Gaara's hit, because then it shatters). He has a sleep spell that gives the demon Shukaku the ability to manifest, so he doesn't sleep because then Shukaku would take control.

Garaa became the fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure (Village Hidden Among the Sand) after he left Konoha, when the chunin exam ended. Deidara captured Gaara and took him to the Akatsuki hideout, where they killed Gaara by taking the demon from his body. Naruto and Granny Chiyo (Granny Chiyo had previously arrived to the rest of the team after defeating Sasori with Sakura) end up bringing him back to life. Granny Chiyo lost her own life to revive Gaara, so Gaara led a prayer with the rest of Sungakure for her.