In the story, Kakashi is the teacher of Team 7, consisting of the series' primary characters, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno.

It is through Obito that Kakashi obtains the Uchiha clan's Sharingan (which originally only contained 1 tomoe), which he uses to copy the abilities of his opponents and make his own, but also drains his energy.

Following the deaths of all of his squadmates, unaware of Obito's survival, Kakashi is eventually given charge of Team 7 due to his connections with Minato and the Uchiha, and through them is able to finally have the family he never had.

He is initially portrayed as a detached and apathetic figure, but as the series progresses, his loyalty to his friends, students, and the village becomes increasingly apparent.

Although he has been noted to be an echo of similar detached shōnen manga characters, the duality of Kakashi's apathetic and serious sides have been praised.

Masashi Kishimoto originally intended for Kakashi to debut in the second chapter of the Naruto manga, appearing prior to the other members of Team 7.

This Kakashi was designed as a laid back but very skilled ninja that ended his sentences with the polite "de gozaru" in the Japanese versions of the series.

[7] Because he acts as a link between the other main characters of the series, Kakashi is rarely featured prominently in promotional artwork, instead appearing in the background while his students are the focus.

[15] Likewise, scarecrows are at times added to the background of scenes in which Kakashi appears, as is the case with the cover of the Naruto manga volume three.

[17] In an interview, Dave Wittenberg, who does the voice acting for Kakashi in the English dub, comments that he feels he is similar to the character since he tends to have one eye open at a time and he becomes angry if he is interrupted while reading.

Kakashi is the son of Sakumo Hatake, one of the most powerful shinobi Konoha ever produced, renowned throughout the ninja world as "White Fang of the Leaf".

As his dying wish, Obito has Rin implant his newly acquired Sharingan into Kakashi's freshly damaged eye socket as a parting gift.

"Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye") gained from Rin's death to master the Kamui ability that allows him to send any targeted object to another dimension.

Kakashi finds himself temporarily infused by the chakra-based spirit of Obito as he gains his friend's full Sharingan abilities and a Susanoo to help his team defeat Kaguya.

[47] In the eighth, he serves as part of the plan to lock Naruto in prison before subsequently helping to break him out, and in the ninth, an alternate version of him with an identical appearance to Guy is shown, to Sakura's dismay.

Kakashi is also present in all four of the original video animations produced for the series, helping Naruto and Konohamaru Sarutobi to find a four leaf clover in the first original video animation,[48] joining his team in escorting a ninja named Shibuki to his village in the second,[48] participating in a tournament in the third,[49] and working with Team 7 in the fourth one.

[50] A light novel titled Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky, written by Akira Higashiyama and illustrated by Kishimoto, focuses on the early days of Kakashi's appointment as the Sixth Hokage, in which he has to stop a terror plan conducted by a pair of Kirigakure ninja, who plan to take control of a newly unveiled airborne ship to stage a jailbreak of a notorious criminal, in the process learning about the pair's tragic reason for doing so.

[61] Merchandise based on Kakashi's character has also been released, including plush dolls,[62][63] key chains,[64][65] and a limited edition figurine.

[66] Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other related media have provided praise and criticism on Kakashi's character.

[67] IGN noted the duality of Kakashi's serious persona in combat and his laid back, apathetic countenance when dealing with his students, but accepted that he is one of the most popular characters in the series.

[68] Active Anime celebrated Kakashi's abilities, noting that he fell into the overall theme of characters hiding detailed personalities and secrets.

[70] Mania Entertainment's Dani Moure likes how Kakashi fits into Team 7 because he is a "hilarious character in that sometimes he doesn't seem all that bothered about things and yet is so masterful of his craft.

His rude demeanor during the ninja graduation exams was criticized as the reviewer noted Boruto did not deserve such poor treatment.

[77] In a latter review, ANN criticized the poor advice he gives to Sasuke when his former student is trying to bond with his daughter, Sarada Uchiha, making it unsuitable comic relief.