It’s Time To Admit Kishimoto Failed His Original Main Character In Boruto

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This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series.

I’ve been following the Boruto series for quite a while now, and it’s really focused on the adventures of Boruto Uzumaki, the son of the Seventh Hokage. It’s been interesting to see how the story has expanded on the original, introducing things like advanced ninja technology and some incredibly powerful villains, especially the Otsutsuki clan. And lately, even the Shinju have shown up, adding another layer to the plot.

The Boruto series has had its ups and downs, and while fans have appreciated certain things about it, it’s also significantly damaged the reputation of the original Naruto franchise. Several characters have suffered from weakened legacies, most notably Naruto Uzumaki himself, whose character arc appears to have been undermined by the sequel series, much to the disappointment of the original creator, Kishimoto.

As a longtime Naruto fan, I have to say the Boruto series has been really disheartening. We all wanted to see Naruto’s strength and beliefs truly shine in the new series, but honestly, it’s just been one letdown after another. It feels like things are constantly getting worse for him, and it’s tough to watch.

Naruto Uzumaki Achieved His Dream At The End Of The Original Series

Image via Pierrot.
  • Naruto Saved The World In The Fourth Great Ninja War
  • He Became The Hokage After Kakashi Hatake

Naruto Uzumaki is a hugely popular and influential anime character, beloved by fans worldwide who grew up watching his story. He’s widely considered the best-developed character in the entire Naruto series, and fans had high expectations for how he would be portrayed in the sequel, Boruto. In fact, some fans feel that the series would be better off without him, simply because they fear his character won’t be handled well. Ultimately, fans just wanted Naruto’s portrayal in Boruto to be consistent with his established personality and to honor his legacy.

I will become the greatest Hokage this village has ever known. That’s my dream! — Naruto Uzumaki

Naruto began his story as an outcast, ignored and lonely. This made it easy for viewers to feel sorry for him. Throughout his journey, he desperately wanted everyone’s approval, and he worked hard to achieve it. He ultimately became a hero, not just to his village, but to the entire world, proving his strength and becoming one of the most powerful ninja ever during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Naruto ultimately achieved legendary status as the most powerful ninja ever, becoming a beloved figure to both characters within his world and fans worldwide. Seeing his lifelong dream of becoming Hokage finally realized was a truly satisfying moment. However, the continuation of his story in the Boruto series has unfortunately diminished his legacy.

Naruto’s Dream Has Lost All Meaning In Boruto

Image via studio Pierrot.
  • The Hokage isn’t respected as it used to be
  • The dream keeps Naruto locked up

Although fans were thrilled to see Naruto Uzumaki achieve his dream of becoming Hokage in Boruto, the way the series portrays the Hokage role itself isn’t very impressive. Naruto worked hard in the original series to become Hokage, protect his village, and gain everyone’s respect – and he succeeded. However, in Boruto, he’s often shown handling minor tasks, which keeps him from being directly involved in the main story. Most of his time is spent dealing with paperwork and diplomatic issues. This isn’t to say a Hokage shouldn’t handle those things, just that the series focuses heavily on them, to the detriment of Naruto’s impact.

Ultimately, that’s all Naruto’s role amounts to, and it seems the creators, Kishimoto and Ikemoto, wrote him this way to keep him from being central to the Boruto storyline.

Becoming Hokage means everyone in the village is like my family. I’m responsible for protecting each and every one of them. — Naruto Uzumaki

Becoming Hokage means Naruto rarely gets to fight directly against major threats, which is frustrating for him because he’s always been the type to rush into battle. He famously stated during the Fourth Great Ninja War that he preferred to lead the charge to protect his friends, believing that’s what a true Hokage does. However, the Boruto series shows him often letting others take the lead, and unfortunately, they repeatedly end up in trouble.

Becoming Hokage has earned Naruto respect and authority within the village. However, it’s also diminished the very traits that made him such a beloved ninja. Many fans believe this was a mistake by the creator, Kishimoto, as making him Hokage has taken away what they enjoyed most about his character.

Naruto Uzumaki Lost All His Powers And Got Sealed

Image via studio Pierrot.
  • The Boruto Series Has Taken Naruto’s Powers Forever
  • Naruto Was Sealed Away In Boruto

It wasn’t just disappointing that Kishimoto had Naruto stuck doing endless paperwork as Hokage; the bigger issue was stripping away all the strength Naruto had fought so hard to gain. Naruto started with nothing, and was actually weighed down by the immense power of Kurama, a dangerous beast living inside him. Kurama constantly tried to harm and even kill Naruto, and threatened those he cared about. Throughout the series, Naruto persevered and managed to earn Kurama’s trust, turning a force of hatred into an ally. Because of this incredible journey, Naruto rightfully deserved to keep Kurama’s power.

As a long-time Naruto fan, it really bothered me to see what happened to him in Boruto. They took away all of his incredible power – the Six Paths powers he earned at the end of the original series, and even severed his connection to the Tailed Beasts. It felt like everything that made him special, everything we loved about him, was just…gone. It’s honestly hard to watch because it doesn’t feel like the same Naruto we all grew up with.

Kishimoto Needs To Redeem Naruto Uzumaki Before Boruto’s End

Look, as a long-time fan, it’s pretty obvious that Kishimoto and Ikemoto really need to work on bringing Naruto Uzumaki back to his former glory. I’m not sure they can fully fix things at this stage – some of the changes feel permanent – but they absolutely owe it to us to give him a great ending. I’m really hoping they’ll bring him back into the Boruto storyline in a meaningful way and give him the happy ending he deserves. Honestly, that’s all most of us Naruto fans want – a proper conclusion where Naruto feels like the character we all fell in love with.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is the continuation of the Boruto story, created by Mikio Ikemoto and overseen by Masashi Kishimoto. Set three years after a major event, the series follows Boruto Uzumaki as he tries to protect the world, alongside his brother Kawaki. Chapter 30 is scheduled to be released on January 20, 2026, at 10 AM EST / 3 PM UTC. Fans can read it for free on the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps.

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2026-01-19 23:35