Naruto: How Orochimaru Was Wasted By Kishimoto

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Summary

  • Orochimaru initially serves as a dangerous and monstrous threat, effectively destabilizing the Hidden Leaf village.
  • Orochimaru’s character arc in Naruto Shippuden sidelines him, turning him into a mere side character.
  • Orochimaru’s eventual redemption as an ally is criticized for being forced and lacking development.

The wildly popular anime series, Naruto, is frequently lauded for its intricate character development of villains. These antagonists, skillfully crafted, often challenge Naruto’s perspective and act as significant hindrances in his journey to protect and maintain peace within the ninja world. One of the most renowned Naruto villains is Orochimaru, a ninja characterized by his serpentine appearance who deceived the Hidden Leaf village. Throughout part one of Naruto, Orochimaru served as the main adversary. His machinations led to the death of the Third Hokage and managed to turn Naruto’s closest friend against him.

Towards the end of the story, fans found themselves growing progressively disenchanted with how Orochimaru was portrayed. They believed that instead of being given a significant role, he took a backseat to other antagonists, and his character development, which felt out of sync with his established persona, seemed contrived and adhered to the typical villain pattern in Naruto.

Naruto’s Most Iconic Villain

The Snake That Lurks in the Shadows

At the beginning of Naruto Part One, Orochimaru makes his sinister introduction during the Forest of Death mini-arc, posing as another ninja and viciously assaulting Naruto and Sasuke. In this initial encounter, he brands Sasuke with a cursed mark, altering his destiny and shaping the narrative for the series. Among the elite members of Hidden Leaf Village, Orochimaru was infamous as a traitor who transformed into a being that was no longer human.

They discussed the disturbing nature of Orochimaru’s experiments on humans and his callous disregard for human life. From the beginning, Orochimaru was deeply unsettling and frightening, fitting with the darker tone of Naruto during its early stages. In essence, Orochimaru represents a mad scientist who derives pleasure from the pain and torment inflicted on his victims. During the Chuunin exams, he operated covertly to undermine the Hidden Leaf village, casting a sinister presence over what would otherwise be a traditional event in the village.

From my perspective, it seems rather insignificant. Compared to the vast expanse of time, you’re merely a fleeting mention in the annals of a small village known as Konoha. Eventually, even the stone faces of the Hokage will erode and fade away…

Through a coordinated assault on the Hidden Leaf Village, involving a partnership and deception with the Sand Village, he managed to inflict damage on the village and assassinate the Third Hokage, who was the village’s leader. Although Sarutobi managed to restrain Orochimaru’s arms, preventing him from performing Ninjutsu, Orochimaru still achieved his goal of causing significant instability within the Hidden Leaf Village by eliminating their revered and respected leader. During his initial missions, Orochimaru was extremely effective at disrupting the balance within our protagonist’s group and plunging the Hidden Leaf Village into despair.

Right from the start, Orochimaru emerged as a formidable menace, raising the tension for Naruto’s journey and the Hidden Leaf village throughout the narrative. Despite having limited screen time and character development, Orochimaro stood out as an exceptionally terrifying adversary, proving to be far more impactful than typical antagonists in other series.

Sasuke Retrieval arc, an emotional storyline that concludes with Sasuke’s departure, leaving his friends feeling sad and wounded, both emotionally and physically.

In the course of events, this particular incident will significantly impact every subsequent part in the series. The struggle against Sasuke becomes a pivotal theme throughout Naruto Shippuden. However, as Shippuden unfolds, Orochimaru gradually takes a back seat, giving way to other primary adversaries.

Orochimaru Falls into Obscurity

From the Shadows to the Light

In the early phases of Shippuden, Orochimaru played a pivotal role, leading Naruto and his new squad on a mission to rescue Sasuke from his lair, a mission that unfortunately failed again. Later, when Sasuke and Orochimaru cross paths once more, Sasuke chooses to break free himself. He views Orochimaru as inferior and believes he has surpassed him, rendering him useless. This scene highlights Sasuke’s transformation into darkness and evil, but it diminishes Orochimaru’s image as a significant threat. In the end, Sasuke overpowers Orochimaru, nearly killing him, causing Orochimaru to retreat, taking refuge in one of Sasuke’s curse marks.

After that, Sasuke embarks on his mission to create a new team to confront and vanquish his sibling. Once this goal is achieved, Itachi ensures the remaining pieces of Orochimaru’s influence within Sasuke’s curse mark are obliterated. Orochimarua, who harbored fear and envy towards the Uchiha clan, was left embarrassed and outsmarted by its last members. For most of Naruto Shippuden, Orochimaru is scarcely present or, rather, is dismissively and embarrassingly written out of the narrative. A once formidable threat to the main characters becomes a relic of the past, as a more powerful and vibrant group of adversaries takes center stage, dimming the nostalgia of early Naruto.

People can evolve over time, but sometimes they don’t have the chance because they pass away as they are. However, in his case, he passed away without undergoing any change.

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Orochimaru reappeared when Sasuke managed to extract him from Kabuto’s transformed body. At that moment, Orochimaru underwent a remarkable transformation. Instead of persisting as the cruel and malevolent figure he had been, he chose to collaborate with Sasuke and his endeavors. After countless episodes and chapters, the character once considered the most monstrous and evil in this Naruto world was now simply another villain who had found redemption.

Orochimaru shifted from being a major enemy to an occasional ally, abandoning his terrifying, abominable deeds. Critics argue that the series often forgives its villains excessively, which fans dislike. However, Orochimaru’s transformation is particularly questionable because Naruto wasn’t involved in this change, and it happened without any on-screen explanation. This means that Orochimaru, who was once the main antagonist, escaped punishment for his heinous acts, and there’s no clear insight into how he transformed into his current mysterious ally.

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2025-02-15 19:26