TheNarutomanga has just celebrated its25th anniversary, marking a milestone for one of the most iconic franchises in the world and one of the most influential manga ever. To celebrate, the official website ofNarutoreleased a video that celebrates the series and hits fans with an incredible wave of nostalgia.
A short manga animation was released, and while previous videos like these spotlighted the entire series and many characters, this one focused on the titular character, Naruto Uzumaki. It showedcharacters who were important to his growthand shaped his ideals, morals, and ninja way. This explains why major characters like Kakashi and Sakura weren’t shown, and although they’re practically family to Naruto, other characters had a bigger impact on his views.
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The first character shown wasIruka, Naruto’s academy teacher, whose parents were killed by the fox spirit inside Naruto. Due to a turn of events that put Naruto in great danger, Iruka risked his life for him and ascertained that Naruto is not the monster inside him but a resident of Konoha and his student. Naruto finally formed his first bond and this propelled him to become more confident and stronger, protecting Iruka, and much later, he chose Iruka to serve as his father for his wedding.
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Zabuza Momochi and Haku, the antagonists ofthe Land of Waves arc, are the next to appear in the video. They were Naruto’s first look into how harsh the life of a shinobi can be, and they were integral in his decision to form his ninja way rather than following in the footsteps of the average shinobi. Next was Neji Hyuga, a peer much stronger than him, who exposed Naruto to some harsh truths about Konoha. The Hyuga had a caste system that was almost slavery, and Neji was controlled by the head family, leading him to hate everyone from the family including Hinata, someone he was sworn to protect.
Neji was also the series' introduction tothe concept of defying fate, laying the groundwork for Naruto eventually defying his destiny. Gaara, the first Jinchuriki outside Konoha, showed Naruto that there were others like him out there, people who were hated because of the monster inside them. Sasuke Uchiha needs no introduction. As Naruto’s closest friend and rival, the two share an unbreakable bond brought about by their terrible childhood, and it matured into something exceptional. Naruto’s stubbornness on never abandoning Sasuke pretty much defined his journey.
While many characters were featured, the important ones to the topic of the video were highlighted and an iconic quote was included.
Jiraiya arguably had the biggest impact on Naruto. Not only did he help him become stronger, but he also showed himwhat it was like to have a fatherafter they traveled together for 3 years. Furthermore, he explained to him the effects of the cycle of hatred, leading him to change Nagato and bring about peace.
Finally, Minato and Kushina, despite being dead for most of Naruto’s life, became the cornerstones of his existence when he met their spirits, describing them as his suns alongside Jiraiya. In the short time they met, they showered their son with praise and love, making him cry and happier than ever before. They also gave him the confidence to continue preserving.
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While the video did get it right that these characters had the biggest impact on Naruto, others deserve a mention too. The most obvious one is Nagato, Never had Naruto been more ideologically challenged before, as he had to defeat Pain after he destroyed Konoha and apparently killed many people close to him. This led to a crucial moment where Naruto had to decide whether to forgive Nagato or not. This dialogue is what makes the Pain Arc one of the best and most satisfying arcs in shonen manga, maturing the beloved protagonist and differentiating him from most main characters.
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Other important characters are also missing from the video, from Itachi, who teaches Naruto about what it means to be Hokage, to Kakashi, who instilled in Naruto the importance of friendship, to Tsunade, who placed the utmost confidence in him. There are many people who helped the protagonist, and in different ways, but the video tribute for the 25th anniversary chose to focus on a specific set of characters. What is clear is thatNarutobecame the beloved character he is thanks to the connections he forged during his journey, and this tribute highlights that well.
Naruto
Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces.
