10 Worst Writing Decisions in Naruto, Ranked

While Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto is a hugely popular and well-loved series, it isn’t without its problems. It’s a classic underdog story that many fans grew up with, but the anime does have some writing issues that could have been handled better.

Masashi Kishimoto created a very popular series with Naruto, which makes its flaws even more noticeable. The story sometimes focused on unimportant villains while neglecting key characters, and many plotlines suffered from serious problems, even failures.

Naruto’s Izanami Is a Classic Dues Ex Machina

Sasuke Uchiha explains that Izanami was created to punish those who misused Izanagi, a related technique. However, it appeared too abruptly in the Naruto story, feeling like a convenient, last-minute solution – a ‘deus ex machina’ – to overcome strong enemies.

Honestly, Izamai was such a cool jutsu with incredible potential! I remember being blown away when Ichigo and Sasuke used it against Kabuto – it was a truly powerful display. But it’s a shame, because after that, it was just… dropped. It felt like the series completely forgot about it, and it could have been a game-changer in the fight against Madara. It’s frustrating to see such a strong ability just disappear!

Hinata & Naruto’s Marriage Came Out of Nowhere

The Naruto series is massive, with countless chapters and episodes, but it surprisingly features very little genuine connection between Naruto and Hinata. While Naruto constantly grew stronger, Hinata remained a consistently shy character. Even after she confessed her feelings, Naruto didn’t seem to notice, making their eventual marriage feel rushed and unearned.

Many fans struggle to believe Naruto and Hinata ended up together because their romantic connection felt underdeveloped. The ending of Naruto, which should have been about achieving the Hokage dream, felt rushed and focused on a relationship that hadn’t been properly built, making it one of the weakest parts of the series.

Naruto’s Story Reduces The Hokage to a Paper-Pushing Office Worker

The Hokage is the leader of a village and its most skilled ninja. They are incredibly powerful and dedicated to protecting everyone in the village, guided by a strong sense of duty known as the Will of Fire. Despite their strength, Hokages often spend a lot of time dealing with administrative tasks and paperwork.

Following the Fourth Shinobi World War, being Hokage became incredibly demanding. Konoha had grown so much that the next Hokage faced a mountain of paperwork, essentially dedicating their life to it. Naruto, in particular, was overwhelmed to the point where even his huge energy reserves were drained from working so hard. It’s ironic – the story seems to push people to become incredibly powerful, only to then have them spend their time on ordinary tasks that don’t need any strength at all.

Konoha Hoarded the Biggest Spotlight in Naruto

The story of Naruto mainly takes place in Konohagakure, also known as the Hidden Leaf Village. While the series features many other ninja villages with potentially rich backgrounds, it doesn’t delve deeply into their histories. We only get glimpses of villages like the Sand and Mist during specific storylines, leaving fans without a full understanding of their unique cultures.

While the ninja villages in Naruto served the story, they mostly stayed in the background. Fans still don’t know much about how each village actually works. Some villages are only briefly mentioned, used as settings for battles rather than being fully developed.

The Hashirama Cells Became a Ridiculously Common Power Up

In the final arcs of Naruto, Hashirama Cells felt like an easy fix to make the villains stronger. These cells didn’t just prolong life; they also significantly boosted a user’s physical endurance, energy levels, and chakra supply. Villains such as Madara, Obito, and Danzo all received a major power upgrade thanks to them.

Many characters managed to survive incredibly dangerous injuries thanks to their Hashirama Cells. While these cells are very powerful, they became an overused fix for almost any problem. This reliance on Hashirama Cells also contributed to some unsettling body horror aspects within the Naruto series.

Hinata Hyuga’s Character Development in Naruto Is Non-Existent

Hinata is a gentle and timid character known for her unwavering determination. She was one of the few people who always believed in Naruto, even when others didn’t. Despite being a consistently supportive figure, she wasn’t given much focus as a character until later in the story, culminating in her marriage to Naruto.

Honestly, as much as I adore Hinata, it’s a little frustrating to look back at her role in Naruto. Beyond being sweet and devoted to Naruto, she didn’t really get a chance to shine as her own person. She didn’t have much interaction with the other characters, and it felt like her potential was sadly overlooked. It’s a shame because she could have added so much more to the story!

Naruto Uzumaki’s Character Was Completely Undermined By the ‘Chosen One’ Trope

A big part of what made people love Naruto was that he started as a classic underdog – someone everyone thought would succeed through dedication and effort. However, when the story changed to focus on Naruto being destined for greatness, it weakened the heart of what made the series so appealing.

The idea that Naruto was destined for greatness actually undermined the entire point of the series. It made his accomplishments feel less earned, suggesting he succeeded not through his own hard work and decisions, but because fate had already decided his path. The later parts of Naruto Shippuden particularly emphasized his family history, shifting the focus away from his personal growth and achievements.

Neji Hyuga Became Naruto’s Most Pointless Death

Neji died shielding Naruto and Hinata from Obito’s attack. He used his last moments to ensure their safety, ultimately giving his life for them. However, his death felt unnecessary, as he could have easily blocked the attack that killed him.

Neji’s death in Naruto felt less significant than it could have, especially considering his potential. While he showed great progress in the original Naruto series, he wasn’t used much in Naruto Shippuden. The author, Masashi Kishimoto, largely forgot about the character, and when Neji was reintroduced, it was only to kill him off quickly.

Kaguya Otsutsuki Instantly Nerfed Madara Uchiha’s Legendary Aura

Madara Uchiha is widely considered a compelling villain. After a long build-up throughout the series, his display of power was a highlight for many Naruto fans. However, the impact of his defeat was lessened by the immediate arrival of a new enemy, Kaguya.

The introduction of an alien character into the world of ninjas and clans in Naruto felt out of place and disrupted the series’ original focus. Many fans considered Madara to be the ideal final villain, but his impact was diminished by the sudden appearance of Kaguya. Although Kaguya was likely added to set up the Boruto series, her battle lacked the emotional weight it should have had.

Orochimaru’s Redemption Is Naruto’s Dumbest Writing Decision

I’ve noticed a pattern in Masashi Kishimoto’s writing in Naruto – he really likes giving villains a chance at redemption, sometimes to a fault. A prime example is Orochimaru. He’s easily one of the most hated characters, but he somehow avoids real consequences. It’s hard to forget that he was completely fixated on achieving immortality and didn’t hesitate to use and harm innocent people through truly awful experiments to get it.

During the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru tricked children with promises of training, only to cruelly sacrifice Zaku and Kin. The discovery of their bodies was a truly shocking moment in Naruto. He also sacrificed other young ninja, killed the Fourth Kazekage, and used cursed seals on unsuspecting shinobis. Despite all of this, Orochimaru went unpunished at the end of Naruto because he assisted during the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

2026-04-06 04:20