Naruto’s Biggest Secret: The Forgotten Underdog

by

In the world of anime, Naruto stands out as the ultimate story of an underdog. However, it’s not just Naruto who fits this description; there is one character who embodies the underdog spirit more than any other. Unsurprisingly, my pick for this accolade is Rock Lee. While this choice might be expected, let me clarify that I find nothing ordinary about singling out Rock Lee as the most compelling underdog in the series.

As I delve a bit more into the intricacies of Naruto, I discover an issue in its narrative structure that’s worth pondering over. On closer inspection of how Naruto employs the underdog trope, it becomes apparent that this series, which I’ve been following, has some writing flaws that are thought-provoking. It’s intriguing to note that scrutinizing the way Naruto utilizes the underdog trope begins to reveal some of its main themes, and these aren’t necessarily the themes one might initially anticipate.

Naruto Positioned Itself As An Underdog Anime

Initially, as early as the first installments (be it episodes or chapters), the anime titled Naruto was clearly setting itself up as a story about an underdog. To clarify, when I use the term “underdog,” I’m referring to a character who must rise from disadvantageous circumstances to achieve a personal ambition (for example, a skinny guy aspiring to become the greatest boxer) or to reach a goal established within their world (such as an individual without magical powers striving to be king in a fantasy realm).

Initially, the anime series “Naruto” heavily focuses on Naruto’s struggle as an underdog. He lags behind his peers in strength and is both an orphan and a social outcast. The central theme of Naruto’s journey towards recognition and widespread admiration hinges on this background in the beginning. Although it becomes less dominant in the second half of “Naruto”, it continues to play a role.

In a broader sense, Sasuke and Gaara can be seen as significant underdog characters, similar to Naruto, but with distinct differences. Like Naruto, they are both orphans, yet unlike him, they weren’t necessarily shunned by their peers or lacking in ability. The main difference lies in the perception that Naruto was deficient in inherent talent, while Sasuke and Gaara were gifted.

Only Rock Lee Counts As An Underdog, and He’s Forgotten

From my perspective as an observer, it’s only Rock Lee who shares Naruto’s natural spirit in terms of raw talent. Early on in the series, their shared dedication to training and self-improvement is evident. Yet, this aspect becomes Naruto’s downside as a perennial underdog – he certainly puts in the effort, but at some point, it’s no longer accurate to claim he lacks inherent talent. Apart from his vast chakra reservoir, Naruto excels at picking up new skills with remarkable speed. A clear demonstration of this is seen in Shippuden, where he surpasses both Minato and Jiraiya in mastering Sage Mode, despite their significantly longer lives for training it.

To put it into perspective, Rock Lee’s achievements are on par with defeating characters like Gaara or splitting Madara in two, but only through relentless dedication and strict discipline. His battle against Madara is impressive, yet following his fight with Gaara, he spends a large portion of the storyline sidelined. As for Rock Lee’s role in Boruto, it’s worth noting that it’s not as prominent as some other characters.

One key flaw in the storyline of “Naruto” is its inconsistency with the underdog theme: If you’re going to kick off a series centered around the struggle of an underdog, it’s crucial to maintain that focus. The bloodline advantages of Naruto and Sasuke would be easier to accept if characters who consistently put in effort didn’t subsequently fade into obscurity after demonstrating their impressive techniques.

Villain Underdogs: Naruto‘s Most Perplexing Fixation

Naruto’s connection with underdogs is complicated by Kishimoto’s consistent portrayal of most villains as having compassionate, sorrowful backgrounds. Now, I’m not criticizing this concept, it’s actually brilliant; however, the issue lies in how these ideas are brought to life. Naruto is filled with characters that embody underdog qualities but are never recognized as such due to being portrayed as villains or having ambitions that contrast with the narrative’s intended perspective.

In this scenario, a character like Sasori could serve as an illustrative case. Abandoned in the struggle between the Sand Village and Konoha, he nurtured a skill in puppet magic alongside his ambition for immortality through marionettes. Primarily self-taught and shunned by society, Sasori embodies the spirit of an underdog. However, unlike Naruto’s core ideals, his objective is not beneficial or aligned with them.

In simpler terms, throughout the series of Naruto, many antagonists have a troubled past. The challenge lies in how Naruto tries to understand their painful backgrounds, yet seldom proposes that the shinobi system itself might require fundamental changes, even though it’s this very system that contributes to their isolation and eventual shift towards villainy.

The issue here is that Naruto’s oversight in remembering Rock Lee highlights a discrepancy within the apparent themes of hard work, commitment, and discipline. It seems problematic that Naruto only extends exceptional empathy to its villains, while this decision raises questions about the storyline. Naruto’s promotion of ninja principles such as loyalty, dedication, and so forth, begins to undermine another prominent theme – effective communication for resolving conflicts – by consistently overlooking the circumstances of its villains.

Crafting an underdog tale without it appearing clichéd is a challenge, and I’m not here to label Naruto as a poorly executed underdog anime. Instead, what sets Naruto Shippuden apart, even after the underdog narrative takes a backseat, are its exceptional emotional depth and sincerity that few other anime can rival. Yet, it’s intriguing to observe how closely examining the numerous “underdogs” in Naruto can reveal some significant plot holes or inconsistencies.

Read More

2025-06-02 05:10