The world ofNarutois home to some of the most talented and impressive ninjas in anime. Fans are aware of how admirable most of the characters in the series are as honorable warriors who fought for what they believed in, no matter the cost. The heroes all undoubtedly deserved to be recognized for their accomplishments, and most of them were at least once.
Yet, despite their spectacular careers, none of them were ever invited to join the most elite group of ninjas in Konoha, the ANBU. This has always been a baffling subject, as it is unlikely that not even one of the Konoha Eleven or their allies, aside from Sai, were ever considered for a position. It is, and will continue to be, one of the most confusing decisions in the series, as it ultimately led to the ANBU becoming irrelevant.
At Least One of the Heroes Should Have Been a Part of ANBU
The Organization Would Have Been Saved
First introduced during the first half of theNarutoseries, the ANBU were presented as a group of elite ninjas who worked under the direct supervision of the Hokage. Unlike Jonin, who were skilled but still had to answer the other governing bodies of Konoha, the village’s leader’s squad were instructed to listen only to their superior. Joining said group required more than just being a good shinobi, as only the best of the best were ever invited.Some of the most powerful characters in the series, like Kakashi and Itachi, were once a part of this organization.
While the series never officially stated it, it heavily implied that most ninjas’ dream was to become as skilled as the ANBU, as this would mean they were among the best in the world. This elite team was hyped as the most powerful, with fans imagining how amazing being a member of their ranks would be.The anime put a major emphasis on the importance of the ANBU, making us viewers believe that they would be present during the most difficult and dangerous missions.
It’s Been Years, But I Will Never Understand Why Naruto Kept One of Its Secrets For So Long
Unraveling Naruto’s biggest mystery — why was this secret kept hidden for so long? A deep dive into one of the story’s most puzzling choices.
As time passed, the ANBU began to slowly become irrelevant, rarely playing a significant role later on in the series. The story attempted to bring them back by introducing Sai and Root, another ANBU cell working under Danzo,one of the best villains in the franchise. However, after Sai became a part of Naruto’s friend group, the organization once again fell into obscurity. The series had a perfect opportunity to bring them back by making one of the main heroes a part of ANBU, something myself and many other fans expected to see. Yet, this never occurred, dooming the organization to become irrelevant.
They Are Among the Best Ninjas in the World
One of the reasons why many fans find it disappointing that none of the main heroes became ANBU, myself included, is because most of them were more than capable of joining their ranks. Even though a large majority of the Konoha 11 never made it past the Chunin rank, they were still some of the most skilled warriors in the Hidden Leaf. Characters likeSakura or Neji were far stronger, faster, and more intelligentthan many of their superiors, thanks to the rigorous training they subjected themselves to.
Seeing as most of them were close in some way to Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, it is strange that none of them were ever even approached with the idea of joining ANBU. Konoha would undoubtedly have benefited from having the heroes on their elite squad, working directly under the Hokage and protecting the village from the strong villains who tried to destroy it. Moreover, it would have been a perfect way to give characters who became less relevant as time passed, like Neji orShino, a chance to prove themselves once again.
Naruto’s Teachings Might Be the Reason Behind This Mystery
The Protagonist and His Friends Were Not Ready To Become Ruthless Killers
Besides being the best of the best, another vital trait needed to be invited to ANBU was the willpower to do anything needed to keep the village safe, no matter how horrible it could be. A member of this elite team should always be willing to use any means for their mission to succeed, whether it is to kill or torture their target. Naruto and his friends, although extremely competent ninjas, would not have been comfortable following these instructions.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that some ofthe Konoha 11 memberswere never shown to have an aversion to these methods, meaning they could still have been invited to the team. When thinking about it, it might be possible that the main reason why they were never recruited was because seeing theirheroes become cold-hearted killers could have shocked and dissuaded fans from continuing the series.Speaking from personal experience, it would have been quite unsettling to see one of the main characters torturing an enemy to obtain information.
One Character Became an ANBU, in His Way
Sasuke’s Final Fate Makes Him the Organization’s Greatest Asset
While it is beyond disappointing that theNarutofranchise misused the ANBU during the endgame of the series, in my opinion, there is a character who became the embodiment of the organization. After the ending of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Sasuke became determined to repent for his crimes by making sure that Konoha would be a safe place for future generations to grow in. His quest for forgiveness saw him become Naruto’s right-hand man, with fans going as far as to call himthe Shadow Hokage.The Uchiha would often travel to distant locations, gathering intel for the village.
He was also always ready to fight against those who represented a danger to Konoha, such asthe members of the powerful Otsutsuki clan. Even though he was never properly introduced as one, the missions he is assigned to, and his spy abilitiesmake me believe that Sasuke could be the ultimate ANBU member.Lamentably, this will likely never be the case, as the only confirmed member of ANBU is Sai, who works as the head of the division, despite them no longer being relevant to the story.
The ANBU might no longer be needed in the modern world ofNaruto, but they are still one of the most iconic parts of the series. Fans still remember fondly the times when we believed that these elite warriors were capable of defeating even the strongest of enemies.
