Narutois one of the most influential anime of the past two decades and arguably one of the biggest ever released. Its cultural impact is immense, and its narrative has captivated countless fans. However, the series' most defining strength lies in its ability to inspire through its protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, who relentlessly pursues his dream of becoming Hokage.Unfortunately, Naruto’s inspirational aspects arewhat makes one prominent scene so disappointing.
PerhapsNaruto’s greatest life lessonis its message of chasing one’s dreams with unwavering determination. Since Naruto’s dream of becoming the Hokage was the crux motivator of the narrative, it seems like a big blunder for the series not to address this monumental moment grandly. Moreover, while the anime depicts this pivotal moment in an unexpected way, the original manga handles it even worse.
The Naruto Anime Reduces It to a Joke
There is no doubt that the fans witnessingNaruto’s narrative unfolding would expect to see Naruto’s dream of becoming the Hokage capped off with a grand celebration depicting the title hero’s ascendance to Konoha’s top rank. It is an expected moment in the series as Naruto’s dream of acquiring the title of Hokage is constantly mentioned, literally, by its protagonists shouting in the ears of the fans. However, despite this buildup,Naruto Shippudenends with episode #500, never actually delivering the moment fans anticipated.
While this leaves fans with an uncanny feeling, they are presented with a special OVA, titled"The Day Naruto Became Hokage". Given the significance of Naruto’s milestone, fans eagerly awaited its portrayal even in a special OVA, only to find it reduced to a joke. The OVA, meant to cement Naruto’s dream with a symbolic moment, instead undermines it, turning it into a joke byfeaturing Naruto being passed out before the ceremonyafter being punched by his young daughter, completely missing the occasion.
Naruto: Who Are The 9 Hokages In The Series?
In Naruto’s village of Konohagakure, Hokage is the primary political leader, with all of the power and responsibility that position entails.
While one could argue this was intended to heighten the drama leading up to Naruto’s defining moment, the fact that Naruto never even made it to his own inauguration stretches the joke too far. Fans could have been more than satisfied to see Naruto arriving in the nick of time. However, rather than Naruto himself,Konohamaru ends up presiding over the event by transforming into Naruto, making it the series' biggest fumble.
After over 700 chapters or episodes, fans had every reason to expect a proper celebration for Naruto reaching his ultimate goal. However, the total blame shouldn’t be pointed toNarutoanime studio Pierrot, as the original manga’s depiction is somehow worse.
Naruto’s Dream of Becoming Hokage Is Never Even Shown In The Manga
Kishimoto Completely Omits Naruto’s Hokage Inauguration
While Studio Pierrot at least gave fans an episode that jokingly acknowledges Naruto’s most significant moment, the original manga, from series creator Masashi Kishimoto, doesn’t depict the inauguration at all. Instead, the final chapter abruptly jumps forward in time, where a shinobi casually addresses Naruto as the “Seventh,” subtly confirming his position as Hokage. This is later reinforced when Naruto is shown wearing the Hokage’s hat, preparing for the Five Kage Summit.
Though this scene acknowledges that Naruto has achieved his dream, it completely strips fans of the moment they had long awaited, a proper celebration of his ascension. Rather than witnessing Naruto’s journey culminate in a well-earned, honorable ceremony, readers are left with only the implication that he has already obtained the title. While fans are justified in their disappointment over this omission, there is an even deeper hidden detail in the series that highlights what Naruto truly sought to achieve.
Naruto’s Manga Didn’t Depict The Hero Becoming Hokage For Good Reason
While Naruto’s constant proclamations about becoming Hokage make it seem like his ultimate dream, a deeper look at the series' themes reveals that his true desire lies elsewhere. His ambition to become Hokage was born from his loneliness — he pursued the title in hopes of gaining recognition and love from others. At its core, Naruto’s true wish was not just the position itself but to be accepted and no longer feel alone.
It’s Been Years, But Naruto Shippuden’s Dub May Be Making Its Way to Streaming at Last
Adult Swim has finally finished Naruto Shippuden’s dub after a decade, and what’s next is up in the air—except for one major clue some fans noticed.
In this sense, Naruto’s dream was already fulfilled when he was first acknowledged as ahero afterNaruto’smonumental Pain arc. From that moment, his priorities shifted toward protecting his loved ones and the village, a theme that became even more prominent in Boruto. However, despite this narrative shift, theNarutoseries should have properly depicted its hero’s most important moment, the ascension to Hokage, as it had become the symbolic end goal for fans, instead of fumbling it in an oddly underwhelming way.
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.
