Warning: Contains spoilers for Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #33.Despite how contentious Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has been as both its own story and as a Naruto sequel, fans are still surprisingly optimistic about its future. Boruto’s immediate sequel, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, has done a good job of advancing the story in some aspects, and the artwork and fight choreography have also seen some improvement, and it’s to the point that people are genuinely hoping the anime will return and give it a boost in popularity, especially with how great a job Studio Pierrot has done with Black Clover and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.
On a surface level, there’s plenty to be excited about with Boruto and its prospective return to anime, but much of that optimism is wholly displaced. Even with the improvements Two Blue Vortex has made to the series, there’s still one area it’s consistently failed in over the past decade, with recent chapters of the manga only highlighting that idea, and as long as it fails to improve on that, there will be no hope for Boruto to ever live up to Naruto’s legacy, no matter how good the anime’s return is.
If there’s any area that Boruto has truly failed in, it would have to be with its villains. Boruto has had a wide assortment of villains between Kara, Code, and the Divine Trees, but Kara was incredibly underdeveloped to the point that the anime needed filler arcs to flesh them out, Code is laughably incompetent, and while the Divine Trees’ quest to understand humanity is an interesting angle, it’s undermined by how Jura and Hidari are the only ones who can put up a good fight.
How Boruto’s villains fight is also a major problem. While Naruto’s villains all had wild and creative powers that made every fight feel engaging to watch, Boruto’s villains tend to have far simpler powers that prioritize strength over style, and almost every fight is boring because of it. For a direct comparison, when Pain invaded the Leaf Village, he was a threat because of the immense power and complexity of the Rinnegan; by comparison, when Mamushi invaded the Leaf Village, he could only breathe fire, punch people, and make largely ineffective clones, and the difference in tension is impossible to ignore.
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Above all else, though, the biggest problem with Boruto’s villains is their lack of thematic depth. Naruto’s villains worked well because they typically played into the manga’s theme of the cyclical nature of violence, and even characters who didn’t exactly reflect that idea at least served as reminders of how the pursuit of power can corrupt someone. Unfortunately, none of that strong writing is present for Boruto’s villains; Kara is mostly a watered-down Akatsuki, Code is far too incompetent, and the Divine Trees’ themes of love and humanity aren’t utilized enough to make them as good as they should be.
Momoshiki Otsutsuki does have the depth and overall style of a good *Naruto *villain, but he was created by Masashi Kishimoto, not *Boruto *writer Mikio Ikemoto, which only emphasizes the discrepancy.
It would be one thing if Boruto just failed at giving its villains good fights, but overall, they’re also greatly lacking in the depth that’s expected of Naruto villains; Boruto’s villains often feel more like glorified boss fights than actual characters, and that’s the main reason why they’re such a detriment to Boruto’s story.
Boruto’s villains are easily the biggest thing holding it back, and unfortunately, it’s too late to do something about that. With Mamushi’s defeat in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #33, the Divine Trees are down to only two members, and while Code is teased to be up to something, his poor track record makes it hard to feel excited. The closest thing to a redemption for Boruto’s villains would be if Momoshiki makes a full comeback or if the story commits to Kawaki being the final fight, but in either case, it would feel too little, too late.
Interactive Quiz
Hidden Leaf Village · Chunin Exam NarutoTrivia Challenge
Naruto Uzumaki carries an immense burden — a powerful Tailed Beast sealed inside him since birth by the Fourth Hokage. This fox demon’s chakra gives Naruto extraordinary power but also makes him an outcast. What is the name of this Nine-Tailed Beast?
✓ Correct! Kurama is the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage. Initially a source of fear and hatred, Kurama eventually becomes one of Naruto’s closest allies. Their bond is one of the most emotional arcs in the entire series. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Kurama. Shukaku is the One-Tail sealed in Gaara, Matatabi is the Two-Tails, and Gyuki is the Eight-Tails sealed in Killer Bee. Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, is Naruto’s legendary partner.
Naruto’s greatest rival is a prodigy from a prestigious clan who possesses a powerful eye technique called the Sharingan. Consumed by a desire for vengeance against his older brother, he defects from the Hidden Leaf Village. Who is this rival?
✓ Correct! Sasuke Uchiha is Naruto’s eternal rival and best friend. After the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke’s obsession with killing his brother Itachi drives him to leave the village and seek power at any cost. Their rivalry is the emotional backbone of the entire series. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Sasuke Uchiha. Neji is a Hyuga clan genius with the Byakugan, Gaara is the Sand Village’s jinchūriki, and Rock Lee is the taijutsu specialist. Only Sasuke wields the Sharingan and defects to join Orochimaru.
Naruto’s signature jutsu is a spinning sphere of concentrated chakra formed in the palm of his hand. Originally created by the Fourth Hokage and taught to Naruto by Jiraiya, it becomes the foundation for many of his most powerful attacks. What is this technique called?
CShadow Clone Jutsu DSage Art: Lava Rasenshuriken
✓ Correct! The Rasengan is a pure chakra manipulation technique that doesn’t require hand signs. Created by Minato Namikaze and passed down through Jiraiya to Naruto, it evolves into many variations including the devastating Rasenshuriken with added Wind Release nature transformation. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is the Rasengan. The Chidori is Sasuke and Kakashi’s lightning technique, Shadow Clone Jutsu is a different Naruto staple, and the Lava Rasenshuriken is a late-series variant. The base Rasengan is Naruto’s iconic spinning chakra sphere.
Team 7’s leader is a mysterious, mask-wearing jonin known as the “Copy Ninja” for his ability to replicate over a thousand jutsu using his borrowed Sharingan eye. He’s always reading a certain novel. Who is this legendary sensei?
BAsuma Sarutobi DKakashi Hatake
✓ Correct! Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja of the Sharingan, leads Team 7 (Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura). His Sharingan was a gift from his dying friend Obito Uchiha. Always cool under pressure and perpetually reading Make-Out Paradise, Kakashi eventually becomes the Sixth Hokage. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Kakashi Hatake. Might Guy leads Team Guy, Asuma leads Team 10, and Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sannin who later trains Naruto. Only Kakashi is the masked Copy Ninja with a borrowed Sharingan who leads Team 7.
Sasuke’s older brother massacred nearly the entire Uchiha clan in a single night, then joined the criminal organization Akatsuki. It was later revealed he did it all on orders from the village to prevent a coup — sacrificing everything to protect his brother. Who is this tragic figure?
✓ Correct! Itachi Uchiha is one of Naruto’s most complex characters. A pacifist genius forced into an impossible choice, he bore the hatred of the entire world — including his beloved brother Sasuke — to protect the Hidden Leaf from civil war. His final words to Sasuke remain iconic. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Itachi Uchiha. Madara is the legendary clan founder, Obito is the masked man behind much of the war, and Shisui was Itachi’s best friend. Itachi alone carried out the massacre to prevent the Uchiha coup and protect Sasuke.
From the very first episode, Naruto declares his lifelong dream to earn the respect of his village and prove his worth. He vows to achieve the highest rank in the Hidden Leaf — its supreme leader. What is this title that Naruto dreams of?
BJonin Commander
✓ Correct! Hokage is the title of the Hidden Leaf Village’s leader, and Naruto’s dream of becoming Hokage drives the entire series. After years of struggle, he finally achieves his dream and becomes the Seventh Hokage in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Hokage. The Kazekage leads the Sand Village, Jonin Commander is a military rank, and Anbu Captain leads black ops. The Hokage is the Hidden Leaf’s supreme leader — and Naruto’s lifelong dream since he was a lonely academy student.
Naruto’s father was the Fourth Hokage, known as the “Yellow Flash of the Leaf” for his incredible speed using the Flying Thunder God technique. He sacrificed his life to seal the Nine-Tails inside his newborn son. What is his name?
AMinato Namikaze BHiruzen Sarutobi CTobirama Senju DHashirama Senju
✓ Correct! Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and Yellow Flash, sacrificed himself using the Reaper Death Seal to seal Kurama inside baby Naruto. His love for his son and faith in Naruto’s potential made him one of the series’ most selfless characters. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Minato Namikaze. Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Third Hokage, Tobirama Senju is the Second, and Hashirama Senju is the First. Minato, the Fourth Hokage, is Naruto’s father who sealed the Nine-Tails at the cost of his own life.
A shy, kind-hearted kunoichi from the Hyuga clan admired Naruto from afar since their academy days. She boldly confessed her love while fighting Pain to protect him, and eventually became his wife. Who is this character?
✓ Correct! Hinata Hyuga went from a timid girl who could barely speak around Naruto to a fierce warrior who stood against Pain to protect him. Her confession during the Pain arc is one of the series’ most emotional moments. They marry in The Last: Naruto the Movie and have two children, Boruto and Himawari. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Hinata Hyuga. Sakura is Naruto’s teammate who loves Sasuke, Ino is Sakura’s rival from the Yamanaka clan, and Temari is a Sand Village kunoichi who marries Shikamaru. Only Hinata loved Naruto from the very beginning.
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The idea of Boruto’s anime coming back sounds exciting because of the assumption that it will have better pacing and animation, and that will certainly be fun to see, but with how much of a slog the villains have made the story, something that’s only gotten worse with Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, that will be just as hard to sit through in the anime, and that, unfortunately, will do nothing to keep Boruto from being seen as a joke.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex ](/tag/boruto-two-blue-vortex/)
Masashi Kishimoto
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