Summary
TheNarutoseries features a compelling story full of memorable characters and flashy ninja battles. However, there have been a few moments that split opinions among the fanbase. Whether it was a sudden character death or a power-up that came out of nowhere, there are plenty of reasons why a specific scene can become controversial. Every fan has their own opinion on how they were handled.
Anyone who has watched or readNarutowill know that this is a series packed full of plot twists. While many of them result in exciting revelations and moments that positively impact the story, there’s a few which haven’t been quite as beloved. These are the most controversial moments throughoutNarutoandNaruto Shippudenwhich sparked more than a few online debates.
8Sakura Confesses Her “Love” For Naruto
Sakura’s Lie To Attempt To Stop Naruto From Chasing Sasuke
Sakura has always been a somewhat divisive character, though when she re-appeared inShippuden, it definitely felt like Kishimoto was giving her a lot more focus, especially now that she possessedsuperhuman strengththanks to Tsunade. A little late in the series, she confronts Naruto, who is desperately trying to reach Sasuke. Sakura lies to his face, and starts pretending that she has feelings for him.
Her willingness to manipulate Naruto’s emotions seemed very out of character for Sakura. On the other hand, it does add more complexity to the whole love triangle. It also shows how far Sakura was willing to go to prevent Naruto from potentially throwing his life away in his desperate pursuit of his longtime friend.
7Sasuke Survives Deidara’s C0
Sasuke Managed To Avoid Being Fried Alive
Sasuke’s epic duel with Deidarais often seen as one of the best fights inShippuden.The intensity continues to rise as the battle goes on, and it ends with quite a bang. In an attempt to stomp out Sasuke once and for all, Deidara sacrifices his life by dropping the C0, an explosive clay bomb which is big enough to flatten an entire city.
Since Sasuke still had a big role to play in the story, there was no way he was going to die here. However, his escape seemed a little outlandish to some. Sasuke explains that he used the great snake known as Manda as his getaway, claiming “that’s all there is to it.” Some viewers felt it was difficult to suspend disbelief with such a casual explanation.
6Pain Resurrects Konoha
Nagato Decides To Essentially Undo His Destruction Of Konoha
The scene of Pain flattening all of Konoha with an Almighty Push is one that no fan of the series will ever forget. It’s a devastating moment that puts into perspective how dead-set thisAkatsuki memberis about causing as much suffering as possible. But when Naruto finally manages to overcome the six paths of Pain, he finds that someone else was pulling the strings.
Naruto eventually meets Nagato, who explains his belief that the world needs to learn “true pain” in order to break the cycle of vengeance and hatred, which will only lead to more suffering. Though this conversation is full of depth and meaning, Nagato’s decision to then resurrect everyone he killed in Konoha was one that split opinions. Some feel that Kishimoto could have toned down the destruction caused by Pain in the first place, but then again, this would have removed the iconic scenes of Konoha’s residents being brutally killed. It’s easy to see why it’s so controversial.
5Talk No Jutsu
Naruto’s Technique Of Talking His Opponents Down Somehow Works On Obito
Talk-No-Jutsuis a fan term that refers to any time Naruto manages to snap a villain out of their evil ways by speaking to them. This would occasionally become an issue for fans throughout the series, but by the end ofShippuden, once the villains started becoming much more dangerous, it began to feel a little silly, especially when it was used on Obito.
When Naruto and Obito find themselves in a dream-like space, Obito assures his opponent that he left his true self behind a long time ago. Naruto, however, tries to convince him that he doesn’t need to throw away his identity, and even starts to sympathize with him by comparing his loneliness to Obito. For some, it was a beautiful final conversation to bring an end to the war. Others, though, thought it was a bizarre way to snap Obito out of his bleak mindset.
4Neji’s Death
Though the Fourth Great Ninja War was the biggest conflict in the series, there was a severe lack of serious casualties for a good portion of the story’s final arc. As a result,Neji’s demiseat the hands of the Ten Tails was sudden and unexpected. While it’s a tear-jerker for anyone who has been watching or reading since the beginning, it’s become shrouded in controversy because of its purpose.
It’s not uncommon to hear people say Neji’s death only occurred to add some chemistry to Naruto and Hinata’s relationship, or to show the war’s stakes by killing off a relevant character. With that being said, though, the moment still stands as one of the most memorable from the final war due to how shocking it is.
3Tobi Is Obito
Tobi Turns Out To Be Kakashi’s Childhood Friend
One of the biggest mysteries inNarutowas the true identity of the masked Akatsuki member known as Tobi. For a while, this shady ninja acted like a goofball when he was allied with Deidara. But as he became a bigger player in the story, he started to take on a more stoic and serious demeanor, which had people throwing out tons of theories. The idea that it could actually beKakashi’s childhood friend, Obito, seemed a little too on the nose to be true. In the end, though, it was this very ninja who was revealed to be behind the mask. To this day, fans are divided on whether Kishimoto managed to pull this moment off.
Seeing Obito seemingly risen from the dead got many people excited about what was to come, considering his connections to Minato and Kakashi. But there were others who felt it was too obvious. The focus on Rin’s death being an inspiration for Obito’s twisted view of the world was also a big matter of contention. However, a lot of people have started warming up to the dangerous Uchiha as a major villain since the reveal a few years ago.
2Black Zetsu’s True Identity
A Side-Villain Was Pulling The Strings All Along?
For much of the series, Black Zetsu seems like little more than a lackey of the Akatsuki, and eventually, Madara’s side-kick. Though his influence can be felt throughout the story, nobody could have expected just how relevant Black Zetsu would be to the overall plot. Right at the end of the story, in the dying embers of the war, Black Zetsu reveals that he is a part of Kaguya’s “will,” and has been biding his time until he was able to bring his master back to life.
This master plan involved Black Zetsu not only altering the Uchiha tablet, but also pushing Madara closer to executing his Eye of the Moon scheme tohypnotize the entire ninja world. What made this such a bizarre moment for many was that Kaguya, and Black Zetsu’s true identity, had never been hinted at before this moment. It was a reveal that split the fanbase for quite some time.
1Kaguya’s Introduction
Madara Wasn’t The Final Villain After All
Many fans assumed that, once Madara was finally taken down for good, the war would officially be over, but that isn’t how things ended up going. Once Black Zetsu revealed his identity as a remnant of Kaguya, it was only a matter of time before the woman herself made her presence known. She entered the world through a strange portal before doing battle with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
Considering Kaguya came across as some kind of god-like deity, it provided a nice opportunity forTeam 7to go all-out in one final fight. However, it’s hard to ignore just how out of left field Kaguya is. To this day, her introduction to the series continues to be debated, especially since she could have instead made her official debut inBoruto,where the Otsutsuki family is explored in much greater depth.
