The Naruto Manga has just celebrated its 25th anniversaryWhich is a milestone for one of the most iconic franchises in the world and one of the most influential manga ever. To celebrate, the official website of Naruto Released a video celebrating the series and hitting fans with an incredible wave of nostalgia.
A short manga animation was released, and while previous videos like the spotlight the entire series and many characters, this focused on the titular character, Naruto Uzumaki. It showed Characters who were important to his growth And shaped his ideals, morals and ninja way. This explains why main characters like Kakashi and Sakura are not shown, and even though they are practically Naruto’s family, other characters have a greater impact on his mind.
The most important ninjas didn’t just shape history, they shaped the future 7th Hokage’s journey
Naruto’s bonds to friends and foes made him who he is
The first character shown was Iruka, Naruto’s academy teacherwhose parents were killed by the fox spirit inside Naruto. Due to a turn of events that put Naruto in great danger, Iruka risks his life for him and concerns that Naruto is not the monster inside him but a resident of Konoha and his student. Naruto finally formed his first bond and this propelled him to become more confident and stronger, protecting Iruka, and much later, he chose Iruka to serve as his father for his wedding.
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Zabuza Momochi and Haku, the antagonists of the Land of Waves arc, are the next to appear in the video. They were Naruto’s first look at how harsh a shinobi’s life can be, and they were integral in his decision to forge his ninja path rather than in the footsteps of the average shinobi. Next was Neji Hyuga, a peer much stronger than him, who exposed Naruto to some harsh truths about Konoha. The Hyuga had a caste system that was almost slavery, and Neji was controlled by the main family, which made him hate everyone from the family including Hinata, someone he was sworn to protect.
Neji was also the introduction of the series The concept of defying fateLaying the ground for Naruto eventually defying his destiny. Gaara, the first jinchuriki outside Konoha, showed Naruto that there were others like him, people who were hated because of the monster inside them. Sasuke Uchiha needs no introduction. As Naruto’s closest friend and rival, the two share an unbreakable bond caused by their terrible childhood, and it matured into something exceptional. Naruto’s insistence on never leaving Sasuke pretty much defined his journey.
Jiraiya arguably had the biggest impact on Naruto. He not only helped him become stronger, but he also showed him What it was like to have a father After they traveled together for 3 years. Furthermore, he explains to him the effects of the cycle of hatred, leading him to change Nagato and bring peace.
Finally, Minato and Kushina, despite being dead for most of Naruto’s life, became the cornerstones of his existence when he met their spirits, describing them as his sons alongside Jiraiya. In the short time they met, they greeted their son with praise and love, making him cry and happy as ever. They also gave him the confidence to continue preserving.
What characters from Naruto’s 25th anniversary missed
Not every character important to Naruto had their time to shine in the tribute
While the video got it right that these characters had the biggest impact on Naruto, others also deserve a mention. The most obvious being Nagato, Naruto has never been more ideologically challenged before than he had to defeat Pain after he destroyed Konoha and apparently killed many people close to him. This led to a critical moment where Naruto had to decide whether or not to forgive Nagato. The dialogue is what makes the pain arc one of the best and most satisfying arcs in shin manga, maturing the beloved protagonist and differentiating him from most main characters.
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Other important characters are also missing in this video, from Itachi, who teaches Naruto about what it means to be Hokage, to Kakashi, who instilled in Naruto the importance of friendship, to Tsunade, who placed the utmost trust in him. There are many people who helped the protagonist, and in different ways, but the video tribute for the 25th anniversary chose to focus on a specific set of characters. What is clear is that Naruto became the beloved character he is thanks to the connections he forged during his journey, and this tribute highlights that well.