Naruto’s Ending Isn’t as Bad as You Remember – It’s Even Worse

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Even popular anime series, including those from the original “big three” like Naruto, can have disappointing endings. Before Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia faced criticism for their conclusions, Naruto had a finale that very few fans liked. This was surprising, as the Naruto franchise had been incredibly popular and seemed poised to deliver a truly great ending. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

The Naruto: Shippuden anime set up a lot of exciting possibilities with its characters and story, but the ending didn’t quite deliver. While many remember the finale as disappointing, largely due to the long and repetitive battles of the Fourth Great Shinobi War – which felt similar to Dragon Ball – there’s more to it than just that. Several character storylines and unexpected plot turns ultimately made the ending of this otherwise great series feel unsatisfying.

Kaguya Otsutsuki’s Debut Ruined Naruto: Shippuden’s Story

The Naruto series wasn’t always great at developing its villains, especially towards the end of the anime. Some story arcs, like those focused on a clear antagonist, were particularly strong. After the defeat of Pain, Naruto: Shippuden started to become inconsistent with its villains. First, Tobi pretended to be Madara Uchiha, then Kabuto Yakushi returned with increased power, and finally, Obito was revealed to be the real Madara. Fans thought Madara was finally the main villain the series needed, and they were excited to see the heroes battle him. He was central to the Fourth Great Shinobi War, but even this storyline eventually fell apart.

Fans were stunned and frustrated when Black Zetsu double-crossed Madara to side with Kaguya, and it really hurt the story. It felt like just another instance of revealing a villain behind the villain, a tired plot device that had been overused. While surprising twists can work well, like when Tobi pretended to be Madara, Kaguya’s sudden appearance felt unearned and lacked proper development. It was a twist too many, and it just didn’t land.

When Obito’s true identity was revealed and the real Madara appeared, fans already knew the name Madara Uchiha. Plus, characters like Sasuke, Itachi, and even Obito had already established the idea of powerful, villainous Uchiha clan members. These characters felt like natural fits within the story and its battles. Kaguya, however, didn’t have that same established background or connection to the existing world.

Honestly, Kaguya Otsutsuki felt like she came completely out of nowhere. It was such a sudden addition, and it threw both the characters and me as a viewer for a loop. Her appearance and backstory just didn’t quite fit, like the story was being pulled in a completely different direction for her own sake. It was strange to suddenly have aliens be a central part of the Naruto universe, especially considering everything else already happening with tailed beasts, chakra, and immortality. It all just felt…off. Naruto is known for being imaginative and full of surprises, but this felt like a twist too far. The story had been so focused on the ninja world, the war, and the different nations and clans. Then, out of nowhere, it turned into a space opera about aliens and some kind of chakra fruit. It was a jarring shift, to say the least.

To make matters worse, even the best villain in Naruto: Shippuden suffered a disappointing fate. Madara Uchiha was a powerful and intimidating ninja, a worthy successor to villains like Orochimaru and Pain, and the reveal of Obito’s deception actually made him even more compelling. However, just as Madara reached his peak power as the host of the Ten-Tails, Black Zetsu betrayed him, ultimately sacrificing Madara’s storyline to serve Kaguya’s plans.

Fans of Naruto: Shippuden had become invested in the final battle, but a key villain was surprisingly dismissed – a disappointing outcome, even for a bad guy. It wasn’t that people sympathized with the powerful Madara, but rather that villains generally deserve more memorable conclusions. While Madara didn’t need a happy ending, he certainly deserved a grand one, but Kaguya prevented that from happening.

Naruto Failed to Give Its Supporting Cast the Character Arcs They Deserved

Honestly, the ending of Naruto: Shippuden really let down a lot of us fans, especially when it came to the villains – they just felt…underdeveloped. But it wasn’t just them. So many of the side characters we’d grown to love felt shortchanged too. Their stories either ended abruptly or just fizzled out, which was a real shame after all those years of watching them grow. Take Rock Lee, for example. He was incredible in his fights against Gaara and Kimimaro, and I was so invested in his journey. While his sensei, Might Guy, got a fantastic moment to shine, Rock Lee never really got his own chance to be the hero. Sure, Might Guy was powerful, but Lee was the one who really connected with viewers, you know? He was the underdog we were rooting for, and I genuinely believe he should have been the one facing off against the strongest villains in the end.

Sakura Haruno consistently fell behind Naruto and Sasuke in terms of strength, despite becoming a skilled ninja. Unlike them, she didn’t have a powerful ability like Naruto’s tailed beast cloak or Sasuke’s Susano’o, and her character arc wasn’t as compelling. This ultimately made her seem insignificant and unlikeable to many viewers, especially within Team 7. Fans still remembered and disliked how she had emotionally manipulated Naruto previously, and she didn’t do enough to redeem herself.

The romantic pairing of Sakura and Sasuke always felt problematic because of Sasuke’s history of mistreating her. Despite her growth, Sakura still seemed fixated on Sasuke and willing to excuse his behavior just to get his attention. Adding to the disappointment of the series’ ending, Neji Hyuga had a surprisingly underwhelming and abrupt death during the final arc of Naruto: Shippuden.

I have to admit, some of the romantic relationships in the series didn’t quite land for me. Sakura and Sasuke’s felt really unhealthy, even though it seemed like the story was pushing us toward it. And when Ino and Sai first got together, it didn’t feel very strong. It’s cool that later on, in Boruto, they actually developed Ino and Sai into a really solid couple, but it was a little disappointing that the original Naruto anime needed so much help to make it work. On the plus side, I was happy to see Naruto and Hinata end up together. However, even that relationship didn’t feel fully earned – there weren’t any big conflicts, but it also didn’t build up enough steam to feel truly impactful.

Naruto’s Journey Was Undercut By Becoming the Child of Destiny

Perhaps the biggest flaw of Naruto: Shippuden is that its conclusion diminished not only its villains and supporting characters, but also Naruto himself. The show initially presented Naruto as a determined underdog striving for an ambitious goal, and his gradual progress was compelling. Like many similar stories, Naruto began as an underdog, but the narrative started to undermine this core idea. Relying heavily on Kurama’s power felt like an easy fix, allowing Naruto to win battles he should have lost through his own effort. While presented as someone born with nothing, Naruto actually possessed a powerful, untapped ability. The final arc of Naruto: Shippuden only made this problem worse.

Presenting Naruto as a self-made hero always felt a bit off, considering he had the immense power of Kurama. That image was completely broken later on when it was revealed he wasn’t just strong, but destined for greatness. He inherited the power and will of Asura, while his rival Sasuke inherited the power of Asura’s brother, Indra. This meant Naruto wasn’t an underdog at all, but someone born to end the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Essentially, fate had already decided Naruto’s path, setting him on a collision course with Sasuke, who represented Indra in their ongoing rivalry.

Naruto didn’t need a special, legendary ancestry to become a hero and save the world. In fact, adding that backstory actually weakened his story. It felt like a forced addition late in the series, trying to connect loose ends, and would have been more effective if revealed much earlier.

If Naruto had to learn about this surprising secret, it would have been better if it happened earlier, giving him time to accept it and letting the story explore the implications. Instead, the reveal came at the worst possible moment, right in the middle of the chaotic finale, and didn’t get the attention it deserved. This rushed handling contributed to a widely disliked ending.

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2025-11-12 06:10