I won't ever forgive Kishimoto for not letting us see Naruto's Hokage ceremony

Naruto is one of the greatest Shonen anime of all time, and it is full of many great points. For one, Naruto has aged remarkably well compared to its peers, such as Bleach, Fairy Tail, and Soul Eater. New anime viewers are still recommended to watch Naruto, and it's for many reasons: its simplistic storyline and relatable characters.

The second reason for Naruto being among the Shonen greats is its action scenes. The scenes are so good that modern anime like Hell’s Paradise and Demon Slayer do not come near it. Naruto’s fight scenes are so good that one can revisit the early battle between Gaara and Rock Lee and still marvel in awe. The last reason for Naruto being a Shonen great is its themes; the themes of the series are both subtle and gripping.

However, with all its pros, it is still riddled with flaws, Flaws that have generated a lot of questions among its fanbase. One of these flaws, which might seem subtle but is actually significant, is denying viewers the opportunity to see Naruto being crowned as a Hokage. This is a cardinal sin by Kishimoto, as he should have made that moment both rewarding for viewers and the story itself.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

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Why Naruto being crowned as a Hokage should have been shown

The Uzumaki wearing his Hokage regalia (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Most great Shonen stories start with the main character having some sort of grand dream. In One Piece, it was Luffy attaining the One Piece; in Bakuman, it was the main characters becoming accomplished storytellers.

Even Sports Shonen stories are in line with these ideas, as their main characters mostly have grand plans. In Baby Steps, the main character wants to go pro; Catennacio also has this same idea, as its main character wants to go pro.

The icing on the cake for these manga is seeing the main character attain this dream, as it gives the story a beautiful resolution. When viewers see Tanjiro and Nezuko after the death of Muzan in Demon Slayer, the story feels finished. In Bakuman, the main character makes a top manga and marries the love of his life. This ending is quite common in Shonen and should have been employed in Naruto.

Viewers mainly stuck to the story for that dream. At the beginning of the series, it looked far-fetched; the titular character was not the strongest or the most gifted. All he had was unwavering willpower. As the series progressed, the effect of that willpower started to manifest in amazing ways. The Uzumaki beat Konoha’s most gifted genin at the time, and he went toe to toe with a rabid Gaara, whom many could not face in Konoha.

The titular character's Hokage coronation should have been in Shippuden (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The Uzumaki’s improvement meant that the Kage dream was not too far-fetched. It was just around the corner, and the titular character’s feats in the Pain and War arc proved it. He changed from the status of Konoha’s liability to the savior of the Shinobi world.

The natural conclusion of all of this should have been the Uzumaki being crowned Hokage, with the whole Konoha reminiscing; instead, viewers are faced with a wedding at the end. This was a conclusion that should not have happened, and it robbed viewers of a tearjerking moment.

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Conclusion

The series ending with the Uzumaki marrying Hinata goes against its very essence. The main character’s dreams are one of the reasons for the series's success, but this point gets lost easily due to the multiple themes of the series and many characters. The ending of the series showed the selfless side of the main character, but it would have been lovely for fans to see him act selfish for once.

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