Rock Lee's character should have been in Boruto, here's why

The Boruto saga has carried the torch from where Naruto stopped, and it has performed exceedingly well. Not only has the Boruto saga been a successful sequel, but it has also created its own lore. This lore is one of the most intriguing things about the entire saga, particularly with the introduction of the Otsutsuki and the Shinju.

The introduction of the Shinju has changed the focus of the Boruto saga. The anime does not focus on ninjutsu anymore; instead, it focuses on shinjutsu. The abilities used by the Otsutsuki are the primordial form of ninjutsu, and fans have been raving over it. However, there is a neglected form of fighting ability that does not get as much time in the spotlight as ninjutsu and shinjutsu did, and it is Taijutsu.

In early Naruto, before planetary leveling abilities were common, battles were mostly fought with strategy and taijutsu. Ninjas would clash with kicks and punches to prove their mettle, and no ninja symbolized this like Guy and his successor, Rock Lee. Sadly, Rock Lee’s role in Boruto has been relegated to the back seat as ninjas with louder abilities have taken center stage. Rock Lee needs to return, as he symbolizes the true essence of the ninja world: Grit and hard work.

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

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Why Rock Lee’s character is needed in Boruto

Rock Lee after his fight with Jonin-level Gaara (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The Boruto saga is currently overrun with the likes of Boruto and Sasuke, who epitomize the will of ninja, and the likes of Kawaki and Code, who represent the future of ninja. These ideals are in contrast with one another and have been shown throughout the series.

Viewers see Code and Kawaki take a defeatist stance to everything, which is unlike the ninja who believe in doing everything till they die. Apart from the young Uzumaki, nobody in the Narutoverse currently captures ninja essence like Rock Lee.

Rock Lee is in the line of Taijutsu specialists like Might Guy and Might Duy, whose lack of chakra forced them to rely on hand-to-hand battles. These ninjas redefined what it meant to be a ninja and took down the most powerful foes in their prime. Might Duy was able to handle the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist on his own, and Might Guy faced one of the strongest shinobi ever in the Narutoverse—Madara.

Rock Lee should have fought against Momoshiki (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Rock Lee’s relegation in Boruto makes no sense because his character needs continuity. The Narutoverse is yearning for someone whose abilities stem from pure will and grit. His character will bring a much-needed balance to the series. As the abilities in the series are looking more godlike as time passes, Rock Lee would be the character with human feats.

His character should have also made an appearance in difficult missions. In theory, there should not be many ninjas with as much experience as Rock Lee in the entire Konoha. This is someone who has fought in a war, handled prime Akatsuki in its heyday, and tussled with Orochimaru’s henchmen.

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Final thoughts

The lack of Rock Lee highlights a glaring problem that has been criticized by fans of the series. While the series tries to shine its spotlight on the next generation of characters, it totally eradicates the older characters from Naruto. These older characters are responsible for much of the structure of the Shinobi world.

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