This one flaw of Naruto keeps it from being the GOAT anime

Naruto, Howl’s Moving Castle, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Grave of the Fireflies have one thing in common. Yes, they are all anime, but that is not where their similarities end. All the titles mentioned in the earlier sentence are antiwar. While Avatar: The Last Airbender, Grave of Fireflies, and Howl’s Moving Castle are very clear on their antiwar message, in Naruto’s case, it is not clear.

This is because the antiwar message is passed subtly. Howl’s Moving Castle, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Grave of the Fireflies are filled with symbolism and dialogue that constantly highlight the horrors of war. In these stories, war is the central theme, and all other themes are explored against its backdrop.

Naruto approaches its antiwar message from a different angle. Kishimoto portrays a world of indoctrinated individuals committed to serving a war machine. This brainwashing is similar to what Marleyan soldiers in Attack on Titan endure, where they are taught to view themselves as superior. Similarly, Shinobi are taught some sort of ninja creed from a young age, it is a mantra that is tantamount to brainwashing.

Where the series falls short is in showing the emotional consequences of war. Many characters are famed for how they murder enemy soldiers, some even from an early age. However, there are no consequences for the number of deaths they cause. Little to no PTSD, except for a few characters, and no trauma. This is a flaw in the series that stops it from being GOATED.

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

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Why the lack of emotional damage in Naruto is its biggest flaw

Sakura is not shown to feel the pain of war like other characters (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The world of Naruto has been plagued by conflict ever since chakra entered the human world. Even before the advent of chakra, Kaguya sought to control the world to put a stop to all its conflicts. With the proliferation of chakra and ninjutsu in the human world, wars broke out between clans. When these clans formed villages, the world faced at least four more ninja wars before the current era of peace.

Before the Hidden Villages were formed, Madara and Hashirama spoke about the ills and never-ending cycle of war. This was one of the reasons they formed the Hidden Villages so that wars would be reduced. They felt the pain of war, and the viewers saw that pain. However, this pain is shown inconsistently by the characters. Characters like A are shown to be almost war-hungry, the same with Danzo, who had a fetish for destruction.

These characters destroy and kill with reckless abandon, endangering the lives of both the innocent and the guilty. After they are done, they are on to the next mission and feel nothing until they are required by the plot to feel something. Minato is not shown to feel fear for the lives of his students, despite leading them on dangerous missions.

Obito becomes a villain due to war (Image via Studio Pierrot)

While the main characters claim to abhor the cycle of violence and want to end it, they don’t hesitate to fatally attack their opponents. They also are not weighed down for long by the death of their loved ones, until the plot requires them to be.

Some may excuse the series by saying it is Shonen. But Full Metal Alchemist is also Shonen, and yet Roy Mustang is actively plagued by the horrors he committed in the name of fighting a war. His shoulders seem weighed down by trauma, even though he conceals it. Fullmetal Alchemist shows that the harsh reality of war is in how it tears down people emotionally and mentally; Naruto doesn’t show that.

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Final thoughts

The Shonen nature of Naruto means that there is a level that it can’t go beyond when it comes to handling a sensitive theme like war. It can’t be like Vinland Saga and detail trauma extensively, but it can show more than just a handful of people suffering. Tsunade is one character in the series who is a victim of the Shinobi world’s endless wars. She develops phobias due to trauma and does not recover till much later.

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