Why Boruto: Naruto Next Generations may have already lost the battle to become the true successor of Kishimoto's masterpiece

Fans have often compared Boruto: Naruto Next Generations to its predecessor series, Naruto. Many fans enjoy Boruto but often wonder if Boruto is actually worthy of being considered Naruto's successor.

With other series emerging that embody themes much closer to what Naruto holds dear, it begs the question of why Boruto has already lost the battle to become Naruto's true successor.

Disclaimer: The article reflects the writer's opinion and includes spoilers from the Boruto manga/anime.

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Exploring why Boruto: Naruto Next Generations may have already lost the battle to be Naruto’s true successor

Naruto's potential was reduced in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Image via Pierrot)

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has always been intended as a natural continuation of Naruto, but it simply has not found a way to live up to what it needs to be a true successor. In fact, the main threat to the story is how it was constructed by the world of Naruto and how that world reached all corners of the globe.

Naruto was always about an outcast, an underdog working to finally be acknowledged while carrying his heavy emotional baggage. Boruto, on the other hand, begins from a place of privilege as the person who should follow in his father's footsteps, and immediately removes from the audience any ability to feel struggle or connected to him based on relational terms in the journey.

Boruto and Naruto in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Image via Pierrot)

Another significant failing was in the writing and characterization. While Naruto showcased unique and distinct characters, elaborate backgrounds, and a lot of carefully constructed rivalries that made the tension more powerful, Boruto usually puts the older generation on the back burner, but has yet to even start the process of establishing the new cast members.

People such as Mitsuki and Sarada have lots of potential, but they fail to get the actual story and development that they would need in their arcs.

Meanwhile, the legacy characters, Naruto, Sasuke, etc, are entirely underused, which often leaves fans with frustration because they want to see and have opportunities wasted by legacy characters. This lack of balance creates a gulf in being able to find identity and character for Boruto, and also leaves a feeling of disappointment in those seeking continuity.

Use of beloved characters was reduced in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Image via Pierrot)

Its themes of falling short convey a disconnection, lacking the emotional component that drew many to Naruto in the first place. Meanwhile, more recent anime like Gachiakuta have begun sounding more overtly like Naruto, which is to say sounding like what Boruto is trying to approach but failing to do so.

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Final thoughts

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations hasn't done a great job of stepping up as an authentic successor to Naruto. Boruto has limited emotional magnitude and inconsistent storytelling that distances it from achieving the level of resonance it would need to achieve in order to be as timeless as Naruto.

Boruto occasionally has glimpses of possibilities, but to fully realize them as a regular occurrence would be difficult, with even more of their potential lost in not having been taken more seriously. It continues to feel more like a spin-off of the Naruto world than a continuation of its spirit.

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Related links:

• Boruto: Naruto Next Generations voice actors
• How many seasons of Boruto are there?
• All the characters of the Boruto