Why Naruto almost never smiles in Boruto, explained

Naruto is a character that has had a profound impact on a ton of kids who grew up watching the series. He is someone who has shown just how far one can go with hard work and the importance of not giving up in the face of adversity. One thing this character has done in some of the most challenging times is to deal with the problems while having a smile on his face, which is near impossible to do.

However, in the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations series, it seems he doesn’t smile as often as he once did. There are many possible reasons for this. Let’s understand why fans believe the protagonist no longer smiles as often as he used to in the Shippuden series.

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Boruto: A grown-up Naruto who doesn't smile as much as he used to

One of the most common themes that this series deals with is the importance of the upcoming generation and how they would be far stronger compared to the previous one.

Therefore, characters like Sasuke and Naruto don’t get nearly as much screen time as they used to get in Shippuden. This is one reason that plays a role in the audience perceiving the character as not smiling as much as he used to. In Shippuden, Naruto was always goofy and constantly smiled.

However, things are much different right now. While it might be a bit cliche, he is an adult now. He isn’t the carefree Shinobi whose only goal was to become stronger.

Right now, he is the Seventh Hokage of Konohagakure, and that is a big responsibility for anyone to shoulder. The citizens of Konohagakure trust the Hokage with their lives, and any potential threat needs to be neutralized no matter what.

When a character needs to live up to such expectations, it can be pretty hard to live a stress-free life and constantly smile like they used to as a child. Naruto also has responsibilities as a parent, which can be quite a lot to deal with. He barely gets to spend time with his family, and his son, Boruto, is quite vocal about this issue.

There have been many instances where Naruto had to put his life on the line to save his loved ones. In the process, he lost someone extremely close to him as they had shared many memories together.

The loss of Kurama certainly affected the character, and a traumatizing event like that could completely change a person.

When all the abovementioned circumstances pile on, it affects anyone’s mental health, and the Seventh Hokage is no exception. The responsibility, consequences, and the sheer amount of tragic events he witnessed must have played a role in his change in demeanor.

There is no doubt that Naruto continues to smile and faces his problems head-on, but there is a noticeable change in his behavior.