Why did Naruto stop saying "Believe it"? Explained

Naruto Uzumaki, the animanga community's favorite ninja, is famous for his slogan "Believe it," or "dattebayo" which has become a meme ever since. Catchphrases are frequently used in many anime and manga series to make characters appear cooler or to set them apart from the others. Even Naruto has several characters with their own unique catchphrases, such as Sakura's "Cha" or Killer Bee's "Fools, ya fools."

When the series first started, Naruto would end every other sentence with his catchphrase "Believe it." However, he stopped using it fairly early in the show, around the time of the Chunin exams, and the phrase "ya know" was introduced in its place. However, why did this happen?

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Naruto manga.

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Kishimoto intended on Naruto's "dattebayo" because it gave his loud and energy personality an unique charm

Naruto saying "dattebayo" as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Naruto’s catchphrase "Believe it" comes from the Japanese "dattebayo," which, unlike the dubbed version, has continued to be used. Since Naruto is the series' main character, it is only fitting that he has a distinctive catchphrase that sums up who he is. Mangaka Masashi Kishimoto even intended to give his protagonist a youthful catchphrase, and "dattebayo" came to mind because it fit Naruto's loud and enthusiastic personality nicely.

The blond protagonist's verbal tic typically manifests itself when he is experiencing emotional excitement, such as when he is stressed, anxious, joyful, or elated. Moreover, it is shown as if the trait is hereditary because his mother Kushina used "dattebane," the feminine counterpart of 'dattebayo', while his son Boruto uses "dattebasa."

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Why was the catchphrase scrapped from the English dub?

Naruto, as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The simple explanation for the removal of "Believe it" was that fans complained about how frequently the catchphrase was used. In the English dub, it was used whenever Naruto made a big statement. Over that, fans said it was cheesy, lame, and annoying.

Furthermore, many protested about the blatant mistranslation. Since there are no exact translations of "dattebayo" from Japanese to English, the creators of the English dub chose to translate the catchphrase to "Believe it!". They initially thought that it complemented the Japanese anime's lip motions closely. However, the overwhelming amount of negative responses led Viz Media to find an alternative and refrain from overusing it.

Sakura, as seen in Naruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Unfortunately, the atrocious mistranslations of iconic Japanese anime catchphrases do not stop with Naruto. Sakura was another noteworthy victim of this, as her catchphrase "Shannaro," which may have been translated as "Hell yeah!," "Hell no!," or even "Damn it!" was rendered as a meaningless "Cha."

It is great that, at least in the protagonist's case, the producers chose to listen to the fans and make the required changes. It is critical that the dubbing team remembers the original material with which they are working and attempts to portray the closest feasible version to the audience. However, it is undeniably a demanding task that deserves to be recognized.