You may hate me for this, but the biggest mistake of Naruto's Final Arc was Kaguya

The Naruto series is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most well-known in the world. Masashi Kishimoto's magnum opus wowed fans thanks to expansive open world, huge character roster, awesome jutsu and abilities and a storyline that was every bit action-packed as it was emotional. Acknowledging all of these plus points, it is possible that the made a mistake towards the end.

Put simply, introducing Kaguya Otsutsuki as the main villain in the final may have been a wrong call for Naruto. Before her, it was Madara Uchiha who was operating from the shaows, having Obito do his bidding for him whilst using his name. Ultimately, Madara achieved the Six Paths form and power, a terrifying upgrade. So him as a final villain would have been better.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion.

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The Biggest Mistake of Naruto's Final Arc Was Introducing Kaguya

Madara Jinchuriki transformation in Naruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Kaguya Otsutsuki was introduced towards the final phases of Naruto: Shippuden as the Goddess of Chakra. Her backstory was an unfortunate one - she being found on Earth, falling for one of its people and the world itself that she had meant to destroy. However, a wrong turn of events led to her consuming a Chakra Fruit and becoming the progenitor of Chakra.

The narrative then went on to briefly showcase her rule - going from Rabbit Goddess to Demon (despotic rule) - to her sons ultimately sealing her away. All in all, she was made the main villain of the final arc. But looking back presently, that may have been a considerable error, given Madara Uchiha's presence. His character saw a revival in the final phases and he achieved utmost power.

After sealing the Ten Tails in his body, he awakened his Jinchuriki transformation. He obtained a massive power-up, i.e., Six Paths Senjutsu powers, truth-seeking orbs and a Shakujo. Essentially, he became quite ultimate villain-esque, that is until the story's twist had Kaguya take over. However, Madara himself in this form was (and did make for) a great final antagonist.

Madara Uchiha (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Madara possessed something that Kaguya didn't - strong ideologies that aliged with the series' narrative. Although aberrant, his philosophy stemmed from his life experiences of loss, betrayal, and war. By the end, he didn't come off as a villain, but the embodiment of the "Cycle of Hatred". Moreover, his Infinite Tsukuyomi was his way of rescuing a broken world.

This was also a challenge to the protagonists and a thematic mirror to them. This wasn't something Kaguya bought. Madara was a looming presence in the story and this includes Obito using his name to manipulate events leading to the Fourth Great Shinobi War. The mystery about him ended in a satisfying reveal and rise to power. Contrastingly, Kaguya's introduction seemingly felt precipitous.

Her character was fleshed out later, lacked emotional stakes and personal links to the main cast. In essence, she came off as a plot device over a meaningful villain. Lastly, from a narrative perspective, Naruto and Sasuke aligning to overcome Madara’s idealogy and power would have been a better ending, with emotional closure.

Undeniably, Kaguya being the main villain took the final battle to cosmic height and undermined all previous themes. An ending with Madara would likely have allowed Naruto adhered to the emotional and philosophical arcs that defined it.

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Final Thoughts

Madara Uchiha (Image via Studio Pierrot)

While striking, the series finale may have slipped up with regards to its thematic execution by placing the ultimate villain as Kaguya Otsutsuki. It should have been Madara instead, a name built and teased for the longest time an agent of chaos. He was complete with sturdy ideological convictions which opposed the protagonists' own. Madara's aim of world peace (twisted) was rooted in pain and disillusionment he experienced, making him compelling and emotionally heavy.

But in Kaguya's case, her character introduction felt sudden and abruptly raised the overall landscape to include cosmic stakes. She seemed like a separate entity altogether and felt more like plot device. The series concluding with a major battle of Madara vs Naruto and Sasuke would've stayed true to the narrative's core themes. Jinchuriki Madara Uchiha as the ultimate boss may have given both philosophical depth and closure.

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