You might not agree, Obito was a better Madara than Madara in Naruto

There is a huge debate that has raged on in the Naruto circles since it began running. The debate is primarily concerned with Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.

Many fans consider the original Naruto to be better than Shippuden. Their arguments typically revolve around how the essence of the series was lost in Shippuden. Naruto Shippuden flowed around large fights, and the tactical nous that was prevalent in the series was replaced with brilliantly choreographed fights.

Other fans also say that Shippuden was where the story saw its peak. In Naruto Shippuden, figures that were lightly touched upon in the original series were delved into. One of the characters who was lightly spoken about in Naruto but was shown in Shippuden was none other than Madara. Madara was not just the name of a legendary Uchiha; viewers saw him in the flesh, and he didn’t disappoint.

Madara was discovered to be one of the backers of the Akatsuki, and Sasuke in the series. Later in Naruto Shippuden, fans were shown one of the most shocking twists, and it was the fact that they were two Madaras.

Another twist was presented next, and it was that the masked Madara was Obito, and the latter was the real deal. Despite Madara being one of the most iconic villains in the series, Obito was a better Madara because his character had an end goal, unlike the original, whose plans were fugazi.

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

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Why Obito was a better Madara than Madara in Naruto

Obito and Madara's first meeting (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Before viewers saw Madara, his name already sparked curiosity among fans. Fans wanted to find the person who was behind one of the statues at the Valley of the End. Fans already saw Hashirama when he fought against Hiruzen, so they expected to see the legendary Uchiha who subdued the Nine Tails. When they saw the fake(Obito), they immediately believed he was real.

Obito was suave, cold, and calculating, with a plan of bringing peace to the ninja world with an infinite tsukyomi. He was also pretty powerful, as his Sharingan abilities were unheard of in Shippuden. On the few occasions where he faced any opponent, he looked a class above any opponent. A good example of this is how he toyed with the Konoha Shinobi who were on their way to the battleground of Sasuke and Itachi.

Obito acted as Madara during his time in the Akatsuki (Image via Studio Pierrot)

While he had remarkable feats, there were various times he seemed over his head. In his battle with Konan, he could have died, and when he faced Minato, he was outsmarted. These traits did not reduce the reverence fans had for him, but they made him human. When the real Madara was introduced, fans saw a character larger than life.

At first, Madara’s power was thrilling to see. Viewers can never forget how he took on a horde of Allied soldiers. Anime has seen one man taking down a horde of opponents, but not with the elegance of Madara.

After a while, the novelty of Madara’s abilities wore off, and the awe of fans was replaced with one question: “When will this guy go?” Madara was eventually discarded, much to the glee of fans, as his character’s goal at the end of the day was just power.

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Final thoughts

Before Obito was revealed to be a fake, many fans could understand his vision and dream, and that made him real. This was someone who hated the cycle of killing that was prevalent in the ninja world and simply wanted a world without them.

The real Madara would manipulate various Shinobi throughout various generations, and it was just for power. It also did not help that he had an air of invincibility throughout the series, which became annoying for fans.

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