Summary

• Naruto's parentage, specifically his father being Minato, poses challenges for the series' core themes and character development.
• Minato's introduction raises questions about Naruto's inherent strength and the implications of recognizing Hokage by birthright.
• The Minato reveal sparks important discussions on consistency in creative works and the value of questioning plot decisions in beloved series.

There are certain aspects of Naruto that are basically untouchable: take, for example, Sasuke and Itachi's backstory. Although imperfect, it leads to moments that are so iconic for the series that one is better off leaving it alone. Another important moment is the revelation that Naruto's father is Minato, the Fourth Hokage, but I think it's important, as fans, to recognize the way that Naruto's parentage unsettles some of the franchise's most important themes in some ways, and simply doesn't make sense in other ways.

Minato is revealed to be Naruto's father during Jiraiya's emotional final conversation with Tsunade. Later, during Naruto Shippuden's Pain Assault arc, Naruto also learns the truth by meeting Minato's lingering chakra inside himself, learning he had placed additional seals on Kurama, along with his chakra and that of Kushina, to watch over their son. It's one of the most touching moments in Naruto Shippuden. Since then, Minato has become beloved, and even earned a recent spin-off. I, like countless other Naruto fans, do truly love Minato. However, it's worth meditating on how this twist is a problem for Naruto's premise.

Naruto Sets Up An Underdog

Naruto's Upbringing Doesn't Reflect His Parentage

The first arc of Naruto is legendary in the way it establishes not just Naruto, but many of the characters who will accompany the viewer or reader through the rest of the series. Naruto is shown to be an outcast, actively avoided and jeered at. He's ed by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi, who gives him a modest living space and . Sarutobi and Naruto have an interesting and caring relationship, although Sarutobi arguably could have done more to prevent Naruto's bullying.

Naruto is shown to have some difficulty keeping up with his peers, but also to have an amazing reserve of chakra, mastering the Multiple Shadow Clone kinjutsu very quickly. By blossoming into a character who is immature but endlessly sincere and devoted, Naruto is shown to be beautifully kind in spite of his circumstances. This attitude, through the first part of Naruto, leads the protagonist to constantly win people over. That's why, in the first part's closing Sasuke Retrieval Arc, the other shinobi students care enough for Naruto to aid him wholeheartedly in retrieving Sasuke.

Naruto As Hokage — "Believe It"?

The Fact Minato Was The Fourth Hokage Presents Challenges For Naruto's Goals

When Minato is revealed, it becomes harder, because it feels like Naruto's recognition starts being justified for the people.

If there's one quote from Naruto that has always stuck with me, it's one from Itachi:

Becoming the Hokage doesn't mean people will acknowledge you. But when the people acknowledge you, you can become the Hokage.

In the first part, all of Naruto's goals and aspirations fit together neatly. He constantly expresses his desire to become Hokage, in part to gain the iration and respect of the people of the Hidden Leaf. At the same time, he becomes a person who more often wins by his charm and wit rather than by sheer power.

All things considered, it was easy to believe that Naruto deserved to become Hokage as I watched his journey unfold. It was easy enough to believe that Naruto would be universally recognized for the way he effortlessly charmed everybody, from friend to enemy, with his sincerity and idealism. When Minato is revealed, however, it becomes harder, because it feels like Naruto's recognition starts being justified for the people.Ultimately, Minato's introduction started making me feel as though it was implied that Naruto deserved recognition by birthright, especially since the other Hokage (aside from Sarutobi) were all related.

For example, the first question Naruto addresses to his father is why Minato would seal Kurama inside of him. Minato said that he believed that Naruto would have the potential to contain Kurama since he's Minato's own son. In a way, this makes perfect sense. However, it also leaves the implication that Naruto's own mastery of Kurama comes from an innate strength obtained from his Hokage father, rather than a strength of his own creation.

It's obvious that this opens up a lot of questions. Naruto and Minato look so similar that one would wonder why nobody ever pointed out the similarity, and it means that Sarutobi has a lot of explaining to do about Naruto's relatively modest upbringing. More specifically, one can look at the second episode where viewers meet Konohamaru, Sarutobi's grandson, who has inflated self-esteem from his Hokage lineage and teases Naruto on that basis.

At the same time, the reality is that Minato was hinted at all throughout the original series, and he wasn't a sudden addition. The question isn't whether Minato was a hastily made decision or a deliberate narrative choice. The question is how this choice plays into the broader themes of Naruto and Naruto's own characterization.

I started to wonder where the Hokage's recognition by the people comes from. The idea that it might just be by relation to another Hokage left a bad taste in my mouth. It's true that all the Hokage were excellent shinobi in their own right, and very likely deserved to be Hokage on that basis. However, the correlation of fate to genetics rubbed me the wrong way following a story about an underdog's perseverance.

Minato Shows How Changing Themes Can Be A Good (Or Bad) Thing

Without Minato, Naruto Could Have Been More Interesting, But It Wouldn't Be Naruto

It's here I'll it to feeling torn. The truth is that I love Minato. More than Minato, I love Kushina, who was one of the most underused Naruto characters. I want to hear more about them, and especially her, so badly. But that also encouraged me to look at the "Minato twist" that many Naruto fans have a hard time with, from a different perspective.

I was thinking about what bothered me about the Minato reveal after all. When Minato appeared, I was extremely excited, and I fell in love with him and Kushina immediately. Over time, though, I began to feel like it was a weird decision. I started to become really annoyed with overarching narratives of fate or destiny, which Naruto Shippuden undeniably leans very hard on.

Many people see "inconsistencies" in media as some sort of inherent flaw, but one of the great lessons of deconstruction is that no work is consistent or stable to begin with.

Yet, I also recognized that this twist is part of a larger process. Naruto slowly comes to emphasize the concepts of friendship and perseverance over Naruto's circumstances per se. I think there are three key reasons it's important to question plot decisions like the Minato reveal, even beloved ones.

For one, it shows how a creative work doesn't have to be "consistent" to be good. Many people see "inconsistencies" in media as some sort of inherent flaw, but one of the great lessons of deconstruction is that no work is consistent or stable to begin with. Inconsistency is in all creation. Analyzing it helps us as fans to be more attentive, creative, and thoughtful in considering creative works.

From there, it comes down to the interpretation of the narrative as a whole, taking inconsistencies and instabilities into . It gives us new ways to appreciate things. I won't grant that the Minato reveal doesn't signify part of a broader thematic and narrative shift. To me, that's inarguable. However, I will grant that the subtle ways it tweaks the series and the direction it pushes Naruto has a value all its own.

Finally, it provides the opportunity to creatively imagine other routes for the story. Once it's accepted that over time certain core themes of a series come to overshadow others (or sometimes be entirely forgotten), and also that new themes pop up somewhat organically, it allows for a new exercise. One takes certain key themes and imagines the series seeing them through over the others. As a result, it becomes possible to ask things like:

• What would Naruto be like if Naruto's parents were nobody special, as it was implied at the start?
• How would the narrative have to change to for baby Naruto being chosen?
• Who might the Fourth Hokage have been instead?

I do think that my gripe with the Minato twist is uncommon, as many fans of the series have moved the same criticism. At the same time, I think that there's great value in taking it seriously and thinking about what it would mean for the franchise. After all, that kind of criticism and consideration is what has led to innovations in shōnen storytelling. Even if it's true that the Minato twist undermines the early themes of Naruto, that doesn't mean it was a bad decision—all it would show is that creative works live and breathe, and Naruto is no exception.