Naruto: The Biggest Flaw of Itachi Was Masashi Kishimoto’s True Genius That Many Fans Refuse to Believe

From Obito to Jiraiya, there have been several gut-wrenching deaths in Naruto. Nothing, however, comes close to Itachi Uchiha. The revelations of the young Uchiha had most fans devastated. This holds especially true with the ambiguous nature of his character. Despite his feats as a child prodigy, the character has a ‘flaw’ that had fans pointing to his pitfall.

In a discussion thread, several fans speculated possibilities of the Uchiha massacre. Whether or not the character would’ve prevented it is uncertain. What is interesting, though, is his character flaw throughout the series. For most viewers, it may seem a hindrance. But, for the most part, it marked Masashi Kishimoto’s brilliance as a mangaka.

Naruto fans point to Itachi Uchiha’s flaw on Reddit

Itachi Uchiha is nothing short of the tragic character in Kishimoto’s series. From the clan massacre to Shisui’s death, his life is nothing short of devastating. This is especially true with the sheer amount of pressure he faced. As a child prodigy, he excelled in most aspects, especially genjutsu. His motives, however, were divergent from his clan in more ways than one.

Unlike most Uchiha clan members, his loyalty was aligned more towards his village. His aspiration to become Hokage was apparent in his actions. This extended to his eventual decision to kill off the clan. It is important to note that he wasn’t blinded by patriotism. In his move to rid the village of his clan, he opted for a neutral stance. Most fans, however, feel otherwise.

A Reddit thread discussed the character’s biggest flaw arrogance. This was in the context of his choices, especially the clan massacre.

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While his arrogance seems a pitfall to most fans, it isn’t the case. It is especially true with Second Hokage’s role in the legacy of hate. For decades, Uchihas were associated with the stereotype of evil. This further marks the complexities of the character. It also outlines Kishimoto’s brilliance as a mangaka.

Masashi Kishimoto’s brilliance lies in his construction of morally ambiguous characters

Masashi Kishimoto has created some of the iconic yet morally ambiguous characters in his series Naruto. From Sasuke to Nagato, most villains in the series embody depth and profundity. The mangaka’s brilliance lies in bringing out the depth and ambiguity in the characters. The ability to make them more humane and fallible is what sets the series apart from other shonen anime.

This extends to both Uchiha brothers as they were subject to immense trauma and emotional abuse. Be it the legacy of hate or the clan powers, Kishimoto outlined a sense of derangement. Especially with the chain of losses in Sasuke’s life, it makes all the more sense.

Moral ambiguity, however, is outlined through the constant shift in his motives. This also extends to Obito and Nagato. While both characters are influenced by talk-no-jutsu, Sasuke’s hatred is rather potent. This also ties in with his witnessing of violence at an early age. It was aggravated by the shocking revelation of Konoha’s role in his brother’s death.

Rather than arrogance, it was the character’s inner knowing that prevented him from going all-out. While he displayed a sense of cockiness, he didn’t revel in it, unlike most antagonists. Considering the decades of prejudice and ostracization against the Uchiha clan, their downfall was inevitable. Most fans, however, fail to grasp the details and complexities of the series.

Naruto is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Viz Media.