Best Characters in Boruto

WARNING: This post contains major spoilers for both Boruto: Naruto Next Generations’ anime and manga (through Chapter 49), which contains content that has yet to be revealed in the anime. If you aren’t caught up on both, proceed at your own risk.

I wanted to do a complete list of my favorite characters from Boruto, because the anime in particular has received some criticism and hate. With the manga starting off further in the future, some characters have yet to be revealed in the anime.

Kara has recently been mentioned in the anime, so more exciting characters will be coming into the picture soon. With that said, I am going to include characters that have been revealed in both the manga and anime in this post, so if you like to be surprised and have yet to catch up on both, proceed at your own risk or check out this post here instead. If you, however, are struggling to get into the anime and don’t care about spoilers, you may want to keep reading, because what’s to come could reignite your interest in the series.

Unfortunately, Boruto, as far as new characters go, struggles. I find myself far less interested in Boruto’s friends and classmates than I did Naruto’s. And many of them are somewhat expendable, like Wasabi and Denki. These characters are meant to further show just how different Boruto’s world is from Naruto’s, but they aren’t well-developed and, as a result, you don’t feel invested in these characters and their stories.

Regardless, there are still some great characters in Boruto that have yet to come into the anime that will save the series. While some on this list are faces we are already familiar with from Naruto, there are some new ones as well.

Every one has their own opinion as to who they think are the best characters from Boruto, but the following are my personal favorites!

Boruto Uzumaki

I’m going to talk about the more obvious characters, like Boruto first. Being that this is his story, it’s no surprise that Boruto is one of the best characters of the series.

Boruto is a lot like his father, even though he would never admit it. He’s a trouble-maker in the beginning, but he matures early on as he has battles, both mental and physical, of his own. While his childhood isn’t nearly as rough as Naruto’s, Boruto has similar pains and troubles to overcome.

Despite the fact that he acts like he wants nothing to do with him, you see him long for a relationship with his father, who’s always busy thanks to his life as the new Hokage. You get to see some parallels between Naruto’s childhood and Boruto’s, but you’ll see a lot of differences too. As a result, Boruto feels familiar as a character, but he’s also completely different as well.

It’s his idolization of and training with Sasuke that makes him unique. Both him and Sarada want to become the opposite of their fathers, because they’ve grown up experiencing the negatives that come with their lifestyles. Boruto, in particular, becomes a really interesting character because of this. As he grows, he carries on not just his father’s shinobi way, but Sasuke’s as well.

Boruto’s story grows even more interesting when he is marked with karma, which was placed on him by Momoshiki, so that he could later become his vessel. The fate this place’s on him seems grim from the flashes we see with Momoshiki, but we’ve seen characters like Boruto overcome great odds like these before.

From the scene we get in the very beginning of both the manga and anime, it almost seems like we are going to get some Dragon Ball Super Future Trunks apocolyptic-esque storyline. And this has me really interested in how the story continues to develop, even though I’m also fearful as to what this dark future holds for some of our favorite characters.

Naruto Uzumaki

It goes without saying that Naruto is one of the best characters in Boruto. Watching Naruto in this new society has been different. At first, you see him living life as the new Hokage, barely home to spend time with his family and burning the candle at both ends. Instead of battling powerful foes, he’s battling mounds of paperwork. But, this doesn’t last for long, because Momoshiki and Kinshiki invade Konoha early on.

While Naruto isn’t featured in many fights, aside from this one, in the anime; He is involved much more in the manga as Kara surfaces. Sasuke and Naruto fight together to combat Kara and its members, but the two are faced with new enemies that prove to be troublesome, even despite their strength both individually and as a unit.

While he’s not protecting Konoha or completing his duties as Hokage, he’s out being a dad whenever he can. The moments he spends with Boruto are sad, but also touching to watch. You can tell he wants to connect with his son, but he just doesn’t know how. Naruto’s kind heart is as strong as ever and you really see this throughout the series, but more so when Kawaki comes into the picture.

All in all, not much has changed about Naruto. He’s still the same trouble-making, jokester kid at heart, but he’s matured a lot over the years since he’s become both a dad and the Hokage. I am happy to see his journey continue on in Boruto and can’t wait to see more of him in action.

Sasuke Uchiha

Not much has changed about Sasuke, because he’s still a lone-wolf shinobi. But, instead of attacking Konoha, he’s out gathering intel to protect it, not just in their world, but in other dimensions as well. Sasuke uses his Space–Time Ninjutsu a lot in the series, and this not only makes him that much more interesting, but it also adds a lot to Boruto‘s story as well.

Through his eyes, you see the dangers that are coming. And when cool and collected Sasuke starts looking concerned, you know you should be as well… When he’s not out on dangerous scouting missions, Sasuke is ever-so-briefly home. During those times, you see him train Boruto, who as mentioned prior looks up to him, and spend time with his daughter Sarada. These provide for some heart-warming moments and show a softer side of Sasuke that you didn’t see much of in Naruto or Naruto Shippuden.

Sasuke and Naruto’s lives are different in this series, but they are very much the same as we last saw them. Boruto has done a great job thus far at continuing the story and further developing these characters we’ve already grown to love from Naruto.

Kawaki

Kawaki and Boruto’s relationship is similar to Naruto and Sasuke’s not just because of their dynamic, but also because of the fact that they are rivals pushing each other to get stronger. As a result, you really grow to love these characters individually, but also a a unit as well.

While Kawaki has a brooding, moody personality that’s similar to Sasuke’s as a kid, he’s also a lot like Naruto. He has been given this power that he didn’t ask for, and because of it he lives a life of loneliness. But, he doesn’t want it to be this way, so you see him really open up during his time in Konoha with Boruto and Naruto. And as he builds friendships, you see him, much like Naruto, come out of the darkness.

Kawaki has been through a lot; He was sold off by his abusive father to Jigen, who then proceeded to experiment on him, turn him into a cyborg outfitted with scientific ninja tools, and abuse him during his training to become Karma’s vessel. Until he met Naruto and felt his kindness, Kawaki knew nothing but darkness, pain, and hate. The question is will he be able to get out of the darkness or will it consume him? There’s a lot of depth to Kawaki that makes him a strong character, and his development only continues to get more interesting as the story continues.

As we’ve learned in the latest chapters of Boruto‘s manga, Kawaki is the vessel for Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. With his new life in Konoha, Kawaki is safe for now with the protection of Sasuke and Naruto, but it seems that him and Boruto will have to come into their own to fully protect themselves from this massive threat. I’m interested to see what path his story takes as the series moves on, and I find myself invested in his growth and journey more so than others. For this reason alone, he is one of the best characters in all of Boruto.

Jigen

Jigen, or rather Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, is the main villain in Boruto, and as far as enemies go, he is fearsome. Not only does he defeat both Naruto and Sasuke in battle with ease in their first meeting, he also continues to grow stronger as the series continues on.

Regardless, he was still backed into a corner and forced to fully take over Jigen’s body thanks to Kashin Koji, meaning that the Karma is now erased from Kawaki’s body. Desperate, he enters Konoha in search of Kawaki, and the last chapter just left off with him about to square off again with Naruto and Sasuke.

Jigen is despicable, and this makes you root against him even more. But, it’s also for this reason that he’s such a strong character. Every time he appears, he elicits strong emotions within you, and for this reason alone, he’s one of the best characters in Boruto.

Mitsuki

Crazy uncle Orochimaru is at it again in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Even after all his crimes, he’s set out on the endeavor to become a “parent”, and to do so, he created a partial clone of himself, who you later meet as Boruto’s friend and teammate Mitsuki.

Mitsuki had some of the best character development in the anime and as far as anime canon episodes go, the ones that involved Mitsuki were some of my favorites to watch. I also find his matter-of-fact, almost Sai-like demeanor to be funny and endearing as well. But, it’s the identity crisis that Mitsuki goes through as he tries to discover his own will that makes him such a great character.

He’s incredibly talented in ninjutsu, but it is his use of the Sage Transformation that was the most surprising of all his abilities. Mitsuki is unpredictable, and you’ll never know what he’ll do next, especially given that he learns and evolves so quickly. Because of this, he is really entertaining to watch in fights. Apart from that, he has an interesting background and an extremely likable personality. It’s for these reasons and so much more that he’s one of the best characters in Boruto.

Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki

Momoshiki is the first big villain you encounter in Boruto. Just when you think he’s been destroyed and his threat has been eliminated, you learn that the karma he placed on Boruto has a sinister purpose; It makes him Momoshiki’s new vessel, and he won’t just assume control over Boruto, he will erase him completely.

The Ōtsutsuki, in particular, are really interesting, because they come across as these unstoppable, unkillable opponents. But, everything and everyone has a weakness as we’ve seen with Jigen, so I can’t wait to see how Boruto and everyone around him plans to stop this from happening in the volumes to come.

Momoshiki is a monster lurking in the background, and for that reason, he’s always in the back of your mind as you are reading the series. This makes him a truly terrifying villain that is sure to become more prominent as Boruto‘s story evolves.

Kashin Koji

Kashin Koji is another a member Kara, but it was the shroud of mystery surrounding him that made him compelling. At first, you question who he really is and what his intentions are. Not only does he use summoning techniques to summon toads much like Jiraiya, but he can also do the rasengan, which only a handful of shinobi are known to have mastered. And then, he walks straight into Konoha without firing off any alarms, meaning he’s been there before.

Later on, that shroud of mystery unravels and you learn that Kashin Koji is a clone of Jiraiya created by Amado. You even see Naruto, who is unaware of this fact, state he’s concerned about him during his fight with Jigen, but can’t figure out quite why. While I didn’t feel connected to Kashin Koji as much as I was with Jiraiya, the two feel much in the same and it’s really enjoyable to witness.

Shinki

After meeting Shinki and learning he’s Gaara’s adopted son, it’s clear the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. It’s no surprise that Gaara would take in a kid, who much like his young self, was unable to control his power and emotions. But, it’s the fact that Gaara was able to extend the love and comfort that was given to him to another that makes Shinki’s story so moving.

Shinki is strong and prideful. So much so that he has a tendency to come across as emotionless or brash to others. Much like Gaara, though, this hard shell of his is broken down over time by Boruto, who shows him the true meaning of friendship. While Shinki has only been in certain arcs of the manga and anime, his puppeteer and iron sand powers and the parallels he shares with his father and his uncle, Kankurō, give him him a lot of potential.

These are my favorite characters currently from Boruto’s manga and anime, but as the story continues, more are sure to be revealed along the way!

Where to watch Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Crunchyroll, Hulu