A reinterpreted quote from the author of a beloved manga Naruto – Masashi Kishimoto – revealed his opinion on whether the symbol has Sasuke be a hero or a villain. Sasuke Sasuke was originally a key member of Konoha’s Team 7 Heroes, along with Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi, but became corrupted by pain and an obsession with revenge, spurned by the outside influence of the villain Orochimaru first and then Obito. .
A fan account for Masashi Kishimoto (@kishimotomasshi) recently shared a quote from Kishimoto that appeared in 2014’s Weekly Shonen Jump #108, in which the creator of Sasuke labels the anti-hero as “neither good nor not bad, he’s just pure.”
Kishimoto has always considered Sasuke to be Naruto’s clear rival, once calling them the yin and yang to each other, but his quote about Sasuke’s purity confirms that he does not necessarily consider Sasuke a villain in his own right. Naruto’s heroic ways, an important difference in the context of Sasuke’s behavior and motivations. Kishimoto calling Sasuke “pure” could be interpreted to mean that Sasuke is a true force of nature, a distillation of pure human instinct, driving him to do whatever he thinks is right.
Sasuke’s morality has always been a source of debate among fans
Sasuke’s actions in Naruto have always polarized fans, with some seeing him as an unrepentant villain and an unrepentant brat, while others see him as a an inspirational anti-hero who dedicates himself to his family’s legacy and ultimately realizes the error of his ways. The morals that Sasuke displays throughout Naruto are in flux, changing as the faded boy of the Sasuke clan learns more and more about the tragic history of the Sasuke Clan and his brother Itachi. Kishimoto’s 2014 quote demonstrates that Sasuke is essentially a “very self-centered” person, concerned with his own goals and plans and rarely even bothering to reflect on them. your impact on those around you.
While Sasuke was always considered a “bad boy” by his peers at the beginning of Naruto, he was also considered extremely noble and loyal, especially after saving Naruto during Team 7’s battle against Zabuza. However, Sasuke’s goal has always been to avenge the massacre of his clan and he has decided to abandon all of his previous relationships to grow stronger than ever. Unconcerned about how this hurts those close to him, Sasuke selfishly has a vision of his future, going so far as to almost kill Sakura and allowing himself to become a dangerous rogue ninja so he can avenge his family.
Sasuke’s heroism is in the eye of the beholder
As Kishimoto says, the question of whether Sasuke is “good or bad” is extremely complex, depending on the viewer’s beliefs about morality and what “good” is. While some may consider his egoistic and selfish obsession with revenge to be inherently “bad,” others may say that his loyalty and perseverance are truly making him an inspiring anti-hero. For many years, Sasuke could only focus on revenge, experiencing pure distilled emotions that drove him to do whatever he thought necessary to achieve his goals, this eventually changed after His emotional reunion with Itachi revived during the Fourth Shinobi World War.
While Sasuke is one of the most beloved characters in Kishimoto’s stories Naruto franchise, the polarizing character has led to great debate over his hero or villain status, with Kishimoto clarifying that, for him, Sasuke is neither; he was simply a young man who did what he thought he had to do regardless of the consequences.
Source: Weekly Shonen Jump (via @kishimotomasshi)
