Neji was one of the strongest in the Chunin Exam arc.
He only lost to Naruto because he underestimated him.
While it did impact Neji’s character development, it was still a little unbelievable.
The Chunin Exam arc is one of the most iconic arcs in Naruto. It introduces many new characters, plot threads and concepts — and was instrumental in making the story more large-scale.
However, the arc suffered from some significant problems. Some think it was needlessly bloody — more specifically, the scenes with Gaara were. One of the most important fights in the exams is Naruto against Neji — where Naruto defeats Neji against all odds. Only if you look at it, it’s totally unbelievable.
One of the Strongest Chunin Candidates
Neji was supposed to be a prodigy of his own year — on par with Sasuke, but with more experience. As such, he was one of the characters who had the most chances to win in the final part of the exams.
His abilities are excellent for one-on-one duels — the arena is limited in space, he can see all of it, and he’s fast enough to catch up with anyone. His close-combat techniques include an incredibly hard to counter combat style that shuts down the enemy’s chakra points, and he also boasts very strong defensive techniques.
With all of this, you’d think Neji would easily blitz through the exam — maybe only losing to Gaara and Sasuke. However, he lost to Naruto, which was a shock to everyone, including some viewers. Only if he had kept his calm, he wouldn’t have lost.
His Sudden Underestimation of Naruto Is Out of Character
In the exam, Naruto was essentially an underdog. His fighting style was aggressive, but impractical — and he had to rely on Nine Tails’ chakra to beat Neji. Fans joke that it was one of the first instances of plot armor in the series. Neji essentially only lost because he fought the main character.
Yes, Neji underestimated Naruto and let his guard down. However, even with that, his loss was a little unbelievable — he never went easy on Hinata, despite knowing she was much weaker than him. Arrogance was one of his character traits at the time, but it never actually stopped him from beating his opponents before.
The Impact on the Plot Is Neji Recognizing He Was Wrong
Some fans think that Neji lost because the plot needed him to lose — with Naruto having to fight either Gaara or Sasuke later. The exam never proceeded to that part, though. The only relevant part of Neji losing was him recognizing the errors in his ways, but that still doesn’t make his loss very believable.
He was one of the strongest participants.
Spoilers ahead!
Summary:
Neji was one of the strongest in the Chunin Exam arc.
He only lost to Naruto because he underestimated him.
While it did impact Neji’s character development, it was still a little unbelievable.
The Chunin Exam arc is one of the most iconic arcs in Naruto. It introduces many new characters, plot threads and concepts — and was instrumental in making the story more large-scale.
However, the arc suffered from some significant problems. Some think it was needlessly bloody — more specifically, the scenes with Gaara were. One of the most important fights in the exams is Naruto against Neji — where Naruto defeats Neji against all odds. Only if you look at it, it’s totally unbelievable.
One of the Strongest Chunin Candidates
Neji was supposed to be a prodigy of his own year — on par with Sasuke, but with more experience. As such, he was one of the characters who had the most chances to win in the final part of the exams.
His abilities are excellent for one-on-one duels — the arena is limited in space, he can see all of it, and he’s fast enough to catch up with anyone. His close-combat techniques include an incredibly hard to counter combat style that shuts down the enemy’s chakra points, and he also boasts very strong defensive techniques.
With all of this, you’d think Neji would easily blitz through the exam — maybe only losing to Gaara and Sasuke. However, he lost to Naruto, which was a shock to everyone, including some viewers. Only if he had kept his calm, he wouldn’t have lost.
His Sudden Underestimation of Naruto Is Out of Character
In the exam, Naruto was essentially an underdog. His fighting style was aggressive, but impractical — and he had to rely on Nine Tails’ chakra to beat Neji. Fans joke that it was one of the first instances of plot armor in the series. Neji essentially only lost because he fought the main character.
Yes, Neji underestimated Naruto and let his guard down. However, even with that, his loss was a little unbelievable — he never went easy on Hinata, despite knowing she was much weaker than him. Arrogance was one of his character traits at the time, but it never actually stopped him from beating his opponents before.
The Impact on the Plot Is Neji Recognizing He Was Wrong
Some fans think that Neji lost because the plot needed him to lose — with Naruto having to fight either Gaara or Sasuke later. The exam never proceeded to that part, though. The only relevant part of Neji losing was him recognizing the errors in his ways, but that still doesn’t make his loss very believable.
Which fight in the Chunin Exam Finals was your favorite?
