He was forgiven too easily.
Spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- Obito is a complex character, but his redemption arc was not very good.
- For someone who’s responsible for so many deaths in the series, he was forgiven way too quickly.
- That’s in Naruto’s character, but it’s still disappointing.
Obito Uchiha is one of the most complex characters in Naruto. He is also arguably one of the most tragic — he suffered through near-death in his life and had to see someone who he considered a friend kill a girl he loved.
This completely broke him, and over the years, he manipulated others, trying to execute Infinite Tsukuyomi — a genjutsu that would have covered the entire world, putting everyone into a perfect world of their own dreams.
Obito himself was manipulated by Madara who was, in turn, manipulated by Black Zetsu — Kaguya’s will — but that has practically nothing to do with Obito himself already.
The point is, by the end of the series, Naruto somewhat respected Obito and considered him a “cool guy,” indicating some kind of redemption arc closure for him. The issue with that is Obito’s redemption arc itself made no sense.
Obito’s Own Evil Acts
If you think about it, Obito was responsible for most deaths in the series. That includes Naruto’s parents, that includes Jiraiya — Pain operated under Obito’s guidance, and that includes pretty much everyone else killed by the Akatsuki.
Everyone killed in the Fourth Great Ninja War is his fault, too — he’s hardly a “cool guy.”
It’s somewhat understandable why Naruto respected him. In the end, Obito changed his mind, even though it was too late. He also shared Naruto’s aspiration to become a Hokage, and his backstory made it easy to sympathize with him.
That said, a villain being “redeemed” doesn’t mean they have to be forgiven — but that is what actually happened in the series.
In the End, Obito Was an Ally
By the end of the series, it felt like Naruto considered Obito his long-time ally. To be fair, he did sacrifice himself for Naruto’s sake in the battle against Kaguya.
Still, Obito’s past deeds seem to have been glossed over, and he got reunited with Rin in the afterlife — seemingly showing that he deserved happiness all along. While that’s debatable, one thing can hardly be argued: Naruto treated Obito too lightly.
Did Naruto forget about his parents’ deaths? Did he forgive Obito for these? What about all the others, like Jiraiya, Asuma and Neji?
Yes, arguably, Obito was manipulated — but it’s not like his manipulator was even alive, and he could have acted differently with little to no repercussions. Naruto’s own terrible childhood is Obito’s fault, in a sense, and it would seem that this is something that can’t be forgiven.
This Is in Naruto’s Character
That said, Naruto forgave many enemies — not just Obito. That’s part of his character, after all: he tries to understand others’ motives and sympathize with them.
Obito’s redemption arc is entirely within the themes of the series, although fans can’t help but feel that he was forgiven too quickly.