Does hard work really beat talent if Naruto ended up being one of the most talented ninja in the end?
Spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- The main message of Naruto, according to fans, was supposed to be “hard work always beats talent.”
- Hard work was important throughout the series, but ended up mattering less and less the further the anime went.
- Naruto’s powers ended up coming mainly from his heritage, and the message didn’t come across as sincere.
When fans are asked about what Naruto ended up being about, the answer is usually the same. It is, apparently, about how much hard work prevails over talent.
While it is true that originally, the series might have had that message, it seems that by the end of Shippuden it ended up being practically irrelevant. What happened, and why does this point not hold up anymore?
Hard work was always important in the anime
The topic of hard work and its importance is a recurring one for the anime. Initially, Naruto is an underdog: most people don’t believe in him and consider him a nuisance at best and a monster at worst. He has to work hard to prove himself to the village.
The part where the message was the most prominent was the Chunin Exam arc. Rock Lee, who can only use taijutsu, almost managed to beat Gaara, whose defense was considered absolute. He achieved that result through rigorous training, and this inspired many viewers.
Even beyond that, Naruto and other characters often had to train for future encounters. For example, to fight Pain, Naruto had to go through a very strict training regimen on Mount Myoboku. It would seem that the anime would keep up with that message, but sadly, it started straying away from its path.
Apparently, Naruto had better aptitude because of his heritage
Naruto himself was supposed to stay an underdog and an icon of hard work. However, it ended up that he was nothing of sorts: he was a son of the Fourth Hokage as well as a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, which was, apparently, known for just having large chakra reserves naturally. He also befriended the Nine-Tailed Fox (granted, that is still his own achievement).
The most ridiculous part about Naruto and Sasuke is them being reincarnations of Ashura and Indra, respectively. Them being given practically god powers in the end basically means that any training and hard work were for nothing, as they were predestined for greatness.
This also goes against the side theme of the series about defying your own fate — something we also see as early as in the Chunin Exam with Neji.
The series doesn’t make its message clear
Arguably, the series contradicted itself even during its early arcs. After all, Rock Lee never won against Gaara and had to be saved by Tsunade. Adding insult to injury, Sasuke managed to replicate his moves because of the power of the Sharingan.
While self-contradiction and straying from its own message doesn’t make the series outright bad, it’s still disappointing that it ended up that way.