We often come across people saying Masashi Kishimoto is a bad writer. It might not be the case entirely. This is true for the series being flawed on most occasions, but it is what it is. The manga is a mixed bag of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
However, there are times when the mangaka tricks both viewers and readers. He did so by maneuvering the plot and characters, thinking we wouldn’t notice. And we didn’t, especially when it came to one of the pivotal characters in the series, Sasuke.
In Shippuden, Kishimoto effortlessly hid the character’s biggest weakness through plot armor. It is undoubtedly thicker than Batman’s cape, but here’s the thing. This move is a total hit or miss. The author, on the other hand, seems to have an undying love for it.
Sasuke’s biggest weakness in Naruto
Sasuke Uchiha is one of the coolest and edgiest characters in Naruto. He is also a clan prodigy, along with his brother Itachi Uchiha. The mastery of the Chidori and Summoning Jutsu is one of his greatest feats. This also applies to his fluency in clan techniques and kekkei-genkai.
The sharingan is one such example; he awakened it at the age of 7. He also went on to gain visual prowess with his expansion of the Mangekyo Sharingan. It was at this moment that he surpassed his abilities and caliber, albeit the underlying pitfalls.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This is something we were taught at an early age, but this also applies to jutsu. To be specific, the context here lies in the overuse of any formidable god-tier ability. No matter how strong a Dojutsu is, it is volatile in its manner.
In particular, his Mangekyo Sharingan has its fair share of setbacks. The chakra usage is one such example. The jutsu require high amounts of chakra and secondly, it can render the wielder blind in the long run. All things aside, Redditors are more hot and bothered by a different issue altogether.
This pertains to Sasuke’s weakness in the series. To put it simply, he doesn’t use Genjutsu during the Kage Summit. It is pointed out by most fans on r/naruto, and the reason for that is plot armor. He is a weak genjutsu user compared to his brother, Itachi.
Besides, the genjutsu usage is a hackneyed trope within the series. It is also important to stay consistent with the plotline. We’re aware of the irregularities in the power system and the nerfing. This is exactly why Kishimoto has an excessive yet undying love for the plot armor but why is it so?
Masashi Kishimoto’s undying love for plot armor
Have you ever wondered how your favorite chaaracter survived a major fall? Or how did they escape alive out of a situation that makes absolutely no sense? Well, it’s all about the plot armor with this one, and Masashi Kishimoto is no different.
Kakashi surviving Pain’s Assault to Might Guy ending up a cripple have similarities. Both are examples of character shields used in the series. Ideally, they should have died in both arcs, but the mangaka kept them alive. Yes, for the plot, and we sometimes wish he didn’t. But is that bad?
In some cases, it lowers the stakes and reduces deaths to shock value. As mentioned above, it is a hit-or-miss strategy that may or may not work. In Sasuke’s case, it did work, but for others, it wasn’t a good idea after all.
Naruto: Shippuden is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Shueisha’s Manga Plus app.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
