The Boruto series is the sequel to Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto and just like its predecessor, it has enjoyed decent success over the years. Boruto follows the story of Boruto Uzumaki, Naruto's son, and is set years after the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War, where the world is finally at peace. As is the case with most popular stories, Boruto has a strong cast of characters around him, all of which are likable to quite an extent.
Perhaps, the most intriguing character in Boruto is none other than Kawaki. Introduced first in the prologue of the series as a villain, Kawaki has gone on to become a fan favorite over the years and has established himself as one of the best characters in the entire series. Since his proper introduction in the Kawaki arc, he's come a long way and the path that he'll take in the future remains to be interesting as ever.
Kawaki's Journey So Far
Kawaki's backstory is what makes him one of the most intriguing characters in the entire Boruto series. Raised by an abusive father, he was subject to very harsh treatment before being sold to Jigen, the leader of the Kara eventually. Under Jigen, things went from bad to worse for him as the power of the Karma was forced upon him without his consent, threatening his life, subjecting him to immense pain, and scarring him mentally in the process. Kawaki spent the majority of his childhood in fear and pain. In fact, he attempted several breakouts as well, only to fail every single time. Thanks to Kashin Koji and Amado's plan, however, Kawaki was able to escape from the grasp of the Kara and was taken in by Konohagakure.
Under Naruto Uzumaki, Kawaki, for the very first time, experienced love and warmth. Although cold towards Naruto at first, Kawaki eventually ended up accepting him as his savior and even became his son – a sign showing the amount of love the two had for each other. Thanks to Naruto's help, Kawaki was even able to get rid of the Karma that cursed him as Jigen eventually died as well.
With Naruto losing Kurama's powers, Kawaki took it upon himself to protect him, and, when faced with the massive threat of Code and the remaining Kara members, Kawaki ended up reconstructing his Karma to attain pure power. With his newfound abilities, not only did he manage to defeat Code in combat but also toyed with Boruto Uzumaki, who was taken over by Momoshiki Otsutsuki, and eventually killed him.
What The Future Holds For Kawaki
With the latest developments surrounding Kawaki's character, things seem to have become more interesting than ever before. Kawaki has officially regained the power of the Karma, meaning he is one of, if not the most powerful characters in the entire story right now. With Isshiki's powers, such as Daikokuten and Sukunahikona up his sleeve, Kawaki is nigh-unbeatable in combat. His goal is rather simple; protect Naruto Uzumaki at all costs. This was evident when he even restored to killing even Boruto Uzumaki for Naruto's sake as he was a threat to Naruto when taken over by Momoshiki Otsutsuki.
For now, Kawaki's sole target is likely going to be none other than Code, who appears to be the biggest threat to Naruto Uzumaki. His future decisions will likely be taken in the wake of Code's attack on Konoha and for him, the utmost priority would be to destroy him and save the Seventh Hokage.
From here onwards, Kawaki will dedicate himself to saving Naruto's life in ways that even Naruto won't like. While the two still share the same father-son relationship at the moment, whether it'll get fractured in the future or not remains to be seen. The prologue has already hinted to the fans that Kawaki will eventually go against the shinobi way and try to do things his way. In doing so, he makes an enemy out of Boruto Uzumaki, the protagonist of the story, and the two can be seen fighting atop the destroyed Hokage faces in the wake of an utterly devastated village.
It also seems that Kawaki will, once again, use his powers to save Naruto Uzumaki against his wishes, as seen in the prologue. With Boruto Uzumaki opposing him, Kawaki fights what could be described as a fated battle against his own brother. While it does feel like he has an antagonistic path ahead of himself, Kawaki's motivations for doing what he does are certainly good.
In the end, he will certainly open his eyes to the fact that his family loves him for who he really is and that he doesn't have to become a monster for their sake. The path that Kawaki takes to get there might be full of ups and downs, however, eventually, Kawaki will certainly accept Naruto Uzumaki's Will for Fire and embrace his family to the fullest.