The continuation of the Naruto franchise in the form of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations was a bold move on Masashi Kishimoto’s part, and while many fans eagerly awaited the sequel of their favorite shonen anime, some remained skeptical – and rightfully so. The addition of god-like powers in the final arc of Shippuden left the series in a state of imbalance, as the immense power creep from simple shinobi to an absurdly powerful alien race left little room for further growth.
With an already overarching challenge of negating the prequel’s power creep, Boruto set off on an ambitious start, with many hopeful that it may even reverse the damage done to the franchise in the form of Kaguya Otsutsuki. However, much to everyone's dismay, Boruto dug itself an even bigger hole as it introduced characters that made even the Kage look like side characters. Although it initially seemed like a problem that could be dealt with, the latest arcs in the series simply kept on pushing the limits, making many characters and their abilities completely obsolete.
Introduction of Scientific Ninja Tools
Ninja tools were a staple in the original Naruto series, yet these weapons underwent immense changes in Boruto, becoming almost unrecognizable and unparalleled in terms of strength. The addition of such a concept into the series seems reasonable, as these tools were initially meant to negate the prequel’s unhinged power creep in the form of tailed beasts and all-powerful jutsu. Scientific tools gave weaker characters a way to redeem themselves and still keep their place within the anime.
However, the concept backfired tremendously, as scientific tools gave free access to an unfathomable amount of power to any character, creating an imbalance in the power scaling system. Kara, one of the series’ main antagonist factions, is a prime example of this dysfunctional concept. While the members of this group were already quite strong, their strength was aggravated exponentially with the help of scientific ninja tools. Chakra absorption, infinite regeneration, and laser beam eyes are just a few examples of the absurd power that these tools hold.
With the addition of such technology into the mix, Boruto now seems like a semi-mecha anime, as these tools make chakra-based abilities rather meaningless. Those that can’t even knead a shred of chakra can now wield abilities such as the Rasengan through Shinobi Kote, tiny scrolls that have jutsu sealed within them. This concept has entirely negated the development of powerful jutsu, as these tools make them simply pointless.
Antagonists Stronger Than Kaguya Otsutsuki
The Shippuden series clearly portrayed Kaguya Otsutsuki as the end-game villain, depicting her as a being equivalent to a god. After setting such a precedent, it seemed quite impossible for any character to rival Kaguya’s divine-like powers, yet somehow the series managed to introduce a bigger threat than Kaguya and her army of White Zetsu. The addition of Momoshiki and Kinshiki Otsutsuki entirely shifted the narrative, making Kaguya seem like a mere sideline character.
Momoshiki and Kinshiki’s power is said to be eons above Kaguya’s, putting them even higher than god-tier characters. What makes this scenario even more absurd is that these two end-game beings are easily defeated by four Kage, all of which previously struggled while dealing with the likes of Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki in the Shippuden series. Gaara and Darui deal with Momoshiki with ease, stopping his attacks and nearly defeating him, while Chojuro and Kurotsuchi restrain Kinshiki with just a bit of effort. It is pertinent to mention that Chojuro and Kurotsuchi were previously depicted as two of the weakest Kage in the franchise so far, yet this fight completely turned that narrative around.
When Does The Power Scaling End?
At the rate Boruto is currently going, it is safe to assume that opponents even stronger than the Otsutsuki are bound to appear, which again raises questions for the series’ absurd power scaling that has left almost every supporting character absolutely useless. While power creeping is a natural phenomenon in shonen series, the Boruto series fails to properly utilize this concept as the sudden power ups seem entirely forced.
The shinobi war arc in Shippuden also saw some of the franchise’s most absurd power creeps, yet it still made somewhat sense considering the characters’ journey’s and their inherently powerful bloodlines. However, Boruto’s power scaling barely adds up as the characters have no such background, yet they suddenly gain their newfound powers without having to do any of the heavy lifting. At its current pace, the series is bound to hit a dead-end in terms of power scaling, leaving more than half the cast as entirely obsolete, while the rest as god-tier shinobi with no end to their limitless power.