Highlights
- The Uchiha Massacre in Naruto underwent a retcon, revealing that Itachi had an accomplice, Obito, who played a significant role in the killings.
- This retcon diminishes Itachi's previously portrayed strength and character, making him seem weaker and his backstory less profound.
- The retcon was necessary to allow Sasuke to learn the truth about the massacre, but it negatively affected Itachi's characterization.
Akin to many other long-running shonen anime, the Naruto series is plagued by incongruous elements and retcons. Some are set in place to fix inconsistencies within the storyline while others are subtly added to make the plot a bit more coherent. The Uchiha Massacre suffered a similar fate in Shippuden as this grave event was populated with several details later on, changing the tonality and narrative entirely.
The Uchiha Clan massacre is undoubtedly the single most important event in the entire series, and any changes to its narrative can have overarching effects for the anime. After the revelation of a few missing details during Itachi and Sasuke's fight, fans were acquainted with the true picture, one that feels forced and botched, however. The details are also incongruent with the previously set premise, making it seem like a last-minute retcon.
The Uchiha Massacre’s Initial Narrative
The Uchiha Clan Massacre is one of Naruto’s most notable events, setting a grave tone for the series since the very beginning. At the center of this event was Itachi Uchiha, a rogue ninja who betrayed his clan and slaughtered every single member of his own bloodline, sparing only his little brother. The description of the event portrayed Itachi as a shinobi that only a few could rival, and every mention of him would be accompanied by a list of unparalleled feats.
While the event shaped Sasuke’s entire characterization, it also had considerable weight for Itachi’s character, depicting him as a god-like shinobi with goals beyond anyone’s comprehension. In Shippuden, however, the missing pieces of the entire ordeal were revealed, acquainting fans with Itachi’s true loyalties and the Leaf Village’s questionable decisions. The revelation further added a layer of complexity to Itachi’s character, turning him into one of the series’ most popular characters.
The series kept this narrative intact for the most part, since much of Itachi and Sasuke’s characterizations were tied to its aftermath. For Sasuke, the massacre defined his life’s purpose of defeating his brother to exact revenge, instigating a desire for power and strength. Itachi, on the other hand, was forced to carry the burden of slaughtering his entire clan in cold blood for the sake of the village, or at least that’s what fans were initially led to believe.
A New Perpetrator in the Narrative
The initial description of Itachi’s atrocities during that unfortunate night was kept intact till Sasuke and Itachi’s fateful battle, as several pressing details were revealed during that cataclysmic fight. One of the most significant revelations was the presence of another Uchiha, one who Itachi deemed his accomplice. This indicated that Itachi was not alone during the night of the massacre, meaning his feat of mercilessly slaughtering his own clan single-handedly was a false narrative.
This was later confirmed during a flashback later on, depicting Obito, who claimed to be Madara at that time, assisting Itachi in taking care of the Uchiha Clan. Instead of Itachi defeating every single Uchiha Clan member, it was actually Obito who killed most of the skilled Uchihas. Itachi simply killed those less skilled, such as the elderly or children, along with his own family.
The events presented in the flashback cemented the fact that Obito was the one who defeated the entire Konoha Military Police Force, a police unit comprising some of the strongest shinobi in the entire clan. Obito had no stake in the matter, yet he agreed due to itachi’s persuasion and his own dislike for the Uchiha Clan. While this new piece of information may not have an effect on the massacre itself, it diminishes Itachi’s role in the entire ordeal, undermining not just his character but also his combat prowess.
The Reason Behind the Retcon
With this revelation, the entire buildup to Itachi’s unrivaled strength was thoroughly undermined, since this depiction made him seem like a weak character that required the help of an assailant. This revelation also makes his backstory less profound, since it was initially implied that Itachi was forced to slaughter his entire clan and bear the burden all on his own. With Obito doing most of the dirty work, Itachi’s role in the entire ordeal seems rather minimal and inconsequential.
The retcon, however, was necessary since there was no other way for Sasuke to find out the truth about the massacre. Since Itachi’s position in keeping the massacre’s reality a secret had already been cemented, the author was forced to come up with a different way for Sasuke to learn the truth. With Obito as an assailant to the entire massacre, Sasuke was bound to come across the truth sooner or later, making the former’s presence a necessity. While the retcon ended up making the story a bit more coherent, Itachi’s characterization bore the brunt of this last-minute cover-up.
Naruto is available to stream on Crunchyroll.