One of the most enticing aspects of Boruto has been how Naruto's son is attempting to carry on his father's legacy. Make no mistake, Naruto has been one of anime and manga's most revered characters for many years. It makes sense, given how inspirational and altruistic he has been in his time in Konoha.
Naruto navigated treacherous waters in order to stop the Fourth Shinobi World War and bring peace and order to many villages outside the Hidden Leaf. In the process, he achieved his ambitions and became Hokage. However, as Boruto lives up to the Uzumaki name, it's quite clear he is a better main character for a few reasons.
Boruto Had A Weaker Shinobi Foundation
Naruto Had Kakashi and Iruka as His Senseis
When Naruto grew up in Konoha, he had Kakashi as a teacher. In time, Naruto would be trained by Iruka Sensei, although not as much as with Kakashi's Team 7. But he also had Sarutobi Hiruzen as a grandfather figure to lean on. Last but not least, Naruto used Jiraiya to help him unlock his Sage Mode in the Naruto Shippuden era. With Jiraiya and Kakashi alone, Naruto had all the ideal tools needed to sharpen him up to become a better weapon against the likes of Obito, Madara and Kaguya.
In Boruto's case, he had Konohamaru and Mirai to lend support in the new Team 7. But the only person who really refined his Uzumaki power was Sasuke. The thing is, Sasuke wasn't even there all the time, as he was a roving Uchiha Ranger. This meant that Boruto's training regime was more unstable. Thankfully, Naruto would assist later on, but in his formative years, the foundation that Boruto was supposed to use for his shinobi career felt wobbly.
This is why he would cheat during the Chunin Exam, relying on scientific ninja tools to bolster him. This created a bigger obstacle in his early training, compared to Naruto. This aspect of Boruto's upbringing is always overlooked due to many assuming he had it easier. Sure, there was more peace around, with Konoha having more infrastructure and set systems. But that doesn't automatically mean Boruto wouldn't have a hard time growing and evolving as a warrior.
Of course, a young Naruto had his hurdles, as he was an outsider. This affected his shinobi foundation, too. But the presence of many teachers from the start gave him confidence to stick with his dream. They quickly erased the doubts and skepticism he had. Boruto didn't have that luxury. While he wasn't physically alone like Naruto, he was emotionally alone, leading to him lashing out. This created a bigger, more relatable air of inspiration around Boruto. This is the sort of main character fans could connect to more, knowing he had to dig deep without the supervision he needed.
Boruto Works Harder With Less Power
Naruto Had Unlimited Verbal Power & Was Unbeatable
In the anime and manga realm, fans always have problems with a lead character being overpowered. It happened now and then with Naruto. Naruto did have Kurama, the Nine Tails Demon Fox, in him. The fox was used as a deus ex machina on many occasions. No matter what, you knew Naruto wouldn't be defeated. Naruto simply had unlimited verbal power. This also came via the Talk No Jutsu.
He could convince villains to redeem themselves with speeches, which did get stale at times. Seeing it working on Haku, Obito, and Nagato, among the many, came off like a rinse and repeat. Conversely, Boruto isn't as overpowered. He doesn't have Kurama, so he has to work harder in battle. He used the Talk No Jutsu every now and again. But he fails more.
It makes him flawed, human and vulnerable compared to Naruto who, for all intents and purposes, became a god among men. By reducing Boruto's chakra levels and these 'magical' abilities to win fights, the franchise created a hero fans can root for in situations that feel a lot more unpredictable. It became obvious when Kawaki killed Boruto, so he couldn't become an Ĺtsutsuki vessel.
Even in the present-day fights against Code, the Claw Grime and the Sentient God Trees in the Two Blue Vortex era, Boruto is on a level playing field. That is the kind of protagonist people can get more invested in. This helps to keep things exciting, rather than carbon copying what his father went through. Such a direction makes the villains more intriguing, too. As a result, Boruto has to work assiduously to be successful — a path that went well in other anime and manga like Chainsaw Man.
Boruto Is More Of a Victim
Naruto Had Plot Armor Because of Kurama
Thanks to Kurama, Naruto had tons of plot armor. Even in defeat, he won. To that point, he was never really a victim. Kurama helped him out a lot, especially because it was in the interest of self-preservation. There were additional times Naruto lost his identity to Kurama's rage, but folks like Yamato and other Konoha-nin were around to rein him back.
The Boruto and Two Blue Vortex eras are clever enough to reshape this approach, so things didn't get boring. Boruto didn't have a Bijuu. Instead, he had to fight off Momoshiki's alien presence in his body. Boruto had less agency, not to mention, he had no cure. He relied on sheer luck, Momoshiki burning out, or the alien deciding to rescind control. It made Boruto a lot more tragic. When a lead character can elicit sympathy, compassion and empathy like that, they will always resonate more.
Seeing Boruto held hostage like this, from a more antagonistic Momoshiki, was very heartbreaking. The alien wanted to use the boy in a way Kurama never did with Naruto. Therefore, Boruto literally had to fight with his demons a lot more than Naruto did. To top it off, no one wanted to kill Naruto in Konoha just to keep the village safe. Kawaki, though, constantly tries to murder Boruto.
Even after Momoshiki's spirit burns out, Kawaki wants him dead, so there won't ever be that potential to be a host. It speaks to the belief people had in Naruto, versus the cynicism, contempt and fright Konoha embodied under Kawaki's rule. That wasn't just physical anguish for Boruto -- it was mental torment and a betrayal not even Naruto endured.
Boruto Had His Entire World Shattered
Naruto Experienced Stability In Spite of All The Chaos
Amid all the chaos, Naruto had a stable home. His friends, colleagues and even rivals in other villages rallied around him. Together, they formed a movement to help fend off Kaguya, as well as other villains like Momoshiki, Kinshiki and even, Toneri on the moon. Things might have gotten tough, but Naruto could always rely on that place called home.
Boruto had this viciously ripped away from him when Eida rewrote reality. That spell brainwashed Konoha to hunt Boruto, as everyone thought he was the villain who murdered Naruto and Hinata. All the people Boruto knew wanted him dead, which wreaked havoc on his mind. This fashioned a much more dangerous test. They knew Boruto inside out, giving him scary opposition to flee from on the outskirts. On top of that, Boruto had no choice but to temper his fightback. He couldn't afford to hurt or kill anyone, so he left himself open in the field.
That is a terrifying handicap, indeed. Naruto has never been debilitated like that, not by a support system he considered his own. Boruto got thrown through the mental wringer and emotional rollercoaster each time he had to face the likes of Mitsuki. Naruto didn't have to contend with such turmoil, tension and suspense on the inside. But his son does, which forces him to mature a lot faster.
Clearly, Naruto's evolution was organic, while Boruto's hand is forced. That places a burden and responsibility on Boruto that really outshines the sandbox Naruto played in. The optics, mind games and everything Kawaki is doing is so cerebral, weaponizing the very idea of home. It has made Boruto more resilient, stout, resolute and determined than ever.
Boruto Got Separated From True Love
Naruto Knew Who His Soul Mate Was & Was Surrounded by Love
A big part of Naruto's journey, even after the Shippuden era, was using love as an engine. He transitioned from having a crush on Sakura to believing Hinata was his soulmate. This made him a better warrior and person, as he had something extra and nuanced to fight for. Once he was in the presence of love, he couldn't be beaten.
Boruto doesn't have that romance around him. He was turned into a fugitive and fled, keeping him distanced from Sarada, as well as other potential soulmates such as Mitsuki or Sumire. Without these warm, caring presences around, Boruto is now steeped in the darker, harsher aspects of shinobi life. Instead, all Boruto is focused on is duty. He is obsessed with reviving Sasuke, too.
That's not to say that Naruto didn't have goals and obsessions. But the concept of romance tempered him a lot. It provided balance and an extra spark. Without the same, Boruto becomes a bigger underdog on the lam. The ironic thing is, with all these blocks in front of him, Two Blue Vortex has confirmed Boruto hasn't changed. He won't let all these circumstances mess with him.
Boruto is undaunted by adversity, and eager to bring the old world back. Not even his new colleague in Kashin Koji can dim that light. It really speaks to the perseverance within. He may not have the inner-circle Naruto had, but he is working with what he has. Ultimately, this narrative has Boruto steeling up mentally and physically in ways his father never could have imagined. And for wars not even Naruto would have been emotionally capable of handling. Not on his own.
