...

Unravelling Boruto & Sasuke’s Parallels In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations!

Kodachi and Kishimoto have carefully crafted symbolism and parallels between Boruto & Sasuke, both apparent and obscure ones! Read on to know what they are.

There are various parallels between Boruto and Naruto. Boruto has the same “act first think later” approach as his father; he also says “Dattebasa!”; an updated version of “Dattebayo”. However, he isn’t just a shadow clone of Naruto! In reality, he is quite similar to his master, Sasuke!

Boruto has far too many things in common with his master, they CANNOT be ignored! Kodachi and Kishimoto have carefully crafted symbolism and parallels; both apparent and obscure ones! In fact, these are enough to convince me that Boruto will grow up to resemble Sasuke heavily!

In this article, I’ll share some of the most remarkable parallels between Boruto and Sasuke that convinced me! So without any further ado, let’s get right into it!

Parallels between Boruto and Sasuke:

The master-student pair formed a strong bond impulsively. Sasuke saw a lot of traits similar to Naruto and himself in the Hokage’s son. For this analysis, let’s start off with the biggest and strongest of parallels, their fates.

1) Fate:

Sasuke and Boruto’s fates are parallel to each other. Sasuke lost everything at a young age after witnessing the massacre of the Uchiha clan; at the hands of his brother and idol, Itachi. Similarly, Boruto is fated to lose everything. Let’s take our time and cruise through Sasuke’s traumas to speculate the extent of damage Boruto’s fate can cause.

Witnessing the annihilation of his people left nothing but the thought of avenging his clan on Sasuke’s mind. After Sasuke finally managed to kill Itachi; we all assumed that Sasuke’s hatred filled revenge story would finally come to an end. However, we were so, so far from the truth. Following the fated battle between the brothers, Tobi (Obito) revealed that Itachi was forced to kill the Uchiha clan.

The three elders of Konoha gave Itachi an S-Rank mission, to end the Uchiha clan. Itachi managed to kill all of his clan for the sake of Konoha; except Sasuke. Itachi loved Konoha more than his life and dignity, and to him; Sasuke was of more significance than all of Konoha.

Tobi tells Sasuke the truth about Itachi


Sasuke’s pain after hearing the reality was inconceivable. It was impossible for him to just accept things the way they are; the people of Konoha who forced Itachi to slaughter his clan; including his parents are living without a single care and dare to call Itachi a disgrace. Spiralling, Sasuke became determined to go against his brother’s will; he swore to slaughter not just the elders but all of Konoha. 

This becomes a crucial parallel because Boruto’s fate is to have everything and everybody close to him destroyed. Momoshiki declared that Boruto’s fate would change drastically; and not positively for he had become a god killer.

Momoshiki reads Boruto's fate

This fate is similar to that of Sasuke’s as I said above since one lost everything; while the other is fated to. While Sasuke was engulfed in feelings of rage, sorrow, pain, revenge and became an avenger; it will be interesting to see how Boruto’s fate is delivered and how he deals with it.

Boruto could very well do the same. If you remember the first chapter/episode of the series well; then you must remember that flash-forward scene where Boruto and Kawaki were fighting each other in a destroyed Konoha. There, Boruto was using Sasuke’s headband, and his sword as well. Even his perspective and eyes seemed to have matured a lot. From the looks of it, it seems like Boruto really did lose everyone close to him.

It makes you wonder if the absence of both Naruto and Sasuke will cause Boruto to lose hope; the same way as Sasuke did after Itachi’s death. There’s a chance that Boruto will do exactly what Sasuke did. However, I believe that Boruto will add something more to Sasuke’s ideology in some way or another.

So, will he choose the same path as his master after Naruto and Sasuke’s death/sealing? Or will Naruto’s will of fire inside of him succeed? More importantly, will his “fate” even be delivered? Is there a chance that Boruto will break through his destiny as his father and Master did? We know Naruto and Sasuke broke the age-old fight between Indra and Asura’s reincarnations; can Boruto break his destiny as a god killer? This scenario alone makes reading the whole series worth it.

2) Opening Symbolisms: 

When I talk about opening symbolisms, I am talking about opening 8 of the Boruto anime series. Titled “Baku”, the band Ikimonogakari delivered yet another classic to the Naruto franchise. With various references to the original bluebird opening, we see Boruto take Sasuke’s spots in the famous Yin-Yang scene.

This was a great way to pay homage to the older generation. It also shows how the shinobis of the Next Generation have already replaced them. However, things have certainly changed. Boruto took Sasuke’s place while Kawaki took Naruto’s; implying that Boruto is similar to Sasuke and his decisions might be as well!

Furthermore, Boruto was shown to be outside Konoha while Kawaki stood near the Hokage statues; further suggesting that Boruto might leave Konoha for a while or even go rogue, as his master did.

Kawaki and Boruto in the Boruto opening 8/ parallels between Boruto and Sasuke

The speculation that Boruto will grow to be like Sasuke has a strong headstart; as his dream is to become the Shadow Hokage. It is also apparent that Boruto’s personality and decision making is similar to Sasuke’s to an extent; as the two can be very emotional and make decisions ignoring everything but their feelings. While that may sound like something that Naruto always does, that isn’t the case. While Naruto thinks through his heart; he has an amazing ability to subconsciously understand the hypocrisies of his decisions and others, for the most part.

To know more about the symbolisms and hints in the opening, click here!

3) Desire for Power: 

Both Boruto and Sasuke desire power due to their strong emotions to protect/destroy.

Boruto took his first, big shortcut when he used the scientific ninja tool during the Chunin exams. He used it even though he was aware of the exam’s rules; all he cared for was his father’s acknowledgement. Now, he has been using Karma’s powers a lot.

While it would be impossible for him to survive without relying on them; the dependence seems to be growing a lot. Moreover, he has started training to grow stronger, as the defenders of the village; his father and his master have lost a major chunk of their powers; namely Kurama and the Rinnegan. Even though he is working to increase his strength positively as of now; there is no telling that he would continue to take the same path as his father.

But, how is it related to Sasuke?

Sasuke craved power to avenge his clan and even gave away his body to Orochimaru to achieve it. Later, he relied heavily on his Sharingan to win battles to the point that his vision was fading away. Boruto has very well started resorting to Karma’s powers heavily to survive. This might connect well with Boruto if you remember Amado’s pills.

The pills could potentially stunt Momoshiki’s growth but came with unknown side effects. The pill could even cause death. Boruto knew that he might die, but he still took the pills to slow down the Otsutsukification process.

Wait, but isn’t that the opposite of what Sasuke did? Well, not really. Sasuke relied on Orochimaru for extra strength and endurance. However, also took measures to make sure that the sly snake doesn’t use his body.

This desire for power that we’re talking about isn’t straightforward; it’s not wanting to create a super cool and strong jutsu to win, it’s more than that. Both, Sasuke and Boruto took major risks to grow stronger and to try to control the monsters inside them. They want to grow strong; to fight for what they believe in, but they don’t want to truly lose themselves in the process; for it is them who believes in their thoughts; it is THEIR ninja way.

Also, knowing that Momoshiki cannot afford his only vessel’s death, Boruto could try to use this to his advantage. Still, this could boost Karma’s decryption process, reducing Boruto’s lifespan by a huge margin.

4) Other Symbolisms between Boruto and Sasuke:

While these are some major parallels between Master and his student; the authors made sure to add small surface level details that make the two even more comparable. Let’s swerve through them quickly!

I) Geniuses:

Both of these characters are considered geniuses. Both of them already knew a horde of jutsus before they even entered the ninja academy! Moreover, they had amazing analytical and in-fight abilities alongside confidence. Considered elite genins, both of them made a name for themselves at an early age. 

Boruto has immense potential, as his combat strength was said to be chunin level when he became a genin. More importantly, Momoshiki considered him a threat to the Otsutsuki Clan. Due to his strong lineage, Boruto has been blessed with the potential to match fairly even against planet-eating gods!

Boruto’s situation is comparable to Sasuke’s as the lone Uchiha Clan survivor was known as a genius as well. Classified as a top tier shinobi, Sasuke excelled in pretty much everything naturally. Both, Sasuke and Boruto were known to put in the work to master things too, boosting their potential exponentially.

II) Had rough relationship with their fathers at one point of time:

How can a series not have a single character with daddy issues? Sasuke grew up in the shadows of his elder brother, Itachi Uchiha. Itachi was a once in a millennium prodigy. Itachi becoming the Hokage in the future was just a matter of time. Sasuke would be left behind someone so outrageously strong, but he craved for his father’s attention. He wanted his father to say those same “good job” and “I’m proud of you” which he said to Itachi. 

As for Boruto, he had a good relationship with his father at an early age. However, things went south as soon as Naruto became the Hokage. He was overburdened constantly with paperwork and having shadow doppelgangers running around doing chores for the old people of Konoha. 

Nanadaime was so busy that he could only manage to send a shadow clone for Himawari’s birthday! Unfortunately, he passed out before his family could celebrate their daughter’s birthday. This was the breaking point for Boruto, as he cares deeply for his little sister. Boruto could bear Naruto not being there for him. Although he cannot tolerate Naruto’s absence on Himawari’s important days as she is still a child; he wants her to have at least the same amount of attention as he did. While things seemed bad for both Boruto and Sasuke; they both received the love and acknowledgement they needed over time.  

Fugaku finally uttered those same words as he did for Itachi. Then, even Sasuke’s mom explained to him how he was his father’s pride and joy. This fulfilled Sasuke’s wish and encouraged him to try harder. On the other hand, Boruto learnt about Naruto’s true strength. Boruto witnessed the weight of the Hokage’s fists. They carry the will of all shinobi and the pride of the Hokage; as he is the one strong enough to protect his people. This made a huge impact on Boruto. He understood how tough it was for Naruto to find life and work balance. In the same way, Naruto also understood his mistakes and tried to become a better father for his kids.

III) Lightning affinity:

The authors deliberately made a few decisions related to Boruto to differentiate him from Naruto. One of the biggest difference-makers between the two would be to change his affinity! They went with lightning release instead of wind and hit two targets with one shot! They successfully created a major difference between Boruto and Naruto; all the while making Boruto more like Sasuke by giving them the same Chakra affinity!

IV) Have a dojutsu:

We all know that Sasuke possesses the almighty Sharingan, one of the three legendary jutsus. Sasuke has completely mastered his Sharingan and the rinnegan as well; making him the strongest member of his clan’s long history. 

Boruto's Jougan

Furthermore, Boruto possesses the Jougan, an ancient dojutsu that belonged to the Otsutsukis. While many assumed that he would awaken the Byakugan eventually, that wasn’t the case at all! However, the Jougan is plenty strong as well! In fact, it has more potential than the Byakugan! It can do pretty much everything that a Byakugan can do and so much more! To know more about the Jougan and how Boruto awakened it, click here! 

V) Curse mark and Karma Seal:

Another symbolistic parallel between the pair is their external source of power. Orochimaru implanted the Curse mark on Sasuke at a young age. Boruto was implanted with the Karma seal by Momoshiki around the same age too. The two marks work quite similarly as well. When activated, both of them boost the user’s physical strength instantly. The mark spreads around the user similarly. They take a heavy toll on the user and create extra body parts as well!

This was another neat visual symbolism. Such minute things may seem insignificant, but they make or break a character if we combine these minute details!

VI) Acted as host for another being: 

Due to his Curse mark, Sasuke became Orochimaru’s vessel. Similarly, Boruto is Momoshiki’s vessel as well. Both of the hosts here are outrageously strong and are cunning as well. While Sasuke managed to kill Orochimaru and free himself from the curse mark; it will be interesting to see how things unfold for Boruto!  

VII) Both lost their title as ninjas for a certain period of time: 

While this may seem far-fetched to a few, an author never adds things to the story for no reason. While Boruto’s run as a non-shinobi person was very brief, it wasn’t the same for Sasuke. The Uchiha became a rogue ninja at a young age; he didn’t become a Konoha Shinobi again till the time he was about 17 years old! Will something like this happen to Boruto again? It is unlikely that Boruto would go completely rogue again, but you never know!

VIII) Fighting style:

In the comparison video linked below, you can see how the authors added small details to Boruto’s fighting style; implying that Boruto’s fighting style was similar to Sasuke’s even before Sasuke accepted him as his student. The two moved the same way and also had the same timings and perception; hinting that Boruto has always been like Sasuke as well. 

Boruto and Sasuke’s Relationship:  

Sasuke and Boruto go together like bread and butter. Their relationship as student and mentor seemed inevitable; Sasuke was interested in Boruto as soon as he met him. This was because Boruto reminded him of the old Naruto when he and Naruto were still kids. However, his perspective on Boruto changed soon after he displayed his skills.

Boruto was far smarter than Naruto; he could perform the basics of Ninjutsu perfectly and could understand complex techniques easily as well. In fact, he seemed to be a lot more like himself. Smart, a little impatient, and perceptive. Their bond grew instantly as they trained and understood each other well. Just training together was enough to understand a person to a great extent, since they’re shinobis after all. They have also put their lives on the line countless times for each other already! In the process, they have found deeper love and respect for each other. 

The authors paired the two together for a reason; they would help each other’s character grow. Moreover, what better way to separate Boruto from his father by making him the polar opposite? This way, Sasuke’s influence will become denser and deeper as days pass by; helping Boruto take the form of a better Shadow Hokage.

Sasuke still isn’t trusted completely by Konoha due to his past actions. Whereas Boruto has a strong background of people who have fought for Konoha. And, Sasuke can save him from falling to the dark side. Kakashi failed to be that mentor for Sasuke, but he can break this cycle now. Sasuke can make sure that his student doesn’t stray away from his shinobi way and the will of fire.

Sasuke has already passed on his will of fire to Boruto, and he intends to nurture his heir till the very end. In fact, Sasuke has become Boruto’s godfather; teaching him things about being a shinobi. He also took over the responsibility to take required measures if Momoshiki were to possess his student’s body. 

Borushiki destroying Sasuke’s Rinnegan was a major which is yet to be explored completely. It should definitely impact Boruto heavily since his biggest fear of hurting people close to him became reality. It will be interesting to see how the two will deal with this together; plus, what countermeasures they can come up with as they know Momoshiki’s weakness now. Nonetheless, I think that the bond between these two has finally started blooming. They’re going to grow more together; they have people to protect together and more importantly, Boruto’s future lies in Sasuke’s hands.

Boruto trusts Sasuke wholeheartedly, and Sasuke must live up to his student’s expectations.

Final Thoughts: 

Both Kodachi and Kishimoto made sure to differentiate Boruto from Naruto to a good extent; all the while keeping some of the most important and iconic things about Naruto’s personality. This was a good plan; since having a Naruto copy as the protagonist could have made the story stale and repetitive. They added a lot of details about the two since the very beginning of the series; from their image to their fighting style, mental abilities and even some parts of their personality. 

They have established Sasuke as Boruto’s godfather as well. He has already become a catalyst that will help Boruto break out of his father’s shadow completely. It is worthwhile to see what kind of person Boruto becomes and how the circumstances shape him. Here, Boruto’s outlook on scenarios is the key; since putting different people in the same situations is bound to provide different reactions and decisions!

With that said, I hope that these parallels were enough to convince you that Sasuke and Boruto are quite similar and already have a ton of parallels drawn between them! Let us know your thoughts below!

Related posts

2 thoughts on “Unravelling Boruto & Sasuke’s Parallels In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations!”

Leave a Comment