Essential Insights
- Obito’s Mangekyo Sharingan retained its brightness, contrary to typical limitations.
- Obito’s survival from being crushed by a boulder presents a significant plot inconsistency.
- Recent developments rendered Obito’s struggle for the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails chakras largely unnecessary.
The Naruto series is well-known for its numerous plot inconsistencies and retconning throughout its story arc. The most prominent of these discrepancies center around Obito Uchiha, a controversial antagonist in the Naruto saga. Introduced as a key player during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito initially appeared shrouded in mystery, operating under the alias Tobi since the onset of Shippuden. Given Obito’s intricate role in the plot, it’s not surprising that various inconsistencies emerged.
The abundance of plot inconsistencies surrounding Obito is indeed alarming. From his unaccounted survival to the unyielding brilliance of his Mangekyo Sharingan, Obito’s character is riddled with contradictions, some more blatant than others. It raises questions about whether these issues stemmed from rushed writing by Kishimoto or an effort to complicate the character unnecessarily, ultimately impacting Naruto’s overall legacy.
Obito’s Mangekyo Sharingan Retained Its Brightness
The Mangekyo Sharingan Imposes Visual Deterioration Over Time
Every powerful ability often carries a significant drawback to balance the scales. In the case of the Mangekyo Sharingan—one of the most formidable dojutsu in the Naruto franchise—the primary drawback includes gradual loss of vision. Frequent usage of the Mangekyo leads to diminished eyesight, often culminating in blindness. Many users, such as Itachi, have suffered this debilitating consequence before their demise.
Conversely, Obito managed to circumvent this limitation entirely. From his initial portrayal as Tobi to his eventual downfall during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito’s Mangekyo Sharingan consistently remained active. He appeared to dodge the standard burdens associated with the dojutsu, including severe chakra depletion or visual strain that leads to blindness.
While Kakashi shared the same Mangekyo Sharingan yet experienced eye fatigue and blurriness from overuse, the reasoning behind this baffling contrast was never addressed in the Naruto narrative, leaving fans perplexed. Speculation suggests that Hashirama’s Cells might have granted Obito the capability to extensively use his Mangekyo, yet the unresolved mystery of his ever-brightening eye lingers as a notable plot oversight.
Obito dodged the Byakugan’s Perception
The Byakugan Can Identify Chakras and Various Dojutsu
A pivotal aspect of Shippuden was Obito’s concealed identity. His mask allowed him to adopt Tobi’s persona and later simulate being Madara Uchiha. While many shinobi were duped by Obito’s disguise, it’s perplexing that one clan should have easily uncovered his true nature—the Hyuga. Armed with the Byakugan, members of the Hyuga Clan could effortlessly pierce through Obito’s façade. During the Itachi Pursuit Arc, when Hinata utilized her Byakugan on Tobi, she failed to unveil Obito’s true identity.
The Byakugan possesses the capability to detect various chakras and differentiate between unique dojutsu, as evidenced when Ao encountered Danzo and recognized Shisui’s Mangekyo Sharingan. Likewise, Hinata should have been able to discern that the enigmatic figure Tobi harbored a Mangekyo Sharingan in one eye. For narrative progression, however, the series complicated matters by never allowing Hinata or any other Hyuga Clan member to reveal Obito’s secrets. This small but notable oversight highlights how critical details were overlooked in Kishimoto’s storytelling.
Obito Defied Gravity by Surviving a Boulder >
The Boulder Completely Crushed Obito’s Right Side
One of the most contentious plot holes related to Obito’s arc revolves around his miraculous survival. The Naruto storyline only hints that Madara saved him while neglecting to exhibit the event. Obito’s entire right side, including his Sharingan eye, was crushed by a boulder, with his body buried under the rubble of a cave-in. Nevertheless, he was supposedly rescued and restored thanks to Madara using Hashirama’s cells.
This begs the question: given the circumstances, it seems nearly impossible for him to survive such wounds. Furthermore, visual depictions indicated that one side of his skull was obliterated, implying that a portion of his brain and Sharingan should have also been irreparably damaged. Yet after Madara’s intervention, he functioned as if nothing had occurred, including the restoration of his lost eye.
Some fans theorize that Madara rejuvenated Obito through the Rinnegan’s Rinne Rebirth method, in conjunction with the Gedo Statue’s immense chakra resources. However, this remains purely hypothetical, as the Naruto series does not definitively explain how Obito evaded such severe injuries, cementing this as one of the most significant plot holes associated with his character.
Discrepancies in Obito’s Visual Representation
Obito Appeared Much Older During His Confrontation With Minato
Another minor inconsistency concerning Obito relates to his visual appearance during the infiltration of the Hidden Leaf Village. At the time of Obito’s showdown with Minato, he visibly aged, both in stature and appearance. Conversely, Obito’s peers, including Kakashi and Guy, were portrayed as youthful teenagers during this period.
While this inconsistency may be relatively minor compared to the overarching narrative issues affecting Obito’s character, his appearance plays a crucial role in the tale. Unfortunately, Kishimoto struggled to distinguish younger Obito from his older counterpart, resulting in an inaccuracy in his appearance relative to his contemporaries.
The Gedo Statue Required Only a Small Portion of Each Tailed Beast
Obito Did Not Need to Initiate War for Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails Chakra
Obito’s quest for dominion over the Five Great Nations was primarily driven by his obsession with acquiring the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails for the Eye of the Moon Plan. Yet later revelations established that a mere fraction of either beast’s chakra was sufficient to summon the Ten-Tails. This became evident when Obito utilized the chakra from Kinkaku and Ginkaku, who possessed portions of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails respectively. Consequently, his large-scale conflict against the Five Great Nations became redundant since he could have easily achieved his goals using minor sources of chakra from the Tailed Beasts.
This scenario ultimately united the shinobi world against him. If Naruto and Killer Bee’s Tailed Beasts were not essential for the Eye of the Moon Plan, then Obito’s entire military campaign was pointless. While the war served a narrative purpose, the retcon revealing that a mere fraction of chakra could suffice diminished Obito’s objectives, portraying him as somewhat foolish given that his unnecessary declaration of war led to his own downfall.
The Magnitude of Obito’s Genjutsu
Obito Managed to Place the Mizukage Under a Genjutsu
Despite not being widely regarded as a genjutsu specialist, one of Obito’s most remarkable achievements is related to this skill. During the era of the Fourth Mizukage, he successfully ensnared Yagura, the host of the Three-Tails, within a genjutsu. This action effectively allowed him to control the Hidden Mist Village with little effort on his part.
There were ongoing suspicions about external manipulation of Yagura, with theories hinting at Akatsuki’s involvement.
This raises an important question: why didn’t Obito employ his genjutsu skills against other adversaries? Given his proven capacity to dominate someone as formidable as Yagura, he could have easily subdued Kage or other Jinchuriki without needing to engage in warfare against the Five Great Nations.
Naruto is currently available for streaming on Prime Video.
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