Naruto Brought Kurama's Story Full Circle on an Important Anniversary

Naruto fans are still reeling from the latest episode Boruto's anime. (WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS Follow!) That's because episode 218 of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations' anime marks a major character's death: Kurama, the Nine-Tails beast that has been bonded to Naruto since the beginning of the franchise in 1999. In a tragic twist, it was Kurama who sacrificed himself to spare Naruto's life, after the pair unlocked the power of their new Baryon Mode form in order to fight Isshiki Otsutsuki. However, what fans may not yet understand is that this episode of Boruto came on an important anniversary for the Naruto franchise... 

As stated, the character of Kurama debuted in Naruto's very first manga chapter - which was released on October 4, 1999. Boruto episode 218, featuring the death of Kurama, aired on October 3, 2021. Granted, the timing isn't exact, but since Boruto episodes are released on Sundays, it obviously wouldn't be. That all said, it's clear that the anime creators knew what a milestone loss this would be, and the synchronization of dates between Kurama's "birth" as a creative character in the pages of Naruto, and his "death" in Boruto only deepens the level what longtime fans will experience while watching this episode of the anime. 

In the Boruto episode "Partner" Naruto and Kurama are given a poignant death sequence, when Naruto feels his lifeforce slipping away, due to Baryon Mode, which burned away Naruto and Kurama's own chakra as the fuel for its intense power. Kurama had warned Naruto that the cost of Baryon Mode would mean facing death's door - however, what Kurama didn't tell Naruto was it wouldn't have to be both of them who paid the tab. It is Kurama who sacrifices his chakra to power Baryon Mode, and ultimately dies as a result. 

The Nine-Tails explains that he lied because he knew Naruto wouldn't go through with it otherwise. It's a fundamental final portrait of Kurama, who began in this Naruto franchise as a veritable monster that Naruto was trying to keep on a leash. The fact that Kurama was able to truly bond with Naruto, and help him save the world from Kaguya Otsutsuki and fulfill his dream of being Hokage was an epic enough arc; that Kurama came to love Naruto so much to die for him and his family is now one of the most epic, decades-spanning arcs in all of anime. 

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations streams new anime episodes weekly on Funimation and Hulu.