Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently making its way through the original Kara Actuation arc for the anime, and the newest episode actually revisited Orochimaru and saw him learn just how he’s seen by the people of Konoha these days. Boruto has already revealed a much gentler take on the Orochimaru fans got to know in the original series as he acts as Mitsuki’s parent, but there’s still that lingering air of mystery and darkness that’s come from years of being the franchise’s primary foe. But surprisingly, his legacy seems to really only have stuck with fans.
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Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has introduced us to a much different kind of shinobi world than we were first introduced when the Naruto franchise began, and this new world does not exactly fear or revere the impact Orochimaru had on the shinobi world. He might not care, but it just goes to show how long it really has been since he was on the top of the food chain.
Episode 172 of the series introduces us to a young child in the hospital who’s wish is to get an autograph on their Orochimaru trading cards. Like we have seen in past episodes, the various shinobi on these trading cards don’t exactly all agree or approve of how they are being represented in this game. This apparently includes Orochimaru because he has an interesting reaction to seeing he’s become a trading card.
Not only does he see he’s become a trading card when Team 5 (Denki, Metal, and Iwabee) asks him for his autograph, but he mentions that it feels like Konoha is looking down on him with something like this. Yet he does provide the autograph anyway because he has more important things to worry about like Mitsuki’s recovery from his critical state.
So not only do we see a version of Konoha where kids not only aren’t terrified of approaching Orochimaru, but there are some who collect his trading card and even idolize him to the point where an autograph is necessary. It’s a strong contrast from the vision of Orochimaru that was being painted in the original series, and a reflection of how much time has passed since then.
What do you think of the way Orochimaru is seen in the Naruto world these days? Do you want to see more of Orochimaru in future Boruto: Naruto Next Generations episodes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or you can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!
