Naruto has a plethora of side characters, some more lovable than the rest. And it is a known fact that Masashi Kishimoto has not done them all justice. In fact, the death of Neji is one of the most controversial elements of the story.
Many fans have theorized that Neji’s death was unnecessary and completely avoidable. However, a sacrifice was necessary to turn up the stakes of the series, and Neji became the lamb. Fans, on the other hand, believe that another character should have taken Neji’s place instead.
Fans believe Kiba should have died in place of Neji in Naruto
Neji’s death is still considered one of the biggest tragedies in Naruto. He had the potential to be a great and memorable shinobi, and his journey was inspiring, to say the least. But he was killed in the most unremarkable manner to save Naruto and Hinata from getting pierced by wooden spikes. Yes, he died protecting two characters who have plot armor. (Turns out the armor was Neji)
Thus, some fans have suggested that if a character had to be killed in the situation, a somewhat better candidate would be Kiba Inozuka. Kiba might have been a tad bit annoying at times, but Naruto fans loved him nonetheless. His bond with Akamaru naturally made fans develop a soft spot for him. His fun and loud personality made him come out as brash, but he had the appeal of an underdog.
But by the end of the story, Kiba’s character development is very slow. His abilities seem less impactful due to the increased power scaling of Naruto and Sasuke. But does that alone give fans the right to elect him as the sacrificial lamb?
Why fans believe Kiba should have died instead of Neji, and why it might not make sense
Kiba has always been an underdog character, with enough will but not enough strength to stand out as much as other central characters. He also had ties with both Naruto and Hinata and had known them since childhood. Thus, fans speculate that had he died protecting the duo, it would have been the ultimate sacrifice for his friends.
This development would have given Kiba the chance to shine and make a bigger impact on the series as a whole. Maybe fans would remember him as heroic rather than a brash person with unhelpful inputs. But what would happen to his faithful pet, Akamaru? Well, fans are of the (sadistic) opinion that Naruto and Hinata could have adopted him.
Furthermore, fans believe that keeping Neji alive would have given him a chance to take the position of the new leader of the Hyuga clan. But much of this hypothesis is debatable. Kiba might have known Naruto and Hinata, but his bond with them wasn’t nearly as strong.
Neji, as a character, was developed far better than Kiba, thus giving fans a chance to mourn his tragedy, something that Kiba might not have received. Neji’s death was tragic, but narratively, it made more sense to kill a character who would incite more emotions from fans.
Naruto manga is available to read on Viz Media and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
