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Masashi Kishimoto created so many characters and power levels inNarutothat, at some point, it became hard to keep track of them all. Obviously, some of them had to be nerfed, whole others were used as fodder to the main characters.
The author is often criticized for not portraying the strength of the Akatsuki properly, but another organization inNarutofaced worse injustice. The Anbu, covert operatives who are supposed to be hardcore ninjas selected by the Kage himself, only showed up inNarutowhen the main characters needed to thrash someone.
Who are the Anbu inNaruto?
The Anbu are elite and covert task forces inNaruto.They operate in the shadows and are handpicked by the Kage of the village. They handle top-secret missions like assassinations and protect their village from unseen threats. They wear masks toconceal their identitiesand even their village members have no idea about who they are. They are also instructed to self-destruct if caught by enemy forces.
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Age, gender, background, or previous ranks hold no significance when being selected as an Anbu member. They need to be loyal to the village and be ready to sacrifice themselves if the mission calls for it. There are also special laws in place so that Anbu operations can remain uninterferred.
However, being in such a powerful position and carrying out heartless assassinations can often awaken corruptness and greed in individuals. Sometimes, the Anbu can get swayed by their own ideals and walk on an evil path of extremism. Some of thestrongest Anbu members inNarutoinclude Kakashi Hatake, Itachi Uchiha, Orochimaru, and more.
Masashi Kishimoto Treated the Anbu Like Fodder inNaruto
The Anbu are strong and go throughdeadly training from a young ageto become powerful. But if the section is such a top-secret organization and carries on S-Rank missions, how come they get so easily defeated in Naruto? In every other encounter, Anbu members are defeated by the main characters of the series, even if they are at the Chunin level.
It seems like Masashi Kishimoto summons the Anbu every time there is a need to hype up a particular character. Since the Anbu are established as a powerful group, defeating them adds depth to a character’s strength and almost acts like a badge of honor. Apart from the extremely famous Anbu, most others are killed in battles quite frequently.
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Maybe the Anbu victories remain largely unknown because they are supposed to be full of secrets. But if that is the case, how are they defeated so easily in several episodes ofNaruto? The Anbu often face S-class opponents and maybe that is one of the reasons so many of their defeats are shown. While the famous Anbu members are especially deadly, there exist many other nameless Anbu who are killed without a second thought.
Narutomanga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently airing on Crunchyroll.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1556
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
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Masashi KishimotoNaruto
