Summary

• Madara's unexpected death shocked fans, but Kaguya's introduction served the anime well, leaving the original Naruto open-ended and giving the series the opportunity to have a sequel.
• Zetsu's betrayal and Kaguya's appearance were cleverly foreshadowed in earlier Naruto chapters.
• Kaguya normalized dimension travel, set the stage for Boruto, and introduced a new level of power-scaling to the franchise.

One thing that the Naruto franchise did better than most other shonen series was its incredible cast of villains. They were deep, complex, and brilliantly written, and made the series even better by challenging the heroes not just in battle but in their ideals, such as in the case of Naruto and Pain. However, not all the villains were well received.

A big criticism of Naruto Shippuden is the appearance of Kaguya, and the unexpected death of Madara. Madara was a fan-favorite character and one of the best villains in anime. He was – seemingly – the final threat the cast needed to face, and the enemy who gave Naruto and the Allied Forces the hardest time. It came as a shock when the character who had been hyped up for so long suddenly lost to Black Zetsu and was possessed by Kaguya. However, this plot twist served the anime greatly and Kaguya was one of the best decisions for the franchise.

Zetsu's Plan Was Foreshadowed Long Ago

Naruto was originally created by Masashi Kishimoto; the anime adaptation was produced by Studio Pierrot

Contrary to popular belief, Kaguya's appearance and Zetsu's betrayal of Madara did not come out of nowhere; it was brilliantly foreshadowed in earlier chapters of the series. The best example is after the fight between Madara and Hashirama in chapter #626, when Hashirama sensed someone – or something – observing the fight, which was later shown to be Zetsu. This scene showed that Kaguya's son had been plotting something long ago, and was using Madara to make his plan a reality.

The earliest foreshadowing of Kaguya was with the Kaguya Clan in the pre-time skip Naruto. Besides having the same name as their ancestor, the of the clan bore similar facial features to Kaguya and possessed similar abilities. Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai, for example, was the ability to manipulate the bones in the body, one of the many abilities that Kaguya had once she finally made her major appearance.

Kaguya is actually a nod to the classic Japanese folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, with the protagonist being called Kaguya-hime.

Another instance of Kaguya being hinted at is in the context of the Gedo Statue. To form the Ten-Tails, the Gedo Statue must absorb the chakra of all the Tailed Beasts. Hagoromo and Homura sealed the Gedo Statue in the sky, becoming the moon, and Madara released the Gedo Statue after awakening his Rinnegan, hinting that Kaguya would inevitably appear. This is why Black Zetsu was so interested in Madara, as he had the potential to free Kaguya from her slumber, the same way he unleashed the Gedo Statue.

The Mysterious Alien Clan Was Seen In Action For The First Time

The Otsutsuki's were completely shrouded in mystery throughout the series

During Naruto Shippuden, there were only vague references to the Otsutsuki, and almost every instance of them being mentioned was regarding the Sage Of Six Paths. Virtually nothing was known about the extraterrestrial clan and who they really were. Although some details were revealed when Naruto and Sasuke met the Sage of Six Paths and the history of the Shinobi world was finally narrarated for audiences, it still wasn’t much, as the focus was mainly on Indra and Ashura. That changed when Kaguya was introduced as the final "big bad" in the series, and the might of an Otsutsuki was seen for the first time.

This set the stage for Boruto: Naruto the Movie and eventually Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The show revolves around the Otsutsuki clan , their villainy, and other activities. Boruto wouldn’t exist if Masashi Kishimoto hadn't taken the daring risk of eliminating Madara and replacing him with Kaguya. This was a game changer, as the series flowed very smoothly between antagonists without making up some absurd new character that had no prior mention or appearance in the series.

Dimension Travel Was Normalized With Kaguya

The Concept Of Dimensions Became Important In Boruto

Throughout the series, fights have always happened in the Shinobi dimension, and the only time it didn’t was the fight between Obito and Kakashi in the Kamui Dimension. One of the things that made the fight between Kaguya and Team 7 challenging was the constant travel between worlds. From an ice-cold world to a lava-based world, Kaguya reigned over the every terrain. The introduction of new dimensions and worlds was one of the most exciting additions to the series and continued into Boruto, with Boruto also being able to travel through dimensions with his Jougan and Naruto being sealed into Daikokuten.

Sakura, Kakashi, & Obito Had Their Time To Shine Against Kaguya

Naruto & Sasuke couldn't handle the foe on their own

Kishimoto had ignored Sakura's potential for far too long in the original series. Naruto and Sasuke were advancing way too fast for her to keep up in of power scaling, ignoring the short-tempered third member. The only development she had was when she mastered the 100 Healing Mark, but her glory was short-lived as she couldn’t compete with Ten Tails Madara and Obito. With the appearance of Kaguya, Naruto, and Sasuke's strength wasn't enough to face off against the shinobi god, and Sakura, Kakashi, and Obtio had to step up to help them.

Kakashi activated his full Mangekyo Sharingan with the help of Obito, and Sakura made sure that Kaguya didn’t escape when Naruto and Sasuke were preparing to seal her away. Their involvement in the fight was pivotal. It’s not a stretch to say that the war would’ve been lost if Team 7 hadn't united with Obito to take on Kaguya. Furthermore, the appearance of Kaguya led to one of the most beautiful character conclusions in the series and one of the most iconic moments, with Obito ing on and urging Naruto to become the Hokage.

A New Level Of Power Was Introduced

Naruto & Sasuke's final battle was made far more impressive with the power-scaling introduced in the battle with Kaguya

In the fight against Kaguya, Naruto and Sasuke had to sur their limits against the Rabbit Goddess, and this new power helped intensify their final fight. Their long-awaited rematch at the Valley Of Death was made more destructive after they defeated Kaguya, leading to the best fight in the Naruto franchise. Of course, this new precedent of strength carried on into Boruto, and Naruto's son suring him was due in part to Kaguya forcing Naruto to become stronger.

Madara was an incredible villain who dazzled fans with his strength and his story, so it was sad that he went out the way he did. However, Kaguya was a more important antagonist in the long run and served to advance the plot, whereas The Ghost Of The Uchiha would've more or less ended the franchise all together. Although she isn't nearly as good of an antagonist as Madara, she served a greater purpose in the narrative and allowed fans of the Naruto franchise to keep enjoying the series with its sequel, Boruto.

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