Why Boruto Retcons Jigen (& What It Means For The Future)

Caution: Potential spoilers ahead for the Boruto manga

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is playing down the importance of Jigen to establish a new villain – why, and what does it mean for the shinobi series? Although he took a little while to emerge from the shadows (especially in the anime), Jigen served as the first big bad of the Boruto story. A secret Otsutsuki and the leader of the villainous Kara group, Jigen sought to restore his full power by reincarnating inside Kawaki. He then intended to fulfill his original purpose for being on Earth – turning the planet’s chakra into a tasty immortality-granting fruit.

Jigen proved strong enough to outmatch the simultaneous assault of Naruto and Sasuke, but was ultimately taken down when the Seventh Hokage powered up into Baryon Mode at the cost of Kurama’s life. The dust had barely settled on Jigen’s final battle before Boruto began establishing its next major antagonist. Kara’s last surviving member, Code, inherited Jigen’s spirit, and set out on a quest to complete his master’s grand ambition. Pulling a big boss switcheroo is nothing new in the Naruto franchise; the original series did it three times in quick succession with Obito, Madara and Kaguya. What’s more unusual is how Boruto retcons Jigen’s strength completely.

In Boruto chapter 56, Amado reveals that Jigen was never actually the strongest member of Kara – that honor belongs to Code. The chain-smoking scientist tells Naruto that Code became inherently stronger than his master after being bestowed with a Karma mark, but agreed to have power limiters placed in his body to spare Jigen’s blushes. It’s a fairly weak way to explain why one of Jigen’s lackeys is actually tougher than the man in charge. As prideful as Jigen might’ve been, he surely would’ve preferred to unleash Code’s full power than lose and get himself killed. The retcon seems designed to diminish Jigen’s importance to the Boruto story, and this is underlined when Amado casually mentions building numerous cyborgs that also surpass Jigen. Suddenly, Boruto‘s biggest villain feels like small fry.

The abrupt switch from Jigen to Code may have something to do with Masashi Kishimoto’s recent return to the franchise. Boruto was initially penned by Ukyō Kodachi, but the Naruto creator replaced him as of chapter 52. Jigen was defeated in the very next installment, and Code received his promotion to main villain status two issues later. Given how soon after Kishimoto’s return the changes were wrought, it’s possible the writer is looking to leave his mark on the Naruto sequel series after a spell away. Or maybe he just didn’t like Jigen all that much. This would at least explain why Code’s evil master plan isn’t actually any different than Jigen’s.

Code’s popularity must also be taken into account. Among the various Kara members, Code was afforded the least time to shine, but became a fan favorite anyway due to his unique design and mysterious demeanor. When the decision was made to give Jigen the boot, Code became the logical choice to occupy Boruto‘s antagonistic hot seat.

Looking to the future, Boruto is creating an almighty, over-powered enemy who seems impossible to defeat right now. Jigen might’ve dueled with Naruto and Sasuke, but the villain always felt beatable if faced with the heroic duo’s full power. The revelation that Code surpasses his master might’ve been awkwardly executed, but the shinobi now have a truly insurmountable enemy to overcome, and the gulf is even wider after Naruto lost Kurama and Sasuke’s Rinnegan was destroyed. Boruto‘s good guys are getting weaker just as a villain of incredible strength arrives.

With the benefit of knowing where the story is headed, the Boruto anime series can do a better job of foreshadowing Code’s secret. Rather than leaving the flame-haired maniac sulking in the corner, only to later decide he’s the strongest villain in the entire story, Boruto‘s anime can allude to Code’s power limiters, hint at his latent potential, and dive deeper into his idolization of the Otsutsuki clan, meaning Code’s eventual rise to prominence won’t come across as contrived as it does in the manga.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3630 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

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Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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