Even though the eponymous protagonist of Naruto is known for his cavalcade of power-ups, it can be argued that he could have been even more powerful. Naruto’s fans believe that his tragic past made him stronger, but there are two alternative versions of the hero, both named Menma, who are stronger than the original, despite never losing their parents.
The Naruto series is notorious for its runaway power scaling. While the story started with subterfuge, it ended in battles with gods. Naruto himself kept up in the shonen arms race with his various forms and abilities, but Menma’s non-canonical displays show that he could have gone further, sooner. Given the only major distinction between them is their backstories, it is clear that the ninja’s tragic childhood also deprived him of an early power boost.
Menma Shows What Naruto Could Have Achieved If He Hadn’t Lost His Parents
![Naruto’s Tragic Past Actually Made Him Weaker & His Alternate Versions Prove It](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Menma-in-Naruto-the-Movie-Road-to-Ninja.jpg)
Menma has appeared not once, but twice, in two different interpretations, and both easily outmatch Naruto in raw power. While better known for being the antagonist Menma Uzumaki in the Road to Ninja movie, he also appeared as Menma Namikaze in episode #427 of the Naruto Shippuden anime in a more heroic light. In either case, the character displayed more advanced techniques than Naruto has, with Uzumaki possessing complete control over a black Kurama, and a variety of summons to boot, while Namikaze is shown with a Nine-Tails Mode that is more powerful than what Naruto had at his equivalent age.
![Image from Naruto manga chapter 503 color spread shows Naruto sneaking out a window with a sandwhich in his mouth with Minato reading the paper and Kushina angerly making food over a skillet.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/chapter_503colorspread.jpg)
Granted, both are dreamed-up variations created by the Infinite Tsukuyomi, but the writers behind these iterations try to answer the same question – what if Naruto had his parents while growing up? Minato and Kushina were both powerful warriors, so it stands to reason that, under their tutelage, their son would have sooner come to grips with his status and powers as a Jinchuriki. It’s plausible that Naruto floundered in his early days due to the lack of guidance, preventing him from achieving his full potential.
![Minato as Hokage in Naruto](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/minato-as-hokage.jpg)
Of course, Naruto’s canonical story and evolution is the one that is closer to the vision of the author, Masashi Kishimoto. Naruto follows the path of a typical shonen hero, defined by his determination and by how he overcame a tragic past. By the end of the story, fans can more easily identify with the progress and growth that Naruto had over the years. However, looking at his alternative versions, Menma Uzumaki and Menma Namikaze, proves that Naruto truly faced an uphill battle due to growing up without his parents.
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Naruto
- Summary:
- Naruto Uzumaki’s journey to becoming a Hokage is the center of the Naruto manga and anime series. The series is an adaptation of two one-shot manga written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The first of the one-shot manga follows the life of the main protagonist during his pre-teen years and the second one, during his teenage years. The titles of the manga are Kishimoto: Karakuri and Naruto released in 1995 and 1997 respectively. A third book about his adult years also followed.Weekly Shonen Jump featured the serialized manga from 1999 to 2014. The popularity of the series paved the way for other multimedia franchises such as an anime TV series which aired in Japan from 2005 to2009. An english version also aired from 2009 to 2011 on Disney XD, and transferred to Toonami in 2014. Naruto has spawned 11 movies, 11 original video animations (OVA), novels, video games, trading cards, and other merchandises such as shirts, accessories and school supplies.Naruto hails from the fictional village Konohagakure, where his father was once the Fourth Hokage. Hokage is what the villagers call their leader. When he was a baby, a Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked the village, but Naruto’s father defeats it by sealing into Naruto’s body. His father dies in the process, and the event was only revealed to him when he was 12 years old.Since then, he trained to become a ninja and forms a bond with Sasuke Uchicha and Sakura Haruno, who accompanied him throughout his journey. Together they discovered a more complicated world filled with mysteries.The end of the series sees Naruto as a husband to Hinata Hyuga and a father to Boruto and Himawari. A spinoff series revolving around Naruto and Boruto also followed which was eventually followed by Boruto’s own adventure with a new batch of ninjas.Naruto is one of the best-selling manga series in history with its various franchises having loyal customers all over the world.Related:15 Things You Didn’t Know About NarutoNaruto: Unresolved Mysteries And Plot Holes The Show Left HangingThe Most Powerful Naruto Characters, Ranked