Ninja tools are a staple in theNarutouniverse, used in almost every battle either as a deterrent or with the intention to strike down the opponent. Tools such as kunai and shuriken have become iconic elements of the series, commonly associated with the success ofNaruto. However, the same significance of these weapons isn’t necessarily reflected within the series, as kunai and shuriken tend to play a meager role in any fight, with no real impact on the overall conclusion of the battle.
Ninja tools played a major role in the beginning of the series, where jutsu and techniques were rather limited,leaving behind kunai and shurikenas the obvious weapons of choice. However, these tools were later relegated to the role of being used as mere deterrents, with no actual threat to the opponents. This begs the question of how useful these tools actually are, and what has led to their role becoming so miniscule in the series.
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Usage of Ninja Tools
The Naruto series initially propagates the narrative of how ninja tools are a necessity for any shinobi. While the initial narrative may have dissipated over the course of the series, someaspects of these tools’ usefulnessare still quite apparent. Ninja tools are primarily used as deterrents, either used to threaten the opponent by holding these weapons in plain sight, or to block the enemy’s path by throwing kunai or shuriken to halt their advance.
No shinobi has ever been killed by just kunai or shuriken, though this fact doesn’t necessarily indicate that these weapons are inherently useless. Several characters have been shown to utilize kunai to enhance their jutsu, such as imbuing chakra into these weapons. Asuma’s signature fighting style involved imbuing chakra into his chakra blade, making his attacks more precise and lethal.Minato’s famed Flying Raijin Jutsualso employed ninja tools to aid his technique. His specialized kunai had the Flying Raijin seal etched on to it, allowing Minato to instantly teleport him to wherever the kunai landed.
Ninja tools can also come in handy as a distraction, such as paper bombs attached to kunai. Similarly, smoke bombs can also be attached to kunai and thrown towards the enemy as a distraction. However, this still paints ninja tools as being useless on their own, as their usefulness only emerges from other supporting items being attached to them.
Ninja Tools Have Become Non-Lethal
In the entirety of the series, not one character has died from ninja tools, particularly kunai and shuriken.Swords and bladeshave surely taken many lives, though these weapons don’t exactly count as ninja tools in essence. This paints ninja tools as mere distractions, with no actual implications in the series. Even when kunai or shuriken hit their target, nothing substantial comes about as injuries and wounds from these weapons are treated as nothing more than a scratch.
With such a narrative tainting these weapons, ninja tools have lost their place within the shinobi world. It makes sense for tools to not have much value in a world where chakra-based abilities andschools of taijutsu are rampant. However, it’s still quite odd for a once-significant element of a series to not be relevant anymore.
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This could mostly be attributed to power creeping, as techniques and jutsu were quite weak in the beginning of the series, making ninja tools stand out as a threat. This portrayal soon changed as the characters became stronger, relying more on their own strength rather than ancillary tools. By the end of the series, characters such as Madara andKaguya Otsutsuki had been introduced, making ninja tools entirely obsolete.
Character Deaths With Ninja Tools Wouldn’t Be Satisfying
Ninja tools are generally considered to be futile due to their inability to cause any damage. While many favor the notion of weapons such as kunai or shuriken playing a more important role in the series, it wouldn’t have made much sense from a writing perspective. No character in the serieshas died to ninja tools, and rightfully so as such deaths would have had no impact or profundity, even going as far as ruining the previous build-up to the death.
TheNarutoseries isrenowned for its compelling deaths, primarily due to how the deaths take place. If a simple kunai or shuriken had caused any of these deaths, it would have never evoked the same sentiments among viewers. Therefore, ninja tools being nothing more than ancillary items makes perfect sense from a storytelling perspective. However, the problem with this approach is that ninja tools have become nothing more than an idle threat, with kunai and shuriken now deemed as useless items that are simply a visual accessory for shinobi.
