The level of hate that the first antagonist of Naruto, Orochimaru, has received for his ambitions and goals is something that fans cannot compare with any other character. Ever since the series started, Orochimaru has been deeply hated for his attack on Konoha and his intentions behind teaching Sasuke.
Initially, fans even went on to say that Orochimaru’s desire for Sasuke and his methods of obtaining him as his student make him a p*dophile. He was criticized a lot for his actions, and even when he decided to stop pursuing his goals and use his talents for the greater good, fans could not forgive him.
However, a recent post by a Naruto fan on Reddit claims that Orochimaru’s actions were only focused on achieving his goals. He had no ulterior motives, and the tag of a p*dophile should be labeled on Jiraiya for the way he treated Naruto and sometimes used him for his personal motifs.
Orochimaru’s Only Goal Was To Achieve Immortality
Ever since Orochimaru’s character was introduced in Naruto, he has only been focused on learning every ninjutsu in the world (even the forbidden ones) and achieving immortality. He even chose to go on the wrong path to fulfill his goals, and this shattered his image as the legendary Sannin. But the main point of controversy started when he appointed kids to fulfill his goals.
He used special kids with hidden skills and Kekkei Genkai that would allow him to have an advantage over his opponents. However, he crossed the line when he decided to pursue Sasuke to use his body and obtain the mysterious Sharingan that would give him an upper hand in achieving his goal.
He also wanted to transfer his soul into Sasuke’s body, as his former body could not handle the pressure of achieving immortality. Thus, fans developed a sense of hatred for him, and although this helped his status as an antagonist, it tarnished his image as one of the most legendary Shinobis that Konoha has ever created in the history of Naruto.
Orochimaru Was Undeserving of the Pedophile Allegations
Naruto fans particularly hated Orochimaru’s method of employing kids to do his dirty work, especially Sasuke. Additionally, his character portrayed him as a pedophile, and his actions supported these allegations too.
However, according to u/tomatosnek, he did not deserve these allegations at all, as his only focus was achieving immortality and learning ninjutsu.
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byu/Necessary_Many2940 from discussion
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On the other hand, the character that Masashi Kishimoto purposefully made pervy and allegedly deserved the title of pedophile was Jiraiya. According to the Reddit user, Jiraiya often asked Naruto to use his sexy jutsu and transform into a naked girl for him. Many new-generation Naruto fans have also tried to cancel him for his actions against Naruto.
Although these aspects were added for comical elements, they portrayed a bad image of Jiraiya as a mentor to Naruto. Nonetheless, it’s the perception of the viewer and the intention of the creator that really matters. Kishimoto never meant for Jiraiya and Orochimaru to be portrayed like this, as they were impactful figures in Naruto.
As of 16th August 2024, you can watch Naruto on Hulu.
