Despite Being the Son of the Prodigal Minato, it was Best for Naruto to Take His Mother’s Surname

Masashi Kishimoto using the Uzumaki name for Naruto had several significant reasons behind it.

despite being the son of the prodigal minato, it was best for naruto to take his mother’s surname

SUMMARY

  • There are several mysteries in the Naruto franchise, but the most important one is why Naruto was given his mother's maiden instead of his father's clan name.
  • One of the reasons behind Naruto being given the Uzumaki name was because his father had made several enemies during the Third Great Ninja War, who would kill his offspring if they found out about him.
  • Masashi Kishimoto gave Naruto the Uzumaki name to hide the fact that he was the Fourth Hokage's son and moreover, he did not plan on making them father and son in the first place.
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Naruto Uzumaki was treated as an outcast from day one. But everyone changed when he single-handedly protected Konohagakure from the Pain assault. From that day, he was known as the Hero of the Leaf. One of the best things about the Naruto franchise is that the story does not focus on a single character instead, every character has a backstory and has important arcs.

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But several mysteries are still unanswered in Masashi Kishimoto’s magnum opus. Out of them, the most common one is why Naruto chose his mother’s maiden name and not his father’s clan name. There are several theories surrounding the mysteries. One of them is that it was done to protect the infant from all the impending danger that his father’s name would cause.

Naruto Namikaze Would Die Before Becoming The Hokage

Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto Uzumaki

There are several reasons why Naruto chose his mother’s name and not his father’s name. Minato Namikaze was one of the most potent shinobi of his time and was the sole reason to turn the tide in favor of Konohagakure during the Third Great Ninja War. Due to him, many shinobi had lost their lives so naturally, he made a lot of enemies.

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Also Read: A Gintama Character May be a Better Ninja than Naruto, Making Masashi Kishimoto’s Iconic Character Look Like Nothing

If his enemies came to know that he had a child, then they would target him, and there was nothing Naruto could do since he was still an infant. On the other hand, taking up his mother’s maiden name also had its risks, but it was a safer option than Namikaze. The Uzumaki clan, even though powerful, was on the brink of extinction because they were hunted down due to their special abilities.

minato namikaze
Minato Namikaze

Another reason for Naruto to have the Uzumaki name was because of the plot. Masashi Kishimoto never wanted to reveal Naruto’s real identity at the beginning of the anime. Instead, he wanted to build the hype and let the story flow on its course. It gave him the flexibility to develop the character, even though initially he was not supposed to be Minato’s son.

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Naruto Uzumaki Made Sense But Was Not Satisfactory

Naruto ‘Uzumaki’ is understandable, but it was not satisfactory. He did not choose the name instead, he was given it when he was an infant when his parents died. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, took care of him, but fans often question this. He could have a better house with companionship and fresh milk. But he never got it.

Masashi Kishimoto
Masashi Kishimoto

Also Read: Keanu Reeves Was the Inspiration for One Naruto Character

The outcast treatment could have been overcome if he was given the Namikaze name. With that name, Naruto could have had a proper childhood. It is a tradition in the Western World to take the father’s name, but it was different for Masashi Kishimoto. As a result, the positive effect was missing from his life, and most of the time he was sad.

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At the end of the day, the Uzumaki name paid off, and the fans got to see one of the greatest stories and an iconic character. Be it Uzumaki or Namikaze, he was destined to become great. His Will of Fire will always be carried on by his fandom. But it is still confusing, as to why no one was able to recognize the fact that he was a photocopy of the Fourth Hokage and had the same hair with the Uzumaki surname.

Also Read: Naruto Theory Claims One Akatsuki Member Was Jiraiya’s Spy Who Saved Konoha, May remain an Unsung Hero Like Itachi Uchiha

Priyanko Chakraborty

Written by Priyanko Chakraborty

Articles Published: 635

Priyanko is a Content Writer at FandomWire, and specializes in anime. He is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in Economics. Priyanko has previously worked as a content writing intern. He spends half of his day writing on anime, and the other half watching it.