Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto might have ended, but the legacy of one of the biggest anime and manga series still lives on in Boruto, the sequel spin-off series. It follows the adventures of Naruto’s son Boruto and his struggles in the ninja world. However, Kishimoto is not the one who is illustrating Boruto.
Boruto is written by Ukyō Kodachi and Masashi Kishimoto, but it is illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto. Ikemoto was Kishimoto’s chief assistant on Naruto, and when Boruto was offered to the Naruto creator, he decided to hand over the reign to Ikemoto. Thus, he is the one who looks out for most of the things in the series, including characters, narratives, etc.
Ikemoto recently revealed that Boruto’s character was inspired by Neo from the Matrix trilogy, and the two share a lot in common. While fans were thrilled to know this, it looks like Ikemoto might have hinted at Boruto’s death in the series by revealing the inspiration behind the character.
Mikio Ikemoto Reveals The Inspiration Behind Boruto’s Character
Kishimoto and Ikemoto were recently interviewed during an event called Naruto & Boruto: Night at Konoha in France. This interview was shared by Yagami1211 on Fanverse, and it was during this interview that Ikemoto revealed his love for The Matrix franchise and its influence on the Boruto series and the character.
Ikemoto stated:
As for cinema, I was influenced by the Matrix trilogy, especially in my way of drawing and in my compositions. In the first part, Neo appears as the savior while in the second, he manages to control his power. It is similar to what distinguishes the childhood part from the young adult part of Boruto. As for manga, my influence remains Dragon Ball.
Boruto’s parallel with Neo from The Matrix trilogy is evident from their journey throughout their narratives.
Both characters initially learn about their place in the world and then move on to save it. They both carry the “chosen one” trope but understand the burden of responsibilities that comes with it.
Boruto Might Die In The End
Mikio Ikemoto’s use of Neo’s character for the creation of Boruto might be an intriguing piece of information for Boruto fans, but if Ikemoto is following Neo’s journey in the form of Boruto, he might be planning to kill him at the end of the series. This is because Neo’s character also dies in the third film, The Matrix Revolutions.
In the third film, Neo sacrifices himself to reveal the truth about The Matrix to the world and save it from Smith. Boruto may follow the same path, as he also needs to save the Ninja world and prove his innocence.
As soon as fans got to know about Neo’s influence on Boruto’s character and his potential death at the conclusion of the series, they started figuring out more aspects that coincided with Neo’s story in The Matrix.
Yes i think boruto is going to die and Sarad will save him just like Trinity, Kawaki will revive Boruto with his Karma instead of Amado daughter.
— ABD (@AnimeBallsDeep) August 26, 2024
So the otsutuki is the matrix… aw shit, is boruto a simulation?
— Clutchnatiin98 (@Clutchnatiin98) August 26, 2024
Bro imagine they have been in the infinite tsukouomi this whole time and Boruto pulls up to the final battle Trunks style
— 🍄 (@XcrispygodX) August 26, 2024
I thought of Neo seeing that panel ngl
— daniel. (@cuisism) August 26, 2024
So Kashin Koji is Morpheus?
— Mon Solo (@Solliesthewise) August 26, 2024
While it is sad to learn that Boruto might die at the end of his own series, it is yet to be officially confirmed by Masashi Kishimoto or Ikemoto. Boruto’s narrative is a little different than Neo’s, thus he might be able to pull off saving the world without dying.
Boruto is available to watch on Hulu.
