Boruto could become the next Tanjiro from Demon Slayer

Although it was plagued by multiple issues in its initial run, the Boruto series has finally found its footing in the ongoing Two Blue Vortex manga. Additionally, the recent announcement of a sequel to the anime adaptation has further revitalized the fandom.

With the fanbase being at the peak of their excitement right now, it's time to discuss a major theory regarding one of the series' most enigmatic figures - Shibai Otsutsuki.

Fans have been speculating for quite some time that Masashi Kishimoto might be hinting towards the Otsutsuki God being the final antagonist of the series. Some have even considered the possibility of Shibai Otsutsuki possessing Boruto Uzumaki and turning him into a vessel to bring about destruction to the entire shinobi world - a fate reminiscent of what happened to Tanjiro Kamado at the end of Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer series.

Disclaimer: This article is a speculative theory and reflects the writer's opinions. It also contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer manga. Reader's discretion is advised.

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How Boruto Uzumaki might face a fate similar to that of Demon Slayer's Tanjiro Kamado

To start things off, let us first look at who Shibai Otsutsuki actually is. He's basically the closest thing the world of Naruto has to a literal God. After all, he was stated to have transcended his physical form. So far, he has devoured countless planets, ascended beyond mortality, and has been mentioned several times in the story.

Although Shibai is yet to make a physical appearance in the series, it's hard not to imagine him as the final antagonist of the Boruto series. Moreover, it's a possibility that many fans have been speculating about ever since he was first introduced in the manga. After all, whenever a god-like entity like Shibai appears in practically any show, they ultimately end up being the big bad.

Some fans took their theories even further, speculating that the all-powerful member of the Otsutsuki clan would emerge as the final big boss by possessing Boruto Uzumaki's body and turning him into his vessel. Such a twist is guaranteed to completely change the entire course of the series, as it would see the son of the Seventh Hokage actually becoming an enemy to the shinobi world.

What's even more interesting about this theory is that it would see Boruto becoming his universe's Tanjiro Kamado - and not in a good way. As many may recall, the overly optimistic and pure-hearted protagonist of Demon Slayer met a tragic fate, ultimately dying in the final battle against the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji.

Tanjiro as seen in Demon Slayer (image via Ufotable)

However, the tragedy didn't end with Tanjiro's death. After being defeated and left to die, Muzan injected his blood into Tanjiro's body, thereby passing on his will to destroy the Demon Slayer Corps to the beloved hero. This resulted in Tanjiro regrowing his lost limbs and becoming the new Demon King - one that even managed to conquer the sun.

Seeing Tanjiro, who was essentially the embodiment of kindness and humanity, fall victim to the same evil he had been fighting all along was a gut-punch to many. To say it was a bleak and hopeless situation would certainly be an understatement. None of the surviving characters were in any shape to fight, and most of them weren't even willing to fight back against Tanjiro in the first place.

Fortunately, Kanao Tsuyuri managed to save Tanjiro from completely giving in to his demon self, thus preventing an even bigger tragedy from taking place. To say that she saved the entire Demon Slayer universe from extinction is certainly no exaggeration.

As for Boruto, things are already looking bleak for him in the ongoing Two Blue Vortex series. At the end of the manga's first part, Boruto's identity and life got swapped with Kawaki's due to Eida's Omnipotence, causing him to go on a run after being driven out from his own village.

The irony of the son of the Seventh Hokage, who was raised to protect his village, being turned into the ultimate threat to it would undoubtedly make for some god-tier storytelling. Then again, if Shibai manages to possess Boruto and decides to use his body to lay waste to the entire shinobi world, it's hard to imagine anyone actually stopping him.

After all, Shibai is a literal God. And in the current chapters of the Two Blue Vortex manga, Boruto has become more powerful than anyone. Combining these two would be a recipe for disaster, since there would be no possible way for anyone to even think about beating them in a head-on fight. But that's a discussion for another day.

So, to address the elephant in the room - will Shonen Jump let this happen? It's definitely a strong possibility. And if it does end up happening, it would make for a pretty epic ending to a series that started off with overwhelmingly negative reviews. After all, it could feature almost every single character in the Narutoverse (those who are alive, that is) joining forces to take on a Shibai-possessed-Boruto.

Making Boruto the final antagonist of his own show would certainly be a bold move. After all, Tanjiro becoming the Demon King is something that no one saw coming - but are glad that it happened anyways, since it raised the emotional stakes of the climax to an even higher level. If Boruto does go down this route, it won't just step out of Naruto's shadow once and for all - it'd surpass it.

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Final Thoughts

As of now, Shibai Otsutsuki possessing Boruto is a mere fan theory - perhaps the most popular one. Even if Kishimoto doesn't go down this route, it's always a fun possibility to imagine.

It's also not hard to imagine the son of the Seventh Hokage becoming a villain, since a similar storyline has already happened in the series once, when Momoshiki took over Boruto's body and went on a rampage.

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