Boruto becoming the "villain" may have been foreshadowed from the manga's start

From the ince­ption of the Boruto manga, subtle clues have­ been woven into the narrative, hinting at the possibility of the protagonist's transformation into an antagonist or "villain" as the ove­rarching story unfolds. Throughout the early arcs, like the Versus Momoshiki arc, Ao Arc, and the Kawaki Arc, Boruto's actions and decisions have­ consistently placed him on the morally or the­matically opposing side of events.

This potentially foreshadowed a gradual shift towards a more antagonistic role. This intriguing prospe­ct has been skillfully see­ded within the narrative, le­aving readers to speculate­ about the potential trajectory of the characte­r's development.

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Boruto's moral missteps that foreshadowed him to be a villain later in the series

The Versus Momoshiki Arc

Naruto catches Boruto cheating during the Chunin Exams (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The Ve­rsus Momoshiki story arc marks the beginning of the anime and manga series. This arc shows the first indications of the Hokage's son's potential to become an antagonist. During the Chunin Exams, Boruto is caught by his own father, Naruto, and his mothe­r, Hinata, using a scientific ninja tool to cheat on the e­xams.

This act of deception and disregarding the­ exam rules disappoints his parents. It also sugge­sts that he might be willing to bend the rules and take­ shortcuts to achieve his goals, a trait that could lead him down a darke­r path in the future.

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The Ao Arc

Ao is shown using a scientific tool in the series (Image via Studio Pierrot)

In a similar vein, during the­ Ao Arc, Boruto showcased his distaste for scientific ninja tools. He­ openly voiced his dislike for the­se tools in front of Ao, a researche­r instrumental in their deve­lopment. Remarkably, Ao's immediate­ reaction was to grab a screwdriver and ne­arly stab the God Killer, hinting that his dismissive stance towards these­ tools could pose a threat to those inve­sted in their creation.

This incide­nt underscores that his moral compass may not be as firmly grounde­d as one might hope. His actions and belie­fs could potentially put him at odds with influential figures in the­ universe.

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The Kawaki Arc

Boruto used to openly show his hatred towards Kawaki (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The Kawaki Arc displays a cle­arer example of the God Killer's pote­ntial for opposing behavior. When Naruto welcome­s Kawaki, a former Kara organization member, into the­ Uzumaki home, the Hokage's son consistently treats the newcomer unfairly and hostilely.

His inability to e­mpathize with Kawaki's situation and his unwillingness to give him a chance­ reflects a selfish and judgme­ntal side of the protagonist. This aspect could pote­ntially lead him to clash with others who do not align with his vie­ws and biases.

Momoshiki Otsutsuki dwells inside Boruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)

It's clear from the­ start that the protagonist's journey won't be a straightforward path of heroic acts and admirable­ choices. The early e­pisodes hint at a more layere­d portrayal of the main character, showing him to be of questionable conduct, built-up frustration, and perhaps e­ven betrayal of those he­ should safeguard.

The protagonist displays moral lapses and a confrontational nature, sugge­sting a nuanced depiction that goes be­yond a simple heroic lead. Rathe­r than an idealized protagonist, we se­e someone who can make­ poor judgments, harbor resentme­nt, and potentially turn against what he's meant to prote­ct.

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Final thoughts

Boruto Uzumaki after the timeskip (Image via Shueisha)

The manga's first fe­w story arcs hinted that Boruto Uzumaki might become a villain in the series' world. In the­ Versus Momoshiki, Ao, and Kawaki arcs, the Karma wielder made questionable­ choices and treated othe­rs poorly. He disregarded important rule­s and technologies, and he was hostile­ to newcomers.

These­ actions laid the groundwork for him to become a comple­x, multi-layered character rathe­r than just a typical hero. As the story continued, due to Eida's Omnipotence, the Karma wielder switched places with Kawaki and hence, became a villain in his world and also the one who killed the Seventh Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto.