Boruto and Kawaki may be the missing Otsutsukis (and it makes perfect sense)

Modified Mar 15, 2025 06:30 GMT

Boruto could be establishing a major plot twist with the two main characters (Image via Shueisha).

Boruto has a major mystery at the moment which is the identity of Shibai Otsutsuki and his partner, who traveled to Earth before the other members of their race. While there have been a lot of theories on the matter, one recently discussed is the possibility that the titular protagonist and Kawaki could be Shibai and Amado from a different timeline.

The idea of time travel and different timelines has been something that the Boruto series has established with anime-only content and recent events with Kashin Koji's abilities, meaning that these two characters coming from another reality are feasible. Moreover, it gives some context to Amado's actions and allows people to interpret the information of Shibai Otsutsuki in a different light.

Disclaimer: This article is a speculative theory and reflects the writer's opinion.

Explaining how Boruto and Kawaki could be Shibai and Amado from a different timeline

Shibai Otsutsuki and Amado as seen in the series (Image via Shueisha and Studio Pierrot).

It was established in the series that the Ten Tails' dimension had the sigils of the different Otsutsuki members who have arrived at Earth throughout the centuries, with two of them not being identified thus far. There is a common conception that these two individuals were the first to arrive and could be a future version of Kawaki and the protagonist, disguised as Shibai Otsutsuki and Amado.

The series has made it clear through Kashin Koji that there are different timelines and could be a similar approach to Future Trunks in Dragon Ball where his actions didn't affect his reality but gave the present-day cast a chance to save their world. Therefore, there is the possibility that these two characters chose to travel to the past to avoid people in this timeline going through the same problems.

When it comes to Kawaki, it has been noticed by the fans that Amado looks like an older version of that character, and seems quite odd that the scientist has such an understanding of so many secrets, especially regarding Shibai, while being a normal man. Furthermore, Shibai Otsutsuki is seen as someone in black ropes, unlike his clan's white clothes, and not having the "shiki" in his name like other males of his race, which could be Boruto's way of differentiating himself.

More details about this theory

The two characters as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha).

As mentioned earlier, the series also established the concept of time travel in the anime, with the protagonist traveling to the days of kid Naruto, so it isn't strange to think this could happen in the manga. Furthermore, the idea of the titular character losing his humanity has been going on during the vast majority of the manga, so his eventually turning into Shibai, especially now that he is a full-blown Otsutsuki, would make a lot of sense.

This would also explain how Amado has so much knowledge of Shibai and could explain the inner mechanics of Eida since her love for Kawaki seems far too convenient without a proper explanation. There is also the fact that Omnipotence worked perfectly for Amado, so there is an argument to be made that he knew of these events and is manipulating the story for something to happen, perhaps related to future Boruto gaining a physical body once again.

Final thoughts

Boruto and Kawaki being Shibai and Amado from the future would be a surprising twist but there is some decent groundwork to make it seem logical. Furthermore, it would explore some of the lore and new elements introduced in this sequel.

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Edited by Bharath S