Boruto: Sasuke’s Susanoo is never getting out of the "nerfed" allegations and it's partly due to Ikemoto

Sasuke’s Susanoo was one of the biggest talking points in the Shippuden series and the Boruto fanbase seems to be quite interested in this topic once again. Fans were revisiting some of the older chapters of the sequel series that featured Sasuke activating his Susanoo against an Otsutsuki threat.

This technique, at one point, was considered one of the strongest moves that would lend a shinobi a near-guaranteed victory. However, the Power Creep phenomenon has resulted in the series producing a variety of villains becoming stronger.

Fans are of the opinion that Sasuke will never beat the nerf allegations piled against him. Sasuke’s Susanoo too seems to be rather underwhelming at best when shown in battle. Let’s understand how Mikio Ikemoto’s art in the Boruto series has resulted in the character appearing weaker than he is.

Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers from the Two Blue Vortex manga chapters.

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Ikemoto’s interpretation of Sasuke’s Susanoo in the Boruto manga

Never beating the nerfed allegations byu/New-Skill-4981 inBoruto

Some might argue that the whole point of making characters like Sasuke look weak is for the next generation to take charge. This was one of the many ways to highlight the importance of the next generation of shinobis. However, certain illustrations in the manga made Sasuke’s Susanoo seem weaker, which is what fans have a problem with. They believe that Ikemoto’s art is partially the reason why Sasuke would never beat the nerf allegations in the Boruto series.

In the Shippuden series, Sasuke’s Susanoo dealt massive damage to its surroundings when he merely unsheathed his sword. This alone destroyed mountains and altered the landscape. The art was done by Masashi Kishimoto, and he did a brilliant job of capturing the sheer magnitude and force of the attack.

This was something that one would often miss while reading the manga. However, when Mikio Ikemoto drew Sasuke’s Susanoo, one could notice the difference in the art quality. Not only was Masashi Kishimoto’s art better, but Ikemoto’s art also failed to capture the strength and magnitude of Sasuke’s Susanoo.

Sasuke sealed by the Shinju (Image via Shueisha/Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto)

This is one of the main reasons why Sasuke will probably not beat the nerfed allegations. However, other pieces of evidence show Sasuke’s decline or his irrelevance to the overall plot. In the current manga series, he hasn’t played an active role in advancing the plot in any way. The last he was seen was when he taught Boruto all of the ninjutsu techniques he had.

In the manga, he has been sealed by the physical manifestation of the Ten-Tailed Beast chakra, who now identify themselves as the Shinju. It’s becoming clearer with each chapter’s release that Sasuke can no longer keep up with some of the next-gen shinobis.

He admitted that Boruto surpassed him. There are very few people in the series who can match Sasuke’s abilities, and to say that Boruto surpassed him shows that his time in the manga has come to an end. By this, we mean that he will no longer play an important role in the plot and will most likely take up the role of a minor deuteragonist.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

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Related links:

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter 8 spoilers

Kurama's return in Boruto

Does Himawari have Naruto's Tailed Beast chakra in Two Blue Vortex?