Can Naruto still use the Sage of the Six Paths form? The transformation, explained

Naruto's Sage of the Six Paths form is one of the most popular and yet divisive transformations in the entire franchise. Some people have praised the transformation because it took the character to the absolute peak of his powers. Meanwhile, others think that was the moment that the series took a considerable decline in terms of quality and storytelling.

Despite popular beliefs, Naruto can still use the Sage of the Six Paths form even after he lost Kurama. There is the perception that he got this form from Hagoromo during the Fourth Shinobi Great War arc in the original series and lost it in Boruto when Kurama died. While that couldn't be further from the truth, it could be argued that the misunderstanding is due to a writing mistake.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Naruto series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

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Explaining if Naruto can still use the Sage of the Six Paths form and what the transformation is

A lot of fans believe that he can no longer use the Sage of the Six Paths transformation after Kurama died because of the Baryon Mode but that is untrue. The character can still use the transformation since that form was given in a way that transcends him having or not having Kurama. However, perhaps the biggest reason fans don't believe that is because he hasn't used it ever since the final arc of the original series.

Regarding how the form itself came to be, it was presented during the Fourth Great Shinobi War by Hagoromo Otsutsuki when he met Naruto and Sasuke. He mentioned that the transformation could only be given to those with "an iron will" and the mentality to never give up. This proved to be a massive power-up for the protagonist and gave him a lot of divine abilities, such as even healing significant wounds.

This transformation allowed the protagonist to keep up with Madara Uchiha to some degree in the final battle. It also proved to be essential to defeating Kaguya Otsutsuki at the end of the series. However, the character didn't use this transformation in Boruto, which is why a lot of people thought he lost it due to age in the sequel.

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The controversies of the Sage of the Six Paths

Hagoromo, Madara and Six Paths Naruto (Image via Studio Pierrot).

There are a lot of divisive opinions regarding this transformation in the franchise because of what it represented for the main character's journey and the motivation behind this power-up. It has become quite known in the anime community that Madara was written to be extremely powerful so author Masashi Kishimoto wrote himself into a corner and had to resort to coming up with sudden ways to defeat him.

A lot of fans didn't appreciate the fact that Naruto was suddenly a reincarnation of powerful beings, which did a disservice to his journey as an underdog. That is something that led to one more reason for fans to dislike the final arc of the original series, which receives criticism even to this very day.

However, another section of the fanbase believes that was the culmination of the character's journey and a reward for his hard work and dedication. Someone like Naruto could earn the power of this degree and use it for the greater good, which is something that at least makes sense with his journey throughout the series.

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Final thoughts

Despite what a lot of fans of the series have believed in recent years, Naruto can still use the Sage of the Six Paths form in Boruto without Kurama. He gained the form after his conversation with Hagoromo Otsutsuki in the Fourth Great Shinobi War in the original series and cemented the reincarnation plot point involving him and Sasuke Uchiha.