Iwabe: Is Iwabe canon in Boruto? Explained

Is Iwabe canon in Boruto? Explained

Modified Jul 31, 2024 20:30 GMT

Boruto was released as a sequel to the highly successful Naruto series. It adapts the manga of the same name, often delving deeper into its events and further building on the story and its wide roster of characters.

Among the many new faces we see is Iwabe Yuino. Initially distant, blunt, and domineering, he had a change of heart when he met Boruto Uzumaki and developed a positive attitude. Given all that Iwabe is and has done so far, fans have wondered if he is canon or not.

To put it simply, Iwabe Yuino is not canon. He makes his appearances in the anime and then in a certain novel that covers the first 6 episodes of the anime. However, his involvement in the series is a little complex.

Iwabe Yuino is not canon in Boruto

Iwabe Yuino majorly appears in the anime right from the first episode. While a standout during his entire time at the Academy, his poor academic test grades lead him to be held back repeatedly. He was eventually grouped with Metal Lee and Denki Kaminarimon, forming Team 5.

As for his part in the manga, he doesn't appear in it. His screen time has been mainly spent in anime. Iwabe has appeared in 16 of the anime's 26 arcs, the last one being the Kawaki & Himawari Academy Arc. This was the arc where he attended an Academy-held festival with his friends.

But the celebrations were interrupted when the festival received a terrorist threat. This was when Iwabe and the other students lent a hand to solve the situation by removing explosive tags around the area.

In essence, parts of the anime are also being adapted into a novel series titled Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Novel. The novels have been penned by Kou Shigenobu and Miwa Kiyomune and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto.

There have been 5 novels released, including The New Leaves Soaring Through the Blue Sky! (where Iwabe appears), A Call from the Shadows!, Those Who Illuminate the Night of Shinobi!, School Trip Bloodwind Records and The Last Day at the Ninja Academy!.

Each of these novels covers a certain number of anime episodes. As for the main manga, the first part consisted of 26 arcs and 80 chapters. It ended with the Prophecy Arc with the story then transitioning to Part 2, i.e., Two Blue Vortex, which has released 12 chapters so far.

Final thoughts

Wasabi Izuno and Iwabe Yuino (Image via Pierrot)

To reiterate, Iwabe Yuino is not a canon in the main manga. But that does not mean he is an unimportant character. During the first part of the anime, he played a role in shaping the young Uzumaki, both as a shinobi and as a character.

Moreover, if it was not going to be used later, he wouldn't have received the kind of screen time that he received. Considering the minds behind the Boruto series, Iwabe will definitely play a substantial role in the future. As always, the anime will build on it to flesh out his character further.