Kawaki finally admits Boruto's strength in Two Blue Vortex chapter 18

Boruto Two Blue Vortex has been underway for the past year and since its release, fans have praised it for its fight scenes and reintroduction of characters that viewers know from as early as Naruto. Boruto Two Blue Vortex from the beginning appears to be fast-paced than its predecessor.

The last chapters have been revelatory and have shown viewers a lot about the major characters. One character that has had a deep exposè is Kawaki. Since his introduction, fans are yet to see his character being properly explored. His abilities, which initially showed so much promise, are now underutilized.

During an interaction with Boruto in Chapter 15 of Two Blue Vortex, Boruto tells him to meet Amado to unlock his full abilities. In chapter 17, he requests Amado remove his limiters. Chapter 18 now depicts the young Shinobi doing an unlikely action as he praises the rogue ninja and acknowledges his strength. This comes after he sees how weak he is against the Uzumaki.

Disclaimer: This article contains the opinions of the author.

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Why does Kawaki finally admit Boruto is stronger?

Kawaki’s feeling of inadequacy also contributes to him asking Amado for power (Image via Studio Pierrot)

At the beginning, Kawaki fights against Boruto who comes to the village to protect it against Code. During this fight, Kawaki is severely outclassed and sees how weak he is. What saves Kawaki from further beating is his Karma. He activates it and makes the young Uzumaki retreat.

The gulf in abilities between him and Boruto keeps getting clearer as he sees the rogue ninja display powerful abilities. The young Uzumaki also fights on par with the Shinju, something most ninjas in Konoha struggle to do.

In Chapter 15 of Two Blue Vortex, Boruto admits that he can’t defeat Jura on his own and that he needs Kawaki at full strength. This subtle endorsement by Boruto, a person who Kawaki detests, might also be the reason why he acknowledges his rival’s strength.

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Will Kawaki’s new powers make him a worthy antagonist?

A power-up might not make Kawaki a worthy antagonist (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Kawaki and Boruto have dynamics similar to those of their predecessors, Naruto and Sasuke. While Naruto and Sasuke were thrilling characters to witness, the same cannot be said for their symbolic progeny in the Narutoverse.

Naruto’s son edges over Kawaki in so many things that are not related to power. The first problem with Kawaki is his limited exposition. While viewers have followed the protagonist’s journey from his days at the academy, Kawaki is shown in the latter stages of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. This doesn’t give enough time and space to fully flesh out his character.

His character motivations are also inconsistent and very abrupt. Some fans might argue that Kawaki's sudden fixation on exterminating all Otsutsuki is due to PTSD. Kawaki acknowledges his flaws. He knows his actions are hurtful, but at the same, he doesn’t show much remorse.

This issue is further complicated by Eida’s omnipotence and the three-year time skip. The protagonist and antagonist have switched places with Kawaki being seen as the son of the Hokage. Despite this, he does the opposite of what the Uzumaki would do. He doesn’t train any of his abilities, he just remains complacent.

This is one of the reasons his power-up feels half-baked. It has a Deus Ex Machina feel and is a lazy way to put the protagonist and antagonist at the same power level. All this worsens Kawaki’s credibility as an antagonist.

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Final thoughts

Chapter 18 of Two Blue Vortex promises some of the best fights in the Narutoverse. It will also serve as a turning point for the entire series as it features the Sunagakure arc and Kawaki’s conversation with Amado.

How Kawaki’s conversation with Amado will end is unknown, but some fans are speculating that Amado will either use a shutdown code or find a way to deceive Kawaki. Kawaki’s body holds a lot of significance to Amado, as it is key to resurrecting his daughter, Akebi. Every action Amado will take is to ensure his daughter’s survival.

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