Kawaki's character is defined by one of Boruto's most forgettable moments

Modified Feb 25, 2025 04:30 GMT

As Boruto fans would know, Kawaki loved Naruto Uzumaki and wanted to protect him at any cost. This has become even more evident in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex as the Karma user planned to take his own life after defeating all Otsutsuki threats. While this may seem just from his perspective, why does Kawaki not value his life?

The reason behind this is deeply defined in Kawaki's psyche. Jigen had molded him in such a way that he thought himself to be worthless. Surprisingly, this moment was best captured by one of the most forgettable moments in the series, that is the time when Kawaki repaired the vase Himawari made for Naruto.

Disclaimer: This article may contain spoilers from the Boruto manga.

Kawaki failing to repair the vase defines his character in Boruto

Himawari and Kawaki as seen in Boruto manga (Image via Shueisha)

As fans may remember, soon after Naruto brought Kawaki home, in an attempt to escape, the Karma user flipped the dining table. While doing so, he mistakenly broke the vase that Himawari made for her mother Hinata on her birthday. Boruto was angry at Kawaki for this and forced him to repair it with superglue to show he was sorry.

Soon after, Kawaki tried fixing the vase by slowly sticking each piece together. Unfortunately, despite his tedious efforts, a small piece was missing, leaving a hole in it and causing water to leak. While this moment may have seemed insignificant, it also defined Kawaki's psyche.

Kawaki and Naruto as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Kawaki's childhood was extremely traumatic. His biological father abused him both physically and emotionally. Later, his father sold him to Jigen, who subjected him to even worse abuse. During this time, Jigen planted the idea in Kawaki's head that he was worthless without the Karma. This became the foundation of Kawaki's psyche for the longest time.

It was only after Naruto adopted him that he started experiencing unconditional love. In fact, this period was the first time he began befriending people, participating in hobbies, eating snacks, training to become a ninja, etc. Basically, he started making real progress in healing from his past, and with that, he finally started to feel his self-worth.

Kawaki as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Unfortunately, this did not last for too long as after Kawaki's confrontation with Isshiki Otsutsuki, he was forced to relive his tragic past. Facing his abuser undid much of his progress, reinforcing the painful beliefs Jigen instilled in him previously. During this battle, Kawaki also remembered what Jigen had told him.

"You have...nothing...you are empty...and more than anything...you loathe your empty self. You deny your own worth. There is a hole in your heart. Nothing you gain will fill it. It'll just spill right out of that hole. That is precisely why I bestowed the Karma upon you. Because it the one and only thing that can fill your punctured heart. It's a special mark."

With these words, the Boruto manga depicted how Kawaki was similar to the vase. No matter how much time he spent trying to fix himself, his progress would leak out like the water from the broken vase. This is why Kawaki no longer considered his life worthy and was prepared to kill himself to protect the one person who he cared about, Naruto Uzumaki.