Naruto: Is Asura Otsutsuki the first Uzumaki? Explored

The Naruto series is known for the diversity of clans, each possessing a particular trait that makes it unique compared to other clans. Each clan is diversified from prominent historical figures Indra and Asura Otsuski, the offspring of Hagoromo Otsutsuki.

Senju, Uchiha, Uzumaki, and all of the other famous clans in the series emerged from these two individuals as they developed their characteristics as years passed.

The question arises of whether either of these ancestors can be considered the first members of the clans that diversified from them. For instance, is Asura the first member of the Uzumaki clan? As the name suggests, Asura was an 'Otsutsuki' clan member and cannot be considered the first member of the Uzumaki clan. Then, who was the first member of this clan?

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Naruto.

---

Naruto: Discovering the first member of the Uzumaki clan

Ashina (left) and Hashirama Senju (right) as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Even though he is the forefather of the Uzumaki clan, Asura is not the first Uzumaki because he is an Otsutsuki. The author has not revealed the first member of the Uzumaki clan, but the oldest Uzumaki clan member introduced in the series was Ashina Uzumaki.

Ashina Uzumaki was the leader of the Uzumaki clan, who was introduced during episode 500 of Naruto Shippuden during a flashback of Kushina as she told Naruto about her origins. Ashina has been a mystery character, as only some information about him was revealed.

During this episode, he displayed his secret Uzumaki Sealing Technique to seal away a berserk Nine-Tails. After that, there was no mention of him in the anime or any Gaiden novel series.

---

Mito Uzumaki, one of the most essential Uzumaki clan members

Mito Uzumaki as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

As the character of Ashina Uzumaki was not explored in the Naruto series, fans consider another member of the Uzumaki clan one of the first members of this clan. That is Mito Uzumaki, the wife of Hashirama Uzumaki and the first Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast. She first appears in Kushina's flashback when the latter tells Naruto about her origins and how the Uzumaki clan came to be.

Mito Uzumaki is not the founding member of the Uzumaki clan. Still, she is the first Uzumaki to be introduced to the fans and the first Uzumaki to enter the Hidden Leaf Village. This is because she married Hashirama after he founded the Hidden Leaf Village and was nominated as the first leader (Hokage).

---

Final thoughts

A while ago, a character popularity poll named "Narutop99" took place on the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of this anime series. This popularity poll was a generous offer from the author, as the poll winner would get an official one-shot adaptation written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto himself.

After the wait of a whole month, the winner was revealed to be Minato Namikaze, who received a one-shot manga series. This one-shot featured Minato's early life with Kushina when Naruto wasn't born and how the ninjutsu "Rasengan" was created.

While some fans opted for the more popular characters, some voted for characters like Ashina, who remained a mystery throughout the anime series. These fans were intrigued by the origins of these characters and wanted to know more about how they developed their clan throughout the ages.