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Naruto and Bleach fans usually engage in discussions online because their respective series were among the most popular shonen worldwide throughout the 2000s, with their legacies continuing even after their respective conclusions. When it comes to discussions, the way their main characters were handled is something most fans are still debating.
Ichigo and Naruto's handling throughout their respective series has been debated by fans, with some arguing that one was better than the other. Many feel that Ichigo, overall, had a much better conclusion when compared to Naruto, which is something that could be taken into account by the way their heritages were handled.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series mentioned. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.
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Explaining how Ichigo's heritage on Bleach was handled better than Naruto's in his own series
There was a discussion on X regarding how Bleach author Tite Kubo would have had Naruto Uzumaki with heritage from different sources across Masashi Kishimoto's series. However, someone also rightfully pointed out that, even without Kubo's influence, he was an Uzumaki (an important clan), a Namikaze (son of the Fourth Hokage), a Jinchuriki of the most powerful Tailed Beast (Kurama), and the reincarnation of Ashura.
Furthermore, Ichigo's role as human, Hollow, and Shinigami was developed throughout his series, with his Quincy heritage being a major plot twist that solved the mystery of his mother's passing and his relationship with his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu. One of Ichigo's themes throughout the series is understanding who he is, which comes to fruition during the "Everything But The Rain" portion of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc and is often considered the character's peak.
On the other hand, Kishimoto adding all of these elements created a lot of plotholes that have hurt his series in hindsight. These plotholes include no one in Konoha knowing that the protagonist was a part of the legendary Uzumaki clan, or knowing why he was neglected by Hiruzen, the Third Hokage. It even left behind questions regarding other characters, such as why Obito never attempted to capture him in his youth.
More details
It is worth pointing out that Tite Kubo managed to add the element of Ichigo's races and make it a plot point, as mentioned earlier, but also with the factor of the Soul King. As has been shown through Ichibe's actions, Ichigo was prepared to be a Soul King substitute and be used as a battery for the three worlds, which is a major plot point that the anime adaptation of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc is developing even further.
On the other hand, it is difficult to argue that Kishimoto's inclusions later in the story didn't make things a lot more complicated and devalued some key elements of his manga. A lot of fans felt that the protagonist being a reincarnation of a powerful entity devalued his struggles and always had him destined for greatness, which is something that makes his journey less rewarding.
While it is fair to say that both series had their own struggles when it came to their endings, it is probably also worth pointing out that Bleach had an overall better conclusion, especially considering that the final arc is currently being fixed by Kubo and Studio Pierrot in the anime adaptation.
Final thoughts
It is true that everyone can have different opinions, but it is also fair to say that Naruto's ending, with the different revelations of his heritage, did hurt the character in the long run. Meanwhile, Ichigo's heritage in Bleach was often developed and used for the story throughout several arcs, thus feeling a bit more organic.
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