Naruto: Why wasn't Shisui Uchiha resurrected for the Fourth Shinobi World War? Explained

Naruto's final arc, the Fourth Shinobi World War, has been the subject of endless criticism and debates even after so many years since the original series's conclusion, with fans arguing over several plot points. One question that has often been brought up is why Shisui Uchiha, one of the most naturally gifted members of the clan's history, wasn't brought back by Kabuto during this arc.

One of the most common answers echoed by the Naruto fanbase is that Kabuto simply couldn't find the body or samples of his DNA due to Shisui throwing himself into a river the moment he died. While that answer settles any potential debate or doubts, there are a few other possible explanations regarding author Masashi Kishimoto's creative direction at the time.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

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Explaining why Shisui Uchiha wasn't brought back to life by Kabuto during the final Naruto arc

Shisui Uchiha wasn't brought back by Kabuto through the Edo Tensei in the Fourth Great Shinobi War because he didn't have any of the former's DNA. Shishui threw himself into the river, following which he was never found. This is why Kabuto had no material to work with to bring him back. Jiraiya serves as another example of this situation.

Another explanation, now from a storytelling perspective, is that Shisui was heralded as one of the most naturally gifted Uchiha of all time, so bringing him back to his peak with infinite chakra granted by the Edo Tensei would have been a significant problem for Kishimoto. Considering how Madara Uchiha alone was a major challenge for the author to solve in the final arc, it makes a lot of sense that another powerful Uchiha wasn't revived.

It is also worth noting that Shisui's character was developed much later by Studio Pierrot and recent video games in the franchise, which may explain why fans have asked this question. The character's role in the manga is very minor, so Kishimoto probably never thought of him that much to consider bringing him back during this portion of the story.

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Why Shisui became a fan favorite

Shisui in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot).

Despite making few appearances in the series, Shisui Uchiha became a fan favorite throughout the Naruto fandom, and one of the reasons for this could be how different he is from the other characters in his clan. Madara, Obito, Sasuke, and Itachi are all dark and/or tortured individuals. Shisui was a lot stronger in his values and had a notorious sense of justice, which made him stand out from the rest of the Uchiha clan.

Furthermore, Kishimoto went on record to state how naturally gifted he was, developing a Mangekyou Sharingan at just six years of age and being one of the strongest Uchiha in history. There is also the feeling in the fandom that he was killed very young, which is why there is an element of his character never reaching the full scale of his potential, thus leaving fans wanting more.

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Final thoughts

Shisui Uchiha wasn't brought back by Kabuto through the Edo Tensei simply because the latter didn't have the DNA to execute Jutsu on him. There was also the factor of his power, which Kishimoto most likely did not want to deal with in an already complicated final arc.

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