"This isn't complicated" - Bleach fans laugh at Naruto fandom claiming Uryu as a deuteragonist in Sasuke comparison

Bleach and Naruto fans have a long history of arguing with each other regarding a wide variety of topics when it comes to their favorite series, and now, the latter have claimed that Sasuke Uchiha is "a better-written deuteragonist" than Uryu Ishida. That has led to a lot of different reactions from fans of author Tite Kubo's work, mainly stating that Uryu was never a deuteragonist, thus making the comparison less valid.

It is worth pointing out that Uryu has always been compared to Sasuke from Naruto and has even been dubbed "Bleach's Sasuke," although that is mainly because they are both very stoic, have a conflictive relationship with the protagonist despite being friends, and have a somewhat similar design. However, when focusing on the writing side of things, it is fairly obvious that these two characters serve very different roles in the story.

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

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Naruto and Bleach fans discuss Uryu Ishida's deuteragonist role when compared to Sasuke Uchiha

A person on X claimed that Sasuke Uchiha is a much better-written deuteragonist than Uryu Ishida, which has led fans of the latter and his series to state that he never had that role. That point is very valid since Sasuke does serve a role as a second protagonist in his series while Uryu is a bit more in the background when compared.

The origin of this comparison goes all the way back to both series' heyday during the 2000s since both Sasuke and Uryu have very similar appearances and personalities. It also helps that they are voiced by the same person, Noriaki Sugiyama, leading to more comparisons in that regard.

However, Uryu Ishida plays more the role of an ally to Ichigo Kurosaki while Sasuke has his own journey and story throughout the manga. That is a major difference, with the Uchiha fulfilling the role of the deuteragonist quite well while the Quincy has another role to play in his series.

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It is also worth pointing out that Bleach doesn't have a deuteragonist, with Ichigo obviously playing the role of the main character and no one really coming close in terms of the spotlight and time he spends on screen. Some people have mentioned Rukia Kuchiki as the deuteragonist of the series but her relevance and time in the story lessens as different arcs go by.

On the other hand, Sasuke Uchiha comes from one of the most gifted clans in the Hidden Leaf Village, with all of them killed by his brother, Itachi, leading the former to swear revenge. Sasuke's journey gets as much attention and focus as Naruto's own story in the manga, especially as the series gets closer to the end.

"Why do people think uryu is a deuteragonist when all he is just a major side character. Renji and rukia would be the actual deuteragonist," someone said.

"Uryu is more like Piccolo and Grimjow is more like Vegeta. And if we’re compared him with Sasuke then Grimjow beats Sasuke by miles," another person said.

"The anime community when they see a character that is friend of the MC, dark hair, cool headed: 'oh look a Sasuke copy, must be the deuteragonist,'" someone else said.

Naturally, a deuteragonist can be seen almost as a co-protagonist and someone who has his or her own story, which is something that Uryu isn't in Bleach. On the other hand, Sasuke fits that role quite well in Naruto.

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