Why Might Guy is so obsessed with youth in Naruto?

With time, Naruto has introduced many characters who are loved for their unique feats and their distinctive perspective on the shinobi world. All the shinobis in Naruto are sent to the battlefield at a tender age. However, not all of them had a great start, as most of them were sidelined or overlooked for not possessing any innate talents in their childhood.

Might Guy proved everyone wrong by choosing his own path that his father told him about, and that was nothing else besides hard work and self-belief. Guy passed on his legacy to his most cherished student, Rock Lee. All Guy wants from himself and the people around him is to keep their spirit of “Youth” in check, and there is a legit reason behind his obsession with the term.

As Guy would say:

“You should know the Power of Youth”

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What does youth signify in Might Guy’s life in Naruto?

While most Naruto fans have dodged this question, a few get confused by what it means when Guy tells his students and his friends to keep themselves youthful. However, Might Guy’s “Youth” has nothing to do with being young or childish, and neither does it mean altering one's appearance to their prime.

In Guy’s dictionary, youth means to keep oneself strong and energized without getting sloppy and off-track with their mindset. It is a kind of motivation Guy always carries around himself and shares with his students and others by saying:

“The springtime of our youth has not ended.”

Guy expects himself and the others to act like they are in their youthful days, filled with energy. He also dislikes unnecessary ego and fully understands the importance of the essence of youth. That is why he can be heard saying this to Kakashi:

“What is with your attitude?! We’ll never be young like this again!”

Guy inherited the teachings about youth from his father, Might Duy, and he later realized the true meaning behind it by training extensively and witnessing his own strength growing. Youth also has other meanings, but it exclusively depends on the situation.

Over time, it has become a catchphrase for Guy, where he just distinguishes about every aspect by declaring if something is youthful or not. Guy tells his student, Lee:

"That's it, Lee! Let the power of youth explode!!"

There has never been a moment in Naruto where fans witnessed Guy losing his spirit. The only reason behind this is his dedication to keep himself going, no matter how much greater the obstacle would be.

Despite not possessing any talents in Ninjutsu, Guy gave every inch of his devotion to becoming the strongest shinobi ever to be born in Naruto. To accomplish his dreams, he worked day and night without cutting himself any slack and trained his body to an extent, making others call him insane and he indeed is. Guy only wanted to test his limits to break them.

His physical strength has surpassed many characters in Naruto due to his rigorous training routine. This is how he kept his youth in check by growing stronger. He learned about Eight Gates and became a force to be reckoned with. Guy never unleashed his Eighth Gate, as it would come at the cost of his life.

However, during his fight with Madara Uchiha, Guy released the Eighth Gate because he took an oath to only use it to save the people and the village he loved. Guy’s father once told him that victory isn’t about winning against something strong, it’s about defending what’s important to you. This was what Might Duy’s philosophy about youth, which Guy inherited.

Note: The article reflects the author's own views.