Why Naruto wearing orange despite being a ninja makes no sense

Fans fell in love with how Naruto grew up and became one of the strongest shinobi in existence in the long-running anime franchise. But being a ninja, many fans have questioned his decision to wear orange outfits since the color makes him stand out a lot more than he’s supposed to as a ninja.

Maintaining stealth is one of the most basic shinobi codes. However, Naruto’s mostly orange outfits make him pop out way more than he should. Although mangaka Masashi Kishimoto explained why he chose to make the main protagonist wear orange, being a ninja, it still makes no practical sense.

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Naruto wearing orange eradicates shinobi code of stealth

His outfits make him irrefutably spotable

The orange outfit makes him stand out much more than he’s supposed to (Image via Studio Pierrot)

No fan of the anime can deny that Naruto’s bright orange outfit completely defies the whole purpose of a ninja. If we speak logically, ninjas are supposed to be subtle in their actions.

This is the sole reason why most shinobis, including the jounins and other high-ranking characters, appear to wear outfits that are mostly blue, green, blue, and black.

Some characters, of course, appear wearing other colors, but they have one thing in common - wearing outfits that would help them blend in with their surroundings. Surprisingly, even Naruto’s eternal rival, Sasuke, doesn’t defy this ninja code and sticks to wearing colors like dark blues and black.

The fact that his mentors like Kakashi, Jiraiya, and others never really told him to change his outfit is also weird. For instance, Kakashi seldom appears in anything other than the jounin outfit of Konoha, which is black and green, a perfect combination to help him camouflage.

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Why does the hero only wear outfits colored orange?

Despite the innumerable cons and the critique the protagonist might face, his wearing orange is still significant. And his outfits have a deeper meaning than just making him stand out for being the hero and main focus of the anime.

Naruto wants the attention that comes his way. He wants to stand out. This feeling can be easily drawn back to when he was small and completely unrecognized.

The villagers hated him for being the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox and treated him like an outcast. Maybe this is why he decided to play along and wear a color unique to him, which would make him stand out from his fellow mates.

His unique choice of outfits also correlates significantly with the Kyuubi. If Naruto’s whiskers weren’t enough, his orange outfits further coincide with the color of the Nine-Tails and its chakra, which are also orange.

Lastly, his outfits are a perfect blend of his parents’ personalities. Naruto’s father, Minato Namikaze, was regarded as the ‘Yellow Flash of Konoha,’ owing to his ability to travel at incredibly high speeds.

On the other hand, the red hair and great barehanded fighting power of his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, made her earn the title of the ‘Red Hot-Blooded Habanero.’

The protagonist’s decision to wear orange in a very symbolic way compliments these two colors related to his parents since the mixture of yellow and red results in orange.

If we must critique the choice of outfits of the main protagonist, let’s not overlook others characters. Sakura has bright pink hair and wears red throughout the series, while Jiraiya possesses a flashy white hairstyle. Others with similarities also don’t compliment the ninja code of stealth.