Does Iruka Umino appear in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations? Let’s take a look at his role and overall importance in the sequel series.

The Naruto series is perhaps one of the few franchises that can make even its side characters an irreplaceable part of the narrative. One such side character is Iruka Umino, who essentially served as Naruto Uzumaki’s father figure throughout the series. In spite of his crucial role in the narrative, he often gets overlooked by many.
There isn’t anything particularly extraordinary about Iruka Umino. He certainly wasn’t the strongest shinobi, nor did he have some reality-warping jutsu. What made him truly special was that he was one of the first few people who saw Naruto as more than just a threat to the Hidden Leaf Village or the vessel of the Nine-Tailed Beast.
Although Iruka had a fairly important role in the original Naruto series, his significance in the overarching narrative gradually deteriorated. In fact, his appearances were quite scattered and rare in the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations show, which was pretty disappointing for Naruto fans.
When Does Iruka Umino Appear in Boruto?

In the Boruto series, Iruka Umino was promoted from the position of an instructor to that of Headmaster of the Ninja Academy of the Hidden Leaf Village. One of his first appearances in the Boruto series saw him attending the inauguration of Naruto Uzumaki as the Seventh Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village.
From thereon, he appeared in quite a few initial arcs of the Boruto anime, with his first one being the Academy Entrance arc. It saw him dealing with the new generation of shinobi, including Naruto’s son Boruto, who turned out to be quite a handful—similar to how his father used to be at his age.
His last appearance in the Boruto series was in the Sasuke Retsuden arc. In this arc, Iruka was given the responsibility of watching over Sarada Uchiha. Meanwhile, Sarada’s father, Sasuke, went on a mission in the Land of Redaku.
Iruka’s appearances were scattered throughout several arcs in the Boruto series. Overall, he appeared in around 8 story arcs. They are as follows:
- Academy Entrance arc
- School Trip arc
- Graduation Exams arc
- Versus Momoshiki arc
- Time Slip arc
- Ao arc
- Sasuke Retsuden arc
- Kawaki & Himawari Academy arc
Other than some brief appearances in the aforementioned arcs, Iruka was practically non-existent in Boruto. He wasn’t as important to the story as he was before. He also didn’t seem to have much influence or role in shaping the new generation of shinobi, especially after his promotion as the Headmaster of the Academy.
Iruka’s Importance in Boruto

Before discussing Iruka Umino’s importance in Boruto, let’s first take this into consideration—the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations series is more focused on the new generation of shinobi. As such, it makes sense that some of the older characters took a backseat in this show, allowing the newer characters to shine.
That said, characters like Shikamaru and Kakashi got a decent amount of screen time in Boruto. On the other hand, Iruka, despite being Naruto’s first real father figure, was barely acknowledged in the latter arcs. As the Headmaster of the Academy, Iruka should have been more involved in his students’ lives, particularly Boruto’s.
Given that he was such a vital part of the Naruto series, fans expected him to be involved in a greater capacity in the Boruto series as well. The lack of spotlight on his character was, quite frankly, a bit disappointing, to say the least.
Iruka’s Significance in Naruto

In the Naruto series, Iruka Umino was a side character. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he was any less important than other prominent characters in the series. In fact, he was an irreplaceable part of Naruto Uzumaki’s life, and his absence could have likely resulted in Naruto walking down a dark path. In fact, he was the first person who actually saw Naruto as more than just another troublemaker or even the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast.
When the entire Hidden Leaf Village was against Naruto and treated him like a complete outcast, Iruka tried his level best to stand by him and guide him as his teacher. What’s more, Iruka even risked his own life against Mizuki to protect Naruto in the very first episode of the original anime.
From thereon, Iruka continued to be a constant presence in Naruto’s life. Whether it was to scold him for his mischief or share a bowl of ramen with him, Iruka continued to be there for Naruto. Even when Naruto started training under Kakashi or Jiraiya, Iruka was still the one person Naruto could rely on for emotional support. Overall, Iruka’s relationship with Naruto is one of the series’ most emotionally resonant and heartfelt ones—making him an irreplaceable part of the narrative, despite his limited role.
Could Iruka Have Been Used Better in Boruto?

It’s certainly not difficult to think of ways to give Iruka a more prominent part in Boruto‘s narrative without taking away the spotlight from the new generation of characters. For starters, he could have been more included in Boruto Uzumaki’s life. Given that Boruto always struggled to understand his father’s struggles due to his absence, Iruka could have been the perfect person to help Boruto gain a new perspective on his father.
In that regard, a flashback episode where Iruka narrated Naruto’s journey and his childhood struggles to Boruto could have been golden. As for his role as the Headmaster, he could have been made more relevant to his students’ lives. Lastly, Iruka should have been given a bigger role to play in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, especially since his favorite pupil’s life was in grave danger due to Kawaki’s actions.
Conclusion
To this day, Iruka Umino remains one of the most unforgettable characters of the Naruto universe. He may not be integral to the current narrative of the Boruto series. However, this shouldn’t diminish the importance of his character in any way. After all, the series could have been in a very different place today had it not been for Iruka’s influence on Naruto’s life.
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