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Would Rock Lee have been the ideal protagonist in Naruto? Analyzing his circumstances and themes explored through the character.
Naruto Uzumaki is one of the most beloved characters in all of anime. Several shows have been released so far, but not many have impacted the medium of anime the way Naruto did. Therefore, being the protagonist of that series automatically makes the character quite popular. Being the protagonist of a series with such an impact comes with its benefits.
However, the anime community scrutinizes the character even more. This has led to an interesting topic on whether or not other characters would make a better protagonist in the series. When we talk about a list of candidates, there is one character in particular—Rock Lee. Would Rock Lee have been the ideal protagonist in Naruto?
This is an interesting question that makes us analyze Naruto’s traits and his journey. There is absolutely no doubt that he had an incredible story—going from an annoying brat to becoming the Hokage of the village. However, characters like Rock Lee could have been better protagonists who would drive home some of the most important motifs in the anime series. Here’s why fans believe that Rock Lee could have been a better protagonist than Naruto in the animanga series.
Naruto as a Protagonist
Naruto is someone who does not give up in the face of adversity. One of the biggest motifs in the anime is hard work. He was a good example, and there were many who followed his lead. When it comes to hard work, there are very few in the anime who could outdo him. His power is mostly credited to his hard work, and therefore, he is an exceptional protagonist.
Furthermore, fans didn’t really like him during the initial stages. He didn’t grow up with parents and often resorted to wreaking havoc in the village. Therefore, seeing his personality develop over a period of time was quite heartwarming, to say the least.
Furthermore, he was dealt a bad hand at a very young age. He didn’t have parents, people ostracized him, and some even bullied him. Additionally, he didn’t really have many friends during his younger years. However, he continued to focus on his goals and managed to get stronger. He saved countless lives and put his life on the line in a heartbeat.
Naruto was a symbol of hope for his friends, and they could rely on him. These are all traits that fans look for in a good protagonist. Therefore, there is no doubt that he deserved to be the main character. However, there are certain aspects pertaining to Naruto that could have been improved.
The Protagonist’s Shortcomings in the Anime
One of the most common motifs in Naruto is defying all odds. The ability to reach the very top despite having nothing is a theme that is explored in depth. However, if we take a closer look at Naruto as a protagonist, he was able to achieve his goal because of certain aspects that he didn’t particularly control. Fate also played a massive role in lending Naruto a hand in his journey to becoming the Hokage.
This doesn’t discredit any of the hard work that he put in. However, it is important to acknowledge the help he received in getting to the top. It is very unlikely that he would have become the most powerful shinobi if not for Kurama. Naruto was the Nine-Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, which automatically increased his chakra reserves exponentially. As a result, he was able to perform forbidden techniques like Shadow Clone Jutsu. This, in turn, helped him master variations of the Rasengan, and so on.
How Rock Lee Progressed in the Naruto Series
Rock Lee was someone who genuinely didn’t have anything when he first started. He didn’t have the ability to use his chakra for ninjutsu in a world where power was determined by this very ability. Rock Lee was born with the inability to do so. This meant he had to quite literally bring his fists into a fight that used elemental powers. There are so many various types of ninjutsu, creating infinite possibilities to disarm or kill an opponent. Meanwhile, Rock Lee only had to rely on his kicks and punches.
However, he had an incredible mentor. Might Guy was quite similar to Rock Lee in this regard. Both of them only used taijutsu, and they had to rise through the ranks to keep up with some of the strongest characters in the series. Rock Lee is the result of pure hard work. He didn’t have an ounce of talent in him. Therefore, everything he had done was because of his effort and hard work.
Rock Lee’s Personality Aligns Well With the Show’s Motifs
Rock Lee is the definition of hard work. As mentioned earlier, he is among the strongest shinobi in his village, and all of it was possible only because of his hard work. He was able to open multiple Gates at that point in time. However, it was an established fact that he was capable of opening all Gates towards the end of the anime series. This puts him on a similar level to Guy Sensei—the person who was acknowledged as the strongest fighter by Madara Uchiha himself.
Rock Lee is bubbling with energy like most shonen protagonists. Furthermore, he is quite optimistic and doesn’t let adversity get the better of him. The “never quit” attitude is more pronounced in him when compared to Naruto. However, he lacks the power and abilities that Naruto has, and this is purely because of the latter’s ninjutsu abilities. This further proves that talent plays a massive role, which clashes against the ideals that the original protagonist wishes to offer.
Conclusion
Rock Lee would make for a better protagonist because of his circumstances. Unlike Naruto, he didn’t receive any power-ups that allowed him to dominate the battleground. He had to resort to using kicks and punches, which was the only way to keep up with the rest of them. Despite that, he managed to become exceptionally powerful and a valuable asset to Konohagakure in the Naruto series.
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