Kishimoto Opens Up About His Challenges in Developing Sasuke’s Character in Naruto

This article contains spoilers from Naruto’s Final Saga.

Overview

Sasuke’s intricate design and expressions posed significant challenges for Kishimoto during the creation of Naruto.
Through these challenges, Kishimoto ultimately came to favor drawing Sasuke over time.
Regardless of the hurdles, Sasuke remained an essential and captivating character throughout the Naruto series.

Masashi Kishimoto has crafted an array of inspiring characters throughout the Naruto franchise, establishing it as one of the most beloved stories of recent times. The series’ immense popularity speaks to its engaging narrative, revolving around the adventures of Naruto Uzumaki and his main rival, the enigmatic Sasuke Uchiha. While writing captivating characters is inherently challenging for any author, Kishimoto particularly grappled with Sasuke’s character for various reasons he later discussed in interviews.

Kishimoto’s Drawing Struggles with Sasuke

One of the prominent hurdles Kishimoto faced was Sasuke’s complex character design, particularly in the early phases of the series. This complexity included an elaborate outfit compared to his peers, as well as challenges in depicting his facial expressions accurately. Kishimoto aimed to create impactful moments that would reflect Sasuke’s importance. Although he gradually simplified Sasuke’s design by minimizing details over time, the intricacy of his facial features remained a persistent issue.

Conveying emotions through Sasuke’s typically calm demeanor added to Kishimoto’s challenge. He acknowledged the difficulty of portraying Sasuke’s feelings authentically:

This is the first image of Sasuke. It hasn’t changed very much up to now. The only big difference is that he lost that thing around his neck. It’s the same for all characters; the more you draw them, the more you add more lines. You add accessories and such. And with a main character, you get really excited and keep adding stuff…

In my opinion, Sasuke’s face and movements are the hardest to draw. And if I’m not careful, his face ends up looking too adult. I’ve never had a child character with eyes like that in any of my mangas, so it’s very hard to draw.

Kishimoto noted that Sasuke required additional attention, leading him to regard Sasuke as his favored character. This preference arose as he struggled to perfect Sasuke’s facial expressions—an endeavor made more strenuous by the need for clarity in his emotional undertones. Kishimoto’s editor intervened, urging him to revise Sasuke’s expressions multiple times to achieve the desired effect, illustrating the intense effort behind this character’s emotional resonance.

In a similar vein, other characters like Sakura and Kakashi also presented drawing challenges, especially regarding their expressive capabilities.

Kishimoto’s Uncertainty in Sasuke’s Character Arc

Beyond design difficulties, Kishimoto faced significant uncertainties regarding Sasuke’s character arc. When Sasuke first appeared, Kishimoto had an exciting vision for him but remained unsure about Sasuke’s motivations and trajectory—particularly after Sasuke’s pivotal decision to leave his village. This departure marked a critical moment in the plot, highlighting Kishimoto’s struggles to navigate Sasuke’s development while maintaining narrative momentum.

Initially aiming for a climactic confrontation with Itachi Uchiha, Kishimoto wrestled with the contours of Sasuke’s growth throughout the series. Despite these obstacles, he ultimately sculpted Sasuke into a character whose depth and evolution contributed substantially to the overall narrative coherence. This complexity made Sasuke not just a compelling figure but arguably the most engaging character until the series’ conclusion.

Sasuke as Kishimoto’s Favorite Character

All these struggles culminated in Sasuke emerging as Kishimoto’s favorite character to depict. He openly expressed admiration for Sasuke, particularly noting the intricate and evolving dynamics between him and Naruto Uzumaki. Kishimoto’s commitment to exploring Sasuke’s complex character arc is evident in the series, solidifying Sasuke’s place as a standout in the franchise.

Overall, the enduring legacy of Sasuke Uchiha is a testament to Masashi Kishimoto’s artistic dedication and storytelling prowess. Readers can explore Sasuke’s journey in detail by checking out MangaPlus and the Shonen Jump app for the official release, supporting the author while immersing themselves in this iconic narrative.

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