Yes, Kurama Is Finally Back in ‘Boruto,’ and the World Seems Like a Better Place Because of It!

Remember when, a couple of years ago, Kurama died in Boruto? Well, back then, we talked about how it happened and why Kishimoto killed one of the series’ most popular characters. We also talked about how bringing Kurama back wouldn’t make much sense and how it would lessen the impact of Fox’s death in the first place, but… well… as you might have guessed by now – Kurama is, indeed, back in Boruto and despite the fact that many think it is bad writing, the world is once again a better place with Kurama back.

The scoop comes from the latest chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Chapter #9, which sees Himawari, who has been the prime candidate for Kurama’s potential host for some time (we had predicted that Boruto being the Fox’s potential host is unlikely), interact with a small, child version of Kurama, who asks her whether she knows who he is, leaving us on a major cliffhanger. But, let us start from the beginning.

First things first, since it’s been a while, how did Kurama die in the first place? The main “culprit” for Kurama’s death is Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, who arrived in Jigen’s body to fight Naruto with the intention of sealing him away in another world. As the fight progressed, Isshiki, at one point, engaged Naruto, Sasuke, and Boruto, and it was obvious that the villain would win. So, what happened then?

Seeing Naruto’s determination to stop him, even if it cost him his life, Kurama suggested using a form of last resort that would cost him his life. Kurama explained that it was like nuclear fusion, consuming both of their chakra to produce a new type of energy. After explaining the whole process, with Naruto agreeing, Kurama activated Baryon Mode on Naruto. In this new form, Naruto was unable to properly defeat Isshiki, but he significantly reduced his lifespan before passing out himself; not much later, Isshiki also began to feel the effects of the battle.

In Naruto’s subconscious, Kurama arrives to have his final conversation with Naruto. With Naruto prepared to die, Kurama reassured him that he would be fine and that Kurama was actually the one who sacrificed his life, not Naruto. The Fox then added that he never really lied to him – he simply hid the truth from him since he knew that Naruto would not risk Kurama’s life in exchange for power. Before disappearing, Kurama warned Naruto to be careful since he would no longer have access to his abilities and asked him to watch out for himself. After that, Kurama disappears in what seems to be his actual death.

The moment was a shock that left fans confused. Kurama was dead, and Naruto suddenly lost a major portion of his powers. Sure, he was still powerful, but he lost a substantial amount of his powers because of Kurama’s death. Back then, we hypothesized that Kurama was really gone, since it was a really emotional moment and it was an impactful death that actually influenced the plot and shocked everyone. Bringing Kurama back would belittle this moment, it would make it look just like another narrative tool, and Kurama really did not deserve it.

But, as we have said above, that is exactly what happened in the most recent Boruto chapter, as Kurama seems to have reincarnated and is now back, but he won’t be Naruto’s beast anymore, but Himawari’s as it seems. This has yet to be confirmed, but the manga is implying this. Kurama’s reincarnation is not a problem in itself, and we’re happy to have him back, but we are just concerned that this move actually tarnished the legacy that the character left when he died initially.

Having said this, Kurama being alive once again is a reality that we have to face and we are going to see how Kishimoto will handle the character’s return in the upcoming chapters, so be sure to keep following us for all the updates!

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!