Clans play a significant role in the Naruto franchise, as special abilities are passed down through generations, helping characters wield unique gifts. The Uchiha clan, for instance, possesses the dōjutsu kekkei genkai, the Sharingan, which is inherited by several characters who hail from the Uchiha bloodline. Naruto’s titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, belongs to the Uzumaki clan — a bloodline that faced near-extinction but eventually ended up thriving. What happened to the Uzumaki clan in Naruto and who are some of its prominent members?
The term “uzumaki” can be roughly translated to whirlpool or maelstrom, which is a reference to the incredibly powerful life force and chakra reserve that the members of the clan are born with. The Uzumakis were close to the Senju clan, and inter-clan marriages were common, a good example being the relationship between Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki. As alliances between the clans grew over the decades, the Uzumakis were honored by the Senjus in the form of the former’s emblem being added to shinobi clothing and various temples being erected in the clan’s name.
The village of Uzushiogakure was destroyed at some time, forcing members of the Uzumaki clan to scatter and immigrate. For instance, Nagato, who later assumes the alias Pain, was raised in Amegakure and later returned to Konoha to destroy the village. Naruto was the only known Uzumaki clan member to live in Konoha for a long time, and he demonstrated abilities unique to the clan, including enhanced endurance, which explains how he was able to contain the Nine-Tailed fox inside him for a long time.
Was the Uzumaki clan nearly destroyed?
As explained above, the Uzumakis were forced to flee their own village after it came under seige, which prompted many of them to immigrate. Naruto’s mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was an incredibly powerful shinobi known for her effective sealing jutsu, which caused panic and fear amongst many. As other nations deemed this ability as a threat to their own power, Uzushiogakure was attacked, and many clan members lost their lives in the process. Thankfully, Kushina managed to escape and took refuge in the Hidden Leaf Village, which is why Naruto grows up in the village after the death of his parents.
Although Naruto had little to no idea about how important his clan was while growing up (including the fact that his father, Minato Namikaze, was the Fourth Hokage), he gradually learns about the remaining members of his clan. Karin and Nagato, both members of the Akatsuki, turn out to be Uzumaki descendants, as confirmed in the manga and anime. After Naruto becomes Hokage in Boruto, his children, Boruto and Himawari, carry on the legacy of the Uzumaki clan, and their stories are still in progress.
Despite being the target of political power tussles and attacks, the Uzumaki clan did not rise up in arms demanding retribution, as it would only lead to more violence and an all-out war. Nagato and the others, who followed the philosophy of growth through pain, went to great lengths to incite a war, and the consequences for the same have been disastrous. Naruto, on the other hand, emerges as a more balanced, wiser member of the Uzumaki clan (in spite of his knuckle-headed nature), and works towards bettering Konoha as a shinobi, and eventually, as Hokage.
In Boruto, the Uzumaki clan is currently thriving and attempting to set themselves on a path of healing from generational trauma. Boruto and Himawari, who are still children, already exhibit promising abilities for their age, and there is no doubt they will grow up to be well-respected members of the clan and the shinobi world as a whole.
