Why does Kawaki want to kill Boruto? ‘Naruto’ spinoff, explained

Ever since the very first episode of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, fans have been clamoring for answers with so many questions in such a short amount of time; What happened to Naruto and the Shinobi? Who destroyed Konoha? Also, who is this mysterious boy and why does he want to kill Naruto’s son Boruto? It’s been a frustratingly long wait to get answers to all of those questions but as the anime begins to draw towards its grand finale, we’re at last getting some much needed context and hints as to what the main conflict is about.

The entirety of Boruto has essentially been one extended flashback that builds up to the opening scene of the first episode, filling in the blanks as the plot progresses. When it started, we barely knew who these characters were. Of course, we have Boruto, son of Naruto, but the boy’s introduction came later. When he first appeared in the anime, he was found passed out by Boruto and the rest of Team 7. After helping him fight off a member of the Kara organization, they take the boy back with them and learn that his name is Kawaki.

We learn even more about Kawaki’s traumatic upbringing as time progresses, such as how his father beat him and then sold him to a man named Jigen, who experimented on him resulting in his Kama abilities. Jigen is revealed to be that leader of the Kara organization as well as a vessel of Isshiki, a member of the Otsutsuki clan who are the originators of kama. As a result, Kawaki has a deep-rooted hatred for the Otsutsuki clan. Naruto convinces Kawaki that he is safe in Konoha and takes the boy under his wing. He trains alongside Boruto who both, after initially disliking the other, begin to see each other as brothers. He even views Naruto as a father figure. 

Of course, this raised more questions than answers. We know who the mysterious boy is from the flash-forward at the beginning, but what could cause him to turn on Boruto and Naruto — whom he practically views as family?

As more and more pieces of the puzzle were uncovered, fans of the show started to formulate theories and put together the whole situation. Kawaki’s descent into villainy comes almost entirely from his obsession with Naruto; he wants to protect the Hokage of Konoha no matter the cost. His desire to do so leads him to make some shocking decisions that cause more harm than good. None of this is helped by the fact that Kawaki is so powerful that Naruto himself wouldn’t even stand a chance against him (as we are shown later on), so this pretty much gives him the freedom to do whatever he thinks is best… and that’s exactly what he does.

In a fight with Code, Boruto is possessed by Momoshiki, a member of the Otsutsuki clan and a potential threat to Naruto and others. Kawaki steps in with the intent to kill Momoshiki and, by extension, Boruto as well. Boruto gives Kawaki the go-ahead to do so. His hatred for the Otsutsuki means he doesn’t even hesitate, stabbing Naruto’s son through the chest. Of course, Boruto being the titular character meant that he was literally fine right after the fight (it’s all explained away with kama), but he’s still a vessel for Momoshiki and Kawaki’s resentment of that coupled with his fiercely protective attitude towards Naruto means that he can’t see Boruto as anything other than a threat to those he cares about. 

Although it goes against Naruto’s wishes and means that he’ll have to kill his own adopted brother, Kawaki vows that he will put a stop to Boruto before Momoshiki can cause any harm. Naruto tries to prevent this but Kawaki opens a rift and sends the Hokage and Hinata away to stop them from interfering. Afterwards, he tries again to kill Boruto, but fails and leaves Konoha. However, with the assistance of Ada, he is able to warp reality and swap places with Boruto, he then frames him for Naruto and Hinada’s deaths.

Whilst we still haven’t been given all of the pieces of the puzzle, Kawaki’s motivations for killing his brother are pretty clear. It’s a pretty tragic villain arc for the character as he is only acting out of a warped sense of loyalty to Naruto. His backstory gives a perfect explanation for his motivations and why he would hate the Otsutsuki to such an extent that he’s willing to stop at nothing to protect the people he cares about. Whilst Boruto’s on the run at the moment, it looks like we’re fast approaching that long awaited showdown between the two former friends.