This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series.
Summary
- Minato Namikaze was almost a ninja dog
- Editors advised Kishimoto against animal Hokage
- Minato’s legacy as Fourth Hokage saved the world
Fans of the Naruto series are very fond of the elite ninjas of Konoha, not just because they’re strong, but also because they all carry the Will of Fire and know what it means to lead a village and protect its people. While there are quite a few Hokage that Konoha has enjoyed over the years, none of them are as iconic as the Fourth Hokage, Minato, who is one of the most popular characters in the Naruto series.
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Fans know the Fourth Hokage to be a legendary figure with immense power up his sleeve, but more than that, he’s known to be a hero who saved Konoha on many occasions. Kishimoto created a phenomenal character in Minato Namikaze, but it could all have gone very wrong for him had Kishimoto stuck to his original idea.
The Fourth Hokage Of Konoha And His Legacy
The Fourth Hokage Saved The World
When it comes to the Fourth Hokage, fans know that he’s considered to be a legendary figure the likes of which have only appeared a few times across history. Minato was considered to be unrivaled by the likes of Hiruzen Sarutobi and even Jiraiya, with the former making that claim Evan after having seen Hashirama in action. It goes without saying that Minato was always going to be one of the strongest in the whole world. His showing in the Third Great Ninja War was such that he was feared all across shinobi villages and eventually, he singlehandedly won the war for Konoha. Minato was one of the youngest Hokage ever and he led the village with compassion and strength.
I won’t fail. I have responsibilities on my shoulders too! — Minato Namikaze
On the day of the Nine-Tails invasion, Minato defeated Obito Uchiha and then also the Nine-Tails. He sealed half of the beast within himself, while the other half was sealed inside his son, Naruto Uzumaki. The Fourth Hokage averted a disaster and entrusted his son with the power to save the world. It is almost scary to imagine that none of this would’ve come to pass had Kishimoto gone with his original idea for the Fourth Hokage.
Kishimoto Wanted The Fourth Hokage To Be A Dog
- Kishimoto Wanted A Ninja Dog To Be A Hokage
- The Idea Was Eventually Discarded
When Kishimoto came up with Naruto, he had a rather curious obsession with wanting to base his story around animals. Kishimoto had originally intended for the Third Hokage to be a monkey, and even Naruto was originally supposed to be a fox capable of morphing into a human. However, few know that Kishimoto also had similar plans for the Fourth Hokage. In one of his interviews, Kishimoto states that he wanted to make the Fourth Hokage a dog.
I have faith in you, Naruto. You’re my son after all! — Minato
Fans know the Fourth Hokage had his face on the mountain that has the carvings of all the previous leaders of the village. Kishimoto had originally intended for there to be a dog where Minato’s face stood. The idea behind this was to simply have a strong dog in the story.
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The ninken that Kakashi utilizes in Naruto can be said to be similar to what Kishimoto wanted to do with the Hokage. He was really on board with the idea of Konoha having had a ninja dog as a leader in the past, but this idea didn’t materialize at the end of the day.
How Kishimoto’s Editors Helped Him Create The Fourth Hokage
Kishimoto’s Editors Advised Against The Animal Hokage Idea
Although Kishimoto himself was fully onboard with his animal Hokage idea, his editor didn’t like it too much. According to his editor, Kishimoto had started staying from the path of what they wanted Naruto to be as a series and falling back into the same patterns that he wanted to implement before. He advised against introducing this dog Hokage in the story. More than that, his editor was the one who gave the idea of the Fourth Hokage being a mysterious ninja who would later turn out to be Naruto’s dad.
Needless to say, fans know that the plot surrounding the Fourth Hokage in Naruto is one of the best, and at the same time, the dog idea wouldn’t have been too successful. This change was most certainly a good one from the editors of the story.
Naruto is available to read on the MangaPlus and the Shonen Jump app. Fans can read the official release and support the author by doing so.
