Why Do Samurai Exist in the Series?

Key Takeaways

• Samurai in Naruto’s world are unique fighters with distinct abilities like imbuing blades with chakra.
• Samurai’s purpose in the series is vague with minimal impact, suggesting a rushed or poorly executed plot point.
• Author Kishimoto’s fascination with samurai may have led to their inclusion in Naruto, despite their lack of relevance.

Over its long run, the Naruto series has introduced all sorts of concepts into the mix. Arguably the most unique of these is the notion of samurai in a world based on shinobi and ninja warfare. The samurai of the Land of Iron were introduced in the middle of Shippuden, and their purpose was to serve as a mediator between the Five Great Nations and their delegates.

After playing this somewhat significant role, the samurai receded to the background almost immediately. This has led to viewers questioning the incorporation of such a broad concept into the Naruto universe, since it was immediately backtracked after its introduction. A few speculations can be made as to why this distinct group exists in the first place, whether it’s to expand Naruto’s worldbuilding or merely another one of Kishimoto’s unfinished plot points.

Who Are the Samurai?

Traditional Warriors Trained in the Art of Kenjutsu

In a world full of ninja and shinobi arts, samurai stand as a distinct group that seem rather out of place. The samurai in Naruto reside in the Land of Iron, a nation in the northern part of the continent. Instead of employing shinobi as its soldiers, the Land of Iron relies on its samurai as its primary form of defense. The samurai differ from shinobi through their distinct fighting style, coupled with an entirely unique appearance.

The Land of Iron does not have any shinobi at all. In fact, it is defended by samurai.

Instead of using chakra to weave signs and manifest ninjutsu, samurai imbue their blades with chakra to fight their opponents. This method of fighting is akin to Kenjutsu found in the Hidden Mist Village, though Kenjutsu also incorporates ninjutsu to an extent. Samurai are also the only militia in Naruto that make use of armor. The appearance of these samurai reflects their real-world counterparts, albeit with a few alterations, such as the neutral color gradient.

What Is the Purpose Of Samurai?

In the Naruto series, the samurai of the Land of Iron have mostly remained a trivial faction. The only role these samurai played was during the Five Kage Summit, where Mifune, one of the few named samurai in the Naruto series, served as a mediator between the five Kage. Apart from Mifune, the Samurai have mostly been a non-existent aspect in the series.

There’s a long-standing rule that shinobi shall not engage them.

The samurai made an appearance once more during the Fourth Great Ninja War. However, their role was rather trivial, as they were only witnessed fending off Hanzo and Granny Chiyo’s reanimations. After the allied forces regrouped, the samurai had again receded to the backdrop. With such an unnoticeable presence and an insignificant role in Naruto’s narrative, the purpose of incorporating samurai into the series remains quite obscure.

A Forgotten Plot Point

The Concept Became Obscure Due to Naruto’s Complicated Plot

The Naruto series is laced with several plot points and set-ups that slipped through the cracks. This is the result of either the plot becoming too complicated or hasty writing. The case of Naruto’s samurai falls somewhere on both sides, as the addition of samurai to a predominantly shinobi world was a mistake in the first place. It soon became clear that this new faction has no place within Naruto’s overly complicated narrative, since characters without jutsu are quite irrelevant to the plot.

The samurai being written off from the plot can also be attributed to hasty writing on Kishimoto’s part. After the Five Kage Summit, the samurai were forcefully incorporated into one of the shinobi divisions. While the faction was given some screen time during the battle against Kabuto’s reanimated army, the samurai failed to make a significant impact. After the allied forces regrouped, the samurai were rarely seen on the battlefield, almost as if they never existed in the main narrative in the first place.

The samurai’s existence in the Naruto universe is clearly a case of incorporating too many elements into an already-saturated premise. This is evident from the fact that the removal of samurai from Naruto’s story has no effect on the overall premise. The samurai were practically written off after the initial phase of the Fourth Great Ninja War, a fact that further showcases their irrelevancy.

Kishimoto’s Obsession With Samurai

The Author’s Bias Towards the Concept

Author Kishimoto is known to be an avid enthusiast of samurai, evident from his new project known as Samurai 8. The samurai of the Land of Iron seem to have been conceived from this very interest. With a world full of shinobi, the introduction of samurai into the mix is clearly an odd writing decision. While the faction was given a somewhat significant role of mediating between the Five Great Nations, Kishimoto failed to flesh out these characters.

With Mifune as one of the few named samurai in the Naruto series, the samurai are a rather underwhelming faction in the series. It seems that their incorporation into the narrative was merely to satiate the author’s own interest in the concept. While these are merely speculations, it’s clear that the samurai serve no real purpose in the series, and their existence is simply a forceful plot point.

Naruto is available to stream on Prime Video.