The story of Naruto Uzumaki may have come to a close with Shippuden's final episode in 2017, but Boruto followed soon after to continue the action in the Hidden Leaf Village. Boruto focuses on Naruto's son and his own ninja team, introducing exciting new characters into the franchise.
With Naruto: Shippuden being one of the best anime of all time, fans are likely already familiar with much of Boruto's returning cast, with characters like Sasuke, Hinata and Rock Lee making appearances throughout the series. With Boruto set years after Shippuden's end, these familiar faces are now often in supporting and parental roles, allowing a new cast of characters to take the spotlight.
Naruto's Son Boruto Leads the New Series
Boruto is Naruto's son and is following in his father's footsteps when the series begins. He's initially not too excited to be a part of Team 7, and he wants to break free from his father's shadow and forge his own identity. Just like his father, Boruto is quite loud and, at times, obnoxiously energetic. He's also quite the prodigy when it comes to ninja techniques, seemingly destined to be a Hokage himself one day.
Naruto ends up learning valuable lessons from being a father to Boruto, and his son grows to respect his father and the role of Hokage in the process. Boruto eventually forms his own team of ninja allies like his father before him, and this new group of ninjas finds themselves facing terrifying enemies on their journey.
Naruto is Both a Father and Hokage
Naruto's days of being a young and hyperactive ninja are gone by the time Boruto begins, and he now finds himself married to Hinata and taking on a more parental role in Boruto. His duties as Hokage have kept him busy, much to the annoyance of Boruto, who longs to spend more time with his father.
Despite no longer being the main character, Naruto has a heavy presence in Boruto, and he develops a close relationship with Boruto and his friends. He is still an extremely powerful ninja in his own right, capable of defending his son and village when all else fails.
Kawaki is Boruto's Villainous Adoptive Brother
Kawaki is Boruto's adoptive brother with a complicated past that has given him a villainous vendetta. He was originally raised by Kara, a secret society in Boruto focused on finding a new vessel for the Celestial Being, Isshiki Otsutsuki. They performed cruel experiments on Kawaki and the other potential vessels, leading him to have a deep-seated hatred for Kara and the Otsutsuki clan.
When he is brought to the Hidden Leaf Village, Kawaki is adopted by Naruto, and the two form a meaningful bond with each other. Eventually, Kawaki's desire to protect Naruto and get revenge on Kara leads him to do the unthinkable -- seal Naruto away and frame Boruto in the process.
Konohamaru Becomes a Mentor to Boruto
Konohamaru Sarutobi takes on a leading role as Team 7's teacher and Boruto's mentor in the series. After learning the powerful Rasengan jutsu from Naruto, Konohamaru is the one to teach it to Boruto, an impressive feat that fills him with joy.
Konohamaru is an amazing teacher to the young ninjas, proving how far he's come from his early days at the Academy. He still idolizes Naruto, and his role as Boruto's mentor and team leader is something he cherishes.
Mitsuki is the Son of a Feared Naruto Villain
Mitsuki is a synthetic human, designed as a partial clone of one of the Naruto franchise's most powerful characters, Orochimaru. After having his memories erased, he runs away from Orochimaru and befriends Boruto, attending the Ninja Academy and joining Team 7.
His ties to Orochimaru have given him a striking appearance, with ghostly pale skin, blue-white hair and striking golden eyes. Mitsuki is calm and collected as well as incredibly intelligent. He also cares deeply for both Boruto and Naruto, never hesitating to come to their defenses.
Sarada is the Daughter of Two Naruto Legends
Sarada Uchiha is the daughter of Naruto legends Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. She was raised by Sakura alone, but after meeting her father thanks to Naruto's help, Sarada began following her destiny, joining Boruto's Team 7 and aspiring to become the Hokage herself. Sarada is often at odds with Boruto, with the two arguing over even the tiniest of details but remaining close friends nonetheless.
Sarada inherited the best of both of her parents' abilities, and she proves to be both a prodigious ninja like her father and extremely intelligent like her mother. During her Academy training, she was ranked third in her class, considered an elite ninja and even stronger than her father when he was her age.
Isshiki was Partners with Naruto's Final Villain
Isshiki and the rest of the Otsutsuki clan are the main antagonists of Boruto, with Isshiki arriving on Earth alongside the Naruto: Shippuden villain Kaguya. She betrayed him, leaving him weakened and forced to take over the body of a monk to survive.
In his new, weaker body, Isshiki strives to find a new vessel capable of handling his full range of power, leading him to create the Kara organization. The evil secret society experimented on many children, trying to find one strong enough for Isshiki, eventually deeming Kawaki to be his destined vessel.
Amado is a Double-Crossing Evil Genius
Amado Sanzu was the evil genius scientist of Kara, responsible for using Scientific Ninja Tools to augment Kara's members and make them even more difficult for Boruto and his allies to defeat in battle. He assisted Isshiki in finding a suitable vessel, participating in cruel experiments on children, with Kawaki and Code being the only survivors.
Eventually, Amado betrayed Isshiki and defected to the Hidden Leaf Village. Through lying and manipulation, he earned the trust of Naruto, but with his evil backstory and double-crossing nature, it's highly likely he's up to no good.
Code is a Maniacal Failed Experiment
Code was one of the fifteen candidates to be a vessel for Isshiki alongside Kawaki. During the experimentation, Code seemed to die along with the others, leaving Kawaki to be deemed the only viable vessel. Code actually survived, and his failure to become Isshiki's vessel infuriated him.
After Isshiki's untimely death, Code becomes the last remaining member of Kara, and he is determined to carry on the Otsutsuki clan's evil legacy despite how Isshiki and Kara treated him. As the series progresses, Code is building a highly dangerous army and working hard to become one of the most dangerous villains in the Naruto franchise.
Koji is the Clone of a Naruto Fan Favorite
Koji Kashin is a clone of Jiraiya, and in many ways he's even better than Naruto's original sensei. One of the main differences between the two characters is Koji's evil nature, having been created by Amado in his efforts to kill Isshiki Otsutsuki.
As a result, Koji is a highly-skilled assassin, augmented with Scientific Ninja Tools and unafraid to use them in despicable ways. He still retains the jujutsu abilities of his genetic ancestor, making him a terrifying force when these powers are used maliciously.
