Naruto Uzumaki was the human host of the powerful Nine-Tailed Fox demon Kurama in the Naruto anime/manga series. Over time, Naruto was able to befriend Kurama and access his immense strength and abilities, making him one of the strongest ninjas alive.
However, in the recent Boruto manga storyline, Naruto was forced into a desperate situation where he had to utilize a risky new transformation called Baryon Mode, which unfortunately drained and killed Kurama.
So now, without the Nine-Tails to draw on, Naruto has lost much of the god-like power and stamina he once possessed in his prime days as a younger ninja.
While this plot development makes logical sense on some levels to depict Naruto’s transition into middle age, many loyal Naruto fans are unhappy to see their beloved hero depleted and nerfed to such a degree after all he’s overcome.
Some argue the author could have structured the narrative differently to allow Naruto to retain more of his abilities even without Kurama. Nonetheless, the loss of the Nine-Tailed Fox demon is a harsh new chapter for the child of prophecy who once dreamed of being the Hokage.
How Did Kurama Die?
Originally, Kurama was filled with hatred and rage after being controlled and abused by humans for power. This anger drove him to break free and go on a rampage when he was sealed inside Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto’s mother.
In the chaos after Kurama escaped, Naruto’s parents ended up losing their lives while protecting their newborn son and resealing the Nine-Tails inside him.
Years later, Naruto gradually overcame Kurama’s hatred through perseverance and empathy. They built an unlikely but strong bond – evolving from bitter enemies to trusted partners to finally close companions.
This friendship was put to the ultimate test when they battled the dangerously powerful Isshiki Otsutsuki. Kurama knew this foe was beyond either of their individual strengths, so he proposed combining their chakra in an extremely taxing jutsu – Baryon Mode.
However, unbeknownst to Naruto, using this forbidden technique would rapidly burn through and drain Kurama’s life force. So, in truth, Kurama was sacrificing himself to take down their shared enemy while misleading Naruto into thinking they would both survive.
After their narrow victory, when a horrified Naruto realized Kurama’s deception, the dying fox reassured him that this was his choice – to give his life willingly to protect his first-ever true friend.
With tearful farewells, the Nine-Tailed Fox disappeared, completing his redemption arc from killer to comrade. And while Naruto lost Kurama’s partnership and extraordinary abilities, he gained the fox’s lifelong respect and affection.
Did He Really Die?
I understand why some fans are still in denial about Kurama’s death. After journeying alongside Naruto and Kurama, it’s hard to let go of such a pivotal character and cherished partnership.
Kurama did die, but temporarily, as stated in Naruto’s official databook,
Tailed beasts cannot die as they are made of chakra, and if they die, they will appear again after enough time has passed.
You see, tailed beasts are formed entirely from chakra – spiritual and physical energy intertwined.
Kurama expended every last drop of his ancient chakra in that final Baryon Mode struggle with Isshiki. This forbidden technique rapidly consumes the user’s energy as fuel – and Kurama willingly offered up all of his.
With his chakra completely burned away, he will not return for the time being, but in future, as stated above, he will return.
Naruto also permanently lost access to those vast chakra reserves and the incredible power they unlocked for the time being. So, while he continues defending the world as Hokage, regaining Kurama’s partnership is impossible for now.
Naruto Uzumaki was widely regarded as the most powerful shinobi fighter alive during his prime years as a young adult.
Naruto attained this god-like strength in large part by bonding with the formidable nine-tailed fox spirit Kurama, which has been sealed inside Naruto since birth. Even now, well into middle age, Naruto may retain the title of strongest ninja, albeit with caveats.
However, the rationale for the anime’s creators stripping Naruto of Kurama’s power seems to be ensuring ongoing drama and stakes in the sequel series Boruto, which focuses on Naruto’s son.
Near the end of his climactic battle against the alien ninja named Isshiki, Naruto tapped into a one-time-only transformation dubbed Baryon Mode, which surpassed even the strength of legendary figures like Kaguya.
This enormous power came at a devastating cost, though – the death of Kurama.
Some fans argue the writers could have avoided sapping away Naruto’s abilities to such a permanent degree. After all, how can threats remain credible when the mighty Naruto Uzumaki still lives?
Nonetheless, his loss of the Nine-Tails chakra does parallel Naruto’s transition into middle age, opening the door for the next generation of ninjas to rise up.
Baryon Mode Emerged to Take Kurama Away from Naruto Temporarily
One controversial aspect of Naruto losing his connection with Kurama is the seemingly contrived nature of the new Baryon Mode power that facilitated this loss.
During the climactic Fourth Great Ninja War arc, which featured immense stakes and existential threats to the Shinobi world, neither Naruto nor Kurama ever referenced or utilized any such Baryon Mode transformation.
Its sudden introduction now, at such a pivotal moment for permanently weakening Naruto, makes a number of fans feel Baryon Mode is a plot device created after the fact by the writers as an excuse to depower the long-running hero.
Rather than feeling like an organic story development, to some, it comes across as a ploy to symbolically and literally sideline Naruto from future conflicts.
After all the apocalyptic dangers Naruto overcame in his unrestrained prime, his abrupt honorable discharge, thanks to a never-before-hinted-at mode, rubs certain fans the wrong way.
It seemingly diminishes the world-ending obstacles Naruto has already conquered through sheer grit and his bond with Kurama.
Naruto’s Loss of Kurama’s Power Paved the Way for Boruto Uzumaki to Shine
As the son of the legendary hero Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto bears a heavy burden of expectations to follow in his father’s footsteps and surpass him one day.
However, realistically matching or exceeding Naruto’s prowess seemed an insurmountable bar, especially with Naruto still in his prime. This only increased the pressure on young Boruto, who was still learning the Shinobi arts.
Now, though, with his father permanently weakened after the loss of the Nine-Tailed Fox Kurama, Boruto faces a more manageable goal of filling the power vacuum left behind in the ninja world.
He will likely take a central, starring role in more of the intense battles against Otsutsuki Clan members rather than watching from the sidelines.
Of course, even without access to Kurama’s chakra, Naruto retains formidable strength thanks to once-wielding the Yang powers granted by the legendary Sage of Six Paths.
At one point, these abilities allowed Naruto to work healing miracles – restoring lost eyes and saving lives on death’s door.
Filling the Void Left by Naruto’s Loss
So, while far more vulnerable now, writing off the Seventh Hokage would still be an unwise gambit for any emerging threat seeking to challenge the next generation of ninjas protecting Konoha Village.
The powerful Otsutsuki clan member named Isshiki posed an apocalyptic-level threat to Earth that clearly exceeded any previous villain faced by Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
Realizing the planet’s only hope was Isshiki’s defeat, Naruto and Sasuke steeled themselves for a desperate, suicidal battle despite the risks. However, in the aftermath, only Kurama perished, while the two ninja heroes survived.
To some fans, Kurama’s loss seems a rather small sacrifice, given the initial willingness to lay down their own lives to stop Isshiki’s doomsday plans.
Yet the consequences profoundly impact Naruto, who relied so heavily on partnering with the Nine-Tailed Fox ever since adolescence. Additionally, Sasuke lost one of his Rinnegan eyes, diminishing his ocular powers.
Make no mistake – even handicapped and past their primes, Naruto and Sasuke remain formidable allies. But stripped of Kurama and the Rinnegan while still healing, Earth can likely no longer depend on them as top-tier defenders against future Otsutsuki attacks.
Instead, the teenage duo of Naruto’s son Boruto and rogue ninja Kawaki, wielders of Kama marks granting access to extradimensional Otsutsuki power, will probably take point to protect humanity – a bittersweet passing of the torch many viewers lament, given Naruto and Sasuke’s hard-fought underdog status over years of combat and personal sacrifice.
