“At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.”
― Ernesto Che Guevara
Episodes 476 and 477 of “Naruto Shippuden”, the massively popular long-running manga/anime franchise, have started streaming on Crunchyroll for American audiences. These episodes show the final battle between the titular protagonist and his rival, Sasuke, as they battle for the literal fate of the world, each representative of their own personal ideology that has led to them to this point. This article will have some spoilers, as we must refer to some plot details in order to evaluate what we can learn from Naruto’s last official arc in terms of political leftism. Why anime of all things, to look for revolutionary ideology? Anime as a product, is arguably one of the most capitalist art mediums in the current world of commodified art. Anticipating this strawman, Lenin once said that capitalists will “be hung with the rope they sold us”, that is to say that material goods produced under capitalism are often the greatest sources of information in order to critique and dismantle the system they are a part of.
In Episode 476, Naruto and Sasuke go back to their original battleground, transitioning from the earthshattering war where they went against literal gods. This canyon is showcased prominently throughout the series’ iconography, called the Valley of the End. A grand waterfall divides two immaculately detailed and towering statues of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, the ideological and ancestral forebears of Sasuke and Naruto respectively. The running motifs of ancestry and legacy is a staple of the series, so this location is fitting. These two men and their inheritors are two ends of a coin, a duality of Yin and Yang, light and dark. Having seen a world torn apart by war, secrecy, selfishness, and monsters, Naruto and Sasuke have drawn different conclusions as to how they can achieve peace between shinobi. Sasuke’s family is dead, his only brother having taken false blame for his clan’s massacre in order to protect his country. Naruto, by contrast, has grown up alone and has recently gained the adoration of his entire nation through heroic self-sacrifice and classic messianic self-determination.
Sasuke believes that the road to peace will be determined by him “taking in the darkness”, leading the world of ninja by taking on every bit of hatred and ruling with an iron fist. In a sense, this mindset resembles those who look to fascists and emperors for order, something the left bitterly fights because of who it marginalizes. Indeed, Sasuke’s approach involves the murder of world leaders, and the end of democracy, effectively cutting himself off from any sort of human love and empathy. Of course, in order to do this, he must destroy the person he treasures the most – his best friend, a man he considers a brother, Naruto Uzumaki.
Naruto presents a decidedly more heroic portrait – he has pursued Sasuke for years, protecting him from international assassination efforts, defending him from friends who want to kill him, and single-handedly standing in Sasuke’s way beyond the moral horizon. He believes that world peace is only understood by one’s connection to the community. Having spent many years hated by his village for the demon inside him, he understands the loneliness and bitterness Sasuke feels. But he believes that reaching out and working hard are the answer, not rage and isolation. A key scene that illustrates this principle of democracy in community is when Naruto clashes with Sasuke one last time as they prepare their techniques against each other. Naruto’s Rasengan (a bluish spiral sphere of energy) is formed by ethereal hands, each representing a person that has touched his life or a life he himself has touched. Dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of friends that Naruto has made from every nation and clan stand beside him in spirit, and it that community that gives him the strength to prevail.
How does this relate to the Left, to those who call themselves socialists and communists, those who fight against oppression, in the 21st century world of globalized capitalism? The elements that make up Naruto’s appeal as a character and a series are the same that can be applied when organizing the oppressed – love and persistence. Figures like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, and Theresa May stand as charismatic firebrands of the right wing, but such leadership does not produce prosperity and harmony among men. Those who are uneducated, disenfranchised, and alone need understanding and patience. Liberals offer cookie crumb concessions in legislations, with a dose of elitist condescension. It is essential that we, intelligentsia and proletariat alike, raise the consciousness of the everyday citizen to find hope in each other against corporations and politicians who seek to profit off our lives. Such hope is built on community, on both the local and the international. That is what Naruto taught us.
