Naruto’s Official Alternate Ending Replaces Kaguya With A Much Better Final Boss

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Via Crunchyroll

While the popular anime and manga Naruto has seen many adaptations – including movies and an upcoming live-action series – a stage play called Live Spectacle Naruto offers a surprisingly satisfying conclusion to the story. In fact, many fans consider this alternate ending a more creative and fulfilling resolution than the original anime or manga finale. As one of the most beloved anime series ever made, Naruto’s creator, Masashi Kishimoto, has seen his work reimagined in numerous ways, but this stage play truly lives up to its name, delivering a stunning visual experience.

The stage play Live Spectacle Naruto premiered in 2015, adapting the early chapters of Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga. It has since grown to cover all of the story’s main story arcs. Created by Akiko Kodama and overseen by Kishimoto, the live show features actors portraying beloved characters and uses impressive stagecraft and special effects to recreate the exciting battles and ninja techniques from the series.

The story of Naruto was adapted into five stage play chapters, with the final one called Live Spectacle Naruto: The Shinobi Way Of Life. Just like the manga, the play concludes with Naruto successfully achieving his dream of becoming the Hokage. However, the final battle wasn’t against the powerful Kaguya, as it was in the original story. Instead, a different villain took center stage in the 2023 production of Live Spectacle Naruto: The Shinobi Way of Life.

Live Spectacle Naruto: The Shinobi Way Of Life Changed The Ending

I just saw Live Spectacle Naruto, and while the first few chapters trimmed some fat from the original story – thankfully keeping all the big bad guys – the final chapter took a surprising turn. Instead of the ultimate showdown with Kaguya, the play ended with that incredible battle between Naruto and Sasuke against Madara and Obito. It was a bold choice, and honestly, a really exciting way to wrap up The Shinobi Way of Life.

Via Crunchyroll

This fight isn’t something the stage play created. The battle against Madara was a major part of the original Naruto story, building on years of hints about this powerful villain and the return of the Ten Tails. While Madara’s first defeat was a bit underwhelming, the story continued for a while afterward. Naruto: The Shinobi Way of Life changed things by ending the story with the Madara fight, leaving out everything that happened after.

Via Crunchyroll

This different ending for Naruto felt like a much more satisfying conclusion. Many fans actually preferred it to how the original series ended. While the fight against Kaguya had some merit, she wasn’t a very compelling final villain, especially because her appearance quickly resolved the conflict with Madara. She might have worked well as part of a bigger story, but as the ultimate boss after so many years, Kaguya just didn’t deliver.

Why Kaguya Didn’t Work As Naruto’s Final Villain

Kaguya played an important role in the story, offering insights into Naruto’s fate and the origins of ninja powers. Her defeat at the hands of Naruto and Sasuke felt meaningful on a symbolic level. However, many fans were ultimately disappointed with her as the final villain in Naruto; she simply didn’t deliver on expectations.

The biggest problem with Kaguya wasn’t her strength, but when she appeared. While she wasn’t a complete surprise, the story didn’t do enough to make audiences truly fear her as a villain. Because she was so powerful, her reasons for acting didn’t need to be complex, but it would have helped to understand her character better. Ultimately, she felt flat and wasn’t very scary. Even her immense power didn’t feel impactful. After so many episodes and chapters building towards a final battle, Naruto’s last villain ended up feeling disappointing and like a missed opportunity.

Madara Should Have Been Naruto’s True Final Boss

It’s understandable that Live Spectacle Naruto concluded the story with Madara instead of Kaguya. Madara was the villain hinted at throughout the entire series, and many fans were disappointed when his carefully built story seemed to be overshadowed by a less familiar character. This remains a point of frustration for viewers even now.

While officially released, the Live Spectacle Naruto stage play isn’t widely known. You can find short clips on platforms like YouTube, but many Naruto fans probably haven’t seen it. Still, it’s nice to know there’s an alternate version of the ending. It feels good to see that others also believe Madara would have made a strong final villain for the anime.

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2026-01-07 01:58