You might hate me for this, but the War Arc in Naruto was underwhelming until Madara stepped in

The entire Naruto series is rife with amazing arcs, and this is one of the reasons that it captivated viewers for its entire runtime. Viewers would stumble on one Naruto arc, and as that arc is nearing its end, they are catapulted into an entirely new arc. The thing about these arcs is that they progressively got better, especially in the original Naruto, when they reached a crescendo with the battle between the two main characters.

Naruto Shippuden also has some of the most amazing arcs anime has ever seen. The fighting scenes are also unmatched and have aged like wine. Arcs like the Akatsuki Suppression arc and the Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant stand out as some of the best due to their blend of action and emotion. Each of these arcs shows the death of an important character, like Jiraiya and Asuma; the arcs also led to the growth of Shikamaru and Naruto.

One arc in Naruto Shippuden that gets GOAT shouts from fans is the War arc. Many fans hail this arc as the most action-packed and the best in the series. While these fans are correct about the former, the War arc is far from the best in the series. An argument can be made that most of the War arc is boring; however, Madara was its saving grace, redeeming the war arc with his feats of power. He served as a way for viewers to understand the roots of ninshu.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

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Why the War arc was boring in Naruto and how Madara saved it

Choji preparing to fight Asuma (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The War Arc starts with a promise, and why won’t it? It was the arc that the series was meant to end in. The seeds of the War Arc were already planted in the Kage Summit Arc, and fans couldn’t wait to see how Madara(Obito) would face off against the entire Allied Army. This was also going to be the first glimpse of other villages by viewers, and the special techniques they could do.

The War Arc was also special because, for the first time, there was peace between everyone in the series. None of the Hidden Villages wanted their freedoms taken away from them, and so they dropped their grievances and saw each other beyond their clans or villages.

They saw each other as human. For this reason, the War Arc should have meant more than it did. Instead, it felt like a trip down memory lane, and at first, that trip was not bad.

Madara appearing in the fourth ninja war (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The return of characters like Asuma and Zabuza was a beautiful sight. With these characters' return, fans could tell how much the living characters had grown. Zabuza is not a match for Kakashi, and Asuma is bested by his former students easily. Where it becomes drab are the endless fights with White Zetsus and the diverse characters that viewers frankly have no connection to. This makes the War Arc quite tiring, as these characters spend longer than necessary on the screen.

Even the fight between Nagato and the Uzumaki doesn’t seem to help things. However, it serves a nostalgic purpose as Itachi returns to the series. Where the War arc truly picks up is with Madara’s appearance.

Madara's coming leaves fans with a mystery that they have to solve. His fight with the whole Allied Forces combined was one of the best entrances in anime. His appearance also made Kurama reconsider his stance, before he finally agreed to team up with the Uzumaki.

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Final thoughts

While Madara elevated the War Arc, he was made too powerful, and at the end, he wasn’t just a normal character; he seemed like a god. His arch nemesis, Hashirama, who was meant to serve as Madara’s antidote, was easily dismantled. Madara had the most anticlimactic end, with him being dispatched by Black Zetsu.

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