Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-2198188-20140421004522

Ok, lets talk of Obito, before you ignore it and call him a bad character. I admit, I thought so too. I mean he was just repeating how the world sucked and that he missed Rin. He felt much less interesting than we thought him to be. His fight against Naruto and Sasuke felt boring and rushed. But it hit me why Obito was so bland. I personally think Kishi did it on purpose. I mean remember 665 when Madara said Obito was also Madara, that was when I understand Obito's character. Obito changed to Tobi because Rin died, but the reason he changed wasn't the fact Rin died but the fact Kakashi killed her. It completely went against the Will of Fire, which based on Shikamaru's words is like a religion to Konoha ninja. So Obito returned broken, depressed by the death of his good friend and his vision of the world gone. It made him like Sasuke, a piece of clay ready to be shaped.

Which Madara did, but Obito being Obito didn't truly believe in it. He was just depressed and was looking for anything to dull the pain. You can think of it as a person giving up on their religion and growing cynical as a result. Which is why his speeches was repetitive, he was just recycling everything Madara told him. He was just Madara lite, he had no real care for his speeches. His obsession with Rin isn't just because of his love for her but also she represents the past. A past when he still believed in heroes; when he was still Obito.

Obito represents how people can follow ideals that they have no real understanding of, but it takes over their life. Historical grudges are a good example, some people don't understand why their country hates another but does it anyway. It shows how the past can influence the present, so much that even truly kind characters like Obito can be turned into monsters. Which is why I like him a lot more after he betrayed Madara. He was finally himself again, as noticed how most of his speeches wasn't about Rin. And he seemed to be deeper as a character, as least in my eyes. 