Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-36697734-20180827122508/@comment-9782468-20180911152055

Ima rant about my favourite character, Kakashi.

The dude's dad committed suicide when he was young because the village ostracized him for choosing his team over the village. Kakashi doesn't use that to become a villain, he just tries to learn. What he learns is that you have to follow the Shinobi rules.

He develops Chidori, but can't quite use it properly because he lacks the visual acuity to deal with its extreme speed.

Later, on a mission with Obito and Rin, Rin gets kidnapped. Kakashi tries to just follow the Shinobi rules, but Obito's words reach him and he goes to save Obito. He loses his eye in the process. Had they gone in together from the start, he may not have lost his eye.

After solid teamwork from Obito and Kakashi, they start escaping with Rin. Kakashi is hit on his blindside from falling debris, and Obito sacrifices himself to save him. Obito then gives him the Sharingan, and with it the ability to complete Chidori. Obito makes Kakashi promise to protect Rin.

Rin is captured and chooses to kill herself on Kakashi's Chidori. Chidori, the same technique that Obito helped complete. Obito, the same one who made him promise to keep her safe. Obito, the one who died because Kakashi chose the mission over his team at first.

Kakashi still hasn't become a villain btw.

Then his own village forces him to stay out of the 9 Tails fight in Konoha. Kakashi knows he could have helped; but he wasn't allowed to. Minato dies in that fight, and Kakashi wasn't even allowed to participate despite his considerable prowess.

He took all of that, and became the Jonin sensei that we were introduced to in Chapter 2. He wasn't a villain. He wasn't a bad guy. In a series where everyone who had tragic backstories had to be villains who either died or were converted by Naruto, it was refreshing to see Kakashi; a man who had arguably one of the hardest pasts, but used his experiences to be a better person.