Momoshiki Otsutsuki

Lore & Background

Momoshiki is described as a being with a superiority complex who changes his tone throughout the film as his servant Kinshiki becomes ineffective. He possesses both a pair of Byakugan and Rinnegan, the latter located on his palms, which he uses to absorb and release ninjutsu. Targeting Tailed Beasts for their chakra, he and Kinshiki abduct Naruto after destroying the Chunin Exams stadium. Overwhelmed by Boruto, Sasuke, and the four Kage, Momoshiki consumes a makeshift red pill from Kinshiki's body to gain new power, manifesting another Rinnegan on his forehead. Despite this boost, he is killed by a combined Rasengan from Naruto and Boruto. In the sequel series, his character expands as the Otsutsuki are described as beings who can resurrect using bodies cursed with Karma. He plans to use Boruto's body to revive, playing a key role in the narrative even before fully resurrecting.

In Their Own Story

Momoshiki arrives on Earth alongside Kinshiki to harvest chakra from the planet's resources. They attack Killer Bee prior to arriving at Konohagakure with the objective of capturing Kurama. After destroying the Chunin Exams stadium, they abduct Naruto to their dimension. Confronted by Boruto, Sasuke, and the four Kage, Momoshiki is initially overwhelmed but consumes Kinshiki's body for power, gaining a third eye. He is ultimately defeated by Naruto and Boruto's combined Rasengan. However, in his last moments, he freezes time to have a private discussion with Boruto, branding him with the Karma mark while warning of future tribulations. Later, during a fight against the Kara member Boro, Momoshiki possesses Boruto to absorb chakra from an unconscious Naruto and kill Boro. He also attempts to possess Boruto to stab Sasuke's Rinnegan to weaken him. Although he is overpowered by Sasuke and Kawaki, his influence persists. When facing Code, Momoshiki uses the opportunity to increase Boruto's strength, causing his own resurrection and an attempt to kill Naruto.

Reader's Guide

Momoshiki is voiced by Daisuke Namikawa in Japanese and Xander Mobus in English. Namikawa described him as a villain who cannot be redeemed due to his large god complex and views humans as inferior creatures. Created by Masashi Kishimoto based on the historical figure Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Momoshiki was designed with attention paid to his fight scenes against the Uzumaki family and Sasuke Uchiha in the film. In Mikio Ikemoto's manga series, he received less focus as the narrative shifted toward Boruto and Kawaki, though his role remains critical. The character is described as having a superiority complex that shifts when his servant Kinshiki fails. Critically, reviewers have noted mixed responses; while some enjoyed the fight scenes, others felt he was a weak villain overshadowed by protagonists due to a lack of appealing traits. However, his death and subsequent resurrection arc earned major impact for driving the sequel's narrative.

Did You Know?

• Momoshiki was designed by Masashi Kishimoto based on the historical warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
• In his final moments in the film, Momoshiki froze time to speak privately with Boruto before placing the Karma seal on him.
• Daisuke Namikawa voiced Momoshiki and described the character as a villain who views humans as inferior creatures due to his god complex.
• Momoshiki consumes a makeshift red pill from Kinshiki's body during the film, which causes an additional Rinnegan to appear on his forehead.
• In a 2021 poll, Momoshiki took the 15th place among characters.

Origins and Narrative Development

The story of Momoshiki Otsutsuki is deeply intertwined with the complex production history of the Boruto franchise itself. Originally conceived as a sequel proposal by Shueisha to Masashi Kishimoto, the project evolved when Kishimoto suggested his former assistant, Mikio Ikemoto, handle illustrations while Ukyō Kodachi crafted the plot based on the initial film. Momoshiki first appeared in this cinematic adaptation before becoming a pivotal antagonist in the manga serialization that began in 2016. As the series transitioned from Weekly Shōnen Jump to V Jump and eventually saw Kishimoto take over writing duties, the narrative scope expanded significantly. The character's introduction serves as the catalyst for the entire saga, marking the shift from a standard ninja adventure to a cosmic conflict involving ancient bloodlines. While the anime adaptation initially diverged by serving as a prequel, the manga maintained its focus on Momoshiki's arrival as the inciting incident that forces Naruto and Sasuke into a desperate defense of their world, setting the stage for the generational struggles that define the series.

The Invasion and the Karma Mark

Momoshiki Otsutsuki arrives on Earth alongside his brother Kinshiki with a singular, devastating objective: to harvest the chakra of the planet's tailed beasts to revitalize their dying Divine Tree. Viewing humans as mere cattle, they abduct Naruto Uzumaki to extract Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, triggering a massive confrontation that unites the four Kages and Sasuke Uchiha against the invaders. Despite their combined might, Momoshiki proves to be an overwhelming force, effortlessly dismantling the defenders before succumbing to his own injuries during the battle. However, his defeat is not absolute; in his final moments, he imprints a cursed seal known as Karma onto Boruto Uzumaki's body. This mark acts as a digital backup of Momoshiki's genetic data and chakra, ensuring that even after death, he retains a foothold on Earth. The placement of this mark transforms Boruto from a simple protagonist into a vessel for resurrection, fundamentally altering the trajectory of his life and introducing the looming threat of the Otsutsuki clan's return through their chosen hosts.

Possession and Transformation

Momoshiki's influence extends far beyond his initial death, manifesting years later when he seizes control of Boruto's body during a critical confrontation with Isshiki Otsutsuki. Exploiting the chaos of the battle, Momoshiki temporarily overrides Boruto's consciousness to eliminate threats, demonstrating that the Karma mark allows for partial possession even before full resurrection. This dynamic creates a terrifying internal conflict where Boruto must fight not only external enemies but also his own body being used as a weapon by an ancient god. The situation escalates when Code forces Kawaki to kill Momoshiki-possessed Boruto, yet this act inadvertently triggers the final stage of the Karma's power. Momoshiki fully revives within the host, effectively transforming Boruto into a complete Otsutsuki. This metamorphosis grants him immense divine powers but threatens to erase his humanity entirely, forcing his allies to make impossible choices regarding his fate and the safety of their world.

Legacy and the False Accusation

The ultimate legacy of Momoshiki Otsutsuki is not merely his physical defeat or resurrection, but the catastrophic social upheaval he precipitates through Boruto. After fully transforming, Boruto's existence becomes a threat that Kawaki believes must be neutralized to save humanity. Utilizing Eida's Senrigan ability called Omnipotence, Kawaki rewrites reality so that everyone remembers Boruto as the murderer of his own parents, Naruto and Hinata, while Kawaki assumes Boruto's identity. This manipulation ensures Momoshiki's will indirectly destroys the village from within by turning its hero into a pariah. In the resulting timeline, Boruto is forced to flee, falsely accused of regicide, while his family remains trapped in another dimension. The mark left by Momoshiki thus becomes the source of a tragic irony: the vessel created to protect the world is now hunted by it, driving Boruto to vow revenge and reclaim his stolen life, all stemming from the ancient god's final act of seeding chaos.

Creation and Development

Momoshiki was created and designed by Masashi Kishimoto based on Minamoto no Yoshitsune (born Ushiwakamaru), a famous warrior from the Heian period. Kishimoto identified Naruto and Sasuke's fights against Momoshiki as highlights of the film, asking staff to pay close attention to these sequences. Former anime director Hiroyuki Yamashita praised Ikemoto's realistic drawing style, noting surprise at how different Momoshiki's new appearance was after consuming Kinshiki compared to his original movie design. The narrative in the manga shifted focus from Sasuke fighting Kinshiki (as seen in the film) to a battle against Kawaki in the first chapter to generate a different impact. Chengxi Huang, a key animator for the fight between Naruto, Sasuke, and Boruto against Momoshiki, aimed to properly animate these sequences. As the manga reached the Vessel arc, Momoshiki's character expanded despite his death, detailing how Otsutsuki resurrect using Karma-cursed bodies.

Reception

Critical response to Momoshiki has been mixed. Alexandria Hill of Otaku USA enjoyed Boruto's fight against him and the team-up with Naruto and Sasuke, though she was skeptical initially. Dan Rhodes praised the fight scenes between Sasuke and Naruto as some of the best parts of the film. Conversely, Thais Valdivia from Hobby Consolas felt Momoshiki was overshadowed by Boruto, Naruto, and Sasuke despite his desire for immortality. The Fandom Post compared his plan to capture Kurama to a rehash of the Akatsuki's goals but found the execution better. The Los Angeles Times noted he is a strong villain lacking appeal. Japanator enjoyed early scenes with Kinshiki but criticized his powers as weaker than Toneri Otsutsuki from The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014). In the sequel, Anime News Network felt the mystery of the clan was ruined, while Manga News found the fight enjoyable but forced Boruto's power-up. IGN praised Momoshiki as a more striking villain once he possesses Boruto to ruthlessly attack Sasuke and steal his Rinnegan.