Naruto fans have still not gotten over the biggest surprise reveal that Masashi Kishimoto made during the most crucial moment in the series.

SUMMARY

One of the main aspects that led to Naruto becoming one of the greatest was the introduction of surprises and twists.
These twists were placed by Kishimoto at the perfect moment making the series even more thrilling.

One such twist that to this day is discussed by Naruto fans was when Tobi revealed himself to be Obito.

Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto is known for a lot of things, but the one aspect of the story that led to the series becoming one of the greatest of all time was the twists and surprises that no one expected. Naruto is known for flipping the entire storyline by introducing the most thrilling suspense at the exact moment and grabbing the attention of the fans.

Naruto Anime Series | Credit: Studio Pierrot

From bringing back the first and second Hokage in the beginning to introducing the concept of aliens in the end, these twists made sure that the fans could never guess what Kishimoto planned next. However, there was one twist that beat almost every other surprise and went down as a legendary moment in the history of anime.

This surprise was the return of Obito Uchiha as Tobi in the evil organization called Akatsuki. This surprise not only shocked the characters within the series, but it also had a lasting impact on the fans of the series. He then went on to become one of the most important antagonists in Naruto.

Tobi Being Madara Was Believed To Be The Biggest Twist

When the Akatsuki organization was first introduced by Masashi Kishimoto in Naruto Shippuden, it was assumed that the organization was filled with dangerous Shinobis who had taken on a strong cause. Almost every one of them was an infamous criminal who was, in a way, working towards the goal of attaining peace all over the Naruto world.

However, this impression of the Akatsuki changed entirely when Tobi made his official appearance as a member. He was a dumb and confusing idiot who was initially believed to be introduced as a comedic element within the story. But when fans got to see his powers for the first time, they understood why he was placed within the Akatsuki in the first place.

Tobi as Madara Uchiha | Credit: Studio Pierrot

For the longest time, this impression of Tobi confused fans until he announced himself to be Madara Uchiha, the most feared Shinobi in the Naruto world. He not only declared war against all four nations but also wreaked havoc at an unprecedented level.

Masashi Kishimoto Fooled The Entire Naruto Fandom

Tobi turning out to be Madara Uchiha was certainly a shocking revelation for fans, and while fans were taking in this twist, Kishimoto decided to startle the entire fandom once again. He brought out the real Madara Uchiha and revealed that the character who was posing as Madara and Tobi was actually Kakashi’s old teammate, Obito Uchiha, who was assumed dead.

Tobi Removing His Mask | Credit: Studio Pierrot

This was probably the most unexpected surprise because there was no hint dropped by Kishimoto that Tobi was actually Obito.

Fans assumed that the whole purpose of Obito was to act as a motivational memory for Kakashi, who gave him his Sharingan. Him returning to the central storyline and that too as an antagonistic figure changed the entire Naruto series in a major way.

To this day, it is believed to be one of the biggest twists in the history of anime and even today it is discussed by fans a lot. It was one of the only things that was great about the Final War arc because, aside from that, most of the aspects of the War felt rushed to many Naruto fans.