Could the final villain of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations be the top dog of the Otsutsuki clan? Long before Naruto’s son was the center of attention, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto series hit fans with a surprise twist, when the final villain was revealed not to be Madara Uchiha, but the mother of the Sage of Six Paths, Kaguya Otsutsuki. This foe was defeated thanks to the combined efforts of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, but the Boruto sequel series has greatly expanded on the Otsutsuki clan mythology, introducing new members and new abilities, making them the main source of evil for Konoha’s next generation.
As things stand, the prime threat in Boruto is the mysterious organization known as Kara. The figure at the top of this dastardly club is Jigen, a man capable of going toe to toe with Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously and coming out on top. Before his defeat, however, Sasuke managed to unearth Jigen’s origins, and the Kara leader is actually a vessel for an otherworldly being called Isshiki Otsutsuki. Very little is known about Isshiki at present, apart from his desire to use the power of Karma to turn Kawaki into a new and improved host, similar to what Orochimaru intended for Sasuke back in the day.
While the full nature of Isshiki Otsutsuki remains a mystery for now, there’s some evidence to suggest that the villain is, or was, the boss of the Otsutsuki mob. Firstly, Isshiki is by far the most powerful Otsutsuki seen in the entire franchise. Naruto and Sasuke have seen off 3 other members of the same clan, but were completely outclassed by Isshiki, even though his “Jigen” vessel isn’t an ideal host. Even accounting for a little bit of fighting rust on Naruto’s part and the power-ups gifted by the Sage of Six Paths against Kaguya, the gulf between the heroes and Isshiki is gargantuan, and enough to put him a level above his kin.
Another hint that Isshiki might be the leader of the Otsutsuki came when Sasuke first discovered Jigen’s true nature. Boruto has confirmed that Otsutsuki members are usually paired, and Isshiki’s partner was Kaguya. The only other Otsutsuki pairing seen in the series is that of Momoshiki and Kinshiki and this was no equal partnership. Kinshiki was very much subservient to Momo, going so far as to give his life just to enhance his master’s power. If this sort of “master and vassal” relationship is common for Otsutsuki pairings, Kaguya would have to be the inferior of her coupling, since Momoshiki lambasted her for betraying the clan. Logically, then, Isshiki would’ve been Kaguya’s superior, and this again puts him at a much higher level than any previous villain.
Lastly, the fact that Isshiki is already dwelling inside a vessel, rather than his own form, is a curious mystery hinting towards a grand past. As shown with Momoshiki, the Otsutsuki clan can inhibit a vessel upon death, seemingly possessing the person who kills them. However, if Jigen is too weak for Isshiki to use fully, it seems clear that Jigen did not defeat Isshiki. More likely, Isshiki used the same Karma possession on Jigen that he plans to use on Kawaki, but why would this be necessary? It’s possible that Isshiki died long ago, but found a way to cheat death by moving from vessel to vessel. This intricate Palpatine-like knowledge of Otsutsuki biology would seem to suggest that Isshiki is the head of his clan, or at least was when he was alive, long before the Boruto story began.
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