When it comes to the most OP characters in anime, Naruto's name is at the tip of the tongues of most anime fans. It is not surprising, seeing how most fans grew up watching Naruto struggle, train, and fight hard to eventually become the 7th Hokage.
However, it’s not just his excessive powers that make Naruto who he is, but also his nature, personality, and his ability to think logically and use tact in dire situations. Which begs the question – how different would some of the most popular anime out there be, if their main characters were swapped with the Hero of the Hidden Leaf?
10 Deadman Wonderland: He Would Evade The Law & Find The Murderer Himself
Poor Ganta was a weak and defenseless young boy, but Naruto isn’t. Assuming he’d allow himself to be taken to trial, the fake defenses mounted against him in the courtroom would not sit well with his conscience.
Being the rash and bratty young man that he is, he’d simply use his Shadow Clone jutsu and let his clone take the fall for him while he escapes and tries to figure out the real culprit. Or, he could use Talk No Jutsu to manipulate the judge and jury, and walk free. He’d then spend all his time trying to find out the real murderer of his classmates by himself, meaning the adventures within the Deadman Wonderland jail that happened with Ganta, would have never occurred.
9 Assassination Classroom: He Would Never Self Destruct, Unlike Korosensei
The entire premise of this anime is that Korosensei wants his students to find a way to kill him so that he doesn’t end up blowing the entire earth along with himself. If Naruto were the sensei, this would never come to pass because unlike Korosensei, he isn’t the result of human experimentation, which means he’d never have a ticking time bomb inside him.
Even if his Nine-Tailed Fox decided to act up and threaten the existence of the world, Naruto would simply change his mind and become friends with him, once again. This, in turn, would mean his students wouldn’t have to find a way to kill him, thus ending the anime before it even begins.
8 Dororo: He Wouldn’t Have To Kill The 12 Demons Because He’s Entirely Human
16-year-old Hyakkimaru wanted to kill the 12 demons who took his “humanity” away from him so that he could become human again. This is the entire premise of the anime – him fighting a new demon in every episode.
This wouldn’t be the case with 17-year-old Naruto, who was born in a different timeline and to different parents. This boy would have no need for any such revenge and he would go on goofy adventures, making new friends instead.
7 Demon Slayer: He Wouldn’t Waste Time On Powering Up Because He’s Already An OP Character
A large chunk of this anime focuses on Tanjiro’s growth from being a regular teenager to becoming a decent demon slayer, including training arcs, fighting low-ranking demons, and then joining the Hashira.
With Naruto, none of this would have been necessary, since not only would he have easily defeated any demons who crossed his path, but would have defeated the show’s primary antagonist, Muzan, as well. The Hashira would have gladly cleaned up his mess later on.
6 Bungou Stray Dogs: The Link Between Atsushi & Dazai Would Be Absent In Naruto’s Case
Assuming Naruto’s encounter with Dazai happens exactly as it did in the first episode, Dazai would eventually ask him about a mysterious white tiger that many people reported lurking around.
Unlike Atsushi, Naruto would say he’d seen no such creature (as the white tiger was part of Atsushi’s unique supernatural abilities). He would then thank Dazai for the meal, and go his own way, going about his own business.
5 My Hero Academia: He’d Easily Defeat The League Of Villains Single-Handedly
If Naruto replaced Deku, he would easily be the strongest superhero in the world – surpassing even the mighty All Might. All episodes about Deku's training with All Might and their secret rendezvous would also not take place, since Naruto wouldn’t have any connection with the superhero (because All Might wouldn’t give One For All to someone who already possesses such great powers).
He’d also easily defeat every villain who came across his way, including everybody from the League of Villains.
4 A Silent Voice: As A Survivor Of Bullying, He’d Never Bully Another Child
Being bullied and ostracized by his entire village was something that helped define Naruto’s behavior and views towards life, as a child.
This is why he’d never bully the sweet Shouko, which would result in him being a young and confident teenager who was not consumed with feelings of guilt and regret, unlike Shouya who spent the entire anime seeking Shouko’s forgiveness.
3 Dr. Stone: Naruto Simply Isn’t Intelligent Enough To Do Everything That Senku Did
The premise of this anime hinges on Senku’s exceptional IQ, thanks to which he’s easily able to de-petrify humans by concocting a potion from 100% naturally available ingredients.
With Naruto, while he has many abilities that make him a beloved character, such a high level of intelligence isn’t one of them. Even if he were de-petrified, he’d simply while away his time waiting for the same to happen with other humans, thus ensuring he’d never participate in the adventures that Senku did because of all the de-petrification he managed to accomplish.
2 Terror In Resonance: Naruto Would Never Involve Himself In Domestic Terrorism
Not only was the decision of The Spinx illogical and over the top, but it also involved harming public property and the possible death of innocent bystanders.
Naruto would instead opt for a way where nobody was harmed or injured, and the most likely solution for him would be to share all his information about the illegal experimentation at the orphanage, via a video on YouTube. He’d simply let the authorities take over the investigation, thus ending the anime in one episode flat.
1 Death Note: He Would Never Write Down Anybody’s Name Because He’s Against Killing People
Naruto is perhaps anime’s most famous hero with a no-kill policy, which is why it comes as no surprise that after learning the powers of the Death Note, he’d never write anybody’s name on it, unlike Light, who went crazy doing the same.
He would most likely stash the diary in a safe place where nobody would have access to, in order to ensure that nobody got hurt or killed.