Audiences were overjoyed when they learned that Naruto would be continued in a sequel series following Naruto and Hinata's son, Boruto. Fans looked forward to seeing their favorite characters grown up, being introduced to new villains, watching more explosive battles, and continuing to learn the heartwarming lessons that Naruto is known for.
In addition to seeing the story of their beloved ninjas continue, fans looked forward to the new costume designs this extension of the Naruto universe would bring. As is always the case with sequels, some of Boruto's designs are absolutely fantastics while others are plain duds.
10 Hate: Denki Kaminarimon
Denki is a completely new character in Boruto, so there was nothing on which to base his design. The outfit he wears once he becomes a Genin consists of a pair of shorts and a button-down, short-sleeved shirt in matching dull blue. To top it off, he wears black gloves and a light blue scarf tied around his neck. The scarf alone would be a hazard for a ninja who already is not adept physically, but this design doesn't fit with the aesthetics of the ninja world and is reminiscent of a Boy Scout uniform.
9 Love: Gaara
Setting aside the dubious hairdo, Gaara's new outfit is an adult version of his Kazekage outfit from Naruto Shippuden. Taking on the same deep red tone, this new design loses the purple-gray vest to become a more streamlined costume that suits Gaara's status as a fully-matured leader. There is a steampunk aspect to his outfit in the buttons, cuffs, and straps that are appealing and fresh, yet it does not veer too far from the well-established aesthetics from the pre-Boruto era.
8 Hate: Rock Lee
Whereas many of the original Naruto characters received visual upgrades in the transition to Boruto, Rock Lee's costume was a downgrade. Not only is his new design basically the same as his old costume with just the sleeves ripped off to expose his now-muscular arms, the ninja-headband-turned-waistband element was left out altogether. In fact, he no longer wears a ninja headband at all. While the added orange neck warmer was a nice touch, the costume otherwise wasn't an advancement on the original green suit. At least Lee kept his trademark eyebrows.
7 Love: Sai
Adult Sai's design is a mature version of his Shippuden costume. To go along with his new duties as a fully-fledged and important Jonin in Konohagakure, he covers his stomach to protect himself better from physical attacks. While his outfit includes the same gray, black, and red, the cut of his new clothes reflect the seriousness with which he treats his profession. Sai's costume upgrade is a refreshing example of a grown-up glow-up done right.
6 Hate: Naruto Uzumaki
The black-and-orange colors are ostensibly Naruto, but the plain cut of the shirt and the basic black pants leave much to be desired.
As one of the most important characters in the Naruto universe, fans were hoping that his new costume would be an exciting update on the old ones. Instead, they were left disappointed with an unmemorable, shapeless, and indistinct outfit that could have been worn by any member of the village, sans cape.
5 Love: Hinata Hyuga
Hinata's new design suits her personality and her status as both a ninja and a mom perfectly. It is comfy, layered, subdued, and features the signature light purple color that has adorned her costume designs since Shippuden. An additional fun detail is that the seam lines on her lilac jacket match the seam lines of her lilac shirt from Naruto: The Last, the film where Naruto falls in love with Hinata and marries her in the end.
4 Hate: Delta
Delta's design is so out of place in the ninja world that it deserves a mention. Her outfit brings to mind a circus costume with its striped tights and revealing teal dress. Ninja garb is known to be brightly colored, but rarely do the colors clash to such an extent. The white go-go boots, black cape, pink jewelry, and yellow make up which top off the outfit do nothing but combine to make the design sartorially grotesque.
3 Love: Boruto Uzumaki
Boruto's black-and-magenta tracksuit is reminiscent of Naruto's two-piece outfits, but the new clothes reflect a sleek, modern design that makes sense in the ninja world given how much time has passed. Much like his dad's, Boruto's outfit skews youthful and has an ease of movement. The design itself is memorable without having to resort to using Naruto's signature orange. It was a stroke of genius to reflect the stylings of the father without relying on his color scheme.
2 Hate: Sarada Uchiha (Manga)
The most egregious costume design in Boruto belongs to Sarada Uchiha in the manga. Fans were in an uproar when the artist first released images of the character, owing to the extremely inappropriate nature of the outfit for an active, 12-year old girl.
Notably, other female characters in the manga, such as Chōchō and Temari, have received similar design treatment with skimpy skirts that are not conducive to ninja battles. And in Sarada and Chōchō's case, those sexualized designs border on the offensive since they are placed on underage characters.
1 Love: Sarada Uchiha (Anime)
Sarada Uchiha's costume received an upgrade in the switch from manga to anime. Her red tunic with angled zipper is reminiscent of her mother Sakura's red shirt from Shippuden, and her loose, light purple shorts reflect the design of the white shorts viewers first see Sasuke appear in as a youngster. This costume choice shows Sarada as an athletic ninja rather than as an adolescent sex symbol, and fans are grateful for it.