The world of Boruto is full of powerful villains. However, while most eventually fall to the heroes, only a few have overcome their own death. One such villain is Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, possibly the most dangerous foe that Boruto has ever fought.
When Naruto and co. defeated Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and the Ten-Tails in the Ōtsutsuki War, that wasn't the last they'd see of her powerful, alien clan. Isshiki Ōtsutsuki takes center stage in Boruto, and though he lacks the bombast of Kaguya and her efforts, Isshiki is a bad guy who just keeps coming back.
Who Is Isshiki Ōtsutsuki?
Isshiki Otsutsuki is a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan, an ancient group of celestial beings. These parasitic beings travel the cosmos enforcing the Ōtsutsuki Will. The Ōtsutsuki Will is a philosophy that says members of the Ōtsutsuki clan must travel and consume the life energy and genetic data of other worlds so that they may eventually reach godhood. The clan landed on Earth a thousand years ago and had a massive effect on humanity and the history of shinobi.
Isshiki Otsutsuki was also the leader of Kara, a secret society that, while controlled by Isshiki, aimed to grow a God Tree and collect its chakra fruit so Isshiki could consume it.
How Strong Is Isshiki Ōtsutsuki?
Isshiki is extremely strong, outclassing many of Naruto's other foes. For a time, Isshiki was possessing Jigen's body. However, Jigen's body couldn't easily contain his power, despite its large number of modifications. And, even when restricted to Jigen's body, Isshiki was able to easily defeat Naruto and Sasuke, sealing Naruto and nearly killing Sasuke during their battle.
Besides his physical strength, Isshiki also has a massive collection of powerful abilities and Jutsu. This includes Sukunohikona, a Jutsu that allows him to instantly shrink non-living matter down to microscopic size. He combines this with a super-powerful Sealing Jutsu that lets him seal foes into tiny, nearly inescapable vessels. And, as if that wasn't enough, Isshiki can also use Daikokuten. This ability lets Isshiki put any object he's shrunk into a pocket dimension that is unaffected by time. Isshiki can summon these items back in an instant, essentially meaning he has access to hammerspace. And this is only the beginning -- Amado once said that Isshiki's power is so intense that he could effortlessly destroy the Earth if he fully harnessed them.
How Did Isshiki Die?
Isshiki was finally taken down by Naruto, Sasuke, Boruto and Kawaki working together. However, even with a four-on-one advantage, it wasn't an easy fight. Knowing his body was failing, Isshiki went to Konohagakure, aiming to rebrand Kawaki with a Kāma so he could be reborn at full power. However, Naruto intercepted him, only to get instantly overwhelmed. When Sasuke arrived and attempted to help Naruto, Isshiki shrunk every projectile he sent out. When all felt lost, Boruto joined the fight and was able to keep Isshiki busy for a short time. But, while he and Sasuke fought hard against Isshiki, it was futile.
This was until Naruto entered Baryon Mode and rejoined the fight. In this form, Naruto was able to go toe to toe with Isshiki. However, Isshiki realized that Baryon Mode was draining both his and Naruto's life and that, along with his already crumbling body, he was quickly running out of time. Isshiki summoned Kawaki to the area and branded him with a Kāma once more. However, he quickly learned that he had been tricked as it was actually Kawaki's shadow clone. This meant the Kāma couldn't take and Isshiki died.
However, this wasn't the end for Isshiki. He was able to make contact with his protege, Code, through the White Kāma that was implanted in him. In the moments before his death, Isshiki commanded Code to become an Ōtsutsuki himself and carry on the will of the clan by capturing Boruto or Kawaki and feeding them to the Ten-Tails. Isshiki also told Code the names of everyone who had played a part in killing him so that Code could avenge his death.
Who Could Be More Dangerous Than Isshiki In Boruto?
While Isshiki is powerful, there are even more powerful members of the Otsutsuki clan who could cause problems for Boruto and his friends in the future. Among them are Kaguya Otsutsuki, who could rewrite reality itself when she reached full power. There is also Hagoromo Otsutsuki, who is the son of Kaguya and thus inherited her godly powers. After working with his brother to kill his mother, Hagoromo became the first Jinchūriki of the Ten-tails, making him even more powerful.
Code shouldn't be ruled out either. As while he isn't as dangerous as Isshiki, he could grow more powerful in the future. His drive for vengeance could push him to find a new power that can take Naruto and his friends down.