Code’s Role in Boruto Manga: Will He Be a Final Villain or an Uzumaki Ally?

Boruto could soon get a substantial helping hand against the Shinju from, a potential Uzumaki member. However, the same helping hand could become the reason for the worst possible future. The role of Code in the story may seem minor at first glance, but he is literally the reason behind the awakening of Daemon, the Claw Grimes, and the Shinju. However, his destiny could be entangled with Boruto for an enormous reason, making him a final boss-type character or a helpful enemy-turned-ally.

Not just that—Jura chopped away Code’s hand in Chapter 15 of the Boruto manga, and there’s a good chance this hand is still alive. It could crawl its way into the next big plot twist! And that’s only a tiny aspect of what Code may be plotting. This article will dive deep into his next moves and whether he would be a friend or a foe.

We’ve also got a guest on the blog who will provide his unique take on Code’s role. He goes by the name Ghost, and you can find some interesting Boruto content on his site, so check him out later.

Kishimoto is either writing the most unfortunate destiny for Code or setting him up for the most significant astronomical comeback in the story. The amount of L’s that Code has taken in this timeline is enormous—from risking his life to fulfil the will of someone he sees as a god to getting his heart broken and taking a bad beating. The disrespect peaked in Chapter 1 of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, when Boruto stomped on his face during his first appearance, reflecting how negligible and miserable Code’s existence is.

Over the first few chapters, Code took L’s after L’s. We saw he was burdened with an astronomical curse imposed by the authors. Like many others, I thought Code was useless and wouldn’t be necessary as a villain. However, the Code stocks rose during the high period of Chapter 4, as most of the fandom believed he was about to fuse with the Ten-Tails to attain brand-new powers.

To everyone’s surprise, he unintentionally created a new type of species—a mixture of the Ten-Tails and his Claw Marks, resulting in a tailed beast with consciousness and intellect. This awakened awareness resulted from Shibai Otsutsuki’s DNA in the Claw Marks. Yet again, this was another Code L; he was humiliated by his own creations.

But everything changed in Chapter 13. Code did win—just in a completely different timeline. In futures foreseen by Kashin Koji, Code successfully fed Kawaki to the Ten-Tails. This revelation implies that Code’s stars are misaligned only in the present timeline, hinting at a vast comeback being cooked for him by the authors.

In Chapter 15, Code declared, “Laugh as much as you can, but I will be the one to laugh at the end.” The one giving him a weird look after this dialogue was Hidari, the clone of Sasuke. There must be a reason why the scene of the Shinju was shown right after this statement. It may hint at some legitimacy to what Code said—he could become a big deal.

Something else happened with Code in the Shinju hideout that might set up something big. Remember his hand being chopped off by Jura? Code healed the wound using the Claw Marks, but what if that severed hand has gained consciousness?

In ancient mythology, crawling hands brought to life by dark magic were believed to have essential awareness. Sometimes created purposefully, they could also come to life naturally under certain conditions. A good example is the Addams Family, where a cut-off hand called Thing has a quirky personality. It helps with everyday tasks and symbolizes loyalty and support. Fiction is full of examples of demonic crawling hands, and Code’s severed hand could play a similarly pivotal role. It might steal a soul thorn bulb, gain uncontrollable consciousness, or even face destruction at the hands of the Shinju.

Just when it seemed like Code would never take a Big Win, Jura showed gratitude towards him by offering the chakra fruit—if Code managed to kill Boruto or his secret ally, Kashin Koji.

Although it’s clear that Code is no match for Boruto, a one-on-one conflict with Kashin Koji seems likely. Their destinies are intertwined in ways that cannot be overlooked.

Kashin Koji, an artificial life form created by Amado, was solely designed to draw Isshiki out. His purpose wasn’t to kill Isshiki but to force him out, after which Koji was supposed to die. Beyond that, Koji was a clone of Jiraiya, a man who sacrificed his life to guide Naruto. Koji’s fate as a prophecy-teller, enhanced by Shibai Otsutsuki’s power, allowed him to see multiple futures, potentially escaping his predetermined destiny.

On the other hand, Code was an ordinary kid doomed to be a failed vessel of Isshiki Otsutsuki. However, his fascination with the creature made him devote his entire life to him. He became a loyal servant, a fate he couldn’t escape. This loyalty and trust caused him to fumble at many stages of his life.

First, Isshiki tried to use him for his purposes. But when Code was a failure, he was reduced to a nobody in Kara. Soon after, he was given the will of an Otsutsuki by the spirit of Isshiki, which made him feel fulfilled—as if he had found the purpose of his existence. Code’s belief in Isshiki’s words gave him a sense of identity.

As Code took his first steps toward his godly mission, he encountered Eida and Daemon. Without hesitation, he trusted them, believing they would become loyal allies. But, sadly, they used him without him even realizing it. Even Amado, who removed his limiters, appears to have betrayed him. There’s no way Code is at full power in his current form. Another limiter has likely been secretly implanted in him, preventing him from realizing his full potential.

His creations, the Shinjus, have manipulated his greed to ensure he fulfils their mission. In the eyes of most characters, Code has been reduced to an arrogant boy. This contrasts sharply with Kashin Koji, who broke free from being a mere tool of Amado.

This is why a battle between Code and Koji could carry immense symbolic weight. What if the only way for Code to change his fate is by defeating Kashin Koji? Koji’s power of prescience has made him a symbol of fate itself. To change his destiny, Code may need to beat the man called the Star of Change by Isshiki.

Reaching this symbolic curve in his life could allow Code to live for his purpose, which is distinct from what Isshiki imposed on him. Alternatively, Code could become Boruto’s final arch-nemesis, embodying the opposite scar symbolism.

Let Ghost take over with his thoughts and theories on Code—a character with an undeniably miserable fate.

I know everybody has had enough of Code. He’s been taking so many L’s for as long as we’ve known him—essentially since his introduction into the story. As bad as things have been, I believe all these will propel Code forward later in the story.

I’ve explored this topic in many of my Boruto manga blogs, but it became clear that Code was off to a rough start as soon as Two Blue Vortex began. During the time skip, we learned that he fought Boruto and Sasuke—and Sasuke managed to take out one of Code’s eyes. This is the same Code with his limiters removed, which was said to be stronger than Jigen.

However, all of Code’s opponents have been playing with him, making him look foolish. At first, I hypothesized that Code had gained so much power that he was essentially toying with his enemies. But now, it’s evident he was genuinely trying his best to defeat Boruto and failed. He wasn’t holding back—he couldn’t do it.

I would still love some context on when Momoshiki took over Boruto during Code and Sasuke’s fight. This could provide critical insights into Code’s power and Boruto’s capabilities when Momoshiki is in control.

At this point, most people have written Code off as not a threat. Even the authors mentioned in an interview that they initially planned for Code to be killed but decided to keep him alive for future developments. Despite all this, I have high hopes for Code. He will eventually silence his critics and emerge as a massive threat later in the story.

When a character like Code is down this bad, the only way left is up.

As for video games, I’m sure Code will make his way into Naruto Storm Connections, and when he does, everyone will love him. I’ve been eager to see how the game developers implement his Claw Marks mechanic. Since the Shinju also gained sentience through the Claw Marks, it will be fascinating to see how this translates into the Storm franchise.

There’s also the theory that Code could be an Uzumaki due to his red hair. Before getting his limiters removed, this possibility seemed plausible. Additionally, Code Amado could still manipulate Code through some arbitrary code execution.

Amado is a wild card. We’ve already seen that he can monitor Kawaki and Delta. Assuming he’s also been observing Code wouldn’t be a stretch. If that’s the case, Amado might know everything Code has been experiencing.

At this point in the story, everything Amado does should be taken with a grain of salt. You couldn’t be more wrong if you think anything is beyond Amado. He’s capable of anything, and you should never let your guard down around him.

 Code has massive potential, and he could be one of the most potent antagonists the Naruto-Boruto universe has ever seen. However, deciding whether he’ll be the final antagonist is still too early. Code will be up there for sure, but having read the whole story, I’m still very interested to see when the Otsutsuki Clan will make their way to Earth.

You see, the Fifth Great Ninja War has the chance to be the most devastating and extraordinary war in all of ninja history within the Naruto-Boruto universe. Essentially, the way the story is progressing, this next war could introduce a new three-way deadlock:

• Shinobi (humans) vs.
• The Shinju vs.
• The Otsutsuki Clan.

I’m intrigued to see how the Otsutsuki Clan will interact with the now-sentient Shinju. As we know, the Otsutsuki Clan used the Shinju as tools—the Ten-Tails were merely a means to cultivate the Divine Fruit. Now that this “tool” has gained sentience, the possibilities for the story are limitless.

Since the Shinju was modified with the Claw Marks, Code will be the first to absorb the Thorn Soul Bulb and power up. Code could even be the one to absorb Jura’s Thorn Soul Bulb. However, by the end of the story, Kawaki will absorb the aggregate of Code and Jura to become what we saw in the final scenes of Boruto vs. Kawaki at the beginning of the series.

Code has faced several losses: he lost to Daemon after his limiters were removed, then proceeded to lose to Boruto, and was toyed with by the Shinju, his creations. At this point, many people’s opinions of Code couldn’t get any worse. He’s at rock bottom, so his only direction now is up.

Having lost his hand to Jura and forming an alliance with Jura to eliminate Boruto (and, by extension, Kashin Koji, Boruto’s unknown accomplice), Code will stop at nothing to take them down. His will is Isshiki Otsutsuki’s will, which I believe will eventually revive at some point in the story.

Boruto is currently the target of not only Code but also Jura. However, there’s a slight possibility that while Code is on track to kill Boruto, something could happen between Eida and Boruto that reverses Omnipotence. If that happens, Code might shift his focus to Kawaki instead of Boruto, which would anger Jura.

If Kawaki’s limiters are rescinded before this happens, Jura could be caught off guard by Kawaki’s new power. But if Omnipotence is reversed before Boruto is killed, it could fundamentally alter the story’s trajectory.

Now that we’ve discussed the evil side of Code’s character, what if he turns over a new leaf instead? Many hints suggest a potential Uzumaki connection for Code:

1. His unique hair colour aligns with the Uzumaki Clan.
2. His ability to handle the Karmic Seal experiment showcased immense resilience.
3. The biggest hint of all might lie within his name itself—Code.

I’m pretty sure “Code” isn’t his real name. He could be an orphan with Uzumaki bloodline ties without realizing it. Maybe he didn’t even know his name when Jigen adopted him, so he’s called Code.

There must also be a reason for Code’s intense loyalty to Isshiki. He wanted to serve as Isshiki’s actual vessel, but fate reduced him to a failure. Why was he so selfless toward Isshiki in the first place? Perhaps Jigen raised him differently than Kawaki.

Code was among the few who surpassed others in strength, yet he limited his powers to ensure Jigen retained dominance. This reflects his immense respect for Jigen.

Maybe Code’s ignorance of his mighty roots and the sense of purpose Jigen instilled in his otherwise meaningless life was the “click” that shaped his loyalty. But would Code remain the same if he discovered the untold connection he shares with Boruto, who is also a member of the Uzumaki Clan?

Will the Otsutsuki rivalry eventually boil down to a Shinobi conflict? The untold backstories of Kawaki and Code could take the plot in an entirely different direction.

If you’re curious about how Kawaki’s past could unexpectedly reshape the story, be sure to check out this article.