The following article contains spoilers for Naruto and Boruto.
Naruto Such a fascinating story, with incredible world-building and a huge number of memorable characters. While the main story is definitely focused on Team 7, specifically Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha (although Sakura Haruno is a third protagonist in this. Naruto), many secondary characters were able to win the hearts of fans. Rock Lee is definitely a great example of how a side character can become one of the most iconic in the franchise.
Besides his charismatic personality, Lee has a very determined, passionate and touching backstory. He is introduced in a powerful way during the Chunin Exams, but unfortunately, he doesn't get much of a spotlight afterwards. Nevertheless, Lee achieved her dream and became the strongest ninja in Konoha. He is definitely a character that should be explored more BorutoOr maybe he'll be worthy enough to get his own light novel segments featuring things the story couldn't focus on, since Rock Lee has a huge fan base, ranking among the 20 most popular characters in the series in worldwide popularity polls (well, he got his own spin-off series… but that's another matter).
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How Rock Lee Became Iconic in Naruto
During the Chunin Exams, Rock Lee quickly became one of the most iconic characters NarutoAlthough he is dropped as the story progresses. His fight against Gaara during the exam is one of the franchise's most memorable moments, and Lee has earned many fans. To this day, many still claim that Rock Lee should have won the match.
What makes Lee such a beloved character is her backstory. Unlike most characters, Lee lacked the skills necessary to use ninjutsu or genjutsu (which basically meant that he could not properly mold his chakra to perform these techniques), and was constantly ridiculed for it. While Naruto was also mocked and not considered particularly skilled by most of his peers at the time, Naruto always showed the ability to manipulate chakra and become a ninja.
Despite his apparent lack of ability, Lee never gave up on becoming a shinobi, and trained hard to improve his abilities. His efforts eventually touched Mighty Guy, who decided to train the boy. Noting his lack of “molding abilities”, the boy taught him taijutsu with advanced techniques and the Forbidden Eight Gates. It is worth noting that Rock Lee is able to use chakra; He is not able to shake it off. Therefore, he can perform strong taijutsu techniques that require chakra.
So I wasn't born with much natural talent, not as talented as Neji… but I work hard and I never give up! That is my gift; That's my ninja way!
— Rock Lee to Tenten in Naruto
Gaara vs. Rock Lee's match was also a clash between someone who had to work hard to qualify as a genin and someone with a large chakra reserve from holding a tailed beast inside of them. Thus, it is often read as a battle between effort and hereditary privilege. Since Privilege “won” the effort in this case, many fans felt the result was very disappointing, even though Lee never gave up during the fight. He was injured so badly that doctors believed he would never be a shinobi again. And, once again, Lee persevered and continued training.
What was Lee's role during the war?
After a risky surgery performed by Tsunade, Rock Lee was able to recover his bones and muscles, and was finally able to train to his full potential and help his friends in high stakes missions as part of Team Boy. Then, in Naruto ShippudenHe went on several missions related to targeting the Akatsuki. When the war broke out, he was assigned to the 3rd Division, to fight alongside Guy and Sakura.
Who is that character?

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His division fought several resurrected shinobi, including Haku and Kimimaro. She also saw the boy take serious damage on the battlefield, but luckily, Sakura was able to heal him (at least, partially). Lee was instrumental in assisting the boy against Obito/Madara Uchiha and in the Ten-Tails War, and was moved by the sight of his master unlocking his full potential. So, while he wasn't as basic as Naruto and Sasuke, he definitely made a name for himself during the battle. For a shinobi mocked for not being able to harness chakra, Rock Lee has come a long way and proved that anyone can get anywhere if they work hard enough.
Is Rock Lee Really Over The Boy?
The boy is the pinnacle of taijutsu in the series, being able to unlock all eight inner gates, and he proves in his battle against Obito/Madara that he is among the strongest ninja in Konoha. However, the war took a toll on his body, injuring his leg. Unfortunately, the damage is permanent, and, while the boy survived the war, he never regained movement in his legs and now uses a wheelchair.
Therefore, it is widely believed that Rock Lee surpassed the boy, but he probably never matched the boy's true potential. This is a bit sad because it means Lee is stronger than him because the guy is injured and not because Lee has trained enough to beat the guy's extreme abilities. To do Lee some justice, the story indicates that he is able to unlock all eight gates, so he might have a chance to prove otherwise. Boruto: Two Blue Vortexes. Thus, it is possible that she is stronger than the boy, but the story never gives her any chance to show it.
Is Rock Lee still alive in Boruto?
Lee is still alive and active BorutoHowever, she has not been given much screen time yet. He has a son named Metal Lee, and is married, but the identity of his wife (or at least the mother of his son) is currently unknown. Therefore, it is possible that he is married to someone who is not a ninja and is never introduced in the story. Anyway, Lee is now the proctor/moderator of the Chunin Exams.
Now that Naruto and Sasuke are gone and have lost their powers, Rock Lee is now the most powerful shinobi in Konoha. However, some may claim that Sakura is stronger than him, although she often takes a supporting role in battle as a medical-nin. Still, it seems that Kishimoto doesn't want to focus on him now, and the new generation will surpass him in the future.
Will Rock Lee shine again in Boruto?
Many fans have expected Boruto To focus a little more on the characters Naruto. While it's clear that the sequel was meant to show the new generation growing up and becoming more powerful, fans wanted to see a little more action from beloved secondary characters like Rock Lee. However, unfortunately, this has not been the case for now, much to the dismay of many fans.
Because there is a possibility that a new Shinobi World War will start soon Boruto: Two Blue VortexesThere is still a chance that Rock Lee will stand up and fight once again. Perhaps, a potential fifth war would be the perfect excuse to finally show off if Lee is indeed able to unlock all eight inner gates, he claimed. However, for now, the story seems to focus more on the Shinju clones, the conflict between Kawaki and Boruto, and foreshadowing the return of the Otsutsuki clan. So Lee has mostly been a side character, relegated to special cameos in the manga.
Where to read Boruto: Two-Blue Vortex
Boruto: Two Blue Vortexes is sorted in v-jump In Japan, it is one of the most read series there, with chapters released on a monthly basis in the magazine and also on the Shonen Jump+ app. International readers can also read new chapters as they are released in Japan, as they are added to the MANGA Plus app (in English and other languages) and VIZ Media's website and Shonen Jump service The next chapter is scheduled to be out on April 20, 2026.
Two blue vortexes is a sequel to Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. This new saga is still unchanged, but once Boruto Anime Returns, it will probably start to cover this saga. There are still some things from The next generation To cover, but not enough to completely fill the almighty arc. Therefore, it is possible that the anime will combine the ending The next generation With the beginning of Two blue vortexes.
Unfortunately, there is no release window for the anime's return, but the studio has already confirmed it. Boruto part 2 is in production. Maybe they're waiting for the series to progress a bit more before deciding how to adapt events without adding fillers. Boruto Will probably move to a seasonal model, like most anime today. Another option would be to rotate the closing events The next generation In a movie, and then devoted a full cour to adapting the first chapter Two blue vortexes. Since the second series takes place after the time skip, it makes more sense for Part 2 to cover only the saga (eg Naruto Shippuden).
Naruto, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations And some spin-off series/special chapters are also available to read on MANGA Plus. However, access to the entire series may require a paid subscription.
Naruto: Shippuden
- Release date
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2007 – 2017-00-00
- network
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TV Tokyo
- directors
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Masaki Kumagai, Naoki Horiuchi, Kazunori Mizuno, Yuki Kinoshita, Kazuya Iwata, Hiroyoshi Kishikawa, Yusuke Onoda, Hisashi Ishii, Yoshihiro Sugai, Shu Watanabe, Akitaro Daichi, Takuma Suzuki, Kiyoshi Murayama, Kenjiyama, Kiyoshi Murayama, Kenjiyama. Nishida, Hideki Takayama, Masaharu Watanabe, Akira Shimizu, Ayataka Tanemura, Hiroaki Nishimura, Atsushi Nakagawa, Kentaro Fujita, Masayuki Matsumoto
- The authors
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Yasuyuki Suzuki, Shin Yoshida, Junki Takegami, Katsuhiko Chiba, Yuka Miyata, Satoru Nishizono, Kento Shimoyama, Daisuke Watanabe, Hideto Tanaka, Masaya Honda
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Junko Takeuchi
Naruto Uzumaki (voice)
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In Sugiya of Noria
Sasuke Uchiha (voice)