During the first part of Naruto, the fans were introduced to a dynamic collection of Shinobi Genin aspiring to rise in the ranks of Konoha’s finest. Their ninjutsu, personalities and dreams were all varied, and the possibilities in their development alongside the protagonists of Team 7 were boundless. It is well-known now that the majority of secondary cast members in Naruto were left by the wayside during Naruto: Shippuden, with only a few of them having any meaningful impact on the story. One member of the Konoha 11 suffered nearly as painfully as Tenten, but the fall was far deeper due to the potential with which he started his story.
Shino Aburame was a member of Team 8, alongside Hinata Hyuga and Kiba Inuzuka, and he initially brought a level of competence to the rather uninspiring team. As Shino is a member of the Aburame clan, he has a special ninjutsu in which his body hosts insects known as kikaichu, offering a unique style of combat. Unfortunately for Shino, his time in the limelight was brief, even if he did perform exceedingly well within those small windows of opportunity. As the story progressed, the once illusively powerful rookie was cast into obscurity before finally having his character demolished in the Naruto sequel, Boruto.
The Konoha Powerhouse of Part One
As a member of the Konoha 11, Shino was assigned to Team 8 and remained something of an enigma. His personality was overshadowed by Kiba’s boisterousness, and it was clear that the focus of the team was primarily Hinata. However, during the Chunin exams, Shino was the only member of his team to reach the arena stage, and he did so with competency and level-headedness that implied an ability level above many of his counterparts. This analytical ability was shown again when he defeated the puppet ninja Kankuro.
It was clear that Shino was a skillful shinobi who had trained to utilize his insects to their fullest extent. His battle intelligence was close to that of Shikamaru Nara, and his power was nothing to shun. However, the first sign of Shino’s neglect came during the “Sasuke Retrieval” arc as he became one of the few shinobi left out of the mission. Considering the performance Shino displayed, it can be argued that he would have also been a candidate for the Chunin rank if he had fought Kankuro during the exam, and his presence in chasing Sasuke Uchiha could have greatly weighed the mission in the Konoha shinobis’ favor.
The Powerful But Neglected Shinobi in Part Two
Similarly to the majority of the Konoha 11 in Naruto: Shippuden, Shino found himself sitting on the sidelines of the story. Barring Hinata, Team 8 was the team that suffered the most from this lack of attention on their progression. The other teams were offered windows of opportunity to display their growth, some even having an arc revolving entirely around them, but Team 8 was only given a small second in the “Sasuke Retrieval” arc, which lacked any of the impact, intensity or direction the original achieved. Their appearance in the arc seemed more like an obligation to include Team 8 rather than having an actual narrative purpose.
That being said, Shino did perform relatively well in his brief skirmish with Tobi. The fact that Tobi was wary of facing a member of the Aburame clan, even if Shino did not pose a major threat, expressed a reasonable power that Shino’s clan had. It reminded fans of the Part One Shino who was able to analyze a situation, formulate a plan and act accordingly, presenting a shinobi of acceptable skill. Nonetheless, the arc offered no major victories or development for Shino. His inclusion, alongside his teammates, was simply a flicker in the story that had no lasting effects. From then on, Shino was absorbed into the Allied Shinobi Forces, like many others of his ilk.
Popularity and Lack of Appearance
When considering the popularity polls conducted throughout Naruto’s run time, Shino was not an unpopular character. He may not have reached the top 30 in the first poll, but come the second, he was placed in the mid-20s and consistently followed this placement in following polls. However, another theme can also be observed in the polls — Shino still ranked lower than a majority of the other Konoha 11. There is no poll where he placed higher than his teammate Kiba, and he generally only outplaced Tenten, who had an even worse showing than he himself did.
While popularity polls are not direct evidence in explaining the lack of a character’s appearance, it is interesting to see that many of the other characters above Shino in the poll were given more screen time and development. The disappointment comes with just how much potential Shino displayed during the Chunin exams, portraying himself as a reliable shinobi. His abilities were so unique and his personality was so interesting that it was a shame to have him placed in the same pool as characters like Tenten and, to some degree, Kiba.
The Absolute Dismantling in Boruto
The true destruction of Shino came with its sequel, Boruto. While the position of Instructor is a noble one, the way Shino is portrayed falls into the realm of comedic relief and a lack of real ability and skill. His previous persona as a mysterious and level-headed shinobi is dismantled, and a new, awkward, clumsy and even childish Shino is the replacement. Boruto leans into the weirdness of the character, capitalizing on his peculiar nature. Some would consider this growth in a certain fashion, while others would see it as character abuse.
Shino Aburame was one of the powerhouses of the Konoha 11. He was the dark horse, alongside Shikamaru in a manner, of the Chunin exams and displayed a combat ability on par with the primary protagonists. It’s a shame that the character was not only neglected in his development, as many of the original cast of Genin were, but absolutely transformed from a potential Anbu specialist and reliable shinobi of the village into a kindly, awkward homeroom teacher who can be bested repeatedly by his students.