This article contains spoilers from the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga.

Summary

Code's significance as a major villain in Boruto was overshadowed by the Shinju Clones.
The Shinju Clones became the new central threat, surpassing Code in power and intrigue.
Code's decline was inevitable due to shallow motivations and being outshined by more compelling antagonists.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has introduced a number of new antagonistic threats, some that are unlike anything seen before in the franchise. Initially, Isshiki Otsutsuki was deemed to be the greatest threat in the Boruto series, though after his defeat, Code took on the mantle of being the biggest threat to peace in the shinobi world. While fans expected Code to be the next major villain in Two Blue Vortex, especially after he created the Claw Grimes with his Claw Marks, the series flipped the narrative on its head by turning him into a mere side-character once more.

Despite being poised as an up-and-coming antagonist, Code was entirely overshadowed by the new threat of the Shinju Clones, who are, ironically, his own creation. The latest chapters of Two Blue Vortex further reveal how Code has become an insignificant character in Boruto, as the Shinju Clones have taken center stage and overshadowed his presence altogether in Boruto's villainous landscape.

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How Code Was Set up to be the Next Big Villain

Code Was Supposed to Carry On Isshiki Otsutsuki’s Legacy

boruto naruto next generations code doomed pawn forever — boruto naruto next generations code

While Code was initially merely an inner of Kara, similar to other characters such as Delta, Boro, and Koji Kashin, he was later chosen by Isshiki Otsutsuki himself to continue his legacy by taking revenge on all those who took part in Isshiki's death. Code was already a devoted follower of the Otsutsuki, and witnessing Isshiki in person further made him a loyal follower of this alien race.

With the will of the Otsutsuki and his own thirst for vengeance against Konoha, Code became the last remaining major villain in Boruto. The last major villain in Boruto, at least until the beginning of Two Blue Vortex. Moreover, with his limiters removed, Code was hyped up to be the strongest character in the Boruto universe at that time, especially since it was stated that Code would be much more powerful than Jigen once his limiters were to be removed.

Code was already extremely powerful, considering he possessed a Karma Mark, which granted him the same powers as the Otsutsuki, albeit without the threat of Otsutsukification. When his limiters were intact, he was able to go toe-to-toe with Konoha's strongest characters. However, his true strength came about after his limiters were removed, allowing him to become an unstoppable force. This series of events set up Code to be the next big villain, who would be a threat akin to the Otsutsuki to Konoha. However, this setup was completely sidelined after the introduction of the God Tree clones, as Code was entirely neglected and forgotten after this new antagonistic threat was introduced.

The Introduction of the Shinju Clones

The Shinju Clones Took Center Stage As the Next Big Threat

First Appearance	Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Chapter 4 "The Awakening"
Debut Date	November 20, 2023

The introduction of the Shinju clones took place in Two Blue Vortex after Code was desperate to find a new power source that would allow him to seek revenge on Konoha. His desperate attempts led to the creation of the Shinju clones, who were born out of the Divine Tree itself after Code used his Claw Marks on the Ten-Tails. The result was a group of powerful creatures that could utilize the power of the God Tree itself, but in a humanoid form.

However, Code's plan backfired after these Shinju clones gained sentience and became self-independent, autonomous creatures who discarded Code's plan altogether. With Jura as the leader of the Shinju clones, this new antagonistic threat took center stage as their powers far exceeded anything that Code had exhibited. Moreover, their threat further stemmed from the fact that these creatures did not possess any ambition or goal. Instead, they acted out of pure instinct, akin to wild animals. Their goal was to find strong shinobi and consume them in order to gain more power, with their targets being Naruto, Sasuke, and even Sarada Uchiha. With powers such as instant regeneration and immense chakra reserves that allowed them to fight without fatigue, the Shinju clones became the next unstoppable force that Konoha had to scramble to counter.

Shifting Focus From Code to the Shinju Clones

Two Blue Vortex Focused More on the Shunju Clones’ Advancements

Some might speculate that Code's significance in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex's narrative was lost the moment he was overpowered in a one-on-one fight against Boruto. The short-lived battle revealed that Boruto had gained an immense amount of power and Code no longer posed the same threat as before. However, this was merely the beginning of Code taking the backseat in Boruto's antagonistic landscape. His true demise came after his desperate attempt to create a weapon to fight Konoha, which ended up in the creation of the Shinju Clones.

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Once the Shinju Clones were born and their thirst for power was revealed, the manga shifted its focus to the mystery of these new creatures and the threat that they posed. With new powers, new ambitions, and origins that were shrouded in mystery, Two Blue Vortex suddenly became focused entirely on these new creatures and what they entailed. This automatically put Code on the back burner, as he was no longer the focal point in Boruto. Moreover, Code no longer serves as a driving force in Boruto's plot, especially considering how Jura and his actions became the main focus for Konoha. Shikamaru and the rest became primarily concerned with dealing with Jura and the rest of the God Tree Clones, which led to Code becoming more of a forgotten threat to Konoha.

Code's Decline in Boruto's Narrative

Code Was Relegated to the Sidelines

It can be argued that Code's downfall from a once-promising villain to a stepping stone for other antagonistic threats is a case of introducing too many villains and characters into the mix. However, his downfall was eventual, considering he was never exactly written to be a profound villain in the first place. Code's ambitions and motivations lie solely in acquiring power, making his ambitions and goals quite shallow. Moreover, his devotion towards the Otsutsuki fails to present a compelling motivation either, as he has been used as a pawn his entire life by the very same Otsutsuki, even being forced to bear a defective Karma Mark for Jigen’s selfish gains.

To be a clown... Who ends up being used by someone else... It's almost laughable.

The Shinju clones, on the other hand, were shrouded in mystery from the very beginning, and their introduction was rather hyped in the Two Blue Vortex manga. Their powers remain a mystery, and the characters who were used as their molds were also incredibly powerful, making the Shinju an even greater threat. The Shinju clones not only possessed more power, but were also more compelling antagonists than Code.

Code was sidelined by the plot altogether, and he was also deemed a secondary antagonist after Jura himself claimed to be stronger than Code and called him a clown with an inescapable fate. With Code not even having the respect of his own creation, it was natural for him to be sidelined and ignored altogether. Since he no longer holds the same significance in the plot, it’s safe to say that Code has been overshadowed by the new threat of the Shinju Clones altogether.

Boruto is available to read via Viz Media.

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