It’s finally over. After 15 years 700 chapters, 72 volumes, 695 episodes, 11 Films, 70 video game titles and moments to last a lifetime, the more than iconic anime series Naruto is coming to a close. This series has been one of the pivotal cornerstones to my entire childhood and I cannot exaggerate that enough. Most anime doesn’t last very long; most series don’t make it past 25 episodes regardless of how long it’s manga may be, so for any anime to make it past 50 episodes, let alone over 400 is a near miraculous accomplishment and a rare one also.

Naruto is often looked down upon, regardless of its overwhelming success, as a “basic” or “starter” anime, one that you watch to introduce yourself to more “complex” anime, as someone who has watched “basic” anime and “complex” anime, I have come to the conclusion that both terms are worthless, and I don’t mean that in a way that should take away from the complexity of anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion but, I mean they are worthless because one could look at any anime, and perceive it as something complex when they try to dissect the subject matter by asking very abstract questions and trying to answer them. I can prove this with Naruto, regarded by many as a “basic” anime it, in fact, holds a number of (admittedly simplistic) learnable, life lessons, one just has to look at in the right way.

1. Never give up on the people you love.

So if you are familiar with Naruto you know that his best friend, Sasuke, abandons the village in order to become stronger (through less than reputable means) while Naruto, after a fight with Sasuke and failing to apprehend and bring him back, leaves the village in order to train, so that one day he can eventually have the strength to bring Sasuke back. This serves as an important lesson to holding on to the people we love the most. While it would've been perfectly fair if Naruto expelled Sasuke from his heart, he didn't, he stayed committed to his friend which is admirable, it's easy to give up on someone, but Naruto teaches that sometimes letting go is the easy way out, one that could end up being regrettable.

2. Forgiveness

Sasuke was an asshole for most of this series. I'm not going to spend a lot of time arguing the fact, but for proof here is a list of all the good people Sasuke has tried to kill.

Naruto ( More than once)

Sakura

Kakashi

Raikage

Killer Bee

Yamato

Sai

Gaara

Tsunade

You can say he was "trapped in darkness" or whatever but an asshole is an asshole, what is significant about that is not only did his friends not give up on him, they FORGAVE HIS ASS, it is extremely easy to be petty after someone tries to kill you, even if it is your closest friend. What Naruto exemplifies is the power of forgiveness, and the ability to have love in your heart for someone who has done you wrong.

3. Potential is met through hard work

The value of hard work is a very simple concept, I think it's taken to a different level in Naruto, a character can train and work hard but when they are faced with situations where their hard work did not pay off, they don't agonize in their failures, but recognize their potential and work to become even stronger. I find that admirable. Working hard is one thing, but recognizing how far your work can take you is another.

4. The Value of a Promise

Another very important lesson to be learned from Naruto is the value of a promise. Naruto puts the value of his word in this realm of personal philosophy know as a Ninja Way. A Ninja Way is a set of rules ninjas like Naruto live by, this is an almost religious philosophy void of any kind of wiggle room. For Naruto, this is the value of a promise. Naruto will not say he'll do something if he has any doubt in his ability to follow through. This makes it possible for people to put so much faith in him and this is what makes it possible for him to give people hope.

5. The Will of Fire 

The Will of Fire is one of the most important elements in the series, the Will of Fire is an abstract concept and while it may be understood in different ways there is an indisputable understanding that it encompasses the will of ninja to protect what they intend on leaving for the next generation. People don't often think about what they want to leave behind after their time in the world is finished so when asked we often are left speechless, what Naruto does is not only explore the idea of a legacy but makes it something the ninja are actively trying preserve. What's the last thing you did to preserve your legacy?