WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 196, “A Binding Force,” now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Boruto Episode 196 gives a lot more insight into Kawaki’s past than the manga offered. The anime is taking a deep dive into what broke Kawaki as a kid, detailing how it was with Jigen paying off his drunk dad to take the boy, offering something as simple as a meal to make Kawaki think Jigen could be his real father instead.
It’s gaslighting to the extreme and torturous conditioning that’s tough to see happening in motion, as Episode 196 goes all-in showing Kawaki truly suffering through Jigen’s “parenting.” Not only that, but Episode 196 delves even further, finally fully explaining why Jigen chose Kawaki in the first place — and the reason is absolutely heartbreaking.
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Kawaki suffers PTSD as he tries to adjust to life in Konoha as Naruto’s adopted son. He doesn’t mesh well at all with others his age, even lashing out at Boruto at home. Though he tries, Kawaki can’t escape what Jigen worked into him. After watching Naruto and his son train, Kawaki gets flashbacks of Jigen’s abuse and it’s absolutely crushing to see the villain beating Kawaki to nurture the Karma mark he gave him.
At no older than eight, Kawaki is completely at Jigen’s mercy — and he has none. Jigen, wanting to max out the mark’s powers, is relentless in his abuse, forcing the small, weak Kawaki to fight. When Kawaki questions the treatment, Jigen threatens his life for showing weakness and emotion. As valuable as he is, Jigen confesses that Kawaki’s expendable, although this is a lie as many other test subjects failed the experiments.
But what is true is why Jigen picked him. He admits to choosing Kawaki and others like him because they had nothing — no meaning in life and absolutely no purpose. Kawaki topped the list, though, as a neglected child working and chopping wood for a father who used their money for liquor and even hid food so Kawaki would work harder. The fact he had no mother as well made him perfect for Jigen to prey on.
Jigen didn’t just want to be his father; he wanted the Karma mark to fill the hole in Kawaki’s heart and soul. Someone like Kawaki, alone, at-risk and empty inside, would quickly accept this role as a vessel, making him perfect shaping into a subservient host.
This was why he continued the cycle of violence, to make Kawaki crave love even more in the form of Karma. In Jigen’s eyes, the mark was more than just a tattoo — it was a brand and a mentality. This is why Jigen spent so much time in these hazing sessions, grooming Kawaki to accept him as his master, knowing the child was susceptible to his warped dominance.
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