Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections set to introduce brand-new characters

Bandai Namco and CyberConnect2 unveiled a trailer for Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections “Special Story Mode” during the Bandai Namco Summer Showcase at Anime Expo 2023. This new trailer revealed two never before seen characters who appear integral to the new story.

Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections was announced in February 2023 to celebrate the 20th year since Naruto’s anime debut. Publisher Bandai Namco made the announcement promising “The largest roster of beloved characters to play” in franchise history.

The initial announcement trailer made good on that promise by showing off gameplay featuring inheritors of the six paths Ashura and Indra Otsusuki. Both present in previous games of the franchise but never before playable.

Adding to the already announced story mode spanning from Naruto’s childhood, all the way to his final showdown with Sasuke in the Final Valley, Bandai Namco has now revealed a completely original story for the game. New characters Nanashi and Merz seem central to this new chapter in the Naruto mythos.

Nanashi is a guide in a popular, in-universe online game “Ninja Heroes” (and possibly Kishimoto’s fanfic of a NaruSaku offspring). Her role isn’t entirely clear yet but her designation as a video game character has some really interesting implications for fans of the Isekai genre.

By far the more fleshed-out of the two new characters, Merz is a clearly antagonistic devotee of fan-favorite villain Pain. He plans to bring about the Fifth Great Ninja War and has an army of masked accomplices to help in the effort.

The trailer is sparse on any further details but looks to show Naruto and Sasuke coming into conflict once more. Most interestingly, Naruto is seemingly on the wrong side of things this time.

Other standouts include new attempts at infinite tsukuyomi and Boruto facing off against a never before seen Susanoo that may just belong to Merz. He does cover his eyes and has a heavily scarred face after all.

Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections still doesn’t have an official release date yet. Fans were hoping for a reveal during the Summer Showcase but will have to content themselves with the 2023 placeholder for now.

For more on Naruto’s video game iterations, check out Dexerto’s list of seven of the best Naruto games of all time.