When Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 expanded with the Road to Boruto DLC, it introduced several major characters from Boruto: Naruto the Movie. Among them, Kinshiki Otsutsuki immediately stood out because of his overwhelming physical power and aggressive combat style. While characters like Momoshiki relied heavily on chakra absorption and ranged attacks, Kinshiki became one of the game’s most destructive close-range fighters.
CyberConnect2 designed Kinshiki to feel different from most traditional Naruto characters. Instead of fast combo chains or technical ninjutsu-focused gameplay, he emphasizes raw force, massive weapon swings, armored pressure, and intimidating reach. His moveset mirrors the way he fights in the anime and movie adaptations, where he overwhelms opponents through pure strength and devastating chakra weapon attacks.
The addition of Kinshiki also changed how many players approached combat in Ultimate Ninja Storm 4. His combination of reach, pressure, and high-damage attacks makes him especially dangerous against defensive players. Although he is not the fastest fighter in the roster, his sheer offensive power forces opponents to constantly reposition and avoid getting trapped in close combat.
More importantly, Kinshiki helped expand the game’s transition into the Boruto era. His inclusion signaled that the Storm series was evolving beyond the original Fourth Great Ninja War storyline and embracing the newer Otsutsuki-focused conflicts introduced in Boruto.
Who is Kinshiki Otsutsuki in Naruto and Boruto?
Before examining his gameplay, it is important to understand Kinshiki’s role in the Naruto franchise itself.
Kinshiki Otsutsuki first appeared as one of the powerful extraterrestrial members of the Otsutsuki Clan alongside Momoshiki Otsutsuki. In Boruto: Naruto the Movie and later in the anime adaptation, Kinshiki arrives on Earth to investigate Kaguya’s actions and gather chakra fruit energy. Unlike Momoshiki, who acts more calculating and manipulative, Kinshiki primarily serves as a physically dominant enforcer.
The character quickly became memorable because of his incredible strength and ability to create gigantic chakra weapons. During his battle against Sasuke Uchiha, Kinshiki demonstrates the power to split landscapes apart with raw force alone. His combat style emphasizes brutal melee attacks combined with enormous chakra constructs.
CyberConnect2 translated these abilities directly into Ultimate Ninja Storm 4: Road to Boruto. Rather than redesigning him into a balanced all-rounder, the developers focused on making him feel intimidating and physically overwhelming in gameplay.
This design philosophy makes Kinshiki unique compared to many Storm characters who depend heavily on speed or combo complexity.
Kinshiki’s fighting style focuses on raw pressure
Kinshiki’s biggest gameplay strength is offensive pressure.
Most Storm characters rely on balanced attack chains, chakra projectile setups, or defensive mobility. Kinshiki instead specializes in overwhelming opponents through range and sheer attack power. His massive chakra axe weapons allow him to hit enemies from distances many melee fighters cannot comfortably contest.
One of the defining features of Kinshiki’s gameplay is how much space he controls during combat. His attacks often swing across large areas of the battlefield, forcing opponents to constantly respect his range. Players who underestimate his reach can quickly lose momentum after getting trapped inside his combo strings.
Gameplay demonstrations released during the Road to Boruto era highlighted how CyberConnect2 intentionally emphasized heavy-impact animations for Kinshiki’s attacks. His movements feel slower than some agile fighters, but every successful hit carries significant visual and gameplay weight.
This creates a very different rhythm compared to faster Naruto characters like Minato or Sasuke. Kinshiki rewards aggressive positioning and punishes reckless approaches.
His fighting style also works especially well for players who prefer simple but high-damage pressure rather than advanced combo execution.
His chakra weapon abilities dominate close combat
The most visually striking part of Kinshiki’s moveset involves his chakra weapon constructs.
Throughout the Naruto franchise, Kinshiki demonstrates the ability to create enormous red chakra weapons from his body. In Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, these abilities become the core of his offensive toolkit. He uses gigantic axes, hammers, and blade-like constructs that dramatically increase the size and range of his attacks.
These weapons fundamentally change gameplay because they make Kinshiki extremely dangerous in close and mid-range combat. Many characters in Storm depend on mobility to create openings, but Kinshiki can punish movement quickly because of his attack radius.
His combo finishers especially stand out because of their cinematic impact. Several attacks launch enemies into the air before crushing them with massive chakra-enhanced weapon strikes. The exaggerated visual scale helps Kinshiki feel appropriately powerful compared to standard ninja fighters.
Boss battle sequences in the Road to Boruto expansion further reinforce this idea. During story encounters against Sasuke and other characters, Kinshiki appears less like a traditional ninja and more like a raid boss capable of destroying environments through brute force alone.
This makes him particularly satisfying for players who enjoy visually destructive combat styles.
Why Kinshiki changes gameplay strategy
Kinshiki’s presence changes the pacing of matches significantly.
In many Storm battles, players rely heavily on mobility, substitutions, and quick chakra dashes to create offensive openings. Kinshiki disrupts this flow because his attacks force opponents to remain cautious at all times. Even defensive movement becomes risky if players misjudge the range of his weapon swings.
One major gameplay advantage is his ability to pressure guarding opponents. Because many of his attacks hit with enormous force, Kinshiki can quickly overwhelm passive defensive strategies. His aggressive momentum often forces enemies into panic substitutions earlier than they would against lighter characters.
The Storm series has always emphasized cinematic combat and momentum shifts. Kinshiki fits this system perfectly because he thrives when controlling the pace aggressively. Once he gains offensive momentum, escaping his pressure becomes difficult.
His heavy attacks also synergize well with the support system introduced in Storm 4. The game allows players to switch between team members dynamically during battle, meaning Kinshiki can work as either a primary attacker or a devastating pressure support character.
This flexibility makes him surprisingly versatile despite his straightforward combat style.
Kinshiki’s Ultimate Jutsu and Awakening abilities
Like many high-tier Storm characters, Kinshiki’s Ultimate Jutsu emphasizes cinematic destruction.
His special attacks typically involve gigantic chakra weapon manifestations that crush opponents with overwhelming force. CyberConnect2 designed these sequences to capture the same scale and brutality seen during his anime battles. Large-area impacts, explosive waves, and dramatic camera angles all contribute to making Kinshiki feel like a genuinely dangerous Otsutsuki warrior.
The Storm series heavily relies on flashy presentation during Ultimate Jutsu sequences, and Kinshiki benefits greatly from this design philosophy. His attacks look devastating even compared to many established Naruto characters.
Awakening mechanics also enhance his threat level further. The Storm franchise uses Awakening transformations to temporarily amplify fighters with stronger abilities and altered movesets. Kinshiki’s Awakening state intensifies his offensive pressure and increases the destructive feeling of his attacks.
Because of his already aggressive design, these enhancements make him especially dangerous late in matches when opponents have fewer defensive resources available.
For many players, Kinshiki’s appeal comes partly from this overwhelming visual power fantasy. He feels less like a technical martial artist and more like a force of nature.
Kinshiki works best for aggressive players
Not every Storm character suits every playstyle, and Kinshiki clearly favors aggression. Players who enjoy constant pressure, close-range dominance, and high-damage attacks will likely find him extremely satisfying. His toolkit rewards offensive confidence rather than passive zoning or complicated setup strategies. However, Kinshiki also has weaknesses.
Because many of his attacks involve larger animations and slower startup timing, experienced opponents can punish predictable aggression. Faster characters may exploit mobility advantages if Kinshiki players become reckless. Managing spacing carefully therefore becomes important. Still, his strengths often outweigh these limitations because his attacks hit so hard once momentum begins. Even skilled defensive players can struggle against his pressure if they lose control of positioning.
Gameplay footage from Road to Boruto showcases this clearly. Kinshiki constantly forces opponents backward through aggressive attack chains and heavy weapon strikes. This makes him especially appealing to players who prefer dominating the battlefield physically instead of relying on technical trickery.
How Kinshiki helped expand the Boruto era in Storm 4
Kinshiki’s inclusion mattered beyond gameplay mechanics alone.
The Road to Boruto expansion represented a major transition point for the Storm franchise. Earlier entries mainly focused on Naruto Shippuden’s Fourth Great Ninja War storyline. Adding characters like Boruto, adult Naruto, Momoshiki, and Kinshiki allowed the series to move into a newer generation.
Kinshiki especially helped establish the Otsutsuki Clan as the franchise’s next major threat. Unlike earlier Naruto villains rooted heavily in ninja politics and village conflicts, the Otsutsuki represented a far more cosmic scale of danger.
The expansion’s story mode adapted major events from Boruto: Naruto the Movie, including Kinshiki’s battles against Sasuke and the Hidden Leaf Village forces.
By introducing Kinshiki into playable gameplay, CyberConnect2 allowed fans to experience that power directly rather than simply watching it in cutscenes.
This also helped the game feel fresh mechanically. After years of Naruto-based combat styles, Kinshiki’s enormous chakra weapons and brute-force combat gave players something visually and strategically different.
Why Kinshiki remains memorable in Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
Although characters like Naruto, Sasuke, and Madara dominate most Storm roster discussions, Kinshiki remains memorable because of how distinct he feels mechanically.
CyberConnect2 succeeded in translating his anime identity directly into gameplay. Every part of his moveset reinforces the same idea: overwhelming physical domination through devastating power. His weapon attacks, aggressive pressure, cinematic Ultimate Jutsu, and battlefield control all contribute to that identity.
He also represents an important moment in the Naruto franchise’s evolution. Kinshiki helped bridge the transition between the Naruto and Boruto eras while introducing players to the larger Otsutsuki mythology that would become central to future storylines.
Even years after Road to Boruto released, Kinshiki still stands out as one of the expansion’s most visually destructive and intimidating fighters. For players who enjoy aggressive combat styles and high-impact gameplay, he remains one of the most satisfying characters in Ultimate Ninja Storm 4.
