Originally posted by: xanbcoo
Naruto would be nothing without Kyuubi
Duh.
Gaara would be nothing without Shukaku
Maybe.
Shikamaru would be nothing without his high IQ
Wrong. Shikamaru was born with his special characteristic unlike Naruto.
Neji would be nothing without his Byakugan
Wrong. Neji having byakugan doesn't make him awesome, it's his natural born ability to kick ass with what he has makes him awesome.
Itach/Sasukei would be nothing without their sharingan
Kakashi would be nothing...
Wrong. All three of them were consider geniuses before they gained Sharingan. They might not be as strong as they are now without it, but they sure didn't suck ass like Naruto before Naruto found out his Kyubi abilities.
a pattern perhaps?
A shitty one.
How about, the characters are badass because of what they have, not because of what they'd be like without these things? Sounds good.
Characters are badass because of what they can do with or without the powerups.
Actually, I agree that some characters do have an unfair advantage, such as Kyuubi and the Curse Seal, but whatever.
You cannot compare Kyubi to the Curse Seal. Ultimately, the Kyubi annihilates everything when it's compared in terms of power, stamina, and healing ability.