<p>Flashbacks are pretty common <a href="https://literary-devices.com/content/flashback/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">literary devices</a> that can accomplish several things:</p>
<ul>
<li>Provide context into the mindset of the character as they encounter a situation</li>
<li>Provide often-valuable <a href="https://literary-devices.com/content/characterization/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">character development</a></li>
<li>Explain in context why a character would have an unconventional (insofar as what the audience has seen) reaction to a big event</li>
</ul>
<p>Depending on the work, the purpose and the scope of the flashback depends with what the author wanted to convey.</p>
<ul>
<li>In <em>Bleach</em>, there were <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bleach_volumes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">negatively-numbered chapters</a> to indicate events that happened in the older Soul Society.  This would often be invoked by a flashback or be used as way of explaining what happened in the past to catch the reader/watcher up with current events (e.g. the Visored + Fake Karakura Town arc).</li>
<li>In <em>Naruto</em>, flashbacks were used to explain the events of the past, and color in details about the entire world of Naruto, from the last great Shinobi war, to interpersonal details about each character (some event coloring their past), and as a means to explain the story (e.g. the eternal cycle of Indra and Asuka's chakra being reborn and their rivalry playing out over and over again).</li>
</ul>
<p>Something to note is that these aren't <em>meant</em> to be random, but their placement during the pacing of a story can make it <em>seem</em> random.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-09T19:20:07.813Z
In Naruto, they were often used to introduce filler content too. Such as all that Yota stuff starting in episode 313. Included in what you said: "used to explain events of the past", but for a specific narration purpose.
Shaymin Gratitude
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-10T02:55:54.087Z
I don't mind flashbacks but the "long" flashbacks in Naruto somewhat bothers me. Imagine, you are in a middle of good fight scene and a character is having a flashback that lasts for a good 10-15 episodes. You instantly think that the character is going to die. So, the scenario is like this: Villain landing a punch -> Character having flashback -> Villain still landing a punch -> Character saying goodbye -> Villain ultimately lands the punch -> Character dies
Fumikage Tokoyami
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-10T03:25:00.900Z
@FumikageTokoyami precisely why I said time itself *vanishes* during flashbacks. This is honestly stupid how the villain freezes when they had a good chance to accomplish their goal. Quite the piss-me-off trope. It's like the villain says "lemme use an OP attack on u real quick" and the mc goes "aight first lemme recall my entire childhood, one sec"
ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟッ
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-09T16:26:29.287Z
2021-06-09T16:26:29.287Z
Makoto
<p><em>We've all seen it</em>. When the main character is put in a bind, he/she always has some &quot;emotional&quot; flashback, some of which are flashbacks of things we never saw happen in the series.</p>
<p>The existence of time itself seems to vanish during a character's flashback, and more often than not these aren't necessary (well, to me at least). This is especially common in <em>Naruto</em>.</p>
<p>So why do anime characters tend to randomly have &quot;emotional&quot; flashbacks? What does this even accomplish?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-09T15:52:39.230Z
"This is especially common in Naruto" -> I think I fast-forwarded the same flashback like 100 times during the Kakashi vs Obito battle >.>
Wondercricket
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-10T02:48:17.053Z
You can find good information here: [Opinions on flashbacks: reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/3nfbtg/whats_your_opinion_on_flashbacks/)
Fumikage Tokoyami
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-10T03:22:06.067Z
@Wondercricket Tbh, the flashbacks during Pain arc were some good flashbacks. We actually got to know the backstory and the motive. Some flashback were just poor: "Naruto saying 'I am going to be the hokage' for the 1000th time".
Fumikage Tokoyami
<tropes>
Why do most anime tend to have "emotional" flashbacks before a big moment?
# Why do most anime tend to have "emotional" flashbacks before a big moment?
Posted by: username_0 on 2021-06-09
*We've all seen it*. When the main character is put in a bind, he/she always has some "emotional" flashback, some of which are flashbacks of things we never saw happen in the series.

The existence of time itself seems to vanish during a character's flashback, and more often than not these aren't necessary (well, to me at least). This is especially common in *Naruto*.

So why do anime characters tend to randomly have "emotional" flashbacks? What does this even accomplish?
**Tags:** tropes
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: "This is especially common in Naruto" -> I think I fast-forwarded the same flashback like 100 times during the Kakashi vs Obito battle >.>  
> **username_2**: You can find good information here: [Opinions on flashbacks: reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/3nfbtg/whats_your_opinion_on_flashbacks/)  
> **username_2**: @Wondercricket Tbh, the flashbacks during Pain arc were some good flashbacks. We actually got to know the backstory and the motive. Some flashback were just poor: "Naruto saying 'I am going to be the hokage' for the 1000th time".  
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_3 on 2021-06-09. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
Flashbacks are pretty common [literary devices](https://literary-devices.com/content/flashback/) that can accomplish several things:

* Provide context into the mindset of the character as they encounter a situation
* Provide often-valuable [character development](https://literary-devices.com/content/characterization/)
* Explain in context why a character would have an unconventional (insofar as what the audience has seen) reaction to a big event

Depending on the work, the purpose and the scope of the flashback depends with what the author wanted to convey.

* In *Bleach*, there were [negatively-numbered chapters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bleach_volumes) to indicate events that happened in the older Soul Society. This would often be invoked by a flashback or be used as way of explaining what happened in the past to catch the reader/watcher up with current events (e.g. the Visored + Fake Karakura Town arc).
* In *Naruto*, flashbacks were used to explain the events of the past, and color in details about the entire world of Naruto, from the last great Shinobi war, to interpersonal details about each character (some event coloring their past), and as a means to explain the story (e.g. the eternal cycle of Indra and Asuka's chakra being reborn and their rivalry playing out over and over again).

Something to note is that these aren't *meant* to be random, but their placement during the pacing of a story can make it *seem* random.
> **Comments:**
> **username_4** (2021-06-09): In Naruto, they were often used to introduce filler content too. Such as all that Yota stuff starting in episode 313. Included in what you said: "used to explain events of the past", but for a specific narration purpose.  
> **username_2** (2021-06-10): I don't mind flashbacks but the "long" flashbacks in Naruto somewhat bothers me. Imagine, you are in a middle of good fight scene and a character is having a flashback that lasts for a good 10-15 episodes. You instantly think that the character is going to die. So, the scenario is like this: Villain landing a punch -> Character having flashback -> Villain still landing a punch -> Character saying goodbye -> Villain ultimately lands the punch -> Character dies  
> **username_0** (2021-06-10): @FumikageTokoyami precisely why I said time itself *vanishes* during flashbacks. This is honestly stupid how the villain freezes when they had a good chance to accomplish their goal. Quite the piss-me-off trope. It's like the villain says "lemme use an OP attack on u real quick" and the mc goes "aight first lemme recall my entire childhood, one sec"  
---
