Fans of the Sasuke-Sakura pairing would attest to how difficult it was to hold on to their ship. Through many years, they had to watch Sakura pine for Sasuke while he remained stoic towards her. At a certain point, they also had to listen to other fans ship Sasuke with Karin.
Sasuke had far more affection for Sakura than Karin. Sakura is Sasuke’s wife, while Karin was nothing more than a friend and comrade. He may have loved them in different ways, but he definitely loved Sakura more.
Before SasuKarin fans come at me with pitchforks, I’m going to provide you with proof that backs up this conclusion. Let’s get to it!
Sasuke loves Sakura But Does He Love Karin At All?
Although many fan-paired characters are built on nothing more than fantasy, it is a fact that Sasuke has built a solid relationship with Karin. He trusts her, instinctively goes to her for healing and cares enough about her to protect her.
Sasuke first uses his Kagutsuchi because of Karin
It was implied through the series that Mangekyo Sharingan capabilities are aligned with the wielder’s deepest desires and emotions. Accordingly, Sasuke first unleashed his mangekyo ability to save Karin from the black flames.
Now, it can be argued that his left mangekyo was activated because of how much he wanted to protect all his teammates, which is true. But it’s his desperation to save Karin that enables his mangekyo to extinguish the flames.
You can watch it play out here:
People around Sasuke and Karin pointed out their closeness
We have three instances wherein the people around Sasuke took an interest in his relationship with Karin:
- Obito said that Karin was Sasuke’s favorite among the Taka. In the manga, the direct Japanese translation is that Sasuke “specially chose [Karin] as his favorite.”
Though Obito hadn’t been around the team for that long, the fact that Sasuke brought Karin with him even when he turned dark was enough to show a sense of camarederie. It wasn’t just that she was useful; it was that he needed her (something he said so himself in chapter 348 of the manga). - Kabuto described Karin as the girl Sasuke knew quite well.
- Suigetsu once called Karin the girl that Sasuke was “about to hook up with.”
Sasuke treats Karin well
Look, it’s not that Sasuke is a bad guy. It’s just that there are times when he is known to be uncaring or indifferent. This is something that we see in his relationship with Sakura.
Now, despite the fact that Sasuke can be harsh towards Karin, he also seems to give her a little more affection than the others.
Let’s cite specific instances.
- Sasuke always sides with Karin whenever she has an argument with Suigetsu, even when she was the one to start the argument.
- Each of the members of the Taka had saved Sasuke’s life at some point in time. However, Karin was the only one to get an acknowledgment or a form of thanks.
“You saved me, Karin.”
– Sasuke, Chapter 412
3. Karin is one of the very few people that Sasuke has apologized to.
Of course, it could also be argued that Sasuke has also done most of the above for Sakura as well.
Did you know that Sasuke tried to kill both Karin and Sakura during the time he was given over to the darkness?
Does Sasuke love Karin more than Sakura?
In a word, no. Inasmuch as he showed a bit more affection for Karin than others, he has always gravitated towards Sakura the most and we explain in detail why it’s certain that Sasuke loves Sakura here.
Sasuke has deeper history with Sakura
Although shared history isn’t a sure measure for how much people love each other, Sasuke has always appreciated Sakura’s consistency over the years. He initially valued her as a teammate, then as a friend, then finally, as a lover.
Many would also say that Sasuke felt most at home with Sakura, if only for the familiarity. Regardless, everyone has a fondness for people who make them feel safe.
Sasuke did the forehead tap with Sakura
They say that actions speak louder than words. One thing that fans cannot deny is that Sasuke valued Sakura enough to do the forehead tap with her – a gesture that he shared with just Itachi. To him, it’s a non-verbal way of saying, “I love you.”
Sakura mentioned in Boruto that the forehead poke was even better than a kiss. It conveyed that much emotion and intimacy.
He never shared this with Karin because he never got to that depth of emotion with her. He undeniably valued her as someone close to him, but he didn’t have that sense of devotion to her.
If you’re doubtful of his affection, you can watch his sweetest interactions with Sakura here:
Sasuke married and had a child with Sakura
This is the most crucial proof on this list. At the end of the day, Sasuke chose Sakura, and that’s all fans need to know. Emotions come and go, so choosing to commit to someone is the most important form of love there is.
The fact that Sasuke, someone who seems emotionless and had difficulty with deep connections, crossed the bridge and agreed to marriage with Sakura says enough. Others may say that he was just forced into it, but really, conforming like that just isn’t a part of his character.
Sasuke committed to Sakura, proving that he loves her more than Karin. We explain why he didn’t marry Karin in this article!