Naruto’scharacter roster spans far and wide, and it’s hard to think of any who are particularly bad. Such is the nature ofNaruto’s character writing, which, for all its faults, is iron-clad, foolproof, and generally very thoughtful.Not all ofNaruto’s cast are so flawless, though.
WhileNaruto’s creatorKishimoto has shown his capability at writing truly compelling characters, he’s also not immune to misses. Some ofNaruto’s biggest characters completely miss the point of their own series, while others are massively underrated and only coming to be appreciated thanks to the effects of time. Fans constantly argue over just how much any given character contributes toNaruto’s plot—the following characters have either been gaining in popularity or always been a mainstay of the series, whether they deserve their popularity or not.
10Kakashi Deserves It
Team 7’s Mentor Earns All His Hype
When Team 7 is first put together, Kakashi is aloof and unbothered. His cool demeanor is an anchor of the series as he slowly draws out the full potential of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Although some of his moves are shortsighted—see, for example, teaching Sasuke his signature move, Chidori—Kakashi stands strong as one ofNaruto’s best teachers and leaders.
As the series develops, his role only becomes more cemented.
As the series develops, his role only becomes more cemented. The ANBU backstory gives a great deal of depth and dimension to his character, and in iconic fights like his showdown with Obito, it becomes clear why he’s such a revered ninja. Even during his stint at Hokage, his able and self-aware performance is sufficient to rank him amongNaruto’s most effective Hokage, despite his short tenure.
9Sarutobi Doesn’t
The first Hokage whoNarutofans really get to see is notable for utterly failing Naruto himself. Sarutobi is incredibly ineffective at protecting and uplifting Narutodespite the circumstances of his youth, which becomes all the worse later on as the story behind Naruto’s ostracization becomes clearer.
Sarutobi’s emphasis on tradition also doesn’t do Konoha any favors, given that he has the privilege of reigning during a time of relative stability. When the plot develops further and Sarutobi’s relationship with Danzo comes into focus,Sarutobi’s passivity becomes a major problem for his character, painting him as utterly uncaring in the face of Konoha’s atrocities.
SomeNarutofans remember Sarutobi fondly because of his presence during the early part of the series, as well as his role in training the legendary Sannin (of which Naruto’s mentor Jiraiya and the following Hokage Tsunade were members). Nonetheless, it’s undeniable that Sarutobi doesn’t set a good model for Hokage, and he doesn’t deserve the fondness he often gets.
8Konan Deserves It
Konan Is One OfNaruto’s Most Interesting Shinobi
Early on after her introduction, Konan somewhat faded intoNaruto’s background. Recently, though,she’s been enjoying a much-deserved resurgence in interest withNaruto’s fans. Konan, obviously, shares the tragic background of Nagato and Yahiko, the two other founding members of Akatsuki who were taken in and trained by Jiraiya after Konoha’s military operations left them orphaned in rubble.
Konan is a special case, though, for several reasons. Firstly, while Nagato’s relenting to Naruto’s Talk no Jutsu is something fans have argued about for years, Konan takes upon herself the noble mission of seeing through Nagato and Naruto’s conversation about hope and progress.
Returning to Amegakure, her fight with Obito builds on the Pain assault’s displays of her abilities, proving that her unique paper jutsu is one of the coolest and most beautiful kinds of jutsu in all ofNaruto. If one considers howKonan also pokes a hole in dominant narratives about Konoha’s benevolence, it becomes clear thatshe deserves every second in the limelight.
7Jiraiya Doesn’t
Jiraiya’s Impact Is Minimal, Even If His Legacy Is Substantial
Jiraiya, on the other hand, can be taken or left. Some fans are turned off by his perverted demeanor, but the fact he doesn’t deserve the surrounding hype has nothing to do with that. The simple fact is that Jiraiya, although written empathetically, is fairly ineffectual. He takes Naruto on foundational journeys and teaches him important skills, and that’s great.
However,his obsession with the shinobi ideals and blind devotion to Konoha leaves him constantly abandoning people—whether it’s Tsunade or the Amegakure orphans. Not to be misunderstood,Jiraiya’s death scene is certainly one ofNaruto’s best and most moving moments.
Naruto’s Best Hokage Is Also Its Most Underrated
Hokage are central to the world of Naruto, and while they have things in common, one Hokage stands above the rest for their tireless effort.
The series does a more-than-capable job of making fans fall in love with Jiraiya, and that’s kind of the problem at hand, actually. Jiraiya lacks the depth and real character development to live up to the legacy built for him, leaving fans actually in love with the dream of Jiraiya.
6Rock Lee Deserves It
Naruto’s Most Inspiring Character Is The True Underdog
Rock Lee is an incredible exploration ofhow unfairNaruto’s power system really is. In a world where some degree of capacity with jutsu is the norm, Rock Lee effectively manifests as a super intriguing (and possibly unintentional) representation of disability. At any rate, in a series that almost crowds itself with underdogs in the form of Naruto and Sasuke, Rock Lee inspiringly shows what it means to actually be an underdog.
Rock Lee’s kind demeanor, bubbly personality, and steel will have led fans to absolutely adore him.He represents the kind of growth and inspiring development thatNarutoalways intended to highlight, and while he does get sidelined later in the series, he still has some convincingly awesome moments inNaruto: Shippuden.
Blessed with the honor of one ofNaruto’s best fights thanks to his showdown with Gaara, Rock Lee always comes back right to the end, when he puts up a convincing defense against Madara, showing whatNaruto’s story of willpower and determination is all about.
5Neji Doesn’t
Whiny And Cruel, Neji Fails To Grow Into His Potential
Neji, on the other hand, never fully grows into his position withinNaruto. By the time he apparently starts to develop as a character,Narutohad already been on the way to forgetting most of Konoha’s supporting cast. Because of that, he’s constantly overshadowed by his haughty demeanor and, especially, his cruel treatment of Rock Lee.
Fans often bemoanKishimoto’s use of Neji’s death to bring Naruto and Hinata together, and there is a worthy complaint there. WhileNaruto: Shippudendoes show convincing glimmers of Neji’s potential as a character, it was never sufficiently realized to give the death scene its full impact. On the contrary, the fact that Neji can just be thrown away to make a certain ship come true speaks tohow unimportant his character had actually becomeat that point in the series.
4Deidara Deserves It
No Ninja Better ExemplifiesNaruto’s Opposite
Deidara is a wonderful character whose flamboyant love for the art of explosions has cemented him in fans' minds for years. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Deidara, and the reason he deserves the hype, is thathe simply stands in total opposition to the shinobi order.
Akatsuki became a catch-all group for the shinobi world’s outcasts, and Deidara exemplifies that. He cares little for shinobi ideals or contrived concepts like the Will of Fire—he just exists for the thing he loves, and that happens to be explosions. InNaruto’s world, there is seemingly no greater sin than that.
3Obito Doesn’t
Sudden And Contrived Changes DiluteNaruto’s Antagonists
Another of Akatsuki’s most memorable members,Obito, doesn’t live up to his reputation. His role inNaruto’s plot is carefully engineered for the longest time, but the payoff is limited. While his backstory with Kakashi and Rin is compelling, it doesn’t sufficiently explain why he acts out in the way that he does.
All of Naruto’s Akatsuki Duos, Ranked
Naruto’s Akatsuki is an organization that accomplishes its goals through selective pairings of characters - and some are better than others.
Making matters worse, his personal sense of grief doesn’t stand with the same amount of involved, world-changing importance as, say, Yahiko’s noble idealism in founding Akatsuki, Nagato’s keen sense of pain developed in direct response to the shinobi world, or Madara’s political stance against oppression formed through many decades of experience.
It’s not that his grief is invalid, it just feels, from a distance, to be an extreme shift in comparison to other characters' motivations.Obito is an unconvincing major antagonist, and he doesn’t deserve the recognition he’s earned.
2Sasuke Deserves It
The Last Of The Uchiha Has An Incredible Character Arc
Sasuke, simply put, isone of the best and most definitive shōnen characters in recent history. He effectively redefined the stakes of rivalries by virtue of the fact that his rivalry with Naruto carries implications that affect the entire ninja world. He’s also an incredible combatant, withSasuke’s fights being some ofNaruto’s best moments.
By virtue of his sheer impact on the way anime rivalries work in the context of their setting, Sasuke’s compelling—if at times melodramatic—characterization is one of the reasonsNarutois so irresistible.
Some fans feel as though Sasuke’s development is contrived, while others feel frustrated with his utter inability to communicate. Sasuke’s characterization isn’t perfect, but the question is whether he deserves his popularity. By virtue of his sheer impact on the way anime rivalries work in the context of their setting, Sasuke’s compelling—if at times melodramatic—characterization is one of the reasonsNarutois so irresistible.
1Minato Doesn’t
Naruto’s Father Is Actually Uninspiring In Hindsight
If Sasuke is one anchor of Naruto’s identity as a character, Minato later becomes one too. The difference is that Minato doesn’t necessarily deserve the level of popularity he gets. It can easily be argued thatMinato being Hokage underminesNaruto’s underdog themes, but there’s one other big reason that Minato doesn’t necessarily deserve his popularity.
To put it simply,as Hokage, he didn’t really do a lot. An entire legend is built around Minato, and admittedly, his and Kushina’s sacrifice to save Konoha is only paralleled in emotional impact by their timeless bond with their son.
In terms of what the series canonically exposes, Minato’s impact as Hokage doesn’t seem to extend very far beyond that, and although he’s painted as a wonderful Hokage with a tragically short life, his actions don’t live up to that reputation. Unfortunately, that seems to be a common story forNaruto, where there are as many myths as realities defining its extensive cast.
Naruto
Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces.
