The anime Naruto is one of the most well-known series of all time because it has internationality united fans through its beloved characters. However, Naruto has many controversial characters who don’t sit right with the audience because of their unrestrained powers and inconsistent abilities.
Naruto characters often save the day with powerful new jutsu that were never previously mentioned. The characters who have the most powerful abilities have the least screen time, so their jutsu are never fully explained and are only used when it’s convenient for the plot. While Naruto is known for having unforgettable characters, many of these characters get so little screen time their character design seems dependent on their usefulness as plot armor.
10 Karin Uzumaki
Most fans either have no opinion on Karin or dislike her because of her invasive obsession with Sasuke. She doesn’t have many moments of character growth, so her character fails to gain empathy from the audience. Karin‘s ability to heal those who bite her is the only reason she’s on Team Taka, and it’s her only relevance in the entire series.
Besides being involved in some fan theories about the anime Boruto, Karin doesn’t stand out as a character unless she’s harassing Sasuke or saving his life with her kekkai genkai. Especially given that she’s an Uzumaki, Karin‘s character left much to be desired.
9 Gaara
The Sand Village’s Gaara has one of the best redemption arcs of all time. His transformation from seeing himself as a weapon to allowing himself to live his own life and even become Kazekage is inspiring to watch. His well-known ultimate sand defense makes him an even more iconic character.
However, the strength of Gaara’s ultimate defense also conveniently saves the Konoha 11 during the Sasuke Recovery Mission and saves many shinobi during the Fourth Shinobi War. Gaara plays a huge role as Kazekage, but he only gets screen time when his jutsu is being used to save others.
8 Tsunade Senju
Lady Tsunade made history in the Naruto universe as the first woman Hokage. She is a trailblazer known for her incredible jutsu and fearsome temper. Like many other characters she has a unique healing ability that can almost reverse any injury, and using this ability she has saved Lee, Naruto, and even Kakashi.
However, her use of this jutsu can seem very inconsistent. While she was able to fully heal Lee from multiple career-ending injuries, she wasn’t able to do the same for Gai. Although the limit of her healing ability is vague, regardless of her medical skills, Tsunade is still one of Konoha’s strongest shinobi.
7 Neji Hyuga
Neji’s backstory is an example of the tragic impact of untrustworthy adults on a vulnerable kid’s childhood. The Hyuga Clan’s beliefs completely warped Neji’s personality, and it took him years to find who he was. In the clan, he was raised to be dispensable, to serve, and protect the main clan branch.
Neji continues to protect the main Hyuga branch into his teenage years, using all of his taijutsu experience solely to protect his friends and loved ones. While Neji initially has a lot of character growth, in Shippuden, Neji consistently puts everything on the line to protect others even though he becomes a minor character.
6 Granny Chiyo
The first arc of Naruto: Shippuden, where Gaara was kidnaped and Naruto assembled to find him, set a precedent for the entirety of the sequel series. In the roughest moments when the main cast ran out of ideas, Granny Chiyo stepped in with esoteric advice only she knew.
From her fight alongside Sakura to her use of forbidden jutsu, Chiyo was constantly serving as plot armor to quickly push the story along. She was of many side characters who had only a brief backstory, were forgotten quickly by viewers, and who never appeared again after they were shown to have a game-changing ability.
5 Sakura Haruno
Sakura Haruno is one of the most controversial Naruto characters because of her treatment of others and lack of personal development. However, her stagnant development is largely caused by her lack of meaningful screen time. Sakura didn’t have many moments to prove her mettle because her screen time was focused on her healing abilities instead of her growth.
Sakura has used her medical jutsu to save many characters like Naruto, Kankuro, and Sasuke. However, she’s only had a few scenes focusing on her personal growth. Sadly, the most character development Sakura receives is in her capacity to heal other characters who are more immediately relevant to the plot.
4 Itachi Uchiha
The majority of Itachi Uchiha’s character is based on the tough decisions he had to make from a young age. Instead of living his own life, Itachi carried out whatever missions helped the village. Even in adulthood, he continued to give his own life for the sake of others.
Itachi’s Sharingan takes on a similar role of fulfilling whatever job the plot needs it to. Without much foreshadowing, Itachi was revealed to have the Mangekyou then Tsukoyomi and Amaterasu. Despite the incredible strength of these jutsu, Itachi only uses them in situations that move along the plot even when his abilities would be more effective if used at a different time.
3 Katsuyu
The slug Katsuyu is Lady Tsunade’s main summoning animal. Her incredible healing skills and ability to separate or unite at will allow her to move discreetly and aid those who need it most. The combination of Tsunade’s medical jutsu and Katsuyu’s healing abilities act as a metaphorical safety net to prevent Leaf Shinobi from harm.
Katsuyu’s amazing skills have brought shinobi back from the brink of death. Still, this jutsu is rarely used despite its powerful nature. Since she’s a summon, Katsuyu receives almost no screen time unless she’s using her ability to conveniently save another character.
2 Kurama, The Nine-Tailed Beast
The Nail Tails’ is one of the strongest tailed beasts. His incredible chakra reserve allows Naruto to come back from almost injury and be miraculously healed. Naruto‘s status as a jinchuriki of Kurama makes him a target but also creates an easy out for any injury he gets.
Furthermore, Kurama’s chakra allows Naruto to carry out jutsu at a higher level than everyone around him even with only a fraction of the training. Kurama’s chakra was the only reason Naruto was able to help so many people and prevent more casualties, especially during the Fourth Shinobi War.
1 Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto Uzumaki‘s famous Talk no Jutsu is one of the most well-known jokes in the Naruto community. Even the most aggressive enemies, like Pain and Konan, suddenly decided to give up their plans after having a conversation with Naruto. His ability to use words over swords is heart-warming but incredibly unrealistic.
In addition, Naruto‘s shadow clone jutsu is way stronger than even his sensei Kakashi’s. Despite being younger and less experienced, Naruto is often the one who has to save the elders of his village. Naruto Uzumaki has a lot of innate talent, but his abilities are too advanced and convenient for the plot.
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