Naruto has one of the most passionate fanbases in anime history, and with that passion comes plenty of strong opinions. Some characters get praised endlessly, while others get way more hate than they actually deserve.
Before writing off a character as useless or annoying, it is worth taking a closer look at their story. You might be surprised by how much depth is hiding beneath the surface.
1. Sakura Haruno
Few characters in anime history have faced as much fan backlash as Sakura Haruno. Early in the series, she comes across as boy-crazy and not very useful in battle, which rubbed a lot of viewers the wrong way.
But here is the thing: she had no special bloodline ability or tailed beast powering her up. She earned every skill through sheer effort, eventually becoming one of the strongest medical ninjas in the world.
That kind of growth deserves real respect.
2. Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke gets called edgy and whiny more than almost any other character in the series. Fans love to mock his constant brooding and the questionable decisions he makes throughout the story.
What those criticisms often miss is the weight of his trauma. Watching his entire family get slaughtered as a child, then discovering his brother orchestrated it, would break most people.
His path is dark, but it is rooted in a pain that is completely understandable once you sit with it.
3. Obito Uchiha
“He started a world war over a crush” is probably the most repeated criticism about Obito, and honestly, it sells his story way short. Yes, Rin’s death was the breaking point, but Madara spent years carefully manipulating a grieving, isolated teenager.
Obito was once the most optimistic kid on his team, full of big dreams about becoming Hokage. The tragedy is not that he loved someone.
The tragedy is that his kindness was weaponized against him by someone far more calculating.
4. Naruto Uzumaki
Believe it or not, even the main character of the series catches heat from some corners of the fandom. Critics call him naive, repetitive, and too simple to carry a long-running story.
That take ignores how strategically clever Naruto actually is in battle and how his emotional intelligence consistently wins over enemies no one else could reach. Growing up as a social outcast with zero support made his determination even more remarkable.
His so-called simplicity is actually a deeply rooted resilience.
5. Hinata Hyuga
Hinata gets dismissed as a lovesick background character who only exists to admire Naruto from afar. That reading of her character is pretty unfair when you look at her full arc.
She grew up in a household that rejected her, told she was too weak to lead her own clan. Every step forward she took was a battle against self-doubt, not just against opponents.
Her quiet courage, especially during Pain’s assault on Konoha, showed more bravery than most characters twice her age ever displayed.
6. Itachi Uchiha
Itachi is beloved by many fans, but he also catches criticism for being overrated or for having a fan base that ignores his very real flaws. Massacring your entire family, even under orders, is not something that should be brushed aside.
What makes Itachi compelling is that he never asks for forgiveness. He knew his choices were brutal and carried that weight silently until his death.
He even admitted his methods were wrong. That honesty makes him one of the most layered characters in the whole series.
7. Konohamaru Sarutobi
Stepping into Kakashi’s role as Team Seven’s sensei was always going to be a tough act to follow, and fans have not been shy about pointing that out. Konohamaru gets criticized constantly for feeling underpowered and overly reliant on the Rasengan.
But consider where he came from. He was Naruto’s first real student, someone who idolized the series’ hero and worked hard to walk that same path.
His limitations in Boruto feel more like a writing issue than a character flaw worth blaming him for personally.
8. Sarada Uchiha
Sarada catches flak for being a know-it-all and for not living up to the Uchiha name fast enough for some fans. Her early skepticism about Sakura being her real mother also rubbed people the wrong way.
Honestly though, questioning your own identity as a kid is completely relatable. In Boruto Part 2, she has stepped up as a genuine tactical powerhouse, using intelligence and precision rather than raw strength.
Her approach mirrors Itachi far more than Sasuke, which is a fascinating direction for the character.
9. Himawari Uzumaki
Himawari has been called spoiled and even a little terrifying after that scene where she accidentally activated her Byakugan and knocked out her own father. Some fans see her temper as a red flag for her character going forward.
She is a little kid, though. Young children throw fits when things do not go their way.
The fact that she has dormant Byakugan power and a surprisingly fierce side actually makes her one of the more intriguing younger characters in the Boruto timeline. Cut the kid some slack.
10. Boruto Uzumaki
Boruto might be the most divisive protagonist in the entire Naruto franchise. Fans call him arrogant, ungrateful, and frustrating to watch, especially compared to his father’s more humble beginnings.
What often gets missed is the context of his arrogance. He grew up in a world without war, with a famous but absent father, feeling invisible in his own home.
His attitude is not entitlement so much as insecurity wearing a confident mask. In the later arcs, his growth into a more self-aware character becomes genuinely compelling to follow.
11. Danzo Shimura
Danzo is one of those characters fans love to hate, and for good reason. He stole Sharingan eyes, ordered assassinations, and operated from the shadows for decades.
Calling him a villain is not exactly wrong.
Still, some of that hate goes overboard. After the Nine-Tails attack nearly destroyed the village, someone had to make the cold, ugly decisions that kept Konoha standing.
Danzo believed he was that person. His methods were monstrous, but his dedication to the village’s survival was absolutely genuine, even if deeply misguided.
12. Neji Hyuga
Neji’s death during the Fourth Great Ninja War is one of the most criticized moments in the entire series. Fans felt his end was rushed, random, and only written to push Naruto and Hinata closer together emotionally.
That frustration is fair, but it should not overshadow how incredible Neji actually was. He started as a fatalistic genius who believed destiny was unbreakable, then completely transformed after losing to Naruto.
His character arc in the original series remains one of the most satisfying in the whole franchise.
13. Tenten
Poor Tenten. She has become something of a running joke in the fandom, with fans calling her the most useless member of Team Guy.
She rarely gets meaningful screen time, and when she does, it often ends badly for her.
What the jokes overlook is that she is genuinely skilled with weapons in a world where most fighters rely on chakra abilities. Her fight against a clone of herself in the anime actually pushed her past her own limits.
She deserved far better writing than she ever received.
14. Gaara
Early Gaara was genuinely terrifying, and some fans never fully forgave him for what he did before his redemption arc. The criticism that his turn to heroism happened too quickly is one that still comes up in fan discussions today.
His backstory, though, hits harder than almost anyone else in the series. His own father sent assassins after him as a child, and he carried guilt for his mother’s death his entire life.
The fact that he became one of the most compassionate Kage in history is nothing short of remarkable.
15. Nagato
As the man behind the Pain arc, Nagato orchestrated the destruction of Konoha and caused enormous suffering. Fans who see him purely as a villain are not wrong to feel that way.
His motivation, though, came from a place of genuine anguish. He watched his parents die in front of him as a child and later lost his closest friend.
He truly believed that inflicting pain was the only way to teach the world to stop fighting. Misguided, yes.
But hollow and cartoonish? Absolutely not.