Naruto: 7 Characters Who Completely Ruined the Series

Naruto is known for having some of the most memorable characters in anime history. The series, created by Masashi Kishimoto, features characters like Naruto Uzumaki, who motivated many viewers to pursue their goals, and Gaara, who underwent a remarkable transformation from enemy to leader. These incredible characters helped make each story arc truly unforgettable.

While Naruto has many great qualities, it’s not without its flaws. Some characters actually detract from the story, hindering compelling arcs instead of enhancing them. Fans often feel these characters squander their potential, create unnecessary conflict, and diminish memorable moments. Here’s a look at the characters in Naruto who negatively impact the series.

Danzo Shimura

Image via studio Pierrot.

Danzo Shimura is a truly detestable villain in Naruto. Fans strongly dislike him because of his harmful actions against Konoha and the Uchiha Clan. Driven by a desire for power and control – and even aiming to become Hokage – Danzo secretly planned and carried out terrible events, making him one of the worst characters in the series.

Danzo had the potential to be a truly great villain in Naruto, capable of driving some incredible storylines. However, his character lost its edge, becoming a fairly standard, power-hungry antagonist. His final fight, particularly his repeated use of Izanagi against Sasuke, was disappointing and lacked the excitement you’d expect from a life-or-death battle. It felt anticlimactic and wasn’t visually engaging.

Sakura Haruno

Sakura Haruno often receives a lot of criticism from Naruto fans, second only to Danzo, even though she’s a major character. Many find her personality unlikeable, and because she didn’t demonstrate amazing abilities as often as other characters, viewers sometimes saw her as weak, poorly developed, and too reliant on Naruto and Sasuke.

Sakura’s persistent and often one-sided infatuation with Sasuke annoyed many viewers, making her character seem flat and predictable. She repeatedly put herself in danger, even when Sasuke threatened her life, and didn’t seem to prioritize her own safety. To make matters worse, she once falsely told Naruto she loved him, which significantly increased the negative reactions from fans.

Tenten

Compared to other female characters in Naruto, Tenten appears less often in both the manga and anime. Although she’s a regular character, she rarely gets a chance to stand out, despite being a skilled weapons expert. Throughout the series, she mainly serves a supporting role within Team Neji, while her teammates consistently have impactful fights and character development.

Honestly, it’s a real shame how Tenten’s story played out. She always seemed like she had so much potential as a ninja, and I really admired her confidence! But it felt like we never really got to see what she was capable of. It was frustrating to watch, because she talked a big game, but ultimately didn’t quite live up to the hype. It’s disappointing when a character with so much self-belief doesn’t get the chance to shine.

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Neji

Neji Hyuga was a popular member of the Hyuga Clan, second only to Hinata, even though he came across as difficult during the Chunin Exams. His loss to Naruto seemed to be a turning point for him, and he began to mature. This growth was especially noticeable during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, where he gained a lot of fans’ respect.

Despite Neji’s impressive development as a character, his death in the Fourth Great Ninja War feels pointless and diminishes the impact of his story. Many fans feel it served only to push Naruto and Hinata’s relationship forward. Even now, his death is upsetting for viewers, as his niece and nephew, Boruto and Himawari, never got the chance to know him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi

Image via Pierrot.

A lot of the criticism directed at Hiruzen Sarutobi stems from filler episodes in the Naruto anime. These episodes often portrayed him as a weak and hesitant leader who didn’t fulfill his duties as Third Hokage, particularly when it came to the most important aspects of the job.

It’s easy to see why Hiruzen is often considered Konoha’s weakest Hokage. He failed to fulfill his promise to raise Naruto Uzumaki as a son and let Danzo manipulate events from the shadows without any oversight. This weak leadership created opportunities for resentment and corruption to take root, ultimately endangering the village.

Kaguya Otsutsuki

Image via studio Pierrot.

Just when fans believed Madara was the ultimate villain in Naruto Shippuden, a much more powerful alien named Kaguya Otsutsuki appeared, completely shifting the story. Her unexpected arrival during the Fourth Great Ninja War diminished Madara’s impact and overshadowed his planned dramatic farewell. Kaguya’s introduction also transformed what should have been a climactic end to the ninja wars into a bizarre, over-the-top battle, especially when compared to the reveal of her children.

Kaguya Otsutsuki felt like an underdeveloped character because the series introduced her too quickly. We didn’t learn enough about her past, reasons for acting the way she did, or who she was as a person, making it hard for fans to connect with her.

Karin

Many fans see Karin as everything they dislike about Sakura Haruno, almost as if she was designed to take the criticism away from Sakura. She lacked any positive traits; her pushy personality and obsessive crush on Sasuke made her an annoying and ultimately unimportant character in the story.

The Boruto series is doing a good job of showing Karin as a true friend to the Uchiha clan. She genuinely supports Sasuke’s decisions and is even being kind and helpful to Sakura and Sarada. She’s matured as a character and often acts as the voice of reason on her team. If Naruto had developed Karin’s character more effectively, some fans might have even preferred Sasuke as a romantic partner for her instead of Sakura.

2026-02-23 00:05