Sakura: The Most Hated Character in Naruto

This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series.

Summary

Kishimoto created Sakura to show human nature.
Inner Sakura depicts her real self.
Despite regrets, Kishimoto never expanded Sakura’s family.

Sakura Haruno plays a significant role within the narrative of “Naruto,” yet her character has proven to be quite divisive among fans.

Many people adore Sakura, demonstrated by her high rank in the global fan poll. However, within the Naruto fandom, there are numerous individuals who intensely dislike her. The level of animosity towards Sakura is significant enough that even the creator, Masashi Kishimoto, acknowledges this negative reaction. In fact, Kishimoto has publicly discussed Sakura Haruno’s popularity and his perspective on why she is so disliked among fans.

How Kishimoto Created Sakura Haruno’s Character

Kishimoto Wanted To Show Human Nature With Sakura
Kishimoto Created Inner Sakura To Show Her Real Self

Masashi Kishimoto originally planned to include a female protagonist in Naruto, which turned out to be Sakura. Fans were thrilled to see her as part of the main trio alongside Naruto and Sasuke. However, it’s important to note that while Sakura is a central character, she wasn’t always given the same depth of development as the other characters. In fact, many instances in the series suggest that Kishimoto didn’t initially have extensive plans for her growth or storyline, which became apparent even in the early stages of the narrative.

This time, it’s my job to protect you too. — Sakura to Naruto and Sasuke

Back when I was crafting the Naruto universe, I made a conscious effort to create Sakura Haruno differently from my other characters. My intention was to write a character that felt authentic and reflected real-life women more accurately. In essence, Sakura served as a realistic portrayal of femininity within the Naruto series. Through her actions, I aimed to showcase what it’s like inside a girl’s mind and heart, with her inner feelings being brought to life through the character of Inner Sakura, who played a significant role in the early stages of the Naruto storyline.

Kishimoto thought showing Sakura in this way would be well-received, but it turned out she was disliked by many Naruto fans, both foreign and domestic.

Sakura Was Hated By Many Fans All Over The World

Sakura Was Hated By Many Fans Even In Japan

In an interview between Kishimoto and Kobayashi, Kishimoto acknowledges that early on, there was considerable dislike for the character Sakura among many fans. Surprisingly, even female readers of Jump magazine expressed their disdain for Sakura, as per the author himself. One of the reasons Kishimoto feels remorseful is because he mishandled Sakura’s character development. Essentially, Kishimoto failed to create a compelling female character that resonated with his female readers.

Tsunade-sama, I’ve finally caught up to those two. — Sakura after awakening her Byakugou

To put it bluntly, it’s not accurate to assert that Sakura should bear the scorn she receives. While it’s true that Sakura isn’t without her imperfections and can sometimes be rather off-putting, it’s essential to remember that every character in Naruto, including Naruto and Sasuke, has their share of unpleasant or annoying moments. The intense dislike towards Sakura doesn’t stem from her flaws but seems to be fueled by some fans’ irrational prejudice against her.

Kishimoto’s Big Regret With Sakura Haruno

Kishimoto Never Expanded Upon Sakura’s Family

As an outside observer, I’ve noticed that Masashi Kishimoto expressed some remorse regarding his portrayal of Sakura in Naruto. While both Naruto and Sasuke were given substantial backstories that evolved over the course of the series, Sakura seems to have been overlooked by fans, which suggests she was perhaps underdeveloped in comparison.

Masashi Kishimoto expresses remorse for not depicting Sakura’s parents or other family members in the manga. Despite showing the parents of minor characters during the ninja war, Sakura was not given a similar opportunity to develop her character through such familial connections.

Ultimately, her family managed to appear in a Naruto film, yet it’s important to note that these movies are non-canonical and have no bearing on the primary Naruto narrative. In the creator’s portrayal, they appeared as ordinary citizens, with Sakura often appearing marginalized. The reason behind this treatment remains unexplained by Kishimoto, but he stated that due to her unpopularity, any further development would still be met with disdain. This is unfortunate because Sakura is a character deserving of more attention and Kishimoto has faced valid criticism for this aspect of his work.

You can find Naruto in MangaPlus and Shonen Jump apps for reading. By doing so, you’re accessing the official version and helping the author financially.

2025-04-06 00:24