Over the course of 15 years, 700 chapters, and 500 episodes, Naruto has birthed some of the most iconic characters in the medium, and the series is hailed for its incredible cast of main and side characters. From the villains, heroes, and anyone in between, very few other anime rival Naruto when it comes to character writing.

Written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, the series boasts more than 600 characters, not counting the sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. What makes Naruto's cast exceptionally strong is that each represents a lesson such as hard work, sacrifice and more.

These characters challenge and motivate the viewer into expanding their horizons and bettering themselves as a person, something very few series offer.

15 Kushina Uzumaki Is the Perfect Mother to Naruto

Debuts in Naruto Shippuden Episode #128

While her appearance comes earlier in the Naruto series, her most crucial and interesting appearance is when she meets Naruto while he tames the Nine-Tailed Fox, soon to be known as Kurama. A gorgeous and heartfelt reunion ensues, and the two characters, bearing matching personalities, bond instantly. She is greeted warmly by a hug initiated by the young protagonist. Still, Kushina's purpose extends far beyond being Naruto's mother in the series, as the second jinchuriki to bear the Nine-Tailed Fox before her son.

Kushina was the Red-Hot Habanero to Minato's Yellow Flash, a firecracker of a woman whose mannerisms were just like Naruto's, down to her speech habits, allowing them to get along famously. Her Uzumaki heritage meant particularly strong healing abilities and chakra reserves, but perhaps most striking was her signature ability, ed down in her clan, to turn seal-tailed beasts into people. It's her heritage ed down to Naruto that solves several mysteries about his abilities.

14 Iruka Is The Most Underrated Character In the Series

Debuts in Episode #1

There are many characters who had more screen time than Iruka, and his role in the series was limited to Naruto's first teacher and an instructor at the Ninja Academy. However, his impact on the series, parting in the first few episodes, is undeniable and made him memorable despite fading into irrelevance. He might not have been very strong, but he is wise beyond his age, and his guidance was the reason Naruto didn't lose hope and turn evil.

Iruka Umino is one of Naruto's best characters because he provides essential emotional and guidance to Naruto. As Naruto's first mentor, Iruka's comion and understanding help Naruto overcome his loneliness and develop self-confidence. His unwavering belief in Naruto's potential sets the foundation for Naruto's journey to becoming Hokage. Iruka's role exemplifies the importance of kindness and mentorship in personal growth and resilience. He was also Naruto's first father figure, and served as his father during his wedding.

13 Minato Namikaze's Entrance Is Worth the Wait

Debuts in Naruto Shippuden Episode #168

While there are hints at his visage throughout Naruto, namely due to his face being carved onto the mountains as Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Minato's crucial first appearance to Naruto is at the protagonist's breaking point. Minato is there to reassure Naruto after an especially devastating loss in the Pain's Assault Arc, which throws him into a frenzy and threatens to unravel the Nine-Tailed Fox's seal completely. Instead, there's a touching moment where Naruto gets the assurance he needs along the path to becoming his village's hero.

Minato is a fascinating character. He's an incredible fighter, oversees Kakashi and Obito's training, and boasts deadly speed as Konoha's Yellow Flash. Trained by Jiraiya, Minato heroically saved Konoha from the mysterious assault from the Nine-Tailed Fox, which would then be sealed inside Naruto. Minato was not only one of the most crucial characters in the Naruto franchise, but he's simply fun to watch in combat thanks to his mastery of space-time ninjutsu, hailed as the fastest shinobi of his generation.

12 Madara Uchiha Was The Series' Best Villain

Debuts in Naruto Shippuden Episode #130

The true mastermind behind the 4th Great Ninja War, Madara Uchiha was possibly the most feared character in the show, and Obito invoking his name was the catalyst to the great war, and all the major nations put aside their differences to stop this monster. His debut was everything fans wanted and more, absolutely annihilating the Shinobi Alliance and having one of the most iconic moments.

Madara was one of the founders of Konoha alongside Hashirama, but the two fell out and Madara left the village. It cannot be understated how awesome of a villain Madara was, as his powers, ideology, personality, and character design made him an instant favorite. Although he was the last person standing against the Shinobi Alliance, he was their biggest hurdle. He accomplished his goal of awakening the Infinite Tsukoyomi but was ambushed by Kaguya, who became the final villain.

11 Naruto's Plot Wouldn't Move Forward Without Orochimaru

Debuts in Episode #27

While Orochimaru still falls short of the power of Naruto's greatest villains, he remains one of the most crucial characters in the franchise even into Boruto, facilitating Sasuke's growth between Part 1 and Part 2 more greatly than anybody else. His entry into the series spices up the Forest of Death sequence of the Chunin Exams Arc, leaving Sasuke with a curse seal, awakening Naruto's powers in front of Team 7, and stirring chaos for Konoha. Orochimaru's legacy is one of the most complicated in Naruto's character database, having conducted horrendous experiments on human subjects in pursuit of immortality.

Orochimaru was one of the Legendary Sannin, easily the most controversial of the three, yet at one point, he vied for the Hokage position to succeed his mentor, Hiruzen Sarutobi. However, many of Orochimaru's standout moments among Naruto's best characters include his fight with Sasuke in Naruto Shippuden and the Konoha Crush Arc. Orochimaru changed the status quo while having his hand in many organizations of Naruto in a way no other characters could, essentially by getting the ball rolling.

10 Obito Was A Twisted Parallel To Naruto

Debuts in Naruto Shippuden Episode #32

Obito Uchiha was the mysterious man known as Tobi and the leader of the Akatsuki who was pulling the strings from behind the scenes. His reveal was one of the most shocking plot twists in the series, and made the series so much more exciting given his background with Kakashi. His power was nothing to scoff at, effortlessly using the Mangekyo Sharingan and managing to seal the Ten-Tails within himself, momentarily making him the series' strongest.

Obito is what Naruto would have been had he lost hope, and he once shared the same aspiration of becoming Hokage. However, witnessing the war and then the death of Rin set him on a dark path that led him to trigger the biggest war in history. He committed many heinous acts, but he came back to the good side and assisted by reviving Naruto and taking down Kaguya, giving him the series' best character conclusion.

9 Might Guy Is The Personification of Hard Work

Debuts in Naruto Episode #21

Might Guy is one of the franchise's most inspiring characters, and he holds many of the values the series teaches, such as family and hard work. His design is very comforting and hilarious, rocking the iconic green unitard and the bow cut confidently. His funny personality will definitely cheer anyone up, and he is the only person who can make Kakashi's fun side come out.

Guy has one of the most heartwarming tales in the series, and it was revealed before unlocking the Eighth Gate how weak and untalented he was when it came to ninjutsu. However, with the help of his father, he worked himself to the bone and exceeded expectations by becoming a jonin and one of Konoha's best ninjas. His story as an underdog and his being a father figure for Rock Lee make Might Guy the most inspirational and hilarious character in the series.

8 Sakura Haruno Is The Dependable Kunoichi Of Team 7

Debuts in Naruto Episode #1

The fiery and hot-headed Sakura is one of the series' most popular, as shown by the recent Naruto popularity poll held in 2023. She has incredible character growth, starting out as someone who made fun of Naruto's circumstances to one of his best friends and biggest ers. She had many incredible moments: taking down Sasori, activating her 100 Healing Mark, restraining Kaguya, and many more that show her incredible strength and usefulness as a healer.

Although Sakura had controversial moments and often lagged behind her peers, Naruto and Sasuke, her incredible spirit and will allowed her to develop a unique skill set that saved the lives of both. Sakura's journey from a self-conscious girl to a confident, strong woman exemplifies personal growth and the importance of inner strength.

7 Hinata Hyūga Is Far Too Lovable to Overlook

Debuts in Episode #1

Hinata is a direct counter to many of the other shinobi of Konoha, especially her fellow Hyūga clan , as a pathologically shy kunoichi whose adoring devotion to Naruto is painfully apparent. She quickly wins hearts for surprising acts of courage and boldness, namely speaking her feelings and taking action, such as offering healing salves to Naruto or fighting to defend his life. Still, as a member of the Hyūga clan, she made enemies within the branch family, namely Neji, creating early conflict.

It's easy to cheer for Hinata because of her saccharine presence in a world of characters often forgotten by love, and it's fitting that such a character would latch onto Naruto, who spent his childhood as a forlorn orphan. She's a formidable fighter, able to use the Byakugan Eyes of her clan, along with the Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists and Eight Trigram taijutsu techniques allowing her to get up close and personal to deliver the pain. She is among the first characters who took after Naruto's influence, speaking to the protagonist's magnetic, gutsy energy, beautifully iring him.

6 Jiraiya Is Naruto's Most Impactful Mentor

Debuts in Episode #52

Jiraiya embodies the pervy old man archetype, ing anime greats like Master Roshi and leaving a profound impression as one of the most important characters influencing Naruto's growth as a ninja. He's also one of the legendary Sannin, like Orochimaru and Tsunade, who trained as the greatest ninjas of their generation while influencing future students, namely Minato Namikaze, before eventually taking an interest in Naruto during the Chunin Exams Arc. Despite his more unsavory characteristics, there was nobody Naruto wished to split a popsicle with more than Jiraiya.

But beyond his characteristics, Jiraiya was also a fierce and wise combatant, known as the Toad Sage, whose senjutsu would be the precursor to Naruto's Sage Mode in the Pain's Assault Arc. Jiraiya taught Naruto the Rasengan, boasting similar chakra reserves and teaching the young genin summoning jutsu. But in Kakashi's eyes, Jiraiya's other claim to fame was as the author of the Icha Icha or Make Out adult novels.