If there is one thing Naruto is beloved for and remembered for even a decade after it ended, it is the amount of amazing side characters it blessed fans with, and one of the most legendary mangaka noticed this as well and praised Kishimoto for it. This praise holds much more weight given the fact that is someone who knows the challenges of writing a long-running manga while also staying true to the characters and managing fan expectations.
In an interview between Masashi Kishimoto and Hiroaki Samura, creator of Blade of the Immortal and one of Naruto’s biggest inspirations, the two were talking about the moral ambiguity of their characters and this is where Samura complimented Kishimoto on how he never forgot about his characters, particularly in the 4th Great Ninja War arc. He continued to say that this was made even more impressive by the fact that Naruto was a long manga, one that spanned 15 years, and yet Kishimoto did not forget about his characters and gave them something to do, even if it was minor.
Naruto’s Final War Had Amazing Side Character Moments
The Final Arc Involved Everyone As Best As Possible
Samura is right, indeed, as most of the war was dedicated to the side characters trying to suppress the Zetsus and the Edo Tenseis, and even when Naruto and Sasuke got the spotlight again, the series still involved what was remaining of the army to take down the Ten-Tails. The series always gave shine to its side characters, and it was even until the Pain Arc that Naruto received most of the attention, which speaks to how much Kishimoto utilized his cast.
While the amazing highs of the arc were the highlight of the arc, it is undeniable that the fights in the first half made the arc even more amazing. Ino-Shika-Cho taking down their master, Darui facing his village’s stains in Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the Tailed Beasts and their humanity being revealed, Neji and the Hyuga’s wounds being healed, Sai and his brother getting closure, Gaara finding out the beautiful truth about his mother, the 5 Kages’ legendary battle against Madara, and many more: the 4th Great Ninja War featured excellent character writing, drama and conclusions fitting for a final arc.
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Naruto has given fans some of the best and most complex characters in anime, but only a few reign supreme in the series’ cast.
A common and unfounded criticism of the series is that it abandoned the side characters, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Generally, people are referring to the “Konoha 11”, but like all stories, Naruto gave them the focus for a few arcs and then moved on to other side characters who were relevant to the plot. Kishimoto only moved away from a character after giving them their arc and development, as in the case of Neji and Lee, who were wonderful and fleshed-out characters with a lot of thematic relevance. Of course, the series never even focused on half of the members of Naruto’s comrades, like Shino or Kiba, in the first place.
Naruto’s Cast Is One of the Best in Manga
The Series Is Packed With Fabulous Characters
While the series has many things going for it, like amazing art, interesting worldbuilding and more, what really makes the series as timeless and beloved as it is is because of the wonderful characters. From the unique designs, amazing backstories, nuanced morality, interesting conflicts and rich interactions, Naruto‘s characters are fantastic, whether they are hero, antagonist, or anything in between. The different themes and messages they bring make the series that much more interesting.
But you know, this might be because I’m the same type of artist myself, but the thing I was most impressed with in reading Naruto was how you never forget about any of the characters.
– Hiroaki Samura.
Many characters in the story are intriguing enough to deserve their own spotlight, as evidenced by the recent Minato one-shot. Kishimoto crafted compelling characterizations, abilities, and backstories that left fans eager for more. This is part of the reason why Naruto generates the most fanfiction across any medium. While it is inevitable that a story as lengthy as Naruto cannot explore every character in depth, Kishimoto did an excellent job of resolving the conflicts for most of them, particularly during the 4th Great Ninja War arc.
Hiroaki Samura is a veteran in the manga industry and has won some of the most prestigious comic book awards, like the Eisner, and he is also the author of a long-running manga. As such, he knows the difficulties of managing a large cast and giving them things to do when the story requires it. Naruto has a much bigger cast than Blade of the Immortal, and Samura being impressed by Kishimoto’s ability to balance out screentime between his characters, speaks highly of the series’ attention and respect for the characters.
Source: Interview between Samura and Kishimoto.
- First Episode Air Date
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October 3, 2002
Summary
Naruto is a Japanese manga and anime franchise created by Masashi Kishimoto. It follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja striving for recognition and aiming to become the Hokage, the leader of his village. The franchise has a global fanbase due to its rich storytelling, character development, and themes of perseverance and friendship. It has expanded into anime series, films, novels, video games, and more. The sequel series Boruto continues the story, focusing on Naruto’s son, Boruto Uzumaki.
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