Though the series is starting to get some credit for what’s happening in the manga, Boruto has always been somewhat of a polarizing series for anime fans. The constant start and stop pace of the series that gets bogged down in way too much filler can be exhausting for many long-time viewers.
But the one thing that makes the series work is its characters. Boasting a mix of some of everyone’s favorite older characters and newer characters created for this series, people tend to tune in based on how much they like everyone involved from Team 7 to Team 15. With the main cast centering around three major teams and a certain pair of adults, these are the most likable characters in the show.
12 Denki
A main character who everyone has to stick up for early on, it takes some time to warm up to Denki outside of the Ninja Academy setting. He’s just kind of there in the background in a way that even his partners Iwabee and Metal aren’t. Pretty much the only reason he fits on the list is that he’s such close friends with Boruto as a kid who loves gaming.
11 Iwabee
This guy would be cool, but he’s such a bully early on. He seems frustrated with the fact that he’s been held back more than once at the Ninja Academy. Because of this, he’s got the ability to fight Boruto at the same level, even though Boruto has enormous reserves of chakra and is great at everything he does.
10 Metal Lee
Son of Rock Lee, Metal is probably the best member on Team 10, which says a lot about the series' ability to make new characters. He’s endearing in his own way because he’s got all the talent that his father has, but he seizes up and gets embarrassed at the worst times. There's not much attention given to the character outside of his issue of freaking out the second people notice how good he is.
9 Chocho
Chocho can be kind of polarizing, but ultimately she’s just such a sweetheart who's hard not to like.
She’s Sarada’s best friend and the daughter of Choji, but she’s so much more than Choji was thanks to her confidence. She’s always about being herself, which includes potato chips, cute boys, and occasionally being a great ninja.
8 Mitsuki
Mitsuki's problem is that he doesn't really have a character. The storyline of whether or not he's a person despite being engineered by Orochimaru is a fascinating one, but more often than not, everything gets lost in how much he cares about Boruto. A lot of times, the best that can be said about the character is him being inoffensive.
7 Inojin
Inojin is actually one of the more notable new characters for the series. He takes after his father Sai in that he doesn't know how to hold his tongue. But while Sai's actions weren't intentional, Inojin is just a smart-mouthed kid which provides a ton of entertainment for missions where he's involved.
6 Konohamaru
Konohamaru gets the nostalgia bump--people know who he is from the original series, and seeing him in the role of a jonin looking after children is admirable. He doesn't get the same amount of development since he's not one of Team 7, but that also means he's not able to annoy people with new flaws introduced. The only problem is he often has to be saved by Boruto and the others.
5 Boruto
Boruto is unfortunately not the most popular character of his series. He's not the worst character, but people don't really like him as much as they did Naruto because he comes from a more privileged background.
In so many ways he's nothing like Naruto, and that can be to his detriment. Still, there's a confidence he has in his friends and himself which makes him likable to those that can look past his flaws.
4 Sarada
Sarada often feels like the real main character of Boruto. Because Boruto spends so much time not wanting anything to do with the world of ninja, it’s great to have Sarada as a counterbalance who wants nothing more than to become a Hokage. She puts her all into everything, and it shows because she’s not only the smartest ninja from their class, but she also looks up to Naruto. She serves as a great balance to the headstrong Boruto when it’s just Team 7, and will often come up with the strategy necessary to see the team win.
3 Shikadai Nara
Is there anyone who doesn’t like Shikadai? The character’s biggest flaw is essentially they’re the same character as Shikamaru, but that still means fans get to have the lazy version of Shikamaru around while also getting the more responsible and mature one around as well. That means it's the best of both worlds, and Shikadai gets to pal around with Boruto while reminding him of how much of a goof he’s being.
2 Shikamaru Nara
Shikamaru is in the show just as much as Naruto and potentially more. His son is the best friend of Boruto, and the two of them often find themselves paired together. Shikamaru remains just as likable as he was back in the day, even though he’s managed to become much more responsible compared to his lazy days back in the original series. These days, he looks out for Naruto and helps him deal with the mountains of work that all Kages have to take care of.
1 Naruto Uzumaki
Is there any question that the most likable character in the show is still Naruto? Sure, he’s not in every episode, but he still plays a major role in the series. It’s not the same as it was years back—he’s no longer the knucklehead ninja, but rather an older man trying to balance having a family with being the head of an entire village. He looks after so many people that even though Boruto’s frustration with the guy is valid, it’s also understandable that Naruto has so much trouble figuring it all out.