The hit shonen series Naruto felt like typical anime fare at first, from its loud troublemaker hero Naruto Uzumaki to its colorful, slightly cartoony setting and seemingly stock characters like Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Over time, Naruto greatly expanded upon its most important characters with thematic and personal depth.

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Some characters can be taken at face value, such as the gung-ho Rock Lee or the thuggish Hidan. Others, however, have surprisingly complex emotional states and intriguing backstories. Some of these deceptively deep Naruto characters also tie into the anime's overall themes of violence, forgiveness, the cycle of hatred, and the pain of isolation.

10 Naruto Uzumaki Is Much More Than A Troublemaker Brat

Naruto Uzumaki in a Sage Mode Battle in Naruto Shippuuden.

The hero himself, Naruto Uzumaki, is far deeper and more sympathetic than anime fans would expect from Naruto's first episode. Naruto may have felt like an anime Bart Simspon at first, but his troublemaker antics are compensation for the deep, aching emotional pain he faces every day.

Naruto had no one growing up, and he desperately needed validation. Now he's determined to become Hokage and prove his worth, but his goals aren't entirely self-centered. Naruto also understands the cycle of hatred and the pain it brings, so he will advocate for world peace instead.

9 Jiraiya Isn't Just A Pervy Mentor

Jiraiya looks off to the side deep in thought in Naruto.

Naruto's best mentor, the toad sage Jiraiya, appeared to be Naruto's own Sanji Vinsmoke at first. Jiraiya kept chasing the ladies anytime he wasn't training Naruto, but Jiraiya is more than a stock character or gimmick. In fact, the idealistic dream to end the cycle of hatred began with Jiraiya.

Jiraiya once trained Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, but they twisted his dream into something monstrous with the Akatsuki. Now, Jiraiya strives for world peace once again, and he trusts Naruto and the Konoha 11 to make his lofty dream a reality. He died for that dream's sake.

8 Kakashi Hatake Has Endured Great Loss But Rarely Talks About It

Kakashi Hatake lifting up his headband to show his sharingan eye in Naruto.

Like Jiraiya, the masked Kakashi Hatake was introduced as a quirky teacher, but he's no gimmick. He didn't reveal much about his backstory or worldview at first, but over time, Team 7's genin learned the truth about Kakashi's life. The truth is that Kakashi has endured massive losses without any of it breaking him.

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Kakashi has lost his mentor, his teammates, his parents, and more over the years, but he still has faith in himself and Team 7. That shows serious emotional strength, and best of all, Kakashi once internalized Obito's viewpoint about rule-breaking vs saving one's friends.

7 Itachi Uchiha Isn't The Monster Everyone Thought He Was

Itachi Uchiha battling Kakashi with his Sharingan in Naruto

The prodigy Itachi Uchiha also had a misleading introduction in Naruto. He was established as a scheming traitor and twisted older brother, a rogue Leaf ninja who wanted Naruto's head. Early story arcs of Naruto Shippuden kept that up, but the truth was deeper and more sympathetic than that.

Naruto fans eventually discovered the reality of Itachi's backstory and emotional state. He was actually a hero, or at least an anti-villain, and he slaughtered his family on orders to prevent a rebellion. He also dearly loved Sasuke and spared him not out of contempt, but genuine compassion.

6 Jugo Is The Bruce Banner Of Naruto

Jugo in a forest naruto

The rogue Jugo was introduced as two people in one. He was a brutal savage who loved killing, but he was also a gentle young man who feared and despised his monster half. He could have been a nightmarish Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but Jugo is actually more like Bruce Banner.

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Jugo is a good person after all, and he would much rather live in peace in the forest, hanging out with animals. He has a balanced, insightful view of violence, peace, and the purpose of life, which makes him far from the shallow thug he could have been. If born in the Leaf Village, Jugo would have been a proper hero.

5 Obito Uchiha Wasn't "Tobi" After All

Obito Uchiha from Naruto Shippuden

Obito Uchiha played a much bigger role in Naruto than anime fans expected. He was set up as a proto-Naruto Uzumaki in a flashback, then he seemingly died and gave Kakashi Hatake two things. He granted Kakashi his left Sharingan along with the principle that abandoning friends makes a ninja lower than trash.

Obito returned under the false names Tobi and Madara before he was finally unmasked during the war. Then he was redeemed despite his villainous actions and embraced Kakashi as a friend one last time. All over again, Obito learned that breaking the rules is bad, and abandoning a friend is even worse.

4 Pain Could Have Been An Older Naruto Uzumaki

Pain raising his hand toward something in the remains of Konoha in Naruto Shippuden.

For a while, Naruto fans merely knew Pain as the holograph-only character with those weird eyes. Then fans met him for real in the Rain Village. Pain isn't just a shady, creepy villain for the heroes to beat up; once upon a time, he was poised to inherit Jiraiya's dream of peace.

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Once known as Yahiko, Pain was inspired by Jiraiya's dreams and sought to spread the message of peace around the world. But Yahiko met a sticky end, and his idealistic dream was twisted into something monstrous. Now Naruto fights for that same dream, and that's why Naruto's "talk jutsu" worked on Nagato.

3 Gaara Isn't A Killer Deep Down

Gaara holding his eye in Naruto.

The redheaded Sand ninja Gaara was, like Itachi, introduced as a horrible villain with no redeeming qualities. All fans saw was a bloodthirsty living weapon, and Gaara seemed to enjoy shedding blood. Then Naruto spoke to him as a fellow jinchuriki and the truth came out.

Gaara was an even more miserable version of Naruto, a truly lonely and hated boy who existed solely to be the Shukaku's container. Gaara found redemption, then became the Kazekage and led his village in a more positive direction. He also became one of Naruto Uzumaki's best friends and allies.

2 Even Zabuza Momochi Has Principles

Zabuza crying in Naruto.

The sword-slinging Zabuza Momochi was just some hired muscle when Team 7 fought him in the Land of Waves, but when round 2 unfolded on Tazuna's bridge, things changed. Zabuza wanted to finish the job for his employer Gato, but then the masked Haku went down, and Zabuza was injured.

Gato and his thugs turned on Zabuza, prompting Zabuza to reassess his mission. Zabuza actually had noble principles about loyalty and friendship, and Naruto inspired him. Zabuza gave his life fighting Gato and the other thugs, then died content next to Haku because friendship meant more to him than money.

1 Danzo Shimura Had His Soft Side

danzo shimura holding a sword in battle

While Danzo Shimura can't easily be forgiven or redeemed for what he's done, he's not as shallow as his actions would suggest. Danzo went too far in many ways, but he did have a genuine love for his native village. He merely took steps that he thought no one else had the nerve to take.

Danzo was also more sentimental and insecure than his stern words would suggest. He blamed himself for being too cowardly to assume a lethally risky move in his youth, and he also admired Hiruzen as his bitter rival. Danzo also respected the Leaf elders and thought back fondly on Hiruzen as he died.

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