If there is one thing Naruto fans talk about often, it's the issues with the female characters. They don't get the same amount of character development and screen time as their male counterparts, which can be incredibly frustrating for fans who want to see more female representation.
Despite the issues, the female characters in Naruto certainly aren't blank slates and have a lot more personality than people seem to think. After all, the characters are beloved for a reason. Although some are favored more than others, all the women in Naruto are strong and unique in their own ways.
Updated on May 4th, 2023 by George Voutiritsas: It's true that Naruto did not do a good enough job with its female characters, as many of them received very little development and screen time. That being said, each female character had her own distinct personality and skill set, and plenty of them are waifu material. Like with many other anime, the chatter around which Naruto waifu is indisputably the best never seems to end, especially since there are several undeniable choices.
17 Karui
Karui is a kunoichi from the Hidden Cloud Village, and she became part of the Leaf's Akimichi Clan when she married Choji. The couple began their relationship after the 4th Great Ninja War, and their pairing still feels odd because the relationship was never actually explored during the series.
That being said, the two have fun chemistry, with Choji being laid-back, and Karui being hot-blooded and affectionate. She is quite combative, stubborn, and impulsive, as seen when she beat up Naruto, but in Boruto, she has shown that she is a caring mother.
16 Kurotsuchi
Kurotsuchi was born and raised in the Hidden Stone Village, and when her grandfather retired, she was named the village's Fourth Tsuchikage. She takes great pride in being one of the Kage, so much so that she agreed to help rescue Naruto when he was taken by Momoshiki.
Kurotsuchi is a very confident individual, and like her grandfather, she uses sarcasm as a form of humor. Outside of combat, Kurotsuchi is calm and laid-back, and based on how protective she is of her village, she has proven to be a very loyal person.
15 Yugito Nii
Yugito was a Jonin from the Cloud Village, as well as the former Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails. She became a Jinchuriki when she was just two years old, and she endured a grueling training program which allowed her to transform into her Tailed Beast at will.
Yugito was a beautiful ninja, and she was so skilled that even Killer B looked up to her. She was a confident, tactical, and courageous woman, who willingly trapped two Akatsuki members so she could fight them alone. Her team-mates said that she was firm and decisive, but they mentioned that she was very thoughtful as well.
14 Shizune
There are likely a few fans who consider Shizune to be one of the Leaf Village's weakest ninja, but that is far from true. She was jonin who was personally trained by Tsunade, and as a result, she became a highly-skilled medical ninja, and during the war, she was in charge of the Logistical Support and Medical Division.
Shizune is often seen getting comically worked up over Tsunade's irrational choices, but she is generally a level-headed and rational person. She has always been kind, and she possesses a great sense of morale and ethics. She can be a bit insecure at times, and she is known to blush if she sees a very handsome man.
13 Yugao Uzuki
Yugao is a member of the Leaf's ANBU, and she was recruited at a very young age because of her sensory abilities and sword skills. Her long purple hair is her most noticeable feature, and she was in love with Hayate Gekko, the proctor who was killed during the Chunin Exams.
Hayate's death left an emotional scar which caused her to avoid combat, but she was able to come to terms with it during the war when he was brought back with the Edo Tensei. Yugao has shown that she can love someone dearly, and she is known for being a loyal and caring person.
12 Karin
Karin started out as just another annoying girl who had a serious crush on Sasuke, but she grew out of that. Gone are the days of Karin's Sakura 2.0 era, Karin's significantly grew up since her antics in Shippuden.
Karin's a typical fiery redhead and has been through hell since her home village was destroyed in the war. Karin was taken in by Orochimaru because he took interest in her stamina restoration abilities. Though Karin wasn't a good match for Sasuke at all, fans still love her eccentric personality quirks.
11 Mei Terumi
Mei is the Fifth Mizukage. She's a respectable leader who stands for the Hidden Mist Village as a force of compassion and indomitable confidence. Mei's incredibly charismatic and a natural negotiator, making strides in strengthening allyships with other nations.
Mei's strong, confident attitude helped people regain faith in the Hidden Mist Village, which was once tarnished by a reputation of bloodshed. Mei worked hard to restore everyone's faith in her nation and proved herself an excellent leader.
10 Konan
Konan may be stoic and calm, but she is passionate about protecting her convictions and comrades. She didn't commit evil acts because she wanted to, but because she wished to do right by her friends. Everything she did was to protect what was most precious to her, making her one of the most loyal characters in Naruto.
Although Konan didn't see much action, her Ninjutsu was always a treat to see. There is no other Jutsu like it in the Naruto series; she used it in incredibly unique ways. Because of her Jutsu, Obito was almost defeated, and Konan came the closest to killing him.
9 Kushina Uzumaki
Kushina is the polar opposite of a character like Konan. Much like her son Naruto, Kushina is impulsive, loud, and eccentric. She may have insecurities, especially about her vibrant red hair, but that doesn't stop her from being outspoken and cheerful.
Kushina wishes the best for people, including her son who she is fiercely protective over. She sacrificed her own life to make sure Naruto would live. Although she couldn't be present for his life, it's clear that the best aspects of Naruto's character come from her.
8 Anko
Anko was a mysterious character when she was first introduced. Naruto later shows that Anko is much more impulsive than fans had thought. Despite her stubborn nature, she is a top-ranked Shinobi and successfully leads a reconnaissance team during The Fourth Great Ninja War.
Anko's actions prove that protecting the Leaf Village and its people are incredibly important to her, which is a great trait to have in a leader. Despite being trained by Orochimaru at a young age, she didn't let that change her feelings toward her loved ones and her village. She is one of the most mentally strong characters in Naruto.
7 Kurenai
Kurenai may not have seen as much action as some of the other Jonin, but her abilities and technique still left a solid impression. She is the only team leader that primarily uses Genjutsu and is a prodigy when it comes to the technique.
Compared to the other Jonin, Kurenai appears to be the most invested in her students' personal lives and is someone they can come to when they need emotional support. However, that doesn't mean she goes easy on them. She expects the best from them and supports them wholeheartedly, just like a teacher should.
6 Tenten
Tenten is certainly the most serious in her team of eccentric individuals, which became apparent after Neji's death. Despite her annoyance with Gai and Rock Lee's antics, she supports them. Tenten is also incredibly brave, strong, and selfless. No matter which enemy she faces, she does everything she can to protect the people around her, even if it means risking her own life.
It's refreshing for fans to see a female character like Tenten who is not primarily focused on her romantic life or dating. Despite not having much screen time, she's a hard worker and a fun character, so it's always a treat when she shows up.
5 Ino Yamanaka
Ino has always been confident and outspoken. She knows what she wants and she works hard to get it. Although she tends to annoy her teammates, like Shikamaru, they respect her abilities and opinion. Unlike other characters, she also seems to have hobbies outside of being a Shinobi. She is knowledgeable about flowers and has used that knowledge to her advantage on several occasions.
Despite her outwardly stubborn demeanor, Ino is kind at her core and cares greatly for her friends and teammates. Even if she considers Sakura a rival for Sasuke's love, she willingly risks her life to protect Sakura, which proves that she values her comrades' lives over petty rivalries.
4 Temari
Temari is the perfect example of a strong female character. She's outspoken, kind, and accepts her own faults to change for the better. She was the first to accept Gaara's change in personality after the Chunin Exams and helped him gain respect from the rest of the Sand Village.
Temari cares deeply for her siblings and takes her role as their big sister seriously. Her calm and collected nature is perfectly suited to lead others, which is why she seems to be the big sister of every young Shinobi in her village.
3 Hinata Hyuga
Between Hinata and Naruto, it's quite obvious who the lucky one is in their relationship. Hinata is one of the sweetest characters in Naruto, and her timid personality doesn't stop her from standing up for her friends and doing the right thing.
Hinata willingly faced death because it meant protecting Naruto and helped save the Leaf Village as a result. Fans enjoyed watching her develop into a stronger person as Naruto progressed. She may not be as outspoken as some of her friends, but she has much more confidence in herself and fans love her for it.
2 Sakura Haruno
Sakura has gained a lot of respect from fans over the years. While fans used to dislike her, many have realized that her character suffered from poor writing from Naruto's creators. She was always outspoken and stubborn, but still self-aware enough to accept her faults and grow as a person.
It's because Sakura recognized the weakness in herself that she was able to become an incredibly powerful medical ninja. Sakura is loyal, kind, brave, and has grown into an incredible Shinobi. Sakura deserves more praise from Naruto fans.
1 Tsunade
As the only female Hokage and one of the most powerful Shinobi, many people look up to Tsunade. While many Shinobi remain stuck in their old ways, Tsunade is open-minded and considers all perspectives.
This mindset allowed her to implement changes to the way war was fought and it's likely she saved hundreds of lives with her medical techniques. Although Tsunade can be harsh, she cares deeply for her village and will do whatever she can to protect them.