From the mind of iconic Masashi Kishimoto, the Naruto franchise has drawn in fans for decades since its first publication in the '90s. Since then, it has spawned sequels (Naruto: Shippuden), prequels (Boruto), and spinoffs (Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals). Thanks to so many years in the spotlight, it's no surprise that many opinions about the show and its characters have cropped up.

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Many of these opinions, such as Itachi Uchiha being a victim of the Hidden Leaf's political games, have reached mainstream popularity. Others, like Sakura Haruno's characterization, are still topics of heated debate. While some opinions are less popular, fans can agree with many facts, despite their unpopularity.

Updated on December 1st, 2022 by Sarah Martin: Just because an opinion is unpopular, doesn't mean that it's inherently incorrect. We've added a few more unpopular Naruto opinions that are generally hard to disagree with to this list.

15 The Filler Episodes Aren't As Bad As They're Made Out To Be

Naruto and Sora arguing (Naruto Shippūden)

Shonen anime generally has a bad reputation for its oversaturation with filler episodes. Newer series aren't as reliant on them, but Naruto's filler episodes are notorious because they take a huge chunk of episodes away from the canonical plot.

However, some of the filler episodes really aren't as awful as they're made out to be. Some fans even argue that they give the fans a nice break in between all of the major arcs and humanize the characters a bit more than the regular episodes.

14 Kakashi Is Actually Over-Hyped

Kakashi Hatake from Naruto.

Kakashi Hatake is the ultimate cool guy and a pretty great mentor for Team 7. However, some fans feel like he's severely overhyped. Some fans argue that Kakashi's jutsu isn't really anything to write home about, considering some of the series' more impressive techniques.

On top of that, some fans felt that Kakashi becoming Hokage didn't add anything substantial to the overall plot. It didn't feel entirely contrived, since Kakashi is one of Konoha's most competent. However, some fans wished that Tsunade could have just held the position instead.

13 More Characters Need To Be Held Accountable For Their Actions

Sasuke Uchiha gets winded and looks dirty

One of Naruto's main themes is the idea of turning someone to the "good side" through the power of friendship. It happened with Nagato, Sasuke, and Gaara, among other villains. This is fine in theory, but fans would love to see some of the series' most prolific villains held accountable for their actions.

After all, some of these foes literally committed mass murder and engaged in unethical human experimentation. Giving them the "talk no jutsu" treatment just feels like a slap on the wrist instead of holding them accountable for their crimes.

12 Itachi Really Shouldn't Be Admired

Itachi blocking an attack in Naruto.

Itachi Uchiha went from one of Naruto's most hated characters to one of the most popular. Many fans feel like his sacrifice in killing the Uchiha clan to protect Sasuke was admirable. However, some can't get past the fact that Itachi committed a massacre, so he shouldn't be admired.

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Some would even go as far as calling Itachi's crimes irredeemable. After all, he literally killed his entire family and joined a terrorist organization. Though he did it to protect Konoha, Itachi was still participating in atrocities that could have been prevented.

11 Gaara Should Have Stayed A Villain

Gaara holding his eye in Naruto.

Many fans admire Gaara's redemption arc. After all, he went from a misanthropic kid who wanted to reject the society that abandoned him to a genuine hero and Kazekage of the Sand Village. However, some fans feel underwhelmed by Gaara's current presence in the story, arguing that the whole "goody-two-shoes" shtick isn't a good look for him.

If Gaara remained a villain, then his powers could have made him one of the series' most fearsome villains and a repetitive threat to Naruto and his friends. However, some argue that Gaara's backstory and subsequent redemption add some grittiness to the series' younger cast members.

10 Ino Was A Good Friend To Sakura

Naruto's Ino And Sakura Smiling At Each Other.

Many fans consider Sakura one of Naruto's most annoying characters, and how she treated Ino Yamanaka didn't help her case. The two were best friends as children. While some kids bullied Sakura, Ino stood up for her and helped her gain self-confidence. Despite Ino's loyalty, Sakura turned on her when she found out they both liked Sasuke Uchiha.

Their fight was among the ridiculous feuds in the show, as Sakura would not let up even after they grew into their teenage years. Ino quietly helped from the sidelines, never letting Sakura know when she did. For example, she championed saving Sakura during the Chunin Exams, when the Hidden Sound ninja attacked Sakura.

9 Neji's Death Was Meaningless

Neji's last moments on Naruto's shoulder in Naruto.

Neji had one of the best reputations of the Konoha 11. He was a member of one of the most powerful and influential Hidden Leaf village clans, the Hyuga clan. He had the extremely useful dojutsu, the Byakugan, which granted him near-perfect 360-degree vision at vast ranges and the ability to see chakra flow. Furthermore, he was a Gentle Fist master.

When Naruto and Neji first duke it out during the Chunin Exams' third stage, Neji finally learns the meaning of free will. Yet, the show subverts the theme by having him die saving Hinata and Naruto when they probably could have saved themselves. Neji's death felt tragic and unnecessary.

8 Kaguya Was A Terrible Ultimate Villain

Kaguya Using Her Bone Technique in Naruto.

Kaguya was among the strongest characters at Naruto's end. Yet, she was unsuccessful in swaying fans' hearts. This letdown was because she felt "out of left field." The entire series built Madara up to be the ultimate villain. While it mentioned the Sage of the Six Paths, the show did not adequately foreshadow Kaguya and the Otsutsuki until the last season.

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While Kaguya was unquestionably powerful and brought Team Seven back together, she and the entire alien-like Otsutsuki plot line felt rushed and underutilized. For that reason, she often lands on lists of the worst anime villains. It's not that she was a bad character or fighter. She was simply a product of poor writing.

7 The Kages Should Have Made Accountable

Naruto's Five Kage Summit.

The Fourth Shinobi war changed many things in Naruto, one of which was unifying the Hidden Villages under one alliance. The Five Kages spent years fighting one another and committing heinous atrocities in the name of national security and winning. The Hokage was no exception. For example, the Hidden Mist had kids fight to the death for a promotion. This dark practice earned the Hidden Mist a gruesome reputation, as characters such as Zabuza explained.

The Hokage allowed the Uchiha massacre and for children to die in the Chunin Exams. The Raikage tried to have Hinata kidnapped for her Byakugan. The Fourth Kazekage killed his wife, imbuing their son with Shukaku to later neglect and try to assassinate him when he got too powerful. Holding the Kages accountable would have saved some pain.

6 The Hidden Leaf Encourages A Problematic Nationalism

Naruto's five Kage at the Chunin Exams.

The various Hidden Villages also perpetuated a harmful degree of nationalism, which was the primary way they convinced people to become shinobi and die for their wars. Fans witnessed this pipeline as children in the Hidden Leaf Village looked up to the Hokage and shinobi. As a result, shinobi culture became about pushing oneself over the limit, dying for their orders, and not questioning the Hokage's rule.

As fans learn with the Uchiha Clan massacre and other dark dealings, the Hokage is not always right and not always in control. Sometimes, such staunch nationalism was what perpetuated the cycle of hatred.

5 Jiraiya Was A Problematic Mentor

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

Jiraiya had one of the saddest deaths in Naruto because he was among the show's most beloved characters. The Legendary Sannin and Toad Sage was a war hero who advocated for peace. Though he had his faults, including his obsession with women and propensity to steal money from his students, his philosophy changed the world.

Unfortunately, overlooking his problematic behavior is not healthy. He spied on naked women, encouraged Naruto to use Sexy Jutsu, and spent everyone's money on escorts. Furthermore, he was sometimes too harsh to Naruto, which is the least of anyone's worries in a show about child soldiers.

4 The Chunin Exam Proctors Should Have Stopped Gaara From Killing People

Gaara during the Chunin Exams (Naruto).

Gaara is one of the best-loved Naruto villains and was one of the many reasons the Chunin Exam arc is still one of the most iconic in the franchise. In addition to the exciting trials the kids faced during this promotion test, Gaara and his siblings delighted fans with moments of horror and tragedy.

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Now that Gaara is a hero and ally, it causes a moral dilemma to look back on his actions during the Chunin Exam (wherein he gruesomely crushed people to death with sand). In reality, it was also the proctors, Kages, and the entire shinobi culture's fault that most of those things happened.

3 No One Was Fooling Anyone During The Chunin Exams

Hinata and Naruto completing the written portion of the Chunin Exams (Naruto).

Among the Chunin Exams' most iconic trials was the first, a written test proctored by the Hidden Leaf's torturer and information extractor, Ibiki Morino. This test assessed the kids' ability to cheat, or effectively gather information. Fans delighted in seeing the many antics these students pulled in trying to cheat without being caught.

While some cheating methods, such as Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu and Sasuke's Sharingan, were acceptable, other tactics were not fooling anyone. Kiba Inuzuka had Akamaru look at other people's tests, and Tenten's mirrors were too obvious.

2 Sasuke Was The Worst Of The Konoha 11 Kids

Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto.

There are many perks to being Sasuke Uchiha, but there are just as many downsides. The most obvious is that Sasuke's family died as a part of Danzo Shimura's political scheme. While no one can fault Sasuke for his trauma, he had more than a few opportunities to turn his life around and be a decent person. Instead, he decided to work with Orochimaru, whose crimes were many.

Furthermore, Sasuke continued to be selfish, whine, and take his friends for granted throughout the entire series. What was once an edgy, bad-boy attitude became an annoyance for many fans. Viewers struggled to see why Naruto would keep trying to save a guy like that.

1 Might Guy Is The Best Sensei Of The Jonin

Might Guy opening the Eight Gates to fight Madara in Naruto.

Might Guy is one of Naruto's coolest Taijutsu specialists. While Kakashi Hatake sometimes overshadowed him, Guy was among the best sensei in the Hidden Leaf. First, he stepped in and saved Rock Lee during the Chunin Exams, while Kakashi ignored Naruto and recklessly allowed Sasuke to participate in the fighting despite Orochimaru's curse mark.

On top of that, Might Guy never gave up on Rock Lee and put his ultimate faith in the kid even when Rock Lee faced death. Might Guy also helped Rock Lee become a powerful ninja despite Rock Lee's inability to access chakra. No other sensei has achieved such a feat.

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