Best Naruto Characters Who Never Received Dedicated Arcs

Highlights

• Naruto’s world-building rested heavily on engaging supporting characters in key story beats.
• Dedication of story arcs to specific cast members added depth to the narrative.
• Some characters like Shino, Rock Lee, and Konan deserved more exploration and screen time.

For long-running manga and anime franchises such as Naruto, one of the most important facets of world-building in the series stemmed from how series creator Masashi Kishimoto was able to involve the supporting cast in critical story beats. Despite the plot primarily revolving around Naruto and Sasuke’s parallel journeys, many of the series’ side characters had huge roles to play in shaping the narrative at various points.

One particular approach employed by Kishimoto for this purpose was the dedication of individual story arcs to specific cast members, as seen in segments such as the Kazekage Rescue Mission Arc, the Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant Arc, or the Fated Battle Between Brothers Arc. By contrast, there were quite a few interesting characters who were somewhat neglected in the grander narrative of Naruto, and here are a few among them who never got the dedicated arcs they might have deserved at one time.

1 Shino Aburame

Never Got The Spotlight His Character Deserved

Despite his somewhat unsettling personality, Shino demonstrated immense potential as a shinobi during his initial appearances in Part I of Naruto. From defeating Zaku Abumi to fighting Kankuro to a standstill, Shino was a sleeping powerhouse whose strength, unique fighting style, and tactical ability made him a force to be reckoned with among those participating in the Chunin Exams.

Unfortunately, his moments in the spotlight were reduced as Naruto went on, as his character was given very little time to grow. Notwithstanding a few involvements in Part II, Shino’s character, as well as the distinct ninjutsu abilities of the Aburame clan, were not explored in as much depth as they could have been, resulting in him falling victim to stagnation until the start of Boruto — where he became a source of comic relief.

2 Rock Lee

Failed To Live Up To His Explosive Debut And Immense Potential

Although much of the spotlight was on Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, and Neji during the Chunin Exams Arc in Part I, it was Rock Lee who ultimately stole the show during the Preliminaries. The reveal of his immense raw speed and ability to unlock several of the Eight Inner Gates made him a formidable combatant, as seen in his epic confrontations with Gaara in the Chunin Exams Preliminaries, as well as his later face-off with Kimimaro Kaguya during the Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc.

However, Lee’s character was shunned to the backdrop after the first story arc of Part II, and he would only feature in a supporting role for the remainder of Naruto. While he was later with even greater proficiency in opening the Eight Inner Gates by the time of the Fourth Shinobi World War, his character was not given the same level of focus as someone like Shikamaru, who got a whole arc devoted to his relationship with his mentor. In the end, even as Lee played a significant role in the war, he never lived up to the huge expectations that were initially placed on his character.

3 Konan

Perpetually Overshadowed By Her Two Closest Friends

While she did feature prominently during the Pain’s Assault Arc, Konan was quite underutilized as a character when compared to her two closest friends Yahiko and Nagato, whose relationship was key to the emotional core of this story arc. Instead, she mainly had a supporting role as the trio of Amegakure orphans embarked on an ill-fated quest to resolve the issues posed by the constant outbreak of war between the Five Great Shinobi Countries.

Konan did get a small moment in the spotlight during the build-up to the Fourth Shinobi World War, but this was less of a deep dive into her character and more of a spectacular battle sequence to highlight her adversary’s strength. Beyond her complex relationships with Yahiko and Nagato, Konan’s unique fighting style did merit a bit more screen time and attention, as the part she played in Naruto was far too limited for a shinobi of her caliber.

4 Onoki

The Tsuchikage’s Lengthy Reign And Achievements Were Glossed Over

One of the longest-serving Kage in history, Onoki was a central figure in Iwagakure for decades, and his reign as Tsuchikage saw him weather many storms and conflicts that rattled the entire shinobi world. His involvement in Naruto was mainly limited to the Five Kage Summit Arc and the bulk of the Fourth Shinobi World War, which gave him a fair amount of screen time when compared to some of the others from the original cast, but there was a lot about him that was left unexplained.

Ranging from his successes and failures as the Tsuchikage to his relationship with his mentor and predecessor, Mu, Onoki’s past was not explored in much detail, which culminated in a lot of unanswered questions about him that lingered at the end of the series. In particular, Onoki’s exploits in his youth, as well as his strength during his prime were never shown in the series, and his character development may have benefitted if there was more context provided about the kind of person he had been in the past.

5 Tobirama Senju

His Enduring Influence On Konoha Was Just Briefly Explained

Having created many of the most important institutions in Konoha, including the Academy and the Konoha Military Police Force which was run by the Uchiha clan, Tobirama Senju effectively laid the foundation for the village as it was introduced at the start of Naruto. His accomplishments went beyond his administrative achievements as the Second Hokage, as he was also a fearsome shinobi who was perhaps one of, if not the strongest Kage of his time.

Unfortunately, Tobirama always lived in the shadow of his elder brother Hashirama, who was widely seen as the strongest shinobi in history during his lifetime. His tenure as Hokage was also the one that received the least amount of screen time in the entire franchise, as most flashbacks to Konoha’s early years were centered on the rivalry between Hashirama and Madara Uchiha.