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Despite any disappointment Naruto fans had about the Naruto Jump Super Stage 2023 not featuring a new remake/reboot of the series, the Narutop99 popularity poll seems to be going in full swing. With well over 1 millions votes tallied thus far, there are more than a few characters that could end up winning the poll.
For reference, this isn't an ordinary popularity poll. Supposedly, a short manga series will be written featuring the character that wins it. With Naruto having well over 50 characters that fans adore and would love to see more of, this means many are scrambling to get their votes in before the end of poll on January 31, 2023.
As the numbers haven't officially been counted yet, here are 10 Naruto characters that stand the most chance of winning the Narutop99 popularity poll.
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Disclaimer: This list only encompasses 10 such characters from Naruto and any and all opinions should be considered exclusive to the author. This will also contain Naruto and possibly Boruto spoilers.
Sakura, Shisui, and 8 other Naruto characters that have a chance at winning the Narutop99 popularity poll
1) Minato Namikaze
The current frontrunner for first place is none other than Naruto Uzumaki's dad, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze. The Fourth Hogake was among the most popular in Naruto itself and in the fandom too, owing to his semi-laid back attitude, lightning speed, and effect on the story.
Since he's the current frontrunner, an explanation is in order. As the Fourth Hokage isn't the focus character of Naruto, this means that there are plenty of gaps in his story between his time as a ninja during the Third Great Ninja War and his death during Naruto's birth that many fans would like to explore.
A short prequel manga would suffice for some people, showing Minato growing up and expanding on his time as a ninja. If not that, then possibly his own time as a rookie and teacher would also work well, since fans didn't get much of that.
2) Itachi Uchiha
The current runner up on the poll is Itachi Uchiha. Itachi was Sasuke's brother, who was responsible for the Uchiha Clan Massacre, and died via disease when fighting Sasuke in Naruto Shippuden. While he was brought back via Kabuto mobilizing an army of dead ninjas to serve in the Fourth Great Ninja War, it wasn't very long as he and Sasuke immobilized Kabuto and Itachi passed once more.
As for why he's this high up on the poll? The reason is the same as the case with Minato - fans loved Itachi as a villain and a hero and wanted to see more of him. Of course, the Itachi Shinden manga and anime adaptation gave plenty, but some fans aren't easily swayed and want more of the rogue ninja in their lives.
Whether or not they'll get their wish depends on how the poll pans out, with some thinking another side story would only add more to Itachi's legacy. Perhaps a story involving his ANBU days further explored, or his deeper embedding in the Akatsuki would work well.
3) Shisui Uchiha
The bronze medal is currently being held by side-character Shisui Uchiha. Shisui was one of Itachi's best friends before the aforementioned massacre of the Uchiha Clan. He earned the moniker "Shisui of the Body Flicker" for his speed and proficiency in teleportation techniques. He died trying to stop the Uchiha Clan massacre, Itachi having taken his remaining eye at his request.
A side character, even an important one, making it this high up feels a little strange until one looks into the reasons why. Shisui was very important as a voice of reason between the Uchiha and the rest of Konoha, as one of the only ones that couldn't go through with the coup attempt.
Shisui's plan would've succeeded if not for Danzo, and that makes it a tragic case of a good person being struck down before their time. A short manga focusing chiefly on his life would be more than welcome.
4) Obito Uchiha
Holding the 10th place in the Naruto popularity poll as of now is one of the main villains of the entire series, Obito Uchiha. Obito himself has a long history, going from ninja on Team Minato to groomed by Madara and ultimately agreeing with him after witnessing Rin Nohara's death at the hands of Kakashi Hatake.
So, why does one of Naruto's villains who turned around and helped the good guys at the cost of his life deserve to win? The long history of Obito goes back before Kurama's attack on the Hidden Leaf Village, and ultimately there's sufficient gaps here and there to warrant a side story.
A side story could show Obito being conflicted, or even memories of his past before that boulder nearly crushed him.
5) Sakura Haruno
It's a long shot, but Sakura Haruno stands above Obito at number 9 so that counts for something! Starting off a konoichi that served as the voice of reason, even if it didn't come off that way all the time, Sakura has advanced far further than where she started from.
She began as the girl who was deemed "useless and annoying" by fans, before eventually going on to become the best doctor in Boruto and an extremely capable and gifted fighter in her own right.
It seems plenty of fans think so too, as it would've been unthinkable that Sakura reached the top 10 of a massive popularity poll when Naruto started. Sakura Haruno is one of the three main characters of Naruto, aside from Naruto himself and Sasuke, and yet she got hatred from fans and tossed around more than once, writing wise.
Many people see this as Sakura's potential redemption, if she manages to win. A short manga on her post-timeskip life or training with Tsunade similar to Naruto and Jiraiya's training would be appreciated.
6) Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto Uzumaki himself being at number four on the popularity poll currently, is odd to some people. As he is the title character of the series, it cannot be helped that he would show up on a popularity list. Given that past popularity polls usually have him, Sasuke, or Kakashi vying for the top spots, this shouldn't surprise people.
What does surprise people however, is how high up he is when the poll's results promise a short manga for the winner. The reason why is that the manga is literally named after him, he's had the whole series to be the main character.
It would be fun if a short manga for Naruto himself focuses on either his and Hinata's relationship after the series, or some of his time as Hokage before Boruto officially started. Just something to fill the gap in between the two series.
7) Kakashi Hatake
Team 7's mentor has made the top five in the poll, at number five, just behind Naruto. Kakashi Hatake is a fascinating character study in how shinobi comport themselves when on and off the battlefield, and how sometimes soul crushing regrets can end a person if not properly dealt with. Kakashi has plenty of regrets surrounding Rin, Obito, and even Yamato's treatment.
Kakashi makes it on the list due to still having some gaps in his story fans would love to explore. There's his time as Sixth Hokage, which seemed to be over in a flash, but actually lasted well over a decade and could still use some spotlight. There's his ANBU career which was highlighted in manga form, and a few other things besides, like how he and Rin coped with Obito's "untimely demise."
To that end, a short manga featuring Kakashi ideally would focus on those missing periods of his life. For instance, fans would love to see how he compared to the other Hokage, since there's still too little to really comment on properly.
8) Sasuke Uchiha
Of course Sasuke makes the top 10, at number eight. Sasuke Uchiha is one of the three main characters, and some would even say he stole Naruto's spotlight in the process of becoming a main character. He started off as a good kid before his clan was killed, making him swear revenge on Itachi. It took a long time for Sasuke to stop his nearly villainous antics, but he finally did as of the end of the series.
Sasuke's popularity was enough to win him several popularity polls in the past, and the fact that he's still in the top 10 is no surprise. His story is tragic, a note on how bad revenge is and how it can twist people. His role in Boruto as the titular character's mentor, and awkward but trying father, made more people warm up to him.
Though the Sasuke Retsuden is due to get an anime adaptation in 2023, another short manga featuring Sasuke would be welcome to some fans. Perhaps the manga can focus on him reflecting on how far he's come.
9) Madara Uchiha
The true villain and final boss of the entire series, according to fans that steadfastly refuse to acknowledge Kaguya Otsutsuki, is at number six on the list. Madara Uchiha has been there since before the beginning of the series, as his and Hashirama Senju's peace accord and subsequent battle is what led to Konoha's foundation and the forming of the Valley of the End.
This major villain has plenty of fans the world over, whether for his grand schemes or power set. Yet, despite having everything fans needed to know about him in the series, some fans felt like he got cast aside when things were just getting good. Whether they're right or wrong depends on the fan, as most feel like him getting betrayed came out of left field.
As far as a short manga, should he prevail, some have stated a willingness to see his full backstory: from where he started during the Warring States Period to his death. It would certainly make for an interesting dissection of what happens when someone is pushed to their limits.
10) Jiraiya
Jiraiya was one of the most popular mentors in the series, even with Kakashi having more of a presence. Even if he's number 7 currently in the poll, he still has a shot to win it if enough votes are tallied up for him. Jiraiya is known as one of the Legendary Sannin, one of the three most famous and powerful ninjas of his day.
His popularity is still rather large, given his pervy sense of humor and being a generally good mentor to the titular protagonist. He taught Naruto the Rasengan, how to summon properly, and other techniques that saved lives more than once. He may have died against Pain, but he died securing the future after sending a message deciphering Pain's weakness.
A short manga would definitely help to flesh out more of his backstory, especially his team days with Tsunade and Orochimaru. Likewise, it would also be good to see those missing years after the Legendary Sannin team broke up.
These 10 characters are all in the top 10 rankings of the Narutop99 popularity poll, all rankings are from the time the article was written. They all deserve a victory one way or another, though fans are sure to debate who belongs at the top and who doesn't. Fill us in on who you think deserves the top spot in the comments!
