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January 13 saw the midterm results for the Narutop99 rankings be released via the franchise’s official Twitter account. With a character-centric one-shot being awarded to whoever comes in first, most fans seem to be casting their votes with this in mind.
However, some of the poll’s midterm results, especially the Narutop99 top 10 rankings, are confusing both within this context and outside of it. Antagonists such as Madara Uchiha find themselves fighting for the top spot, while legendary characters like Hashirama Senju seem to have formally lost the fight for the top prize. On that note, here are five characters shockingly not in the Nartuop99 top 10 rankings and five more who everyone expected to see in the top 10.
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Kurama and 4 other characters who shockingly did not make it in Narutop 99 top 10 rankings
1) Obito Uchiha
Although starting as a villain in the series, it’s shocking to see Obito miss out on the Narutop99 top 10 rankings despite the redemption arc he has later on. The Uchiha having one of the most talked-about and heart-wrenching death scenes in anime is yet another aspect of his character that entails why he should have been ranked in the top 10.
While he barely misses the top 10 with his 11th spot, it’s still surprising to see Obito ranked so low. Interestingly, Madara Uchiha, who typically is less of a fan-favorite than Obito, is ranked in the top 10. However, this could be due to the latter having a flushed-out backstory and fans' desire to give the top spot to someone whose origins could use more attention.
2) Rock Lee
Coming in at the 19th spot overall, it’s odd to see Rock Lee outside of the Narutop99 top 10 rankings. Besides being found and trained by Might Guy at some point, his backstory is largely shrouded in mystery, which is why it is assumed that he’d be a shoe-in for the conscientious voters looking for more worldbuilding and lore.
However, this won't be the most probable outcome, considering how far below the Narutop 99 top 10 he currently ranks. While these are only the midterm results, and there’s a chance for Rock Lee to ascend, he seems unlikely to surpass the likes of Gaara, Hashirama Senju, and Hinata Hyuga. Even if he does get past these three characters, it’s debatable if he will be able to surpass Obito Uchiha, who is yet another fan-favorite.
3) Kurama
Also seen outside of the Narutop99 top 10 rankings is Kurama, who has the 20th spot. While it’s unsurprising that the Nine-Tailed Beast doesn’t necessarily need the coveted award for the top prize, it’s shocking given his popularity and role in the series.
Throughout the entirety of Shippuden, Kurama is an ever-present force in everything Naruto does. The duo even have an arc where they learn to work with each other, becoming friends following the respect Kurama is shown by his partner as a Tailed Beast. It’s truly heartwarming, which is why it makes his low rank even more confusing.
4) Hashirama Senju
Whereas Kurama’s position in the Narutop99 top 10 ranking polls is unsurprising considering the prize for top rank, Hashirama Senju’s rank in the same is just as strange. Almost nothing is known about the First Hokage except for his relationship with Madara, including his death after defeating the legendary Uchiha ninja.
Considering his origins, abilities, and death are some of the biggest questions fans of the series have, it is disappointing to see him so low in the poll rankings. While many other characters are more deserving of additional information, the vast majority of those present in the top 10 do not fall into that category, at least not more than Hashirama.
5) Shikamaru Nara
Shikamaru Nara's rank of 13 is just a hop, skip, and jump outside of the Narutop99 top 10 rankings. While his backstory and origins are fully fleshed out, it’s surprising to see such a beloved character be outranked by some of those in the top 10.
Many fans tout Shikamaru as their favorite character, yet the numbers clearly say otherwise. While one explanation could be that Shikamaru was passed over with the manga one-shot in mind, this logic is clearly not consistently held across the top 10. It’s baffling to see a fan-favorite character, who even has his own arc, be ranked relatively low in the Narutop99 poll.
Sakura Haruno and 4 other Narutop99 top 10 rankings everyone expected to see
1) Naruto Uzumaki
One of the least shocking inclusions to the Narutop99 top 10 rankings is the franchise’s eponymous ninja from Uzumaki clan ninja. Being the original series’ protagonist, it’s unsurprising to see him ranking in the top 10. He is a lovable mascot for the series, inseparable from even the sequel series following his son journey in Boruto.
Naruto’s journey is also regarded as one of the best in anime and manga, to the point where he has transcended the genre as a character, becoming more of a pop culture figure. This is especially true following the franchise’s collaboration with the battle royale video game Fortnite, only further solidifying how unsurprising his inclusion in the Narutop99 top 10 is.
2) Sasuke Uchiha
Equally unsurprising is Sasuke Uchiha’s inclusion in the Nartuop99 top 10 rankings. Being the deuteragonist of the series, Sasuke served as the antithesis of Naruto throughout, both in skill and ideals. This is done to turn him into a fan-favorite character like his titular rival and best friend.
Similar to his Naruto, Sasuke has also transcended the confines of the anime and manga mediums to become a larger part of pop culture. This is especially true in North America, where many young adults remember watching Sasuke on afternoon TV alongside series such as Dragon Ball Z and Yu Yu Hakusho.
3) Sakura Haruno
If this character poll were done several years prior, Sakura Haruno’s position in the Narutop99 top 10 rankings would be one of the most shocking entries on the list. However, opinion on her character and role in the series has swayed greatly over the last few years, with many fans abandoning the criticism-turned-meme that she is useless.
In reality, Sakura is one of the most helpful characters in the franchise, excluding the early series, where she struggled to find her identity as a kunoichi. Once this she overcomes this obstacle, Sakura becomes an indispensable member of Team 7 and the Hidden Leaf Village. This, in turn, changes fan opinion of her and has ultimately resulted in her Narutop99 top 10 placement.
4) Jiraiya
Jiraiya wasn’t the most well-liked character in the series upon his introduction. Similar to Sakura, his ranking in Narutop99 top 10 would be somewhat confusing if this were a character poll done around the same time. However, following his death episode, even those, who still disliked him, came around after his final living appearance in the series.
Post-time-skip, Jiraiya becomes one of the series’ most beloved characters due to successfully mentoring the titular protagonist. The deepening of his relationship with Tsunade, as well as visiting his shared backstory with Nagato Uzumaki and others, also helped to sway fan opinion, turning him into the fan-favorite he is today.
5) Itachi Uchiha
Finally, Itachi Uchiha is likely the least surprising Narutop99 top 10 entry, even less shocking than the inclusion of the eponymous protagonist himself. Despite his murder of the Uchiha clan and his subsequent crimes, the reveal that he committed the atrocities for the benefit of his brother, Sasuke, and the Hidden Leaf truly won fans over.
That’s not to say he was particularly disliked before, with many fans always suspecting that there was more to his story than what was being told. The reveal merely saw this general intrigue in his enigmatic origins transition into a profound love for a character who embodied the shinobi way of sacrifice more than any other character seen in the series.
