5 Naruto characters with the most screen time (& 5 with the least)

Teuchi and Tenten as seen in Naruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)
Teuchi and Tenten as seen in Naruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)

It is usual for big shonen anime like Naruto to overshadow other characters by popularizing the important ones with a massive cast of characters. These characters indeed played a pivotal role in the series, but they were disregarded in the process due to less screen time.

While these characters haven’t received the attention they deserve, others have received more screen time to showcase their terrifying feats, which were acknowledged by every fan.

This article will list down five Naruto characters who have received a lot of time on the screen and five who had the least.


5 Naruto characters with a lot of screen time

1) Teuchi

Among Naruto fans, Teuchi is popularly known as the Ramen Guy. He is the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, where Naruto has spent most of his childhood, and still, as an adult with a large appetite, he keeps going to his favorite spot. As Naruto is his favorite customer, Teuchi knows how the former would like his ramen.

Despite not being an essential character in the series, he still received an entire episode dedicated to him, titled Mix it, Stretch it, Boil it Up! Burn Copper Pot, Burn!


2) Yamato

Yamato was a nobody until he was assigned as the leader of Team 7 after Kakashi got bedridden due to his sickness. Nobody knew Yamato was a shinobi of Konoha as he was a member of the Anbu division, where he, like others, had to keep their identity a secret.

However, after being assigned as the leader of Team 7, he eventually got most of Kakashi’s screen time. Even after Kakashi rejoined the team, he wasn’t discarded as he became famous due to his Wood Release techniques. He was also the only person who could tame Naruto’s berserk state.


3) Kabuto Yakushi

Kabuto was first introduced in the Chunin Exams arc, where he participated in the examination as a Sound Village shinobi. After his true intentions got unveiled, he became one of the most popular characters in the series. He even managed to outclass his master, Orochimaru, in specific ways and became a widely acclaimed villain in the series.

He played a pivotal role during the Fourth Great Ninja War, as he single-handedly resurrected many legendary shinobis from the dead, a feat that even Tobirama admired.


4) Killer Bee

Killer Bee was the one who helped Naruto get control over his Tailed Beast. Even after Naruto managed to befriend the Nine-Tails, Bee stuck by his side on his journey. He even fought his elder brother to escape Naruto.

After his fight with Kisame Hoshigaki and Taka, Bee became one of the essential characters in the series. Moreover, as the strongest Jinchuriki of Eight-Tails, exploring Bee’s deadliest feats by giving him more screentime was crucial in Naruto.


5) Kisame Hoshigaki

Kisame is renowned as a Tailed Beast without a tail due to his caliber to rival a fully released Tailed Beast without a sweat. Being one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Hidden Mist and also taken as the strongest of all, his capabilities had to be showcased in the series.

Kisame was one of the few Akatsuki members who received enough screentime, overshadowing even his partner Itachi, whose popularity poll is higher than him.


5 Naruto characters who received less screentime

1) Neji Hyuga

Accredited as the strongest Hyuga of all time, Neji didn’t receive the attention he deserved. Despite being shunned as a Branch family member, Neji outclassed every Hyuga member by learning the secret techniques without anyone’s supervision.

He learned all the techniques just by his observation, making him one of the smartest shinobis in Konoha. Neji’s true potential wasn’t explored in the series as he didn’t get much screentime, and after he got killed off during the Fourth Great Ninja War, fans were distraught.


2) Tenten

Tenten is the only character in Naruto who has attained mastery over all weapons. She can effectively wield any weapon that she does not know of, like Bashosen, which is regarded as one of the unique tools of Sage of Six Paths.

Tenten is also proficient in Fuinjutsu as she carries an arsenal of weapons with her almost all the time. It is a shame that her capabilities weren’t explored in the series, as she could have become one of the strongest kunoichis.


3) Shino Aburame

Shino comes from the Aburame clan, one of the four noble clans in Konoha. Like all the members of his clan, he too got infused with a parasitic insect called Kikaichu. Honing his skills with his insects, he surpassed everyone, including his Torune. With his Insect-based techniques, he was capable of attacking and defending himself.

He is also capable enough to deceive Sensor-type Shinobis by creating false chakra patterns. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Shino used his Parasitic Giant Insect: Bug Bite to quickly destroy several of the Ten-Tails mini-clones. With such immense prowess in his innate technique, Shino should’ve received enough screen time.


4) Itachi

Unlike the other Uchiha clan members, Itachi carried the Will of Fire, which is why he is counted as one of those unique individuals born once in a generation. For peace and to protect his village, he annihilated his entire clan to prevent another war from taking place and became the criminal everyone despised.

He is regarded as one of the strongest Uchiha who ever lived, with a plethora of overwhelming feats at his disposal that could make anyone’s ground beneath tremble with fear. Despite being the most popular and cherished character in the Naruto franchise, he didn’t get much screen time, which still counted as a huge disappointment.


5) Haku

Haku was the subordinate of the notorious Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Due to immense respect for Zabuza, Haku helped his master in his mercenary job without question. Haku was the last breathing survivor of the Yuki clan and possessed the Ice Release, which is deemed one of the terrifying nature transformations of Kekkei Genkai.

Being the only user of Ice Release, Haku became not only one of the unique characters in Naruto but also the strongest. If his potential had been explored, he could have become one of the strongest characters in the series.

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