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Naruto, a shonen anime and manga series, has featured numerous fights and rivalries that fans have enjoyed since the series debuted. Some of the characters are so strong and skilled that they have earned the respect of their opponents as well.
Some of these characters have also forced their opponents to acknowledge their strength simply because they seem weak on paper.
Naruto characters that earned their opponent’s respect
1) Might Guy gained Madara’s respect
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Might Guy vs Madara is one of the best fights in the Naruto series. Everyone has appreciated this fight due to the sheer difference in abilities of the two combatants on paper. A ninja who can’t use ninjutsu was able to take on Madara in his Ten Tail Jinchuriki form and almost succeeded in killing him.
During the fight, Madara even declared that Might Guy was the strongest person he faced, coming from a guy who faced Hashirama Senju in his time.
2) Naruto gained Gaara’s respect
Gaara was someone who hated everyone around him because of the things he went through as a child. He was a jinchuriki and naturally, that had a huge toll on his mental health. Being a jinchuriki meant that he was also subjected to the animosity that the villagers harbored.
When he met Naruto and fought him, he felt infuriated because of his attitude towards life and those around him. However, Gaara was shocked that Naruto would go to great lengths and fight for others. He respected the protagonist at the end of the fight and became a good friend.
3) Might Guy gained Itachi’s respect
Fans were extremely hyped when Itachi first made his appearance in the Naruto series. He, along with Kisame, encountered Kakashi and Asuma when they were in Konohagakure. Kakashi instantly fell victim to Itachi’s genjutsu and was weakened.
However, when Might Guy came onto the scene, Itachi became cautious. Kisame didn’t have a problem fighting against the taijutsu specialist, but Itachi warned him and asked him to fall back. He asked Kisame not to underestimate him and respected Might Guy’s abilities.
4) Gaara gained Rock Lee’s respect
Gaara was introduced as a ruthless killer who wanted to hurt everyone that got in his way during the chunin exams. When he faced Rock Lee, Gaara was pushed to the limits and didn’t expect his opponent to be that strong. But he outperformed Rock Lee during the initial stages of the fight.
Rock Lee admired Gaara’s Sand Release abilities and respected his opponent, so he gave everything he had. Rock Lee is the type of person who cannot give up and respects strong opponents.
5) Naruto gained Neji’s respect
Neji hailed from the Hyuga clan and was a part of the branch family. He firmly believed that people could not escape fate and their future was bound by it. One can question Neji’s views because that is exactly how he was brought up. However, Naruto changed that during the fight in the Chunin exams.
He defeated Neji and realized that people could dictate their own lives and choose the right path. He respected Naruto from that point on and became a good friend.
6) Pain gained Orochimaru’s respect
Orochimaru is one of the evilest characters during the earlier parts of the series. Sasori and Pain confronted Orochimaru since the Akatsuki believed that Orochimaru wanted to know more about their functioning and the relevant information. He thought that he could take them on simultaneously.
However, his happiness was cut short when he was an inch away from taking Pain’s Rinnegan since the latter used Almighty Push to humble him. Orochimaru’s respected Pain’s powers and decided to have a conversation with them.
7) Itachi gained Deidara’s respect
Itachi and Kisame approached Deidara since the Akatsuki wanted him in their organization. All Deidara cared about was art and by that, he meant explosion. When Itachi challenged him to a fight, Deidara agreed to it since they would leave him alone if he defeated Itachi.
However, he was thoroughly defeated by his genjutsu. There was a moment when he called Itachi art, which was a compliment and respect of the highest order.
8) Might Guy gains Kakashi’s respect
Might Guy and Kakashi were rivals since the academy days. On the first day they met, Kakashi even looked down on him. However, Might Guy constantly asks Kakashi to spar with him to gauge his progress. When Might Guy finally fought Madara, Kakashi recollected the words that his father uttered.
Kakashi then realized that Might Guy became a stronger shinobi and had nothing but respect for him in the Naruto series.
