Why the Naruto fandom treats Sakura and Hinata so differently

Hinata and Sakura are some of the most popular Naruto characters and they have played an important role in the overall plot of the series as well. However, the reception that these characters receive is vastly different and for a good number of reasons as well. While there is a small chunk of the fanbase that likes Sakura more than Hinata, this isn’t a popular opinion.

Some fans have been wondering why these characters are treated differently despite being powerful kunoichis from the same village. Let’s take a look at Hinata and Sakura’s personalities and understand why there is a huge difference in the way they’re treated by the fanbase.

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Naruto: Understanding Sakura and Hinata’s personalities in the series

One major reason why the fanbase likes one character more than the other is the way they behave in the series. There are certain behavior patterns and traits that tend to annoy the fanbase and this plays a huge role in how a fan perceives a certain character. Sakura, without a doubt, is one of the strongest kunoichis in the Naruto series and she surpassed Tsunade as a medical ninja as well. However, the fanbase doesn’t really like this character as much as Hinata Hyuga.

When Sakura was first introduced, she was extremely shallow and constantly yelled at Naruto. She was infatuated with Sasuke because he was good looking and a popular kid in class. She didn’t really respect the protagonist as much, despite him being a better shinobi than her since they graduated from the academy.

At one point, Sakura received a lot of hate because she wished that she didn’t have parents. Not only did she wish for something as foul as that, she had the audacity to say this to Naruto, who wanted a family while growing up. He was extremely lonely and no one really liked him or acknowledged him in the beginning.

The constant yelling and irritation didn’t really help her with popularity among the fanbase, and there were many instances in which she relied on the protagonist to be saved from a difficult situation. While this might be poor handling of a character on Kishimoto’s part, the fact remains that Sakura was portrayed in such a manner.

Hinata, on the other hand, was quite shy and didn’t really have much of an opinion on anything. She was also one of the first people in Konohagakure to acknowledge Naruto, which is a big reason why fans loved her. She was inspired by the protagonist and tried her best to become a stronger shinobi. She didn’t constantly yell at people and was kind to everyone around her. Her gentle demeanor and kind nature was a big reason for her popularity.

Kishimoto didn’t really do a great job with Hinata either because she didn’t have much of a character development and her potential as a kunoichi was underutilized. That being said, she had a calming effect on people, and fans consider her pretty as well. These are some of the reasons why the fanbase treats them differently.