The Naruto anime is loosely divided into two parts—the first is set before the timeskip, and the second takes place after Naruto sets out on a journey with Jiraiya. The second half of the anime is called Naruto Shippuden, and it covers the protagonist's journey from the timeskip until the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Naruto: 32 Strongest Characters In The Series
These Naruto characters are the strongest individuals in the series.
The first part of Naruto introduced many promising characters, yet they were not fully utilized in Shippuden for one reason or another. This negatively affected their reputation, and eventually, most of them were forgotten by the audience. With that in mind, here are some characters who were ruined in Naruto Shippuden.
This post contains spoilers for Naruto.
6 Neji Hyuuga
A Prodigy Of His Clan
Neji Hyuuga was one of the most exciting genin participating in the Chunin Exams. He breezed past all the competition and nearly even got the better of Naruto Uzumaki. Neji used the combination of his Byakugan and Gentle Fist to block Naruto's tenketsu, which stopped the flow of chakra.
It's safe to say that without the Nine-tails, Naruto would have lost, and Neji would have progressed to the next round. Despite losing to Naruto, Neji got yet another opportunity to shine against Kidomaru of the Sound Five. Neji used his wit to come up with a technique to make up for the Byakugan's weak spot. Considering he was so amazing in Part 1, who would have thought that Neji would die for the sake of the plot? The only silver lining for Neji fans was that he was a Jonin in Naruto Shippuden. Kishimoto didn't give Neji any interesting fights or special moments, which is truly a shame, as he was an extremely promising character.
5 Rock Lee
An Expert At Using Taijutsu
It wouldn't be wrong if someone said that Rock Lee was the standout performer of the best arc of Part 1. Trained by the charismatic Guy-sensei, Rock Lee was a ninja who rose through the ranks without having any ninjutsu. Lee specialized in taijutsu, and he went through arduous training, which helped to improve his physical abilities.
In the Chunin Exams arc, Rock Lee fought against Gaara, the favorite to win the competition, and nearly obliterated him. Later in Part 1, Lee teamed up with Gaara and took on Kimimaro. Safe to say, Rock Lee ended Part 1 on a high. Naturally, there was great excitement to see what he would do in Shippuden. Unfortunately, Lee was misused by the author. The ninja barely had any screen time, and he didn't get a good chance to show what he had learned during the timeskip.
4 Orochimaru
A Villain Disgraced By The Author
Orochimaru was the bad guy everyone was scared of in Part 1, and why wouldn't they be after what he did to the Third Hokage and the rest of the Hidden Leaf? He came off as a callous person who was willing to go to any lengths to obtain more power. Orochimaru even dabbled in forbidden techniques, hoping they would grant him immortality and immeasurable power.
While the Konoha Crush didn't end exactly how he wanted, Orochimaru could take solace in the fact that he could try again. But at the beginning of Naruto Shippuden, Orochimaru was killed by Sasuke Uchiha. He did make a valuable contribution in the Fourth Great Ninja War, but that was about it. He lost all hype, and his reputation was ruined. If Kishimoto wanted to ruin Orochimaru, it would have been better to kill him in the war. After all, it doesn't make sense why a notorious criminal like Orochimaru was brought back and allowed to conduct more experiments.
3 Madara Uchiha
A Legend Wasted In Favor Of The Otsutsuki
Madara Uchiha was the legendary leader of the Uchiha Clan, who brought an end to the period of turmoil with the help of Hashirama Senju. He died many years before the current story but was brought back by Kabuto. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Madara showed his cunning side as he became the jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails.
It's safe to say that everything was going according to Madara's plans. However, Kishimoto decided to kill him for Kaguya's revival. The decision was quite shocking, as Madara was being hyped as the main villain for several arcs. So to get rid of Madara in such an odd manner was truly a disgrace, and it undid all of his legacy.
2 Shino Aburame
Had Access To A Unique Power
Shino Aburame may not have the flashiest of techniques, but there is no denying his strength. As a member of the famed Aburame clan, Shino knew everything about special insects that fed off chakra. With the help of these insects, Shino could bring even the mightiest fighters to their knees.
Sadly, he never got the chance to do so. While he was still relevant in the first part of the story, he was nearly forgotten in Naruto Shippuden. A character of his caliber certainly deserved more than such a few glimpses.
1 Kurenai
Was The Best At Genjutsu
Kurenai is a Jonin from the Hidden Leaf village who is renowned for her Genjutsu prowess. According to many ninjas, she was the best user of Genjutsu in the entire village.
In the first part, Kurenai at least tried to fight and show off her prowess. But she became completely irrelevant in Naruto Shippuden.
Naruto
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2002 - 2007-00-00
- Showrunner
- Masashi Kishimoto
Cast
-
Junko Takeuchi -
Noriaki Sugiyama
