8 Characters Who Appear In The Most Episodes, Ranked

Summary

• Hinata ends up with Naruto after expressing her feelings and plays a significant role in the Pain arc.
• Kurama eventually cooperates with Naruto, forming a powerful duo but faces a tragic end in Boruto.
• Shikamaru, Tsunade, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and Naruto are key characters with notable growth, importance, and moments in the Naruto series.

Naruto is one of the greatest shonen series of all time. Kishimoto’s worldbuilding and character writing attracted many fans toward a series that is full to the brim with epic moments as viewers are drawn into a fleshed-out ninja world full of epic battles.

It helps that the characters in Naruto are so strong that players can’t help but either root for them or pray for their demise. Some of the most popular Naruto characters are featured in a ton of episodes to hammer in their importance.

8 Hinata Hyuga

Ends Up With Naruto After The Two Slowly Come To Terms With Their Feelings

• Debut:Enter: Naruto Uzumaki! (Episode 1 of Naruto)

Hinata is Naruto’s love interest who makes no attempts to hide her crush on the main character from the very moment she’s introduced. It’s amazing how dense Naruto is that he didn’t understand why Hinata got so flustered around him.

While she did fade into the background somewhat following the time-skip, it was clear that her connection with Naruto meant that she’d have more screen time soon enough. This happened in the Pain arc, with Hinata getting her moments to shine before eventually marrying the love of her life and starting a family that can be seen in Boruto.

7 Kurama

Naruto’s Nine-Tailed Beast Eventually Cooperates With Him After Being Menacing For A Long Time

• Debut:Enter: Naruto Uzumaki! (Episode 1 of Naruto)

The Nine-Tailed Fox is a malevolent entity that made life hell for Naruto. The kid was ostracized for harboring the Tailed Beast, who goaded his host into undoing the seal more often than not.

However, it wasn’t until the War arc that Kurama got his moment to shine and eventually warmed towards Naruto. After they team up, the duo makes the most of their combined powers to become a force to be reckoned with, which is why his death in Boruto is so hard to digest.

6 Shikamaru Nara

The Smartest Character In The Show Who Gets Numerous Opportunities To Shine

• Debut:Enter: Naruto Uzumaki! (Episode 1 of Naruto)

Shikamaru is one of the smartest ninja in the series, with his intellect helping him achieve promotions and become a stellar member of the Leaf Village despite being rather lazy. However, this character trait is expelled from him after his sensei’s death, with Shikamaru deciding to avenge Asuma by defeating an Akatsuki member who was supposedly immortal.

Ever since this moment, he became a reliable guy who enjoyed his time in the limelight during the War arc. After his father’s demise, Shikamaru becomes the brains of the war effort and shows why he is the perfect candidate to serve as the Hokage’s advisor.

5 Tsunade Senju

The Fifth Hokage Plays A Major Role In The Story After Her Introduction

• Debut:Jiraiya: Naruto’s Potential Disaster! (Episode 83 of Naruto)

It took a while for Tsunade to be revealed in Naruto, but her appointment as the Fifth Hokage made it clear that this Sannin member would play a major role in the events to come. As one would expect, the Hokage made critical decisions and worked for the betterment of the Leaf Village throughout the series.

It’s a shame that Tsunade never won a fight in Naruto, but that takes nothing away from her importance as a character. She’s a blast to interact with as viewers love her no-nonsense attitude, even if her love for booze and gambling pulls her down from time to time.

4 Sasuke Uchiha

Leaving Konoha Reduces His Screen Time Somewhat, But He Makes Up For It Later On

• Debut:Enter: Naruto Uzumaki! (Episode 1 of Naruto)

Sasuke is one of the most important characters in Naruto, living a life dictated by hate. The rage within him was so strong that he had no problems cutting his ties with Naruto and the Leaf Village if it meant that he could finally be strong enough to fight Itachi.

This led to the character disappearing from the show at one point, only for Sasuke’s arc to receive dedicated episodes in Naruto: Shippuden once again as he left Orochimaru and embarked on his quest for revenge. Till the very end, Sasuke was adamant about wiping out hate from the world in a drastic manner, only for Naruto’s stubborn nature to help him see the light and become an admirable ninja once again.

3 Sakura Haruno

A Character Who Experiences A Ton Of Growth Throughout The Series

• Debut:Enter: Naruto Uzumaki! (Episode 1 of Naruto)

The writing for Sakura’s character had its ups and downs, with the character being relevant in certain arcs before tumbling down the pecking order once again. However, given her importance in the series as a member of Team 7, it’s easy to see why she enjoyed so much screen time.

The series makes it a point to keep her relevant till the very end, with the gifted student borrowing a ton of Tsunade’s traits to become a gifted ninja who could hold her own against a powerful entity like Kaguya. She eventually settled with Sasuke and was happy, even if her husband wasn’t around a lot.

2 Kakashi Hatake

The Jonin In Charge Of Team 7 Who Is Present In Almost Every Storyline

• Debut:Sasuke and Sakura: Friends or Foes? (Episode 3 of Naruto)

Kakashi is one of the most legendary characters in Naruto, with his connection to Obito making the War arc all the more compelling. He seemed like an indifferent sensei at one point, only to show how competent he was during the Land of Waves mission when he faced off against Zabuza.

It’s clear why the Copy Ninja was chosen to serve as the Sixth Hokage even after losing his patented Sharingan. Fans can’t help but cheer for Kakashi whenever he makes an appearance, which happens enough times to keep viewers happy with his presence in the show.

1 Naruto Uzumaki

The Eponymous Main Character Who Is A Focal Point Of The Series

• Debut:Enter: Naruto Uzumaki! (Episode 1 of Naruto)

Naruto Uzumaki is the boy who was shunned from the village for the longest time but never gave up on his goal of being the Hokage. He eventually forced everyone to acknowledge and accept him, including a long-time rival who had to be beaten into submission before he could see the light.

Given that the show is named after him, it’s easy to see why he appeared in the most Naruto episodes. Fans have no reason to complain, with this underdog compelling everyone to root for him despite being somewhat dense and irritating at times.

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  Release Date

  October 3, 2002

  Studio

  Pierrot

  Creator

  Masashi Kishimoto

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  Release Date

  February 15, 2007

  Studio

  Pierrot

  Creator

  Masashi Kishimoto