Weakest Characters In The Series

Summary

• Some weak characters in Naruto are beloved for reasons beyond combat effectiveness.
• Characters like Iruka, Tenten, and Ebisu maintain relevance despite their lack of strength.
• Even though weak, characters like Shizune and Tonton contribute in their own unique ways.

Naruto is a shonen series that needs no introduction. Kishimoto’s magnum opus has comfortably positioned itself as a part of the legendary Big Three in this genre of anime. The series’ amazing worldbuilding, lore, and character writing are all major reasons why fans can’t get enough of Naruto.

Given the focus on battles in this series, it’s easy to see why most fans would consider only the strongest Naruto characters to be relevant in the long run. However, some of the series’ weakest characters are still beloved, despite being ineffective in combat. Here are a few characters worth examining.

8

Iruka Umino

Crucial To Naruto’s Development, Even Though He’s Pretty Weak

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

Iruka is one of the most beloved characters in Naruto, sporting a gentle nature that goes a long way in helping Naruto see the light and realizing that his sensei cares for him. Iruka’s love helped the future Hokage blossom to become one of the strongest and most dependable ninja in the Leaf Village.

It may be odd to see just how weak Iruka is in comparison to some other major characters in Naruto, but that doesn’t take away from his importance as a character. It’s his sensitive nature that won over most fans, as opposed to the pure might that other Naruto characters bring to the table.

7

Tenten

A Master Weapon User Who Should Have Been More Relevant

• Debut: Identify Yourself: Powerful New Rivals (Episode 21 of Naruto)

On paper, Tenten should have been a force to be reckoned with. She’s a master of weapon jutsu, who can use these potent armaments to great effect and is lauded by her peers time and time again.

However, in every combat scenario, Tenten is usually on the losing side and barely maintains any sense of relevancy as the series progresses. She becomes a background character as the stakes in Naruto reach greater heights, leaving her unable to catch up to the strongest characters in the series.

6

Ebisu

A Jonin Who Succumbs To Naruto’s Juvenile Technique

• Debut: My Name is Konohamaru! (Episode 2 of Naruto)

Ebisu is a character who looks at Naruto with the same disdainful and prejudiced eyes as the other members of the Leaf Village do. He believes that Naruto’s presence will corrupt Konohamaru, only to realize later on just how erroneous his judgment was.

For a jonin, it’s impressive that Ebisu does so little to justify his rank throughout the series. Naruto’s Harem Jutsu was enough to take him out, which is downright laughable and speaks volumes when it comes to the lack of power this ninja wields.

5

Mizuki

Tried To Manipulate Naruto, Only For His Plan To Backfire

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

Mizuki is a malicious instructor who wants to manipulate Naruto for his gain at the start of the series. He coaxed the protagonist into stealing a forbidden scroll and almost succeeded in his goal, had it not been for Iruka’s timely intervention.

After Iruka’s love for Naruto becomes apparent with his sacrifice, the protagonist decides to show his guts and display the patented Shadow Clone jutsu, using an incredible number of Shadow Clones to beat Mizuki to a pulp. Suffice it to say, this chunin was all talk and didn’t have any meaningful power to speak of.

4

Shizune

Brains Rather Than Brawn

• Debut: Hate Among the Uchihas: The Last of the Clan! (Episode 85 of Naruto)

Shizune is Tsunade’s loyal assistant, who always keeps track of everything that the Fifth Hokage is prone to forgetting. She’s an intellectual who uses her sharp mind to help out the heroes.

As one would expect, Shizune isn’t all that capable in combat, and is beaten quite handily by regular foes. Thankfully, her loyalty to Tsunade coupled with her intelligence ensures that she remains relevant for most of Naruto‘s run.

3

Shino Aburame

A Confusing Downfall After The Heights He Reached Early On

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

Fans hated how Shino’s character was treated in Naruto. He started as master of chakra bugs who had several highlights in the series, but ended up being relegated to an insecure source of comic relief after the time skip, where he didn’t participate in a single meaningful fight.

His downfall gets even worse in Boruto, where he serves as an incompetent academy teacher who turns into the butt of jokes more often than not. The fact that he was weaker than his students (a point proven by Mitsuki) shows just how badly this character fell off in terms of pure strength.

2

Kurenai Yuhi

A Supposed Genjutsu User Who Does Nothing Notable

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

Kurenai should have been a competent jonin who could take part in her fair share of genjutsu battles, but she simply vanished after being slightly relevant early on. Itachi almost trapped her in a mind-breaking genjutsu, showing just how useless her mastery over illusions was.

After this moment, Kurenai is only shown when Asuma dies, and she’s stricken with grief at the loss of a close friend. She doesn’t participate in a single meaningful fight and is relegated to the sidelines, making it clear that her strength is nowhere near as impressive as fans might have assumed.

1

Tonton

A Ninja Pig Who Serves As A Cute Source Of Comic Relief

• Debut: Hate Among the Uchihas: The Last of the Clan! (Episode 85 of Naruto)

Tonton may be the low-hanging fruit everyone expected here, but it’s hard to talk about the weakest Naruto characters without mentioning a pig that appeared in several episodes. This cute pet is with Shizune through thick and thin and looks endearing every single time.

It doesn’t take an expert to figure out why Tonton is the weakest Naruto character. Thankfully, her antics and funny expressions make her a joy to witness on-screen despite her complete lack of strength.

• 

  Naruto
  

  Release Date

  
  October 3, 2002
  

  Studio

  Pierrot

  Creator

  Masashi Kishimoto

• 

  Naruto: Shippuden
  

  Release Date

  
  February 15, 2007
  

  Studio

  Pierrot

  Creator

  Masashi Kishimoto