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Learn about ten underutilized anime characters like Yamato from Naruto whose depth and skills were often overlooked.
Yamato had so much potential, yet he never truly got his moment in the spotlight. Despite possessing the rare Wood Release and playing a crucial role as a replacement mentor for Team 7, he was often overshadowed by Kakashi. Given that Team 7 is central to Naruto, this could have been his chance to shine. Instead, he was mostly relegated to a supporting role, and when the Fourth Great Ninja War came around, he was sidelined entirely. As an anime character, he had depth, skill, and an intriguing past with the ANBU, but unfortunately, the series never fully explored his potential.
In this article, we will explore ten other underutilized anime characters like Yamato from Naruto.
1) Ino Yamanaka
She was a former member of Team Asuma and part of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio. Ino Yamanaka is a confident girl who had a good grasp of chakra control as a kid and showed great improvement as she grew up. Ino can use medical jutsu and possesses Sensory Perception and Mind Reading Techniques.
During the Chunin Exams, her fight with Sakura ended in a draw, indicating her combat abilities as a Kunoichi. However, Ino ended up being a side character, mostly shown as a girl who crushed on boys and tried to impress them. She lost all her merit as a ninja, and they have sidelined her. Her constant rivalry with Sakura seemed to exist solely to make Sakura’s character shine.
2) Iruka Umino
Iruka is introduced to us as Naruto’s teacher. He was the only one who treated him like a person and believed in his potential. As a mentor, he had a deep emotional connection with the protagonist. However, as Naruto grew as a person and a ninja, the writers wrote off Iruka and sidelined him in favor of other mentors.
Naruto never stopped looking at him as a father figure, but for the audience, his character ended up feeling underdeveloped. Eventually, we never saw a significant contribution from him in any battle or the final war. It was evident that he was just an emotional support character, leaving no room for the development of his ninjutsu, even though he was proficient in all basic ninja skills.
3) Karin
Being from the Uzumaki Clan, there were numerous opportunities to explore Karin’s character from that perspective. However, she is instead written as being attached to Sasuke, becoming the third woman interested in him.
Her abilities were so good that she was recognized by Orochimaru and Obito Uchiha. Her healing abilities were exceptional, allowing her to heal herself, unlike Sakura and Tsunade. While her abilities were not suited for front-line battles, she was a valuable ally as a healer. Unfortunately, her character had a dual nature—both strong and determined yet also flirtatious.
Even after Sasuke wed Sakura, she still wanted to be close to him. Eventually, other characters overshadowed her powers and abilities, reducing her presence to that of a side character.
4) Shino Aburame
Shino had a very interesting technique involving insects. He was adept at tracking and using these insects in combat. Shino usually kept to himself and did some questionable things, like eating food that made him laugh uncontrollably. He also held grudges internally.
Without emotional depth in his character, he seemed underutilized. Shino did not even have a moment to shine in major battles. With his skills and experience, they could have given him the role of a strategist or a front-line ninja warrior. Even later on in Boruto, they reduced him to the role of a teacher.
5) Tenten
As part of a trio with Rock Lee and Neji, the writers severely underdeveloped Tenten. They clearly made her teammates appear more powerful. Even though she was supposed to be an expert weapons specialist with impressive skills, they did not showcase her enough.
She aspired to be a legendary kunoichi like Tsunade, but after many failures, it seemed she could not fulfill her goal. Eventually, they redirected Tenten to focus on weapons, and her teammates and other powerful characters overshadowed her existence. While they now show her personal growth, they never fully explored Tenten’s personality. The audience barely knows anything about her, making her one of the most underdeveloped anime characters in this series. As a weapons expert, she could have risen in the ranks and become a formidable ninja.
6) Neji Hyūga
Neji was one of the most promising characters in this series. With his Byakugan skills and exceptional combat abilities, he had great potential. However, his character development happened early, leaving nothing else to work on. His role became a stepping stone for Hinata’s development.
During the final war, his death felt unnecessary, as he was an overpowered ninja capable of causing significant damage. They could have explored his relationship with Hinata more and shown them as a unit, as Byakugan is a feared skill. Neji was considered a prodigy in his clan, and they could have further deepened his caliber. His character lacked proper growth, making his ending feel unfair.
7) Sai Yamanaka
He was introduced to Team 7 as Sasuke’s replacement, but Sai Yamanaka’s character was severely underdeveloped. He had an interesting backstory as a member of the ANBU and unique abilities.
Sai started as a quiet and cold character toward his teammates but warmed up too quickly, making his development feel rushed. Even after acquiring his Ink Jutsu, they did not involve him in major fights. It was evident that they used his character as filler and then conveniently sidelined him once Sasuke returned.
8) Chōji Akimichi
From Team Asuma, Choji was a powerful character but was used primarily for comic relief, as he was portrayed as insecure about his weight. His character could have been much more if they had gone beyond his appetite and weight issues.
His Butterfly Mode was visually stunning. However, before he could develop further, they overshadowed it with his lack of self-confidence, which continued to haunt him until the final arc. One of his best qualities was his loyalty—he was among the first to consider Naruto a friend and was deeply devoted to Shikamaru and his late mentor, Asuma. Had they moved past his insecurities, he could have become a formidable ninja, earning his place among elite shinobi warriors.
9) Hiruzen Sarutobi
As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen was known as “The Professor” for his vast knowledge of jutsu. However, his character was underdeveloped compared to other Hokage. In the series, Hokage are figures of great admiration, yet we rarely see him fulfilling his duties.
They did not fully explore his leadership during the Nine-Tails attack or his relationship with the previous Hokage. His fight against Orochimaru was significant, yet they never fully demonstrated his true power. More insight into his training, political struggles, and past could have made him a much stronger character.
10) Kurenai Yūhi
Kurenai was introduced as a powerful Genjutsu specialist, yet she had almost no major fights throughout the series. Given how rare and powerful Genjutsu is in Naruto, she could have played a much bigger role in battles or training new shinobi.
Her role was mostly tied to her relationship with Asuma, and after his death, she was barely involved in the story. She supported Hinata’s infatuation with Naruto when she tried to give him medicine for his injuries, giving off a motherly vibe rather than a shinobi presence, making her an underutilized anime character.
Conclusion
Naruto is part of the legendary Big 4 anime series, known for its extensive world-building and character development. While the series did a fantastic job of telling an engaging story, it often sidelined characters like the ones mentioned above. Many of them were introduced with unique abilities and intriguing backstories, yet their development was cut short in favor of focusing on the main plot.
These characters played crucial roles in shaping the world of Naruto, contributing to battles and supporting the main cast in different ways. However, their limited screen time left fans wishing for more. Had they received deeper story arcs or more significant battles, they could have had a lasting impact on the narrative. Their contributions, even in small ways, helped shape the outcome of the series. We can only imagine how much richer the story would have been if they had been given the spotlight they truly deserved.
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