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Hinata Hyuga is a badly written character in Naruto and a closer analysis of the character reveals flaws in her characterization
The Naruto series is infamous for its poor characterization of women. Masashi Kishimoto has executed many aspects of the anime incredibly well. However, his writing for some, if not most female characters, is sub-par, to say the least. There are very few prominent female characters, to begin with. Hinata is one of the most important ones among them. There have been plenty of debates surrounding her character writing.
Some believe Hinata Hyuga’s character writing was decent in the anime and manga series. However, a closer inspection of the character reveals plenty of flaws in her portrayal. Many fans believe Hinata’s potential wasn’t utilized in both the anime and the manga series.
The author is guilty of portraying the female characters as damsels in distress. However, there are deeper issues with this character in particular. Let’s discuss how the author portrayed Hinata Hyuga, her potential, and how her powers were underutilized in the anime and manga series.
The Source of Hinata Hyuga’s Motivation in Naruto
Important characters in anime usually have a strong motivation. Similarly, Hinata Hyuga’s motivation stemmed from one source in particular—Naruto Uzumaki. When the two were young, Naruto’s kind words had a profound impact on her. However, it seemed like he was the sole reason for her wanting to improve. Her world revolved around Naruto and this obsession seemed rather unhealthy. Almost all of her feats involved Naruto.
Many fans adore the bond between Naruto and Hinata. However, it seemed like Hinata’s motivations weren’t intrinsic but rather bound to Naruto. It is quite fulfilling to have ambitions fuelled by an intrinsic drive. By no means are we saying that Naruto as a source of motivation was unreliable. He was there with her through thick and thin.
However, her reaction to Neji’s death was rather underwhelming. Hinata continued to think about Naruto even after her kin died before her eyes. She barely let out a reaction and continued to focus on Naruto. This is just one, among a myriad of incidents, that showed how Hinata’s world revolved around Naruto.
The Trope Portrayed Through Hinata Hyuga
Let’s take a closer look at Hinata Hyuga’s traits in the Naruto series. Those who are well-versed in the animanga series know that she is shy. Kishimoto portrayed her as the typical shy person who finds it awkward to interact with other people. The way she functioned in the anime was quite different from how a shy person behaves in real life. There have been plenty of discussions around Hinata’s character writing.
One of the most common complaints is that she has been portrayed as a shy character by someone who isn’t like that in real life. Readers felt like they were viewing her through the lens of an extrovert. This shows that Hinata’s characterization lacks serious depth. Therefore, fans believe Hinata Hyuga’s portrayal needed a serious makeover during the Shippuden series.
Hinata’s Potential in the Naruto Series
Hinata hailed from the Hyuga Clan. During the initial stages of the manga, this was one of the only two clans that possessed a dojutsu. She had the Byakugan. It gave her a near-360-degree vision, making it almost impossible to sneak up on her. Furthermore, she could also view the flow of chakra and all the chakra points in the human body. Therefore, she had the ability to strike those points precisely and incapacitate anyone with relative ease.
With plenty of battle potential within her, the series completely refused to explore these aspects of the character. It is almost impossible to recollect her feats that don’t involve Nauto. She was on bad terms with Neji and her own father. This meant that Naruto could focus on familial politics. However, we got a chapter or two at best, and the series skipped to the part where this issue was resolved.
Technical Errors Observed in Hinata’s Character
One of the most important rules of screenwriting is “show, don’t tell”. While it might sound simple, it has a profound impact on how one views the show. There have been instances where Hinata mentions her goals and aspirations sprouting from her feelings of inadequacy due to how she was treated at home. However, something else was shown on screen.
She constantly admired and emulated Naruto which left a lasting impact on the viewer when compared to Hinata mentioning the problems that she suffered from. It’s common to have varied sources of motivation. However, most of her screen time was spent showing that Naruto was one of the most important, if not the only sources of motivation. This is in turn proven by Hinata’s lack of action in Naruto’s absence.
Conclusion
When we remove Naruto from the equation, what does Hinata’s ambitions boil down to? She wanted to prove to people that she was strong. In fact, Hinata is quite strong and she could have become far stronger as a Kunoichi. However, it is hard to ignore that her portrayal failed to put her goals and ambitions at the forefront. Instead, everything revolves around the protagonist. Aside from being turned into a damsel in distress, she was also reduced to a cheerleader for the protagonist.
Hinata Hyuga is one of the most underutilized characters considering how much potential she had in the series. She could have gone on to achieve great things as a leader of the Hyuga Clan. Masashi Kishimoto is an incredible writer and there is no denying that. However, it is also important to observe and acknowledge the flaws in his writing. These are some reasons why fans are upset with how she was portrayed in the anime and manga series.
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