Summary

Narutowas one of the most popular anime in the world during its run and was a part of theso-called big three animealongsideBleachandOne Piece. Spanning over 700 episodes and even a sequel, BorutotheNarutoanime featured several fascinating characters, many of which are still fan-favorites today.

Narutowas also notorious for its filler episodes. The anime had a staggering 294 filler episodes, which also introduced several characters that aren’t considered canon to the manga. Many of these characters are actually well-made and developed, and it could even be argued that they should have been considered part of the granderNarutostory.

Affiliation

Konohagakure

Of the many strange characters that appear in theNarutoanime, one of the more incredible ones isCondor, an ostrichwho always seems to be on the run seeking freedom. Not many might remember Condor, but he was a character that gave Team 7 quite a run for their money as they tried to capture him.

It was later revealed that Condor had trained himself to become an ostrich ninja and even to learn how to speak. Naturally, he develops a rivalry with Naruto, and the two even collaborated during the countdown to the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Kosuke is another character that appears only in the anime. After a mission gone wrong in his younger days, he lost several allies. His guilt over making the poor decision that got them killed remained with him, and caused him to refuse promotion beyondGenin rank.

While Kosuke might have been a character made for filler arcs, his calm demeanor, positive disposition, and growth as a person endeared him to fans. His skills were no joke either, as he was a proficient ninja even while remaining in the lowest ranks.

Land of Fire, Fire Temple

Sora appeared in the 12 Guardian Ninja Arc, where he played a pivotal role as a young boy whose father had sealed chakra from the nine tails in his body. This made Sora, much like Naruto, grow up to be an outcast.

He and Naruto met and were initially hostile to one another, but as the two continued to interact, it soon became clear that they had a lot in common. Sora’s story is a reminder of how badly things could have gone for Naruto, and he was a part of a pretty decentNaruto filler arc.

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Miina is a character from the ‘Power Arc,’ which was a filler story to celebrateNaruto: Shippudenreaching 500 episodes. It featured some darker aspects of theNarutostory, but one of the brightest points in the story was the little girl named Miina.

A strong character with a mysterious power, Miina was key to bringing about a resolution to the story and was even on hand to help Naruto fight off the influence of Kurama. Her innocent disposition, quiet humming ability, and bravery, even at such a young age, made her a very impressive character.

Jōmae Village

For most of the Naruto story, his instructor, Kakashi, was depicted as a stoic and serious ninja who puts duty above all else. Considering that characterization, it was interesting to watch a filler arc that featured a potential love interest for the masked ninja.

Hanare was a character who had a history with kakashi, and they came across as star-crossed lovers. It could have been fun to see that storyline explored a bit more, but fans were still glad to have even caught a glimpse of Kakashi liking someone in a romantic sense. The end of their story was also poetic, with the two of them parting but keeping their memories of one another.

Land of Sound

Samame was a young kunoichi who was looking for a way to get her cousin, Arashi, back. To do this, she even went as far as betraying Naruto and his team just to see her cousin. But when she learned that the group was to be killed instead of captured, she had a change of heart.

She was able to redeem herself somewhat by rescuing Naruto, who would have drowned, and she eventually went up against her cousin when she saw what he had become. The Fuma clan, which Sasame was a part of, exists in the manga, and it was a brilliant move to use her in the anime to deepen the story.

Sunagakure

Shira was featured in theChunin examsarc ofNaruto,without the main cast as the cynosure. Shira was written to be like Rock Lee, who was unable to use ninjutsu.

Shira’s determination and never-say-die attitude propelled him to become a strong ninja, even without knowing any ninjutsu. His determination separated him from many other characters, who would not have been able to endure the things that he did. Also, seeing side characters like Rock Lee shine was always a heartwarming sight.

Tsuchigumo Village

Hotaru was one of the main characters in the Six Tails Unleashed arc in theNarutoanime. Her story also prominently featured Utakata, who, as it is well-known, went on to have a tragic fate at the hands of the Akatsuki.

Hotaru came across as a determined individual who was willing to train as hard as possible to achieve her goals. She was a good student and a great support for Utakata. The eventual fate of her master was very sad, and that only made this particular story hit much harder.

NarutoEpisode #213

While the filler arc that features Menma was largely forgettable, his character arc lingers in the memories of fans. He was a bandit who had attacked a village and was looking to make amends for his past mistakes. He befriended Naruto and even helped him to rebuff attackers on the village.

Menma’s final act of sacrifice to save the village from the plans of his former collaborators was admirable. From a character design standpoint, Menma looks great, and it is a shame that he was never canon. His death hurt Naruto, and the protagonist kept his ocarina as a memento.

Team

Team Guren

Guren was a part of one of the best filler arcs of the Naruto story. In it, she is shown to be a loyal lieutenant of Orochimaru. HerCrystal Release powersset her apart as one of the strongest anime-original characters. In her quest to help Orochimaru, she was eventually swallowed by a massive turtle.

Guren befriends Naruto while the two work together to get out of the turtle, and her powers are fascinating to see in action. It didn’t hurt that her filler arc did push the overall narrative forward. It turned out that the Akatsuki capturing the Three Tails is canon, and this arc was a creative way to weld that event to the anime.