SuperWooper
New Member
5. Tsunade - The constant flashbacks were repetitive and boring, but the Search for Tsunade arc offered the most in-depth look we've seen inside the mind of someone who changes their outlook on life as a result of having met Naruto. Going from a drunk and a gambling addict to the leader of a hidden village is a pretty drastic change, and one that was handled pretty well in terms of storytelling, I'd say.
4. Zabuza - One of the only villains in the show with any sort of redeemable quality about him (thus far in the series, anyway). The Land of Waves arc was excellent, and this guy and Haku were instrumental in that excellence.
3. Naruto - He's an utterly childish moron a lot of the time (and it's not that funny, really), but when he's right, he's right. His fights with Neji and Gaara are great in particular because there he loses all traces of naivety and fights because he knows that he's right, his opponent is wrong, and they won't change their minds unless they get some sense beaten into them, ninja style.
2. Kakashi - His backstory is quite fascinating, and when you put his relationships and actions side by side with that history, you can appreciate his character a lot more. He was awesome in the Land of Waves arc, the Chunin exam arc, his fight alongside the other squad leaders against Itachi and Kisame, and the episodes directly preceding Sasuke's betrayal of Konoha.
1. Shikamaru - This guy's struggles are much more understandable than Naruto's or Sasuke's, and for that he's my favorite character. The scene where he broke down into tears at the hospital and vowed to become stronger to protect his teammates was inspiring, really. Shikamaru is great because, despite his lazy nature, he realizes that he has an obligation to use his gifts for good. Naruto is still an immature brat and Sasuke is still selfishly pursuing revenge, but Shikamaru's character has learned his lesson, and he's that much better for it.
My list doesn't have any Shippuuden characters because Shippuuden is lame, plain and simple. It's completely plot-centric, really. There's not a lot of time for the characters to grow and mature because it's always one battle after another, and so a lot of new characters are stale and their personality quirks are grossly exaggerated in an attempt to balance that out. It doesn't work.
4. Zabuza - One of the only villains in the show with any sort of redeemable quality about him (thus far in the series, anyway). The Land of Waves arc was excellent, and this guy and Haku were instrumental in that excellence.
3. Naruto - He's an utterly childish moron a lot of the time (and it's not that funny, really), but when he's right, he's right. His fights with Neji and Gaara are great in particular because there he loses all traces of naivety and fights because he knows that he's right, his opponent is wrong, and they won't change their minds unless they get some sense beaten into them, ninja style.
2. Kakashi - His backstory is quite fascinating, and when you put his relationships and actions side by side with that history, you can appreciate his character a lot more. He was awesome in the Land of Waves arc, the Chunin exam arc, his fight alongside the other squad leaders against Itachi and Kisame, and the episodes directly preceding Sasuke's betrayal of Konoha.
1. Shikamaru - This guy's struggles are much more understandable than Naruto's or Sasuke's, and for that he's my favorite character. The scene where he broke down into tears at the hospital and vowed to become stronger to protect his teammates was inspiring, really. Shikamaru is great because, despite his lazy nature, he realizes that he has an obligation to use his gifts for good. Naruto is still an immature brat and Sasuke is still selfishly pursuing revenge, but Shikamaru's character has learned his lesson, and he's that much better for it.
My list doesn't have any Shippuuden characters because Shippuuden is lame, plain and simple. It's completely plot-centric, really. There's not a lot of time for the characters to grow and mature because it's always one battle after another, and so a lot of new characters are stale and their personality quirks are grossly exaggerated in an attempt to balance that out. It doesn't work.
