Naruto's Biggest Criticism Since The Start Proves Fans Are Missing The Point
With Naruto being as old and popular as it is, it has, naturally, garnered as many critics as it has fans. Whether it’s the pacing, the way certain characters were handled, especially the female characters, or the general structure of the story from start to finish, people have found plenty to criticize Naruto over the years, and while those criticisms are often hard to argue with, it doesn’t change how great the overall story is.
Most of the time, criticisms people might have about Naruto are pretty fair, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case, as many of Naruto’s biggest criticisms are often very misguided and built upon some truly fundamental misunderstandings of how the series works. One misguided criticism in particular has plagued Naruto since its early days, and the fact that it’s still so popular shows just how poorly some fans understand the series.
Naruto’s Action Was Always Over-The-Top, You Just Never Realized It
If there’s one thing people have constantly criticized Naruto for over the years, it’s the way the story handles its action. To many people, Naruto’s action started fairly grounded before becoming massively over-the-top after the timeskip, the shift often compared to Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z in the worst of ways. Things like Madara summoning meteors, Naruto’s full-powered Chakra Mode, and Kaguya’s entire existence are often cited as the biggest offenders of the story moving away from grounded ninja action, and it’s almost become a meme for people to say that they wished Naruto was still about ninjas.
The criticism of Naruto’s over-the-top action will probably never die, and what makes that especially frustrating is how blatantly wrong it is. For starters, not only is the growth characters like Naruto and Sasuke go through presented far more naturally than people give them credit for, but characters like Madara, Hashirama, and Kaguya are supposed to be among the strongest characters in the setting, so it makes sense for them to exist on such a larger scale compared to the rest of the cast, and having them show up in the final stretch of the anime was incredibly appropriate.
The bigger point against the criticism of Naruto’s action, though, is that it was never grounded to begin with. The very first episode of the anime established the existence of giant, all-powerful monsters like Kurama and the Tailed Beasts, and it isn’t long before heroes and villains alike are shown controlling the elements, summoning giant animals, and turning into monsters themselves. As it stands, Naruto never once tried to be grounded in any way, shape, or form, and it makes no sense for people to say otherwise.
Naruto’s Action Makes The Anime So Much Better Than People Think
Despite what people say, Naruto’s action has always been over-the-top, but that’s never been a bad thing. Much of why Naruto works so well as a story comes from how great the action is, and Naruto’s action is as great as it is because it’s so willing to go as big as possible with what the characters can do at every turn. It’s a perfect example of how fun a story can be when it isn’t too concerned with realism, and it deserves far more credit than fans have been giving it over the years.
Hidden Leaf Village · Chunin Exam
Naruto
Trivia Challenge
🔥 Jinchūriki Believe it!
🔴 Sharingan Copy ninja
🌀 Jutsu Rasengan!
🌿 Village Will of Fire
⚡ Bonds Unbreakable
01
Naruto Uzumaki carries an immense burden — a powerful Tailed Beast sealed inside him since birth by the Fourth Hokage. This fox demon’s chakra gives Naruto extraordinary power but also makes him an outcast. What is the name of this Nine-Tailed Beast?
✓ Correct! Kurama is the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage. Initially a source of fear and hatred, Kurama eventually becomes one of Naruto’s closest allies. Their bond is one of the most emotional arcs in the entire series.
✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Kurama. Shukaku is the One-Tail sealed in Gaara, Matatabi is the Two-Tails, and Gyuki is the Eight-Tails sealed in Killer Bee. Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, is Naruto’s legendary partner.
02
Naruto’s greatest rival is a prodigy from a prestigious clan who possesses a powerful eye technique called the Sharingan. Consumed by a desire for vengeance against his older brother, he defects from the Hidden Leaf Village. Who is this rival?
✓ Correct! Sasuke Uchiha is Naruto’s eternal rival and best friend. After the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke’s obsession with killing his brother Itachi drives him to leave the village and seek power at any cost. Their rivalry is the emotional backbone of the entire series.
✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Sasuke Uchiha. Neji is a Hyuga clan genius with the Byakugan, Gaara is the Sand Village’s jinchūriki, and Rock Lee is the taijutsu specialist. Only Sasuke wields the Sharingan and defects to join Orochimaru.
03
Naruto’s signature jutsu is a spinning sphere of concentrated chakra formed in the palm of his hand. Originally created by the Fourth Hokage and taught to Naruto by Jiraiya, it becomes the foundation for many of his most powerful attacks. What is this technique called?
✓ Correct! The Rasengan is a pure chakra manipulation technique that doesn’t require hand signs. Created by Minato Namikaze and passed down through Jiraiya to Naruto, it evolves into many variations including the devastating Rasenshuriken with added Wind Release nature transformation.
✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is the Rasengan. The Chidori is Sasuke and Kakashi’s lightning technique, Shadow Clone Jutsu is a different Naruto staple, and the Lava Rasenshuriken is a late-series variant. The base Rasengan is Naruto’s iconic spinning chakra sphere.
04
Team 7’s leader is a mysterious, mask-wearing jonin known as the “Copy Ninja” for his ability to replicate over a thousand jutsu using his borrowed Sharingan eye. He’s always reading a certain novel. Who is this legendary sensei?
✓ Correct! Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja of the Sharingan, leads Team 7 (Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura). His Sharingan was a gift from his dying friend Obito Uchiha. Always cool under pressure and perpetually reading Make-Out Paradise, Kakashi eventually becomes the Sixth Hokage.
✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Kakashi Hatake. Might Guy leads Team Guy, Asuma leads Team 10, and Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sannin who later trains Naruto. Only Kakashi is the masked Copy Ninja with a borrowed Sharingan who leads Team 7.
05
Sasuke’s older brother massacred nearly the entire Uchiha clan in a single night, then joined the criminal organization Akatsuki. It was later revealed he did it all on orders from the village to prevent a coup — sacrificing everything to protect his brother. Who is this tragic figure?
✓ Correct! Itachi Uchiha is one of Naruto’s most complex characters. A pacifist genius forced into an impossible choice, he bore the hatred of the entire world — including his beloved brother Sasuke — to protect the Hidden Leaf from civil war. His final words to Sasuke remain iconic.
✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Itachi Uchiha. Madara is the legendary clan founder, Obito is the masked man behind much of the war, and Shisui was Itachi’s best friend. Itachi alone carried out the massacre to prevent the Uchiha coup and protect Sasuke.
06
From the very first episode, Naruto declares his lifelong dream to earn the respect of his village and prove his worth. He vows to achieve the highest rank in the Hidden Leaf — its supreme leader. What is this title that Naruto dreams of?
✓ Correct! Hokage is the title of the Hidden Leaf Village’s leader, and Naruto’s dream of becoming Hokage drives the entire series. After years of struggle, he finally achieves his dream and becomes the Seventh Hokage in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Hokage. The Kazekage leads the Sand Village, Jonin Commander is a military rank, and Anbu Captain leads black ops. The Hokage is the Hidden Leaf’s supreme leader — and Naruto’s lifelong dream since he was a lonely academy student.
07
Naruto’s father was the Fourth Hokage, known as the “Yellow Flash of the Leaf” for his incredible speed using the Flying Thunder God technique. He sacrificed his life to seal the Nine-Tails inside his newborn son. What is his name?
✓ Correct! Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and Yellow Flash, sacrificed himself using the Reaper Death Seal to seal Kurama inside baby Naruto. His love for his son and faith in Naruto’s potential made him one of the series’ most selfless characters.
✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Minato Namikaze. Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Third Hokage, Tobirama Senju is the Second, and Hashirama Senju is the First. Minato, the Fourth Hokage, is Naruto’s father who sealed the Nine-Tails at the cost of his own life.
08
A shy, kind-hearted kunoichi from the Hyuga clan admired Naruto from afar since their academy days. She boldly confessed her love while fighting Pain to protect him, and eventually became his wife. Who is this character?
✓ Correct! Hinata Hyuga went from a timid girl who could barely speak around Naruto to a fierce warrior who stood against Pain to protect him. Her confession during the Pain arc is one of the series’ most emotional moments. They marry in The Last: Naruto the Movie and have two children, Boruto and Himawari.
✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Hinata Hyuga. Sakura is Naruto’s teammate who loves Sasuke, Ino is Sakura’s rival from the Yamanaka clan, and Temari is a Sand Village kunoichi who marries Shikamaru. Only Hinata loved Naruto from the very beginning.
Mission Complete Your Ninja Record
/ 8
Are you Hokage material — or still at the academy practicing clone jutsu?
When people say that they wish Naruto was still about ninjas, it almost always comes from a misinterpretation of what the story was like before the timeskip, and continuing to parrot that idea just shows that people aren’t willing to engage with such a key part of the story the way they were meant to. If one wants to truly appreciate Naruto, they need to accept that it was never as grounded as they thought it was, and that will make for a far better viewing experience for years to come.