10. Iruka Umino
9. Kabuto Yakushi
Kabuto helped define the early parts of the Naruto story as an antagonist and Orochimaru's right hand man. At first he seemed a lackey, but as time passed we learned more about his impressive moves and skills. It's not often that the bad guys in anime hide in plain sight as well as Kabuto did. Kabuto was a master manipulator who fooled everybody, and even Orochimaru wondered what side he was truly on.
8. Rock Lee
Perhaps a little bit too intense, but always fiercely devoted to his cause, Rock Lee added all sorts of flavor to the Naruto series. He had the notable "handicap" of only being good at taijutsu, the martial arts branch of ninja skills. That meant he couldn't access all the cool Saiyan-esque powers like Chidori and Rasengan. But for Lee it didn't matter; he became a mighty ninja despite his limitations.
7. Sasuke Uchiha
Naruto's opponent and closest friend, Sasuke was like a constant force in the storyline. Despite the fact that he was never quite the warmest guy in the world, his screwed up past certainly gave him reason to be a little bit cold. But Sasuke always had a dark side that slowly led to his conversion to a full on antagonist who betrayed everyone who loved him. His transition from beloved friend to bitter enemy is the core driving force of the series.
6. Tsunade
It's somewhat rare for a woman in a 'boys' manga to be both strong and beautiful; to encompass elements of both male and female. But that's what Tsunade was, and it was a refreshing change from the usual.
5. Itachi Uchiha
Itachi was a classic example of the many Naruto bad guys who were not "villains" per se, but antagonists. But in Itachi's case we didn't know that until long after his introduction as one of the baddest guys the series had ever seen. We had been given plenty of lead up to his appearance through Sasuke's memories, his brother who was the only member of the Uchiha clan spared after Itachi killed them all. In a way, Itachi made Sasuke who he was.
4. Nagato Uzumaki
One of the most philosophically and psychologically complex characters in the Naruto series, Nagato had an ideology that was alien but logical. Although he was physically a powerful guy, he arguably lacked conviction and was manipulated by others. But his weaknesses don't necessarily make him a poor character; quite the opposite is true. His weaknesses helped to make him more interesting and highlight the effects his past had on him.
3. Gaara
When Gaara was introduced, he was an intriguing new rival for Naruto to deal with. Then we learned of his heart-breakingstory, and he started to become one of the most sympathetic characters in the series.
Gaara's history parallels Naruto's in many ways, with both boys having actual devils trapped inside them and subsequently shunned by their villages. But Gaara's experiences almost made him a sociopath, and for a while he was a proper scary villain. But over time, and with Naruto's help, he became a great friend and also the leader of his village.
2. Naruto Uzumaki
The title character of the series isn't always everybody's favorite. Naruto didn't even always win the #1 spot in annual popularity polls for his own Naruto series. His development over 15 years of story felt somewhat limited. He grew older and more powerful, but his core remained the same. Naruto's strongest trait is his un-shakable persistence, and although he is a flawed and somewhat limited character by himself, that stubborn optimism of his makes for some great story-telling with other characters.
1. Kakashi Hatake
If you were lucky, during your school daus you had a teacher who was cool,frank and understanding. The kind of guy you would go grab beers with after you graduated college. That's what Kakashi is, and throughout the series he served as counselor to many other characters when they were going through tough times.
