The Naruto series is one of the most popular and beloved shonen anime of all time. The show stars a young ninja named Naruto who embarks on an unforgiving quest to become the Hokage. There is no doubt that Naruto as a protagonist is one of the reasons why this series is so beloved; however, the appeal of the show's side characters are not be underestimated in the slightest.
Naruto is known for some of the best characters and dialogues in all anime. Each of Naruto's friends and foes has been through a journey of their own, making them fascinating in their own right. The shinobi world of Naruto is rooted in pain and hatred, which is evident by fate the most of the characters in the series.
5 The Risk of Hatred (Obito Uchiha)
Obito Uchiha is one of the most tragic characters in the Naruto series. Hailing from the Uchiha clan, Obito was once a cheerful young boy who wanted to become the Hokage. But one mission gone wrong ended up nearly killing him. However, the thing that broke Obito and pushed him over the edge was the loss of his childhood friend Rin.
Following Rin's death, Obito aligned himself with the cunning Madara Uchiha and ultimately ended up becoming one of the main antagonists of the show. One of his most iconic lines in the show came with his encounter with Sasuke Uchiha when he said:
"When a man learns to love, he must bear the risk of hatred."
4 The True Measure of a Shinobi (Jiraiya)
Jiraiya was introduced in Naruto as one of the legendary Sanins, who also went on to train many powerful shinobi, including Naruto Uzumaki. Despite having a hard life, filled with betrayals and loss, Jiraiya retained his quirky and cheerful personality which would often make him come off as dumb. In reality, however, Jiraiya was one of the wisest characters in the show.
As a novelist, Jiraiya always had a way with words, as evident by one of his best quotes in the series:
"The true measure of a Shinobi is not how he lives, but how he dies. It is not what they do in life, but what they did before dying that proves their worth."
What makes this quote so gut-wrenching is the fact that Jiraiya tried his best to be of use near the end of his life during his face-off against Pain. He eventually succeeded in sending back key information to the Leaf Village about Pain's abilities, before being killed.
3 Who You Truly Are (Itachi Uchiha)
Itachi Uchiha was a shinobi hailing from the Hidden Leaf who had to endure more pain than he deserved. This tragic character saw the shinobi world with clear eyes and knew what must be done to achieve peace, even if meant sacrificing his own people. Itachi's character development is truly one of the show's highlights, as viewers are bound to fall in love with him as they learn the truth about his past.
Itachi has had several iconic moments in the show and was feared as one of the strongest ninjas of his time in all five great nations. One of his best quotes in the show came during his initial encounter with his partner Kisame of the Akatsuki. During their conversation, Itachi said:
"No matter who you are, you do not truly know what kind of man you become until you reach the very end."
This line was very befitting for the older Uchiha brother, as his death proved just what kind of man he was and how much he loved his brother.
2 True Peace (Nagato Uzumaki)
Nagato Uzumaki was thought to be the prophesied child that would save the shinobi world. However, life's brutality thrust Nagato in a much darker direction. Nagato grew up in a war-torn land and suffered quite a lot before finally finding some companions he could rely on. However, the death of his friend Yahiko served as the final straw that twisted Nagato's perspective of the world. He later up took control of the Akatsuki and turned it into a terrorist organization.
Nagato led the Akatsuki under the name of Pain. As Pain, he infiltrated the Hidden leaf to capture the nine tails and wreaked havoc wherever he set foot. After having faced so much pain himself, Nagato became convinced not everyone can understand it. Nagato's most haunting line came before his devastating attack on the Hidden Leaf where he said:
"Those who do not understand true pain can never understand true peace."
1 Those Who Abandon Their Comrades (Obito Uchiha)
Like Naruto, young Obito was also a cheerful and optimistic person, who believed in his friends and comrades. He was willing to do anything to protect those who he loved. His words were put to test once when team Minato's mission took a turn for the worse with Rin being kidnaped by a couple of bandits.
After Rin was taken, Obito wanted to go rescue her, while Kakashi wanted to maintain the integrity of the mission. It was at that time that Obito spoke one of the best lines of the entire show and which also had a deep impact on Kakashi:
"Those who abandon their mission are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are even worse than scum."
This one line is especially gut-wrenching due to the fact that in the end, Obito turned his back on his comrades, and Kakashi was unable to save his friends from their fate.