Naruto is a brilliant anime character that is recognizable to everyone, even to some non-anime viewers. Written by the iconic Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto Uzumaki spearheaded one of Weekly Shonen Jump's most incredible works ever, Narutofor over a decade. Over the years, Naruto Uzumaki has become an important part of many anime fans' childhoods, and his character remains one of the best from Kishimoto's work. Even a decade after Naruto ended, the series and its main character are a topic of discussion.
7 Naruto Characters That Were Nerfed In Boruto
Boruto absolutely geeked out on these fan-favorite characters, and no one was happy about it.
This shows the impact this revolutionary MC has left. Naruto is great and that goes without saying, but he's certainly not the best out there. In fact, Naruto Uzumaki has quite a few characters that can compete with him for the title of best anime MC. Some would agree that these anime and manga main characters are even better than Naruto, in one way or another.
Monkey D. Luffy
Monkey D. Luffy is a character known and loved all over the world. Luffy is the main character in the biggest and best-selling manga series ever, One Piece. He's been carrying the story for nearly three decades now, and he's only gotten better.
Luffy and Naruto are both similar characters in the sense that they are Shonen MCs, but they also have some major differences, especially in how they interact with enemies and the larger world. Luffy embodies freedom and is not one to back down from a fight against an oppressive force.
Edward Elric
Edward Elric is the protagonist of the iconic Fullmetal Alchemist series. Fullmetal Alchemist is considered by many to be the greatest anime ever to air. The story of Fullmetal Alchemist is almost perfect, and Edward's growth throughout it makes him one of the most lovable MCs in anime in general.
Edward doesn't rely on random power-ups to defeat his enemies. Instead, he adapts and outwits his enemies in battle. His relationship with his brother is definitely a highlight of his character.
Eren Yeager
Eren Yeager wasn't always as popular as he is today. Until the time shift of Attack on Titan, he was often overshadowed by the likes of Levi Ackerman.
Eren has always been a great character though, and has proven to be one of the best MCs in recent years. Eren is one of the most complex protagonists in modern Shonen, and his actions in the final arc of the story have really divided fans. Some even go so far as to call him the real villain Attack on Titan. Regardless, he is liked by many.
Gon Freecs
Gon Freecs is the protagonist of the hit series known as Hunter X Hunter. Hunter X Hunter is a phenomenal work, and one of the greatest shonen series ever. While Hunter x Hunter doesn't always focus on Gon, especially since the Chimera Ant arc ended, he's still one of its best characters.
7 Anime series better than Naruto
Naruto is iconic, but some would argue that these series are superior.
Usually easygoing, Gon showed his true convictions during the Chimera Ant arc when he sacrificed everything to take down Pitou. Gon currently has no Nen, but fans would definitely love to see him make a full comeback in the story.
Goku
If there's one anime character that anyone, anywhere in the world, can easily recognize, this is definitely it Son Goku from Dragon Ball. Goku was a revolutionary character for Shonen Jump. Without Goku, Naruto wouldn't even exist. Goku was a big inspiration for all the Shonen creators that came after Dragon Ball, which includes Kishimoto, the creator of Naruto.
Naruto's personality was heavily inspired by Goku. Naruto would have been a completely different character if Goku had never existed.
Intestines
Guts is hailed as one of the best main characters of all anime and manga. He is known for being the main character of the popular series Berserkwhich is arguably one of the most popular Seinen series of all time. Berserk explores some much darker themes than Naruto, and in turn, Guts may face many more sinister threats.
From his days as a young boy, to where he is in the story right now, Guts has suffered greatly through all of this, and he uses this suffering to grow. Fans hope the story of Berserk continues so they can see how Gut's story ends.
Thorfinn
Thorfin is the main character in the Seinen series Vinland Sagaand he is an anime and manga character who goes through tremendous character development.
After losing his father, Thorfinn is consumed by anger and revenge, but through the events that unfold in Vinland Saga, he finds his true self again. His character is only going to get better from here on out, and he's a character that's hard to compete with in writing.
Jotaro Kujo
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is quite different from the average manga. Instead of having a main character, the series is divided into standalone parts, each with its own main character. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure currently has nine parts, and of the 9 main characters seen, Jotaro Kujo, the protagonist of part 3is undoubtedly the most popular and iconic.
Jotaro plays his biggest role in JoJo Part 3, but his character development really blossoms later on. Jotaro, in Jojo's Part 6, has some of his best moments thanks to his relationship with his daughter, Jolyne Kujo.