Summary
- Naruto's character designs are a major highlight of the series, with each character's appearance reflecting their personality and story.
- Rock Lee's realistic and fiery look, inspired by Bruce Lee, sets him apart from other ninja and makes him a joy to watch.
- Kisame's shark-inspired appearance perfectly communicates his menacing and dangerous nature, while Itachi's design showcases his mysterious and menacing aura.
Naruto is an anime series that has become iconic for several reasons, including the compelling story and nail-biting fight scenes, but the characters are arguably the most captivating part of the entire show. Considering it's based in a world of ninja, all of whom with their unique villages and cultures, it makes sense that there would be some difference in the designs of these characters, but Kishimoto went above and beyond in this department.
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Many characters have a style and appearance that immediately lets fans know what they're about and who they really are underneath the surface. Of course, this isn't the case for everyone as some characters were purposefully designed to be as mysterious as possible, but this only added to their intrigue. Many classic characters have come from both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, but these are among some of the best when it comes to design.
7 Rock Lee
Rock Lee is the definition of the old saying "what you see is what you get" in the sense that his fiery youthful passion and relentless determination to be the best taijutsu ninja alive shines through in his appearance. He's inspired by Bruce Lee with his bowl cut and green jumpsuit, but Rock Lee's wide eyes and bushy brows still help him to make him unique and a character who stands apart from the other ninja due to his more realistic look.
His orange legwarmers were also a very eye-catching fashion choice that many fans questioned upon seeing them initially, but when seeing what was underneath them during his fight with Gaara, it made sense why they had to be so big. Unfortunately, Lee was sidelined for a lot of the Shippuden story since he has such a fun look which, paired with his fiery personality, makes him a joy to watch.
6 Hebi Sasuke
Throughout the story, Naruto would normally wear the same attire for literally hundreds of episodes at a time, but Sasuke on the other hand would change quite frequently, which made sense since he was always aligning himself with different factions. Every fan has their own favorite Sasuke design, but the one that jumps to most people's minds when thinking about the revenge-obsessed Uchiha member is his Hebi variant in Naruto Shippuden.
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Hebi Sasuke, as he's known by many of the fans, appeared at the beginning of the very first Shippuden episode with a brand-new look that featured an open white long-sleeved shirt and blue pants which are secured by a purple robe belt. He also has his trusty blade peeking out from his side, which almost gives him the appearance of a fabled samurai rather than a ninja. This new mature and confident look was emblematic of just how assured Sasuke had become about his mission to hunt down Itachi, but the small references of Orchimaru still remind fans of the decision he made to follow the darkness in an attempt to gain power.
5 Kisame
Kisame might just be the weirdest and most unusual character in the entire series, even including the snake-like Orochimaru. Kishimoto does an excellent job at conveying just how much of a dangerous threat the legendary "tailess tailed beast" really is just from his face since viewers don't get a good look at his body for most of the series due to his Akatsuki cloak.
The pale blue skin, curved facial markings, and small beady eyes all replicate the appearance of a shark, and considering how dangerous Kisame is in the lore, this inspiration for his design was the perfect way to demonstrate just how menacing he really was. Most of the time fans see Kisame, he's also sporting a devilish grin which only adds to his terrifying presence, and that's not even mentioning his razor-sharp triangular teeth.
4 Minato
It's truly a testament to Kishimoto's drawing skills as a mangaka that he managed to make a character as vital to the story as Minato looks so casual and relaxed yet also immensely powerful at the same time. While he's had a few looks throughout the series, by far the most iconic is when he's kitted out in the Fourth Hokage uniform. When acting as the Hokage, Minato donned a long flowing cape with a flame pattern at the bottom which looked like it should be worn by some villain plotting to take over the world.
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In reality, Minato's actual appearance is that of a friendly and relaxed man who seemed nice on the surface, but it was clear that he knew a lot more than he was letting on, and had a lot of stored-up power that he was simply hiding. Kishimoto also did a great job of giving Minato enough shared features between him and Naruto, such as the spiky yellow hair, without making him an exact replica of the troublesome young ninja.
3 Kakashi
Viewers wouldn't think that Kakashi was one of the strongest and most well-known ninja in the entire world of Naruto just by looking at him, but this is simply another instance of Kishimoto completely subverting expectations through a character's design. Kakashi's messy gray hair and headband which lazily hangs over his one eye make it look as though the guy just got out of bed, but it also gives him a very cool and laid-back appearance that fans took to the moment he appeared on screen.
What elevated his design to a whole new level is the fact that Kishimoto plays around with it a lot during the series. Not only is there an entire filler episode dedicated to uncovering what Kakashi's mouth looked like under his mask, but it's also revealed that his headband was intentionally hanging down his face to hide his Sharingan. Kakashi is a true example of how to make a character look as intimidating as possible without going overboard with tattoos, scars, and extra features.
2 Itachi
Fan-favorite Akatsuki member Itachi Uchiha is a character who would only briefly pop up from time to time, usually to encourage Sasuke to grow more hateful, but every time he appeared, he had a menacing look to him that was instantly recognizable. Similar to his partner Kisame, Itachi wears an Akatsuki robe that covers most of his body, but unlike his shark friend, he keeps part of it unzipped and can even be seen resting his arm out from the center in some instances.
This simple design choice sent the internet into a frenzy trying to figure out why he would constantly keep his left hand exposed. Some saw it as Itachi's attempt to demonstrate that he is always in control of a situation, while others thought it was a reference to a myth about Japanese ronin who would only wear one sleeve as a sign of shame and dishonor. Itachi's permanent scowl, glowing-red eyes, and pitch-black hair all made him a truly menacing figure, and definitely the first character to appear in the show who seemed truly terrifying just from his look.
1 Killer Bee
Saying that many fans were surprised at Killer Bee's design and personality when he first appeared would be a massive understatement. The legendary Jinchuriki who hosted the Eight Tails Ox, someone who was one of the most powerful beings in the story, didn't turn out to be a wise old man or crabby sage, but instead, a hip-hop loving, sharp-tongued, multi-sword wielder who loves nothing more than spitting out rhymes any chance he gets.
Still, this wasn't to suggest that people didn't instantly gravitate towards his extremely fun and vibrant look, because they most certainly did. The slicked-back blond hair, razor-sharp goatee, and tiny shaded-out glasses all helped Bee to stand out, to the point where he seemed like he had been ripped out of a different series entirely. Perhaps the most noticeable feature of Killer Bee is his seven swords, all of which he would use at the same time in combat by holding them wherever his body would allow. Bee provided a breath of fresh air in terms of character designs seeing as he only appears later in the story, and his appearance perfectly visualizes his cool but fierce personality, and of course, his love of rhyming too.