Naruto is often criticized for a lack of strong, well-written female characters, with Tsunade being called the only one.
Female characters of Naruto’s generation aren’t exactly well-written, with the exception of Sakura.
The problem isn’t exclusive to Naruto, with many other battle shounen series suffering from the same issue.
Tsunade is definitely among the fan favorite characters in Naruto. She’s strong, very memorable, and well-written — and is widely considered the best-written female character in the entire series.
However, many fans feel like that’s not exactly an achievement. They quote the fact that Naruto doesn’t have many well-written female characters in general, and as such, Tsunade’s writing feels like a masterpiece compared to many. Let’s see if that’s true — and maybe figure out why that’s the case.
Naruto doesn’t have many female characters
In general, most of Naruto’s cast is actually male. Among the Konoha rookies (Naruto and 8 people who graduated alongside him), the male-to-female ratio is 2:1. That ratio is preserved — and even more skewed — later in the series as more characters are introduced. And among the characters of Naruto’s age, the female ones don’t play much of a role in the series, especially in the latter arcs.
Hinata, while very likable, is often characterized as a character made as “ideal Japanese wife” — and she is barely relevant until the Pain arc, way into Shippuden. Even after that, she doesn’t influence the plot that much. Ino is basically only defined by her rivalry with Sakura, and Tenten, who is one year older than them, barely has any screen time.
Sakura is another female character that can be called well-written
Ironically, the only major female character who can be called well-written alongside Tsunade is… Sakura. Yes, she’s widely hated by the community, and her relevance in the series fluctuates depending on the arc — but she clearly serves a purpose in the series and develops over time.
In a sense, she’s a counterpart to both Naruto and Sasuke. She isn’t any kind of prodigy or clan heir: she’s an absolutely normal person thrown into the world of otherwise overpowered shinobi, and she provides a more balanced view on it. Yes, she makes mistakes, but don’t we all?
This isn’t just about Naruto
In the end, it can be argued that it’s easier for Kishimoto to write an adult female character than a kid or teenager. Yet despite that, characters like Konan or Shizune only exist as supporting ones, and obviously aren’t as developed as Tsunade herself.
If you look at the larger picture, the problem isn’t even exclusive to Naruto: people have been complaining about a lack of strong female characters in battle shounen series for a long, long time — and thankfully, with recent series like Chainsaw Man, the trend is starting to shift.
Spoiler: not really, but there aren’t many.
Summary:
Naruto is often criticized for a lack of strong, well-written female characters, with Tsunade being called the only one.
Female characters of Naruto’s generation aren’t exactly well-written, with the exception of Sakura.
The problem isn’t exclusive to Naruto, with many other battle shounen series suffering from the same issue.
Tsunade is definitely among the fan favorite characters in Naruto. She’s strong, very memorable, and well-written — and is widely considered the best-written female character in the entire series.
However, many fans feel like that’s not exactly an achievement. They quote the fact that Naruto doesn’t have many well-written female characters in general, and as such, Tsunade’s writing feels like a masterpiece compared to many. Let’s see if that’s true — and maybe figure out why that’s the case.
Naruto doesn’t have many female characters
In general, most of Naruto’s cast is actually male. Among the Konoha rookies (Naruto and 8 people who graduated alongside him), the male-to-female ratio is 2:1. That ratio is preserved — and even more skewed — later in the series as more characters are introduced. And among the characters of Naruto’s age, the female ones don’t play much of a role in the series, especially in the latter arcs.
Hinata, while very likable, is often characterized as a character made as “ideal Japanese wife” — and she is barely relevant until the Pain arc, way into Shippuden. Even after that, she doesn’t influence the plot that much. Ino is basically only defined by her rivalry with Sakura, and Tenten, who is one year older than them, barely has any screen time.
Sakura is another female character that can be called well-written
Ironically, the only major female character who can be called well-written alongside Tsunade is… Sakura. Yes, she’s widely hated by the community, and her relevance in the series fluctuates depending on the arc — but she clearly serves a purpose in the series and develops over time.
In a sense, she’s a counterpart to both Naruto and Sasuke. She isn’t any kind of prodigy or clan heir: she’s an absolutely normal person thrown into the world of otherwise overpowered shinobi, and she provides a more balanced view on it. Yes, she makes mistakes, but don’t we all?
This isn’t just about Naruto
In the end, it can be argued that it’s easier for Kishimoto to write an adult female character than a kid or teenager. Yet despite that, characters like Konan or Shizune only exist as supporting ones, and obviously aren’t as developed as Tsunade herself.
If you look at the larger picture, the problem isn’t even exclusive to Naruto: people have been complaining about a lack of strong female characters in battle shounen series for a long, long time — and thankfully, with recent series like Chainsaw Man, the trend is starting to shift.
