The 10 Most Glazed Characters of Naruto, Ranked

Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the iconic Naruto series, has earned a massive reputation among the fandom for his insane glazing of some of the characters in his epic story. Building up hype for over spans of chapters to showing off with these characters, Kishimoto spared no expense in elevating certain characters in the eyes of us fans.

That being said, not every character received the same amount of recognition from us for both character arc and narrative reasons – but the ones who got it were met with massive receptions from us. Without further ado, here are the most glazed characters in Naruto, in our opinion, ranked by narrative weight and overall popularity.

TITLE	Naruto
CREATOR	Masashi Kishimoto
STUDIO	Studio Pierrot
IMDb RATING (as of June 18, 2026)	8.4/10
WHERE TO WATCH	Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu

10 Neji’s Introduction as a Prodigy Pushed All Our Attention Towards Him

Neji Hyuga rode his prodigy label from the moment he stepped into the Chunin Exams – his Byakugan mastery, his rivalry with Hinata, and his cold dismissal of Naruto as a loser – all worked to build him up as a genius the audience had to respect before he’d even fought a real battle.

The fight with Naruto cemented him as someone destined for greatness, and his Hyuga clan backstory added tragic weight to the hype. He earns the tenth spot because the hype, while real, stayed mostly confined to the Chunin Exam arc and faded afterward.

9 Itachi’s Mysteriousness Made Him a Novel Everyone Wanted to Explore

The Uchiha Clan massacre, a prodigy status, and a mysterious missing-nin – Itachi Uchiha’s introduction in the original series gave fans almost nothing except his reputation and a terrifying genjutsu. Every flashback and rumor added a new layer, making people desperate to understand his true motives long before the Naruto: Shippuden series revealed them.

Because Kishimoto made his golden child operate from the shadows mostly, fans built entire theories around him being good, which turned out to be true and validated years of speculation. He ranks ninth because his hype was sustained almost entirely through absence and mystery rather than constant on-screen action.

8 Kakashi’s Copy Ninja Status Elevated His Hype Almost Immediately

Being branded the “Copy Ninja” with a Sharingan he wasn’t born with instantly made Kakashi Hatake feel exceptional. His laid-back attitude masked immense skill, his tragic backstory with Obito, and his status as the son of the White Fang – all stacked hype on top of hype. He became the cool and mysterious sensei from the series that fans wanted to know everything about, especially what was under that mask.

His fights, like against Zabuza, showed just enough of his abilities to keep the mythos alive. He sits at eight because while his hype was consistent, it rarely reached the explosive peaks of characters higher on this list.

7 Hashirama’s Reputation and His Absurdly Broken Powers Were Enough

Even before he actually appeared in body as more than a legend, Hashirama Senju‘s reputation as the First Hokage and “God of Shinobi” preceded him. His Wood Release abilities, his founding of Konoha, and his rivalry with Madara were spoken of in a fearful yet respected tone by nearly every character in the series.

When he actually showed up in flashbacks and later in the Fourth Shinobi World War Arc, his powers were so absurdly broken that they justified every bit of buildup. He ranks seventh because his hype – though massive – relied heavily on legend and lore rather than a long screen presence.

6 Nagato’s Pain Single-Handedly Took Over Our Intrigue Towards Him

As the true identity behind Pain, Nagato’s reveal recontextualizes one of the series’ most intimidating villains, mainly because of the Pain Assault Arc, into a tragic figure shaped by war and loss. The Rinnegan, his six-bodied control system, and his ideology of pain as the path to peace made him feel like a genuinely unique threat.

However, once his backstory with Jiraiya and Konan unfolded, our fascination shifted from fear to empathy, deepening the hype. Additionally, his philosophical clash with Naruto became one of the series’ most quoted arcs. He lands at six because his hype peaked dramatically during his arc, but didn’t carry the same sustained presence throughout the entire series.

5 Sasuke’s Stoic and Hardcore Narrative Birthed a Surge of Hype

From the beginning of the series, Sasuke Uchiha‘s brooding demeanor and tragic clan history made him the series’ designated cool rival – his stoic attitude, constant power-ups, and obsession with revenge created a hardcore fanbase that hyped his every move, even when his decisions grew morally questionable.

Sasuke’s fights, especially against Itachi Uchiha and later Naruto Uzumaki in the final battle, are still treated as series-defining events. He ranks fifth because while his hype was massive and persistent, it often relied on shock value and edgy appeal rather than pure narrative substance, as we see with other characters like Minato.

4 Naruto Was the Point Where the Fans Couldn’t Hold Themselves Back

As the main protagonist of the series, Naruto Uzumaki‘s hype was baked into the series’ DNA from episode one – his underdog journey, his refusal to give up, and his slow transformation into a powerhouse made fans emotionally invested in every victory. In all honesty, the Nine-Tails, his friendship with Sasuke, and his dream of becoming Hokage all combined into a hype train we couldn’t resist boarding.

By the time of the Fourth Shinobi World War, his power and influence reached a fever pitch that felt earned through years of buildup. He ranks fourth because, despite being the protagonist, the hype around him still didn’t surpass a few legendary side characters.

3 Minato Enjoys One of the Most Pristine Positions Among Fans

As they say, a father will always be the father: known as the “Yellow Flash,” Minato Namikaze‘s reputation as one of the fastest and most feared shinobi in history made him a legend before we even properly met him – his genius-level Hokage status, his sacrifice to seal the Nine-Tails, and his connection to his son added emotional and narrative gravity to his hype.

When he finally appeared in person, his Flying Thunder God, also known as the Flying Raijin Jutsu technique, lived up to every bit of buildup. He earns third place because his hype combined legendary status with genuine narrative payoff almost flawlessly, but just not enough for the top one or two.

2 Shishui’s Lack of Screen Time Didn’t Dumb Down His Character Hype

Despite barely appearing on screen, Shishui Uchiha’s name carried enormous weight from how other characters spoke about him – Itachi’s reverence, his unique Mangekyo Sharingan ability, and his tragic, mysterious death all built him into a legend we desperately wanted more of. The little material that did exist, like his speed and his ideals about protecting the village without bloodshed, was enough to spark endless fan discussions and theories.

His connection to the Uchiha massacre added even more intrigue to his already mythic status. He ranks second because his hype-to-screen-time ratio is almost unmatched, making him a phenomenon built almost entirely on word-of-mouth mystique.

1 Madara Was the Longest Hyped Character in the Entire Naruto Series

One of the core Naruto villains fans love to hate, no character in the series enjoyed a longer or more consistent hype train than Madara Uchiha. From early mentions in passing dialogue to his eventual full reveal, his name was treated with awe and fear for hundreds of chapters before he ever did anything on-screen.

His rivalry with Hashirama Senju, his role in co-founding Konoha, and his eventual return as a near-unstoppable threat made him feel like the culmination of the entire series’ mythology; every arc adding another layer to his legend. He claims first place because his hype was sustained across the longest stretch of the series with virtually no dip in intensity.

RANKING	CHARACTER
1	Madara Uchiha
2	Shishui Uchiha
3	Minato Namikaze
4	Naruto Uzumaki
5	Sasuke Uchiha
6	Nagato
7	Hashirama Senju
8	Kakashi Hatake
9	Itachi Uchiha
10	Neji Hyuga

What are your thoughts on our list of top glazed Naruto characters? We’d love to hear your picks and opinions in the comments below.

All episodes of the Naruto anime series are available to watch on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu.