A good character arc will show exactly how a Naruto character will improve and evolve as people. Here is everything you need to know about the best character Arcs in Naruto.

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Tsunade

Jiraiya’s former squadmate, Tsunade the slug princess, made her debut as a miserable and aimless woman who lost herself in booze and gambling. She was running from her grief and pain of losing both her lover and kid brother, but then Naruto inspired Tsunade to believe once again.

Tsunade fought back against Orochimaru and Kabuto, then bravely assumed the mantle of Fifth Hokage and led her village to victory against Madara and the Akatsuki. She also went from a bitter defeatist to a tough but fair motherly figure for the Konoha 11 and other characters.

Naruto Uzumaki

Most Shonen protagonists undergo a substantial personal arc. Naruto Uzumaki has one of Shonen’s best arcs of all. At first, Naruto was a conceited troublemaker, but that was just compensation for his miserable loneliness.

Naruto impressed anime fans everywhere as he pushed himself to be stronger, wiser, kinder, and braver than ever. He went from zero to hero in every way possible. He became a powerful, grown-up hero everyone respected and admired while still being true to his carefree, goofy self.

Gaara Of The Sand

Gaara of the Sand is one of many redeemed villains in Naruto. His redemption arc ranks among the anime’s best. Like Naruto Uzumaki, Gaara was born as a lonely Jinchuriki, feared and hated as a living weapon. He vented these negative feelings on others with lethal effect, but then he met Naruto.

Naruto’s Talk No Jutsu resonated with Gaara as a fellow Jinchuriki. He became a proper hero and a great Kazekage, vowing to repay Naruto’s kindness and maintain strong ties with the Hidden Leaf Village.

Nagato

Years ago, the redheaded Nagato could have been a great hero alongside his friends Yahiko and Konan, but fate dealt them a different hand. The brutal Hanzo demanded that Nagato kill Yahiko. And after Yahiko’s death, Nagato descended into villainy with his awakened Rinnegan.

Nagato swore to share his pain with the entire world, and he nearly succeeded until Naruto stopped him. As a fellow student of Jiraiya’s, Naruto convinced Nagato to believe in their shared mentor’s hope for true peace

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Obito Uchiha

Kakashi’s former squadmate, Obito Uchiha, was on track to become the Naruto Uzumaki of his era, only to nearly lose his life during a mission. Obito narrowly survived and met Madara Uchiha, who reshaped Obito into a villainous tool with a whirl-pattern mask.

Obito longed to return to his old life, but he had to accept the fact that it was over. He embraced his villainy and even served as Madara’s proxy for a time. Finally, Obito was redeemed and fought alongside Team 7 to help undo the mess he created, allowing him to die as a hero after all.