Naruto Creator Reacts to the Manga’s Global Popularity Poll Results

The Naruto popularity poll might surprise quite a few anime fans when it comes to which characters from the ninja world are the most beloved in the shonen community. Breaking down the top one hundred characters from the original Naruto anime and its follow-up in Naruto: Shippuden, there have certainly been enough heroes and villains introduced in the anime franchise for fans to choose from. Now, with creator Masashi Kishimoto acting as the current writer for the manga series, the mangaka who forged the world of Naruto has shared his thoughts on the latest poll.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out the popularity poll, you might find it surprising when it comes to who was able to take the top spots. Minato Namikaze, aka Naruto’s dad and the Fourth Hokage of Konoha arrived at the number one spot. He was followed by Itachi Uchiha at number two, Sakura Haruno at number three, Shisui Uchiha at number four, and Kakashi Hatake at number five. Shockingly enough, Naruto Uzumaki only arrived at the number six slot, followed by Sakumo Hatake at number seven, Sasuke Uchiha at number eight, Madara Uchiha at number nine, and Hinata Hyuga rounding out the top ten. 

What Did Masashi Kishimoto Think?

Kishimoto released a statement regarding his appreciation for those that voted, while also revealing his surprising choice for who he was rooting for in the poll, “Thank you for the incredible amount of votes! It was fun seeing how results varied from region to region. I was shocked to see Minato at the top for all regions and the fact that Sakura is so beloved by many people around the world made me proud as a writer. To tell you the truth, I was actually rooting for Kurama.” 

Masashi then took the opportunity to discuss the art he created that brought together the top twenty of the poll, while adding in his top pick, “I was planning on drawing only the top twenty characters, but I really wanted to add Kurama, who was close at twenty-two. So I ended up including him and Guy, who was in twenty-first place. Sorry for completely ignoring the original plan to have the top twenty characters for the twentieth anniversary because of my personal attachment.”

Kishimoto then drops a surprising announcement that he is currently working on a new manga for the winner of the poll, “Right now, I’m working on the short manga for Minato who placed first. While trying to make a story that would match the expectations of his fans, I ended up with more pages than I had originally anticipated. Please look forward to the secret story behind Minato’s jutsu! I want to thank you all very much again for voting!” 

Via Naruto Official