Naruto Fans Agree Hinata's Potential Was Wasted
"Believe it!" or not, even with over 700 episodes, one thing "Naruto" fans wish they had more of was time with certain characters. Of course, nothing's perfect, leading many fans to take issue with the show's writing, particularly in its female characters.
One "Naruto" character's treatment that fans will never get over is Hinata Hyuga. From the beginning, the series destined her for a relationship with the titular ninja, as she was the only Leaf Village resident to treat him with any form of decency. The show even sets her up as one of the strongest shinobi in the class, with Hintata going toe-to-toe with heavy-favorite Neji during the chunin exams. However, after that and a quick "fight" with Pain, the series all but forgets about her until the marriage bells ring at the end of "Shippuden."
On Reddit, u/thephilosophy_ wrote, "Like with the other female characters, I wish [Hinata] had more time in the spotlight." While she's by far not the worst-written female character, because Tenten exists, Masashi Kishimoto really dropped the ball with Hinata. "Wasted potential," u/Possible-Throat-8553 said, "She would've been better if she wasn't created just to revolve around Naruto's character." Unfortunately, that's just the beginning of what fans think about Hinata's treatment.
Fans wish Hinata lived up to her potential
When Reddit user u/xFrutterZen23 asked "Naruto" fans, "What are your honest thoughts about Hinata?" — there was a resounding answer that Masashi Kishimoto could have done a lot more with her character.
U/BoobieDobey01 wrote, "I think she's okay. I don't hate her, but I don't love her either. I really wish that Kishimoto had written his female characters just a little better. I just wish there [was] more to her." U/Super_Quool pointed out that the series just forgot about Hinata, saying, "At the end of the Pain arc, we see that she gains more confidence and isn't as quiet anymore, but she doesn't have much screentime exploring her new change." U/darkreak also pointed out her wasted potential, while u/sugar-ramen stated," [She] could've been a great character, [but] fell kinda short."
Other fans don't think the problem lies solely with Hinata but with the Hyuga clan and the Byakugan. U/foxnon said, "They could have done so much more with the Hyuga clan altogether. A lot of lost potential." Similarly, u/BlueForte pointed out, "Didn't the beginning of 'Naruto' say something that the Sharingan and Byakugan were the strongest/rivals?" The Sharingan took over the narrative as the series went on, while Kishimoto put the Byakugan on the back burner.
According to some fans, like u/OjamasOfTomrrow, "Naruto" does Hinata justice, just not in the canon episodes, saying, "I think the anime filler, [shorts], and movies add to her." U/chevsmt agreed, replying, "she's barely in the manga, so the fillers are actually what gives her character more depth."