When did Naruto start?

Japanese manga has a long and deep history. However, Naruto is part of the newest generation of manga to hit the mainstream. Naruto first aired in October 2002, making it part of Gen Z. 

It enthralled a generation until its final episode in February 2007. It's safe to say that Naturo hit a chord with teens and young adults upon airing and still to this day.

Naruto is the most popular anime, with over 16% of all searches for anime-related queries being for Naruto merchandise. But what about the character that so many people can relate to even after all the time that has passed since the last episode?

Naruto ran for 220 episodes (then Naruto Shippuden had 500), and over this time, the character development was phenomenal. With so many different characters, many people found someone they could relate to and connect with.

Naruto himself was a powerful character in that he was the driving force for changes, and despite the different characters' antics and challenges faced, he never gave up. This is something many people can relate to or aspire to have. On top of this, it was also super fun to watch too -  it was a world where people and ninjas lived side by side! Naruto has since been turned into a video game.

Are you wondering who the most popular character was out of them all? Of course, many fan polls put Naruto in the top spot, which many fans will agree with. However, the top 10 most popular characters also include (in no particular order) Kakashi Hatake, Sasuke Uchiha, Iruka Umino, Sakura Haruno, Rock Lee, Gaara, Haku, Zabuza Momochi, Hinata Hyūga and Anko Mitarashi.

If you love all things Naruto, you can check out our fun collection of Naruto phone cases.