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Naruto vs Ichigo- Who do you think was the better written protagonist?

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Exactly what is said on the title. Given everything that the characters have been through, who do you think played the part of main character better?
 
Naruto is the better shonen protagonist, in my opinion Ichigo doesn't really fit the shonen protagonist role very well.
 
Ichigo is pretty bland as a shonen protagonist but he is more relatable to the average person besides all the death god stuff.
 
Naruto in basically every sense. He has established goals, an arc, and solid personal motivations that drove him through his plot. Ichigo on the other hand was more or less "along for the ride". Since the start his only motivations have been "this female character close to me is in trouble, I have to help!" there's no deeper reason for why he's going through all the crap he does other than "save the girl".
 
Naruto definitely played the protag role better. He had goals since the start and he never falters on them. He had beliefs that he kept with him throughout everything he endured even if things went south for him.

Ichigo is just a regular guy in all honesty. He helps others because a decent human being would do so. He didn't have grand goals, he acted and helped because any person should. Plus it would be his friends in trouble. He's definitely more relatable to the average reader, but Naruto would be a better role model. Except when he's a bad dad in the future, but let's ignore that.

Luffy stomps both though :^)
 
Imo if Ichigo could have been a character who searched for reasons behind the villains he would have been a great character. I still hate how he doesn't even understand Aizen. If bleach ever comes back Kazui will be the one to finish everything cause he will be the MC.

What I like about Naruto is that he understands the "villains" and understanding them allows Naruto to develop himself cause he realizes that in the end they were all just alike
 
Mainly because he has the usual beliefs of "never giving up" and "going down the path you believe in" like many shonen protags. It inspires people.

Ichigo doesn't really have all that, he acts as if a normal person should in most situations, normal people don't really have aspirations to be the greatest in these situations or would keep doing the things Naruto does in his mindset even if they did have his abilities

My thought on the matter is that these two are two completely different beasts

The more of a role model you are, the less relatable you are (Naruto)

The more relatable you are the less likable and role model-ish you are (Ichigo)
 
Weren't the people he understood actually like him though? Like Obito is almost an exact copy of Naruto if Naruto was born an Uchiha and he watched Sakura get killed by Sasuke. He never "understood" people like Orochimaru, Deidara or Kaguya.
 
AstralKing7 said:
Imo if Ichigo could have been a character who searched for reasons behind the villains he would have been a great character. I still hate how he doesn't even understand Aizen. If bleach ever comes back Kazui will be the one to finish everything cause he will be the MC.

What I like about Naruto is that he understands the "villains" and understanding them allows Naruto to develop himself cause he realizes that in the end they were all just alike
Um....he does tho?

When he was fighting Kugo, he mentioned that Ichigo was looking as if he was trying to understand him and after Aizen got sealed he told Kisuke how Aizen felt through their clashes. Even Grimmjow notices this during their fight
 
Deidara wasn't a villain he was just a lunatic lol. Naruto understood Kisame at his moment of death and he stated that. Same for Madara and Obito and Zabuza and Haku and Nagato and Pain and Itachi and he even understands Sasuke even tho Sasuke is Indra. The fact that Hag didn't really understand his own children while Naruto did proves he understands them all. In simpler words Indra was the reason for all of the hate and even when Hag didn't have the answer nor did Asura Naruto did and was able to understand Obito and Madara cause they all followed Indras path
 
Both were pretty good rodeos as far as my judgement is ever concerned.

I actually don't think Ichigo is as bad as people are saying above.
 
I look at the two like this:

Naruto is character built for a longer running series. His motivations and attitudes become more nuanced and refined as time goes by and he experiences more things. He is a character who is meant to change and grow with the series.

Ichigo is a character built for a shorter series. He's got a static goal that he wishes to accomplish and his journey is not about this motivation changing but about him becoming strong enough to do it and the challenges that get him to that point.

Naruto is the underdog archetype who ends up becoming much more and our story with him is to see how he develops in the end through all his trials and tribulations.

Ichigo is the classic knight who goes to slay the dragon. We watch him to see him overcome obstacles until he gets what he wants.
 
DragonEmperor23 said:
How is Ichigo a bad dad? Didn't we only get one moment of their family life to judge from?
That was referring to Naruto.

But yeah, I never thought Ichigo was a bad character. He's literally as relatable and real as a an actual person with powers would act. Refer to his Superman line where he knows his limits but he still will try to help in whatever way he can because he has the ability to do so and it's the right thing to do in that moment. He's a relatable guy.

Naruto is goal focused and sets some examples of striving towards your goals and sticking to that path.
 
Kepekley23 said:
Both were pretty good rodeos as far as my judgement is ever concerned.
I actually don't think Ichigo is as bad as people are saying above.
Well... From my Understanding, Ichigo is just kinda the non murdery version of Yoshikage Kira. All the guy wants to do is live a quiet life with his girlfriend but these dang hollows keep popping up everywhere and then they have to raid soul society then they have to deal with Aizen wanting to destroy the world on and on and on and all the guy wants to do is be a bit normal. It's made a point that while Grimmjow loves to fight, and insists Ichigo also loves it deep down, Ichigo insists that he just wants to protect his friends. He's not the typical Shonen dude, he doesn't want to fight fight get stronk, he wants to get strong so he and his friends can have peace. That's the way I see him.


Of course, I haven't watched the fillerpalooza of Naruto nor read the Manga, so no comment.
 
No u.

No seriously, Ichigo is just kinda an audience stand in in a way, considering he just wants to live a normal life, so that's essentially saying you suck.

Which I disagree with.
 
Both have a great development and interesting writing ichigo is something more human, Naruto is more fanciful, he is immature while Ichigo is quite mature for his age, Naruto may be the best writing character but that does not mean that Ichigo is bad, he is more understandable and related. And I do not think Luffy is a good protagonist, he does not show any development, but I like him .. well, who is better is a matter of taste ..
 
Naruto.

Ichigo is a reactive protagonist with no character arc, this make him extremely bland and unrelatable in every way.

outside of a badass design and some great voice acting. there isn't much substance to Ichigo.

in fact, there are dozens of other Bleach characters that far better-written characters.

imo
 
Shadowbokunohero said:
Naruto.

Ichigo is a reactive protagonist with no character arc, this make him extremely bland and unrelatable in every way.

outside of a badass design and some great voice acting. there isn't much substance to Ichigo.

in fact, there are dozens of other Bleach characters that far better-written characters.

imo
I respect your opinion, but i have to disagree....espically on being unrelatable.
 
its fine if you find him relatable, I just don't personally see anything about him that's relatable
 
Ichigo is the most relatable person out of 2,there is nothing I have in common with an orphan boy who grew up to be the worlds greatest ninja.On the other hand Ichigo is quite normal and very relatable considering he just a boy who wanted to save his friends which was his only motive,not specactular for a shonen hero but very normal and human.
 
Goku: I want to fight the world's strongest warriors!

Luffy: I'm gonna be king of the pirates!

Naruto: I'm gonna be ninja president!

Ichigo: I want me and my friends to be able to live a normal life.

everyone looks at Ichigo

Sounds of a strawberry being thrown through a window
 
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