AnimeSuki Forums

james0246 · 2009-12-21, 00:06

This thread is dedicated to the seldom seen and often underappreciated (sometimes by the creator himself) characters. Here we will discuss our favourite non-major character and either their impact within the story, or their basic potential as a character/fighter/etc. Do not, I repeat do not, turn this into a flame war; this thread is only dedicated to appreciation, and while criticism is useful, it is not the intent of this thread to be used as a grounds for lambasting the various tertiary characters (though, it is okay to vent your frustration that a favourite tertiary character never made their way to secondary or main character status).

Note: the poll options were designed around characters that have no real place in the story - They've never played an important role besides seat-fillers. So, this thread will not list such characters as Anko, Hinata, Asuma, Kurenai, or other lesser characters that while not main, are still firmly secondary. Rather, these tertiary characters have firm connections to the secondary and main characters, but their appearance seems almost unnecessary for any particular scene, if for no other reason than they never seem to do anything of importance (or if they even attempt something, they fail before they even get going (Hinata is only saved from this because of her "love" for Naruto)).

edit: This thread is open to both anime and manga fans, so please place spoilers around any potentially unknown characters, etc.

wingdarkness · 2009-12-21, 00:28

Give me Shino or give me death...

milan kyuubi · 2009-12-21, 01:29

Ebisu for sure, he can be funny and serius when he has to. I also like how Naruto calls him closet pervert.

Bassoonicmayhem · 2009-12-21, 02:33

Shino has always been one of my favorites! I wish he got more screen time. =/

valk0v · 2009-12-21, 03:41

Hanabi, i want to see more of the bykugan

Kafriel · 2009-12-21, 05:24

I voted for Iruka, Chouji and Tenten...
Iruka: for being Naruto's first bond, he was forgotten way too easily, if Naruto ever gets to attend the jounin exams, I'd like to see him fight against Iruka, or at least do a mission or two as fellow chuunin.
Chouji: Shikamaru's best friend, although he doesn't steal the spotlight like his buddy. I like this character more in terms of battle development, medicine can always have all sorts of effects on yourself and a true ninja would drug his enemies too, adding stealth or even suspense to a fight (but not venturing into death note-caliber of suspense, would be way too ooc for Chouji).
Tenten: could have been very frustrated at how she's the same as usual when her teammates are growing in power every single day, but Gai, Lee and Neji could also use a lot more panel time...especially if the author decided to develop his characters from comic relief and filler material to ninjas who strive to fight with their own way of the ninja, much like Naruto. Lee in particular could have made an entire arc featuring the obstacles of being an exclusive taijutsu ninja, with Gai giving him a few tips and Neji being his final hurdle.

Cub-Sama · 2009-12-21, 09:31

Other for Ichiraku and his daughter, I wish I could see them more, that cooking ninja thing was funny.

The Chaos · 2009-12-21, 10:37

I voted only for Tenten

DeDe · 2009-12-21, 17:01

I know what you are saying. But some of these characters are still more secondary. Hell, in the anime, Shino gets tons of time compared to the manga. A tertiary character is someone with a very minor role who shows up for a certain amount of time in the background, never the focus of anything. Choji was the focus of a few chapters. Shino was the focus of a few chapters. Iruka was in the manga a lot in the early stages and has a relationship with the main character. Tenten? Yeah, she probably qualifies. But I'm thinking more like Genma, Aoba, Inari, Moegi, Baki, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kafriel

Chouji: Shikamaru's best friend, although he doesn't steal the spotlight like his buddy.

That's because he is not as interesting and has little to no fanbase. Shika was voted in the top 5 most popular Naruto characters in a couple official Shonen Jump polls. Choji was the only one of the kids to not crack the top 30. Who would you focus on? Choji was the classic example of a character who should have died. He had the perfect death. There was no reason to bring him back.

Kafriel · 2009-12-21, 18:04

Quote:

But some of these characters are still more secondary.

The Poll gods (i.e. James xD) can change it, we can only cling to his options~

Quote:

Genma, Aoba, Inari, Moegi, Baki, etc.

Genma and Baki qualify, since they're both above average and were discarded too fast, but Inari is just a human, if I expected to see him anywhere, it would be at the very end of NARUTO. Why do you include Moegi and Aoba in the best? I find them the incarnation of generic when it comes to anbu and genin...

Quote:

Choji was the classic example of a character who should have died. He had the perfect death. There was no reason to bring him back.

Neji could have died too, but in the end they both lived...actually a great lot of naruto characters have had chances at dying, it's a shame that so many survived o_0

james0246 · 2009-12-21, 18:05

^Number of fights does matter to the definition of secondary or tertiary, but ultimately it is not the quantity of appearances, but rather the emotional range as well as character development (the "quality") that represents the gap between secondary and tertiary. To briefly look at the world of The Simpsons, characters such as Chief & Ralph Wiggum, Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel, Sideshow Bob, Smithers, Jeff Albertson, Troy McClure, etc, all make multiple appearances (and even have an episode or episodes dedicated solely to themselves and their "character development"), but all are labeled as tertiary. (I could go through other popular stories, etc, but suffice to say, many tertiary characters are still present during large sections of the story, they are just ultimately unimportant to the story or they lack any real character definition...that is why they are tertiary).

While I may agree that Iruka could probably be classified as a secondary character, the others (Shino, Chouji, etc) are clearly tertiary characters since they have very little importance to anyone or anything (they can be readily replaced by almost anyone since their fights, if they do fight, have little actual character development (this is definitely true of Shino and Kankuro, but Chouji's one fight did matter, but sadly he lived)).

Main characters have "full" definition (they are "round" with well defined emotional qualities, actions and responses), secondary characters have slightly less definition, and tertiary characters have little to no real definition beyond their introduction (flat and predictable). (That is not to say that main characters without sufficient definition automatically become tertiary, that simply means that the main character is boring, and the author/creator is bad

.)

kitten320 · 2009-12-21, 21:25

I only voted for Kankuro.

Haladflire65 · 2009-12-22, 02:55

I've always thought Shino was interesting/cool, and I'd like more from him. It's a real pity that he hasn't done anything through the entire series.

Aimingan12 · 2009-12-23, 00:17

I only voted for Ibiki

**monir** · 2009-12-23, 01:16

I only voted for Shino, Chouji, Ibiki, Kankuro, Hanabi, Iruka. I also wanted to vote for Moegi, the ultimate sexiness representing the female species according to her own words. So I voted for Others as well.

james0246 · 2009-12-23, 01:32

Where is all the Udon love? Come on people, if Naruto ever becomes Hokage, it is so obvious that Udon will be his succesor. I mean, they are both named for a Japanese food, and that has to mean something...

That being said, Show'em all Hanabi, show'em just why and how you are going to steal away Naruto from your older sister...

**monir** · 2009-12-23, 01:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by james0246

That being said, Show'em all Hanabi, show'em just why and how you are going to steal away Naruto from your older sister...

Just by the virtue of Hanabi is the future sister-in-law for Naruto. Sister-in-law tends to be hotter than the wifey in general. Btw, who is Udon? I'm drawing a blank here.

james0246 · 2009-12-23, 02:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by monir

Just by the virtue of Hanabi is the future sister-in-law for Naruto. Sister-in-law tends to be hotter than the wifey in general. Btw, who is Udon? I'm drawing a blank here.

"The one who likes dividing by numbers: Udon." Udon is Moegi and Konohamaru's partner in crime and the third member of Team Ebisu, not to mention the 8th Hokage...and he has a runny nose.

**monir** · 2009-12-23, 03:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by james0246

"The one who likes dividing by numbers: Udon." Udon is Moegi and Konohamaru's partner in crime and the third member of Team Ebisu, not to mention the 8th Hokage...and he has a runny nose.

My profound apology for daring to forget such prominent name. Of course I remember the 8th hokage with runny nose. The man is as dashing and equally charming just as Moegi's aura as a woman and the self-proclaimed sex-appeal she projects.

I wish I could vote for Udon now.

milan kyuubi · 2009-12-23, 11:06

Spoiler for Ebisu:

2009-12-21, 00:06	Link #1
james0246 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: East Cupcake	Best Tertiary Character This thread is dedicated to the seldom seen and often underappreciated (sometimes by the creator himself) characters. Here we will discuss our favourite non-major character and either their impact within the story, or their basic potential as a character/fighter/etc. Do not, I repeat do not, turn this into a flame war; this thread is only dedicated to appreciation, and while criticism is useful, it is not the intent of this thread to be used as a grounds for lambasting the various tertiary characters (though, it is okay to vent your frustration that a favourite tertiary character never made their way to secondary or main character status). Note: the poll options were designed around characters that have no real place in the story - They've never played an important role besides seat-fillers. So, this thread will not list such characters as Anko, Hinata, Asuma, Kurenai, or other lesser characters that while not main, are still firmly secondary. Rather, these tertiary characters have firm connections to the secondary and main characters, but their appearance seems almost unnecessary for any particular scene, if for no other reason than they never seem to do anything of importance (or if they even attempt something, they fail before they even get going (Hinata is only saved from this because of her "love" for Naruto)). edit: This thread is open to both anime and manga fans, so please place spoilers around any potentially unknown characters, etc. Last edited by james0246; 2009-12-21 at 00:29.

2009-12-21, 00:28	Link #2
wingdarkness Retweet Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: ニュー・オーリンズ、LA	Give me Shino or give me death... __________________ Fly since ↔...

2009-12-21, 01:29	Link #3
milan kyuubi Call me MK! :) Graphic Designer Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: The top of the world. Age: 34	Ebisu for sure, he can be funny and serius when he has to. I also like how Naruto calls him closet pervert. __________________ My Twitter account! *Thanks to* Godlike1889 *for the sig! Last edited by Hunter; 2009-12-23 at 10:46.*

2009-12-21, 02:33	Link #4
Bassoonicmayhem The Procrastinator Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: it's too dark to tell...	Shino has always been one of my favorites! I wish he got more screen time. =/ __________________ Speical thanks to Haladflire65 for the awesome Signature

2009-12-21, 09:31	Link #7
Cub-Sama Member of DOLLARS Artist Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: In the magical land of Moonswell pass Age: 28	Other for Ichiraku and his daughter, I wish I could see them more, that cooking ninja thing was funny. __________________ We are DOLLARS, credit for sig goes to CMHerrera-chan

View Poll Results: Who is your favourite tertiary character?
Shino	33	48.53%
Kankuro	11	16.18%
Tenten	16	23.53%
Chouji	11	16.18%
Iruka	15	22.06%
Ebisu	3	4.41%
Ibiki	8	11.76%
Udon	2	2.94%
Hanabi	8	11.76%
Other	15	22.06%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 68. You may not vote on this poll

2009-12-21, 03:41	Link #5
valk0v Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bulgaria, Burgas	Hanabi, i want to see more of the bykugan

2009-12-21, 05:24	Link #6
Kafriel Senior Guest Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Athens (GMT+2) Age: 35	I voted for Iruka, Chouji and Tenten... Iruka: for being Naruto's first bond, he was forgotten way too easily, if Naruto ever gets to attend the jounin exams, I'd like to see him fight against Iruka, or at least do a mission or two as fellow chuunin. Chouji: Shikamaru's best friend, although he doesn't steal the spotlight like his buddy. I like this character more in terms of battle development, medicine can always have all sorts of effects on yourself and a true ninja would drug his enemies too, adding stealth or even suspense to a fight (but not venturing into death note-caliber of suspense, would be way too ooc for Chouji). Tenten: could have been very frustrated at how she's the same as usual when her teammates are growing in power every single day, but Gai, Lee and Neji could also use a lot more panel time...especially if the author decided to develop his characters from comic relief and filler material to ninjas who strive to fight with their own way of the ninja, much like Naruto. Lee in particular could have made an entire arc featuring the obstacles of being an exclusive taijutsu ninja, with Gai giving him a few tips and Neji being his final hurdle.

2009-12-21, 10:37	Link #8
The Chaos ǾΝΈ ΡЇΈÇΈ is the Best !! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: away from you Age: 35	I voted only for Tenten __________________

2009-12-21, 18:05	Link #11
james0246 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: East Cupcake	^Number of fights does matter to the definition of secondary or tertiary, but ultimately it is not the quantity of appearances, but rather the emotional range as well as character development (the "quality") that represents the gap between secondary and tertiary. To briefly look at the world of The Simpsons, characters such as Chief & Ralph Wiggum, Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel, Sideshow Bob, Smithers, Jeff Albertson, Troy McClure, etc, all make multiple appearances (and even have an episode or episodes dedicated solely to themselves and their "character development"), but all are labeled as tertiary. (I could go through other popular stories, etc, but suffice to say, many tertiary characters are still present during large sections of the story, they are just ultimately unimportant to the story or they lack any real character definition...that is why they are tertiary). While I may agree that Iruka could probably be classified as a secondary character, the others (Shino, Chouji, etc) are clearly tertiary characters since they have very little importance to anyone or anything (they can be readily replaced by almost anyone since their fights, if they do fight, have little actual character development (this is definitely true of Shino and Kankuro, but Chouji's one fight did matter, but sadly he lived)). Main characters have "full" definition (they are "round" with well defined emotional qualities, actions and responses), secondary characters have slightly less definition, and tertiary characters have little to no real definition beyond their introduction (flat and predictable). (That is not to say that main characters without sufficient definition automatically become tertiary, that simply means that the main character is boring, and the author/creator is bad .)

2009-12-21, 21:25	Link #12
kitten320 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007	I only voted for Kankuro. __________________ My anime list

2009-12-22, 02:55	Link #13
Haladflire65 Senior Member Artist Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Normandy SR-2 Age: 29	I've always thought Shino was interesting/cool, and I'd like more from him. It's a real pity that he hasn't done anything through the entire series. __________________

2009-12-23, 00:17	Link #14
Aimingan12 Chibi's Bishie Author Join Date: May 2008 Location: In Fire Age: 34	I only voted for Ibiki __________________ "All is lost."

2009-12-23, 01:32	Link #16
james0246 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: East Cupcake	Where is all the Udon love? Come on people, if Naruto ever becomes Hokage, it is so obvious that Udon will be his succesor. I mean, they are both named for a Japanese food, and that has to mean something... That being said, Show'em all Hanabi, show'em just why and how you are going to steal away Naruto from your older sister...

2009-12-23, 11:06	Link #20
milan kyuubi Call me MK! :) Graphic Designer Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: The top of the world. Age: 34	Spoiler for Ebisu: Ebisu's reaction after he hears what happend to Naruto after kage sumit. Spoiler for funny: Ebisu joined the Yu-Gi-Oh world. Spoiler for funny: __________________ My Twitter account! *Thanks to* Godlike1889 *for the sig*!