Naruto is a long-running anime and manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. The story focuses on the hero Naruto Uzumaki as he overcomes fate to become a ninja. Naruto's journey isn't easy. Several people already judge him for what power he hosts inside his body. Luckily, Naruto will meet plenty of classmates and seasoned fighters who are willing to help him. When the story first begins, he joins Team 7 which includes Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake. Those bonds slowly start to dissolve.

At first, Naruto continues to hold back his pain with a smile. No matter how hard he tries, there are plenty of people who doubt his skills. Naruto soon forms a bond with Hinata Hyūga, who has also had a rough upbringing. Their friendship slowly grows into something more, which would eventually become a significant factor in the sequel series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.

Hinata begins the series as a shy, meek girl who is afraid to stand up for herself. While Naruto holds back his emotions with a smile, it's not as easy for Hinata. But, behind her lavender eyes holds a kind spirit. Many in her life have disregarded her because of how she appears on the inside, which makes the power she wields so surprising. Hinata is a complex character who grows throughout the series. Many fans of the series continue to doubt her skills or get them wrong.

Our list details some of the most common facts people get wrong about Hinata. There are major spoilers for the entire series throughout.

25 Everybody Loves Sasuke

There's something about Sasuke that makes the female characters of Naruto fawn over him. At the start of the series, Naruto tried to show his feelings to Sakura, but she made it clear she only cared for Sasuke.

Hinata is the only female character who hasn't had a crush on Naruto's rival.

She has been kind to him, once giving her a bento box meal, but it wasn't out of love. Hinata has always been fond of Naruto over everyone else.

24 Never Experienced Family Strife

One of Hinata's leading causes of stress is her family. Hiashi Hyūga, her father, has had high expectations of his oldest daughter since she was young.

After she failed in a competition to inherit the Hyūga clan, Hiashi never looked at her the same. He decided to support the winner of the competition, which left Hinata feeling powerless. With her mother gone, Hinata didn't have much support in the Hyūga family, which made her feel like an outcast.

23 Wasn’t Well Received

Naruto contains a wide variety of characters. The publisher of the manga series decided which character was the most popular at the time. They released various polls, eventually including Hinata as an option. In the first poll, she was voted as the top 10 characters.

The next survey showed her in sixth place. She's never breached the top five results, but she has often been the only female character to make the top ten rankings. These polls show just how popular she is among Naruto fans in Japan.

22 Loves All Types Of Seafood

Naruto is no stranger to ramen shops. He has a healthy appetite compared to other characters in the series.

Hinata doesn't mind visiting Ichiraku Ramen with Naruto but prefers eating other foods.

Hinata's favorite sweet snack is cinnamon rolls. Hinata also enjoys a bowl of zenzai which is a sweet soup made of red beans. Her least favorite items are seafood with shells. Hinata doesn't like crabs or shrimp but probably wouldn't refuse a dish made from the crustaceans out of politeness.

21 Never Tried To Impress Naruto

When we're first introduced to Hinata, she has short hair. Many other girls at the academy were growing out their hair to catch Sasuke's attention. Hinata only cared for Naruto. She hoped that by cutting her hair short, Naruto would get the hint that she didn't care for Sasuke. It was her shy way of telling Naruto she liked him.

Over time, Hinata didn't pay as much attention to what others around her thought. She began to wear her hair long, the way she preferred, no matter how others may interpret it.

20 Never Believed In Him

Hinata may have always believed in Naruto, but it took him longer to see it in himself. He spent most of his life wanting attention from those who isolated in Konoha village. For years, Naruto believed Sakura was the one for him.

In The Last: Naruto the Movie, Naruto realizes he was wrong. Hinata believed in him and helped him achieve his goals throughout their childhood and teenage years. She never gave up on Naruto, even when he had feelings for someone else.

19 Has Limited Skills

Hinata has enjoyed cooking since she was young. She picked up the skill from her mother, who passed away when she was young. Hinata has prepared her lunch for the academy, but also prepared meals for others. She made a lunch box for Sasuke when he was grieving and left before he could refuse to accept it. Hinata's skill set isn't limited to meals.

With Sakura's help, Hinata has baked special Valentine's Day chocolate for Naruto.

She wants others to enjoy her meals to show them how much she cares for them.

18 Her Future was Always Obvious

It's no secret that Hinata likes Naruto. He's unsure of his feelings for her for most of the series. Those behind the series know the truth. They hoped that fans would get the hint. Their future relationship is hinted in various Naruto video game series.

In many of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games, using Hinata and Naruto in a team would give them the title "Secret Lovers." Many Naruto and Sakura couple fans were shocked, but it was apparent early on that the games were foreshadowing future events.

17 Lived An Easy Life

When Hinata was three-years-old, her family was at war with the Kumogakure clan. Head Ninja from the Kumogakure decided to stop the war. He visited the Hyūga family to sign a peace treaty between their clans.

The peace treaty was, in reality, a trick to abduct Hinata. Her father was forced to eliminate him, which started the "Hyūga Affair." The Kumogakure denied the abduction accusation and demanded that Hiashi is also eliminated. His twin brother, Hizashi, went in his place. His sacrifice protected both the Hyūga clan and their village but at a high cost.

16 Quick To Give Up

Naruto is often seen as extremely lively and confident. He managed to overcome the isolation and negativity from the people of Konoha.

Not every character is as confident as Naruto.

Hinata couldn't overcome her past so easily. She lacked self-confidence and didn't believe in her abilities. After meeting Naruto, she became inspired by his positive attitude. She began to adopt the phrase "jishin" or "self-confidence" to motivate herself to overcome obstacles. When she feels insecure, she tells herself "jinshin" and continues forward.

15 Simple To Understand

Names in the Naruto series often reflect their owners. The name "Hinata" means "place in the sun." The kanji of her name can also refer to her surname, Hyūga. Her name is fitting as she overcomes her insecurities and tries to find her place in the Hyūga clan.

According to the fourth Naruto Secret: Scroll of Formation Character Official Databook, her whole name is referred to as "pure white lily." This is later represented in Chapter 699 when white lilies are placed on the grave of her cousin, Neji.

14 Compared To A Close Friend

Sakura Haruno is often seen as the primary heroine of the Naruto series because of her early appearance. Once Hinata made her debut, she began to have a bigger role in the series.

During a 2010 interview, the creator Masashi Kishimoto admitted the truth. Kishimoto's co-workers admitted they felt that Hinata was more of a heroine than Sakura. They felt Hinata had a more powerful backstory than Sakura, who had a relatively easy childhood compared to the other cast.

13 Was Always Accepted

Hinata is the oldest daughter of the Hyūga clan. As a child, she was considered weak and frail. Her father believed that she wasn't fit to inherit the clan. Hinata was forced to fight her sister Hanabi to claim the title of "Heiress of the Hyūga."

Hinata was a formidable opponent, but couldn't hurt her sister.

This was seen as a weakness to their father. Hinata lost the match because she was unwilling to hurt Hanabi. For her failure, Hinata was cast out of the Hyūga clan.

12 Can’t Finish Her Ramen

Naruto Uzumaki loves ramen. He visited Ichiraku Ramen so often that he befriended the owner Teuchi and his daughter. Hinata, wanting to get close to Naruto, also visited his favorite ramen shop. They grew close talking over giant bowls of the noodle soup.

Hinata confided in Naruto, and he was happy to spend time with his friend. Though ramen isn't her favorite food, she finished 46 bowls in one sitting. The shop crowned her the "Legendary Queen of Gluttony." The title embarrassed her but impressed her crush.

11 Unable To Fight

When we are first introduced to Hinata, she's insecure about her abilities. She didn't let herself unleash her true power. We slowly watch her grow to be more confident. During the Bikōchū Search Mission, she begins training to create a new jutsu technique.

Hinata learns the high-level Gentle Fist technique "Twin Lion Fists," becoming one of the youngest characters in the series to wield it. It's a short range attack in the anime and manga series, but in many of the video games she launches it as a projectile.

10 Eyes Like Any Other

Hinata has unusual eyes that make her stand out among her peers. Her eyes are a lavender color without visible pupils. This unique feature doesn't mean she's unable to see. They're part of her Byakugan, which was inherited from the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

Hinata's Byakugan isn't a fashion statement.

Her eyes give her unique abilities with little effort which include seeing an opponent's chakra more visibly than the Sharingan. Using this ability helps her when using the Gentle Fist technique.

9 Not Chosen For A Greater Purpose

The Hyūga clan is one of four noble clans in the Konohagakure. At the end of the series, we learn the Hyūga are descendants of Hamura Ōtsutsuki of the Ōtsutsuki clan, making them one of the most powerful groups of the region.

Hinata eventually meets the sage. He is impressed by the purity of her chakra and decides to transfer his power to her. This transfer causes the color of her chakra to turn purple. Not only does this amplify her power, but also lifts up the stamina of others. Using her chakra, she helped Naruto recover almost instantly.

8 Everyone Pairs Her With Naruto

He planned early on to make Hinata and Naruto a couple, which upset some readers. Kishimoto told Anime News Network "I almost caused a rift in my own household too because my wife was very upset also that Naruto didn't get together with Sakura." Many who have enjoyed the series from the beginning always hoped that Sakura would return Naruto's feelings.

Naruto himself realized that Sakura was something else that he was battling Sasuke over. Naruto realized that Hinata was the one for him.

7 Marriage Didn’t Change Her

Hinata went through a drastic change towards the end of the original series. She went from meek to determined. Her personality further changes after marrying Naruto and having two children. Hinata is a strict mother who is quick to punish her children when they act out of line.

Hinata loves them with all her heart, but she also believes in rules and structure.

One thing she doesn't do is try to hold them back. She knows they have inherited Naruto's independence. Hinata strives to encourage them.

6 Always Meant To Be A Kunoichi

Hinata has become one of the most well-known kunoichi, or female ninja, in the series. Kishimoto originally had different plans for her. He developed her as a character that would support Naruto but had no ties to fighting.

Kishimoto eventually changed his mind and decided to make her a kunoichi. In the Naruto Databook, her initial designs had her wearing a fashionable dress, not battle attire. He eventually settled on styling her with ninja garb mixed with modern accessories.