Boruto has a large and dedicated fanbase that simply can't get enough of the show's ninja-filled world. And with any big fanbase comes debates over character popularity, with everyone having their own favorite and least favorite characters. This is especially true with Boruto, as not only does it have its own cast of characters to love, it also features many super-popular characters from Naruto. However, when Viz Media did a character popularity poll, a surprising character took third place.
The first and second positions in the poll went to Boruto and Naruto, which isn't surprising considering that they are the protagonists of their respective series and thus get most of the spotlight. However, in third place was Sarada Uchiha, the daughter of Sasuke and Sakura. In fact, Sarada actually beats her parents in the poll, with Sasuke in fifth place and Sakura in sixth. But why is Sarada so popular?
Naturally talented due to her parents, Sarada is highly skilled with chakra. This chakra allows her to massively increase her strength and channel it into devastating attacks. She is also talented in many ninjutsu, and her Sharingan powers allow her to copy other people's moves within moments of seeing them. However, due to Sasuke's various secret missions, Sarada grew up without her father around for long periods of time, with only her mother as support.
This led to Sarada having a crisis and debating if Sakura was even her real mother, eventually going on a quest to find out more about her father. During this quest, she had to come to terms with both her parents and her own feelings of abandonment. Despite this, she is a very open person, unlike her father, and often wears her emotions on her sleeve. Though she does have a fiery temper, meaning that she isn't someone you want to cross.
It isn't hard to see why Sarada is so adored by fans. For one, she is a well-developed female character, which can be hard to find in mainstream shonen. Unlike many female main characters, Sarada's goal isn't to find romance or chase a boy she has a crush on. Instead, she aims to improve her skills, help people and eventually claim the title of Hokage, something that no member of her clan has ever been able to achieve. This lofty goal is inspiring and sets her apart from other female main characters while also giving her an underdog charm that is hard not to root for.
On top of this, Sarada's upbringing is handled in a fascinating and nuanced way. While Sarada's family lineage does give her impressive powers, her life isn't a walk in the park, and she is often shown putting in the effort to overcome her issues and improve herself. This makes her way more interesting and relatable than similar characters who get to waltz through life thanks to their hereditary powers. Also, the story addresses how hard it would be to have parents like Sasuke and Sakura and how Sasuke's long periods away would emotionally impact a young child, something that is rarely touched on in fiction. Sarada's arc of dealing with her upbringing and seeing her parents for who they are, faults and all, is powerful and relatable to anyone who has struggled with a difficult family growing up.
Sarada's powers are also astonishing. She can hold her own against powerful foes, and thanks to her analytical nature, she can take down people with much stronger abilities. She can even hold her own when fighting alongside Boruto. Something that clearly shows how strong and talented she is. This, mixed with her massive range of powers and unique approach to combat, allows her to regularly steal the show with battles that are exciting, visually stunning and creative. The most notable example of this is her fight with Buntan Kurosuki, where Sarada tricks Buntan into electrified water so she can ignite the resulting hydrogen, causing a devastating explosion.
While Boruto has a fantastic central cast, it isn't hard to see why Sarada is so popular within the fandom. She is a fun character who contributes a lot to the plot and the show's general atmosphere while also having a lot of depth and a thoughtful, comprehensive arc. Let's hope that she gets more time in the spotlight so that her fans and those still on the fence can enjoy her engaging personality and heroic journey.
