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There are anime characters who are always compared to Sakura Haruno from Naruto, and is down to a lot of different reasons. Sakura has become the poster girl for the female main character because of her series' success and because many people believe her to be a poorly written co-protagonist who never lived up to her potential.
Be that as it may, Sakura is one of those anime characters that has become iconic, whether people like her or not. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense that other female characters, particularly those often co-protagonists, are compared to Sakura, even if it doesn't make sense beyond their roles in the story.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for all the anime characters on this list and the series they are in. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.
10 anime characters who are always compared to Sakura Haruno from Naruto
1. Nobara Kugisaki (Jujutsu Kaisen)
There is no denying that, among anime characters, Nobara Kugisaki of Jujutsu Kaisen has been compared the most to Sakura. That is a direct result of Gege Akutami's manga having an initial setup that was compared to Naruto, with Yuji Itadori being similar to that protagonist, Megumi Fushiguro to Sasuke Uchiha, and Satoru Gojo to Kakashi Hatake.
In that regard, many people think that Nobara is just like Sakura but "written well," which has led to many discussions among the fandoms of those two series. However, there are also a lot of fans believing that Nobara didn't live up to her potential in Jujutsu Kaisen, which, in a way, is also very similar to Sakura's situation.
2. Noelle Silva (Black Clover)
Black Clover's situation is very similar to Jujutsu Kaisen's, with the starting setup of the story being heavily compared to Naruto, with the likes of Asta and Yuno often being perceived as author Yuki Tabata taking inspiration from Kishimoto's main character and Sasuke Uchiha. In that regard, Noelle Silva, the other main character, was compared to Sakura a lot as well.
Noelle is one of the most compelling female anime characters in recent years and has been compared to Sakura due to their role in the story and how both had a similar arc of starting weak and having to grow throughout the series. Furthermore, the shipping war between Mimosa and Noelle fans in Black Clover has been compared to the one Sakura and Hinata fans had in the Naruto community years ago.
3. Nami (One Piece)
Nami has been one of the most well-known anime characters in recent years due to the ever-increasing popularity of One Piece, which has led to comparisons to the character Sakura. It makes sense because they were both part of the Big Three of shonen anime of the early 2000s, and both are the female main characters in the cast.
There are a lot of comparisons between Nami and Sakura because of how they treat their main characters and their roles in their stories. Some people think that Nami is better written; others believe that Sakura becomes more involved in the action, which is bound to continue in the coming years.
4. Inoue Orihime (Bleach)
There is no denying that Orihime is one of the anime characters who has been compared the most to Sakura, especially during Bleach and Naruto's heyday in the 2000s. That is due to how both characters function in their respective stories and the fact that some of the criticism they got was very similar.
Both Sakura and Orihime have received criticism for not being very prominent on the battlefield and often having to perform as the cast's healers, which is something that a lot of fans didn't like. Furthermore, many didn't like how they ended up with Ichigo Kurosaki and Sasuke Uchiha, respectively.
5. Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan)
It is fair to say that Mikasa is somewhat different from the rest of the anime characters on this list but her comparison to Sakura still stands. That is because of the success of the Attack on Titan series and also because she shares a very negative trait with the female lead in Naruto.
Both Sakura and Mikasa had the flaw of obsessing over a guy who had no interest in them and was overly toxic towards them: Sasuke Uchiha and Eren Yeager. These two characters were extremely harmful to them throughout the years and Sakura and Mikasa were defined because of their obsession with them.
6. Winry Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Fullmetal Alchemist is a timeless classic of the shonen genre and has a lot of beloved anime characters, but Winry Rockbell's character stands out from the rest. She is a valuable ally to Edward and Alphonse, often working as their mechanic and tending to their wounds after some difficult battles.
Winry is compared to Sakura because they share similar roles in the story, although many agree that the former was better written. Part of the reason is that Winry's relationship with Ed is much more organic and flows naturally, making their resolution feel much more satisfying to the fandom.
7. Ochako Uraraka (My Hero Academia)
Much like other anime characters on this list, My Hero Academia's Ochako Uraraka has been compared to Sakura Haruno because they hold similar roles in their respective stories. They are both the female leads of a very popular Shonen series. However, it is worth pointing out that the fandom has criticized Uraraka for a very similar reason to Sakura.
Many people agree that Uraraka was sidelined as the series progressed and that shipping significantly reduced her character. That is something that probably happened to Sakura as well, which is why many people tend to compare them from that perspective.
8. Videl (Dragon Ball)
Videl is one of those anime characters compared to Sakura because fans have noticed their traits, and their resolutions are quite similar. In that regard, the said resolution is a very good example of what tends to happen in Shonen regarding its female characters.
Much like Sakura in Naruto, Videl had a lot of potential in the early days of her introduction to Dragon Ball. Author Akira Toriyama spent a decent amount of time building Videl's character, only for her to be sidelined during most of the series ever since, serving as a housewife, which is something a lot of Naruto fans have felt with Sakura as well.
9. Lucy Heartfilia (Fairy Tail)
Fairy Tail is a series that was extremely popular during its run, and the franchise was always compared to several major Shonen series at the time, with Naruto being no exception. And when it comes to anime characters compared to Sakura, Lucy Heartfilia was one of the first names to be brought up.
Lucy is similar to Sakura in the sense that they are often sidelined and get minor roles when it comes to battles. Furthermore, Lucy started as the series' protagonist and never lived up to her potential, which is something that a lot of Naruto fans understand after what Sakura went through.
10. Raphtalia (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
Raphtalia was the first ally of the series' main character, Naofumi, and built a very good relationship with him. She is often compared to Sakura because they both started as fairly ineffective fighters but managed to learn and grow as people and warriors, cementing themselves in the protagonist's party.
Of course, Raphtalia is also compared to Sakura because, while they have similar roles, the former is much more proactive on the battlefield. That is something that led to several anime characters being compared to Sakura because most fans agree she should have been more active in the fights in Naruto.
Final thoughts
Many more anime characters have been compared to Sakura Haruno over the years, although it is worth pointing out that they are for different reasons. Sometimes, it can be because of their roles in the story (Noelle and Nobara), while others can be because of them being underutilized (Orihime) or being connected to a toxic romance (Mikasa).
