With the Naruto manga ending recently, it seems like a good time to reflect upon the vast cast of characters that have entertained fans for 15 years. Naruto has had many friends, enemies, and teachers over the course of the series, and we've taken upon the difficult task of narrowing them down to the 10 greatest.

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But what makes a character "great"? Is it how powerful they are? Is it their coolness? Is it popularity? All those criteria were a factor for this list, but we're also going to go a little deeper. Memorable characters have great, well-written stories that stick with you and give you new perspective. Although the Naruto saga has plenty of powerful characters with badass abilities and cool visual design, we are partial to the ones that intrigued and excited us with their personal stories. So this list will primarily focus on the Naruto cast members who had the best stories to tell, and whose presence enriched the Naruto mythology the most.Take a look at our list, then head to the comments to let us know your top 10.

10 Iruka Umino

The ordinary guy with a big heart and wasn't afraid to show it, Iruka marked the early story of Naruto with his compassion and kindness. He was the first person to recognize Naruto as a vulnerable little boy who needed a little extra care, instead of a nuisance or a ticking time bomb. This feat is even more remarkable considering that Naruto contained within him the Nine Tails demon that killed Iruka's parents. But Iruka had the inner strength to see beyond that and care for Naruto like he was his own son.Despite making few appearances later in the series, Iruka managed to stay in the top 10 of nearly every annual Naruto Character Popularity Poll. Nowadays it's easy to forget how much an impact Iruka had on Naruto because it's been a while since he's had a prominent role in the story, but he was Naruto's first teacher, and arguably the one who set the foundation for the man he would become. Even after Kakashi takes over the role of teaching Naruto, Iruka still periodically provides his former student with guidance. While Kakashi taught Naruto a lot about being a ninja, Iruka arguably taught him more about how to live a good life. Iruka was far from the strongest shinobi, and he certainly didn't have the mysterious cool of Kakashi, and he didn't teach Naruto any badass jutsu. But he was always there for his students and taught Naruto to believe in himself just as much as he did.

9 Kabuto Yakushi

The sneakiest of sneaky bastards, Kabuto helped define the early parts of the Naruto storyline as an antagonist and Orochimaru's right hand man. At first it seemed he was just a lackey, but as time passed we learned more about his impressive skills. It's not often that the bad guys in anime hide in plain sight as well as Kabuto did. Kabuto was a master manipulator who fooled everybody, and even Orochimaru wondered what side he was truly on.But what really made Kabuto an interesting and sympathetic character was his history. His childhood was tragic, but it was also marked by kindness. As a deeply embedded spy with many cover stories, he started to question his own identity and purpose, which led to his association with the power-hungry Orochimaru.Kabuto grew from a sidekick to a grand villain himself, undergoing physical and mental transformations that made him one of the most developed characters in the series. And in the process he used his heightened intelligence and abilities to defeat some of the greatest Shinobi around, though in the end he came around and turned out to be not such a bad guy after all.

8 Rock Lee

Perhaps a little too intense, but always fiercely devoted to his cause, Rock Lee added all sorts of flavor to the series. He had the notable "handicap" of only being good at taijutsu, the martial arts branch of ninja abilities. That meant he couldn't access all the cool Saiyan-esque powers like Chidori and Rasengan. But for Lee it didn't matter; he became a mighty ninja despite his limitations.And Lee's disadvantages weren't just limited to his lack of other types of jutsu. This is a kid surrounded by ninja "geniuses," many from notable families with long histories of incredible feats. Not to mention his very odd appearance, which earns him abundant teasing from his classmates. Lee was the true underdog of the series -- the kid in school who had to fight extra hard to earn respect because he looked funny and wasn't born into the right family. All Lee has is his determination and his body, which he puts through incredible ordeals to achieve his goals.Although his story is somewhat incomplete without his teacher, Might Guy, it's his emulation of his mentor and father figure that really helps add a poignant element to a character who, like so many in this series, had a rough childhood. Of all the characters in Naruto, Lee is probably the one that parents would most like their kids to learn from.

7 Sasuke Uchiha

Naruto's rival and closest friend, Sasuke was a constant force in the story. Though he was never quite the warmest guy in the world, his screwed up past certainly gave him reason to be a little cold. But Sasuke always had a dark side that gradually led to his conversion to a full on antagonist who betrayed everyone who loved him. His transition from valued friend to bitter enemy is the core driving force of the series.Part of what made Sasuke's story intriguing was his power. Even from the beginning of the series, he was a talented little ninja with abilities far advanced for his age. But his power made him arrogant and overly proud, traits that stuck with him throughout the series despite some humbling from Naruto and Kakashi. That sense that he always knew what was best led to his belief that only he could serve as Hokage and create peace through destruction. The level of hubris is almost Shakespearean, and Sasuke's journey between the dark and the light is a complex and entertaining one.So why isn't Sasuke higher on the list? The problem is consistency. Although Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto did write some great moments for Sasuke, his story was often dragged out to the point of tedium and there were times when his character seemed to have powers and abilities out of nowhere.

6 Tsunade

It's somewhat rare for a woman in a "boys" manga to be both strong and beautiful; to encompass elements of both masculine and feminine. But that's what Tsunade was, and it was a refreshing change from the usual.Tsunade was a gambling, drinking, face-punching, no-nonsense woman with the face of a fashion model and boobs big enough to serve as flotation devices in a water emergency. Despite her somewhat stereotypical "assets," when she became Hokage it was a powerful statement about gender equality in the series. There were few female characters in the show at the time, and all of them were portrayed as less important and less influential than their male counterparts, but Tsunade changed all that and brought some much-needed feminine perspective to the story.On top of all that, Tsunade provided a strong mentor figure to Sakura, who was oftentimes overshadowed by her male teammates. There are plenty of male student-teacher relationships in manga/anime, but Tsunade and Sakura created a rare and effective female version.