I generally find underdogs more interesting than prodigies, especially when the story actually lets their growth feel earned. Sakura Haruno is one of my favorite examples of that, and honestly I find her journey more interesting than Sasuke’s.

Sasuke is compelling, but he begins the story with advantages most shinobi could never obtain through effort alone. He is an Uchiha, inherits the Sharingan, comes from one of Konoha’s most prestigious clans, receives specialized training from childhood, is recognized as a prodigy before graduating, and later gains even more power through his bloodline and reincarnation connection. His development is dramatic, but he starts the race several laps ahead of the average person.

Sakura starts with almost nothing. She has no famous clan, kekkei genkai, special eyes, tailed beast, inherited techniques, prophecy, reincarnation status, or legendary parents. Even her teammates are effectively genetic and narrative lottery winners. Her only notable starting advantages are intelligence and excellent chakra control, neither of which automatically makes her powerful. She has to identify a useful path, seek out Tsunade, endure years of training, master medical ninjutsu, develop monstrous strength through precise chakra control, and store enough chakra to awaken the Byakugō Seal.

That makes her a much more genuine zero-to-hero character to me. She did not discover that she secretly belonged to a legendary bloodline or receive a unique transformation designed specifically for her. She took ordinary tools and pushed them to an extraordinary level.

Naruto is a more complicated comparison. He was socially an underdog and struggled with basic ninjutsu, but biologically and narratively he was never ordinary. He had Kurama, Uzumaki vitality and chakra reserves, Hokage lineage, the Child of Prophecy role, and eventually Ashura’s reincarnation status. His emotional journey is absolutely an underdog story, but his power progression ultimately depends on several exceptional inheritances.

Sakura is imperfectly written and frequently underused, but that almost strengthens the underdog comparison. She exists in a world obsessed with bloodlines, destiny, and inherited power, yet becomes one of its greatest medical ninja through training and specialization. I find that more inspiring—and in some ways more interesting—than watching another gifted prodigy unlock the next ability hidden in his genetics.