Who Is The Weakest Naruto Character Ever?

When a Shonen anime runs for as long as a show like Naruto, power scaling will inevitably become an issue. For the uninitiated, power scaling is the projected level of effectiveness in combat possessed by each character as a series progresses. It's an important element of Shonen anime because the genre generally focuses on combat between characters to drive its plots forward. With some rare exceptions, the most important and influential characters in Shonen are also the ones who are the most powerful.

Power scaling has always been an issue for Naruto (though Dragonball Z is the creator and poster child for the concept), but as the cast grew and became more powerful with every episode, the problems associated with power scaling became more apparent. The main thing is that some characters inevitably fall by the wayside because they are unable to participate in the conflict. This is an issue that can arguably apply to the series' weakest character.

There are a number of characters who could qualify for the illustrious position as Naruto's weakest cast member (not counting any non-ninja — that's basically cheating). But Iruka might take the cake. As the chunin-level instructor at the Leaf Village's Academy, Iruka has a competent grasp on the basics of being a ninja. He can do a little bit of everything, but he's nowhere near the magical super-soldier we see characters like Naruto and Kakashi become. He rarely gets involved in fights (especially outside of the anime's filler), and when he does, he never gets the finishing blow. In the end, Iruka is useful as nothing more than emotional support for Naruto. 

Most of this can be attributed to the fact that Iruka has no gimmick. Almost every other ninja of note has a special ability, a justu all their own that gives them an unexpected edge in battle. Iruka lacks this facet even when other weakling candidates do. Even Ten Ten, who is generally considered the weakest Leaf Village ninja from Naruto's class, sets herself apart by specializing in weaponry above all else. Iruka may have good foundational knowledge that he can pass to younger ninja, but he simply cannot hang it in the big leagues because that's all he has.