One of Narutoās biggest strengths for me is just how much time it spends exploring the pasts of its characters and I donāt just mean Naruto and Sasuke.
So many characters get proper backstories where you see what they were like when they were younger, what they went through, who they lost and how all of that shaped the person you eventually meet. Pain is probably one of the best examples. Nagato started off as an innocent kid caught in a war that had nothing to do with him, lost his parents, then eventually found Yahiko and Konan and wanted peace. After everything that happened to him especially after Yahikoās death that desire for peace became completely twisted into Painās ideology.
Same with Obito, before everything went wrong he was a kind kid who wanted to become Hokage and be acknowledged. Then you see exactly how he goes from that person to the man he becomes later.
Even side characters like Neji and Might Guy had real depth behind them. Nejiās obsession with fate makes much more sense once you understand the Hyuga branch family and what happened to his father. Guy seems like a comedy character at first but then you see his childhood, his struggles and his relationship with his father and suddenly so much about his personality makes sense.
Then thereās Hashirama and Madara, Naruto literally takes us generations into the past and shows them as children, losing their brothers during the war period and dreaming about creating a world where kids wouldnāt have to die fighting each other. That history eventually leads into the creation of Konoha and explains so much of what happens generations later.
Itachi is another obvious one. Seeing his childhood, his experiences and everything surrounding the Uchiha completely changes how you understand his character compared with when heās first introduced.
There are so many other examples too such as Gaara, Kakashi, Rock Lee, even Kurama! All of them have very detailed backstories that explain their personalities, beliefs and relationships.
Thatās probably one of the main reasons Narutoās world has always stuck with me. Characters didnāt just feel like they appeared when the plot needed them. It felt like they had actually lived before we met them. Itās been a while since I finished the show yet i could still tell you the backstories of dozens of characters without even having to look them up.