Hinata Hyuga

Lore & Background

Hinata was raised as the heiress to the Hyuga clan's main household due to her father Hiashi being the elder twin. After a near-kidnapping incident at a young age, which triggered the Hyuga Affair and led to her uncle Hizashi's death, Hiashi lost confidence in Hinata's leadership potential. He seemingly disowned her in favor of her younger sister, Hanabi. Despite this, meeting Naruto Uzumaki as a youth changed her trajectory; he defended her against bullies targeting her eyes, inspiring her to become stronger. During the Chunin Exams in Part I, she fought her cousin Neji Hyuga. Though nearly killed and encouraged by Naruto, she survived and vowed to improve. In Part II, two-and-a-half years later, she had promoted to Chunin. Her defining moment arrived when Pain attacked Konohagakure; impaled while trying to save an overwhelmed Naruto, she finally admitted her feelings but survived thanks to Sakura Haruno's healing.

In Their Own Story

In the film The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014), Hinata knits a red scarf for Naruto, a detail based on how creator Masashi Kishimoto's wife once made one for him. Screenwriter Maruo Kyozuka developed a love triangle involving Toneri Otsutsuki, forcing Hinata to set aside her feelings to accept his proposal and rescue her sister Hanabi. Animator Chengxi Huang noted a pivotal scene in the final arc where Hinata slaps Naruto to calm him after Neji's death. While Kishimoto initially felt embarrassment regarding the romance in the film, he expressed satisfaction with their development, calling them his children. In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2016), her design was altered by Kishimoto; she has shorter hair to manage interactions with her growing children and wears clothes fitting a mature woman and mother while retaining her personal fashion.

Reader's Guide

Hinata Hyuga is voiced by Nana Mizuki in the original series and Stephanie Sheh in English adaptations. Her design evolved from an initial sketch of a non-ninja in a fashion dress to a modern girl who avoids makeup but focuses on fighting, with low heels to ensure mobility. Kishimoto left much of her facial design to Tetsuya Nishio due to the difficulty of drawing a pretty, feminine face that conveys a 'languorous expression' when deeply in love. In terms of personality, she is characterized by an unwillingness to give up and self-esteem issues that Sheh found relatable. Mizuki praised her growth into a womanly figure and enjoyed voicing Naruto's love confession, though she disliked the moment Hinata sided with Toneri. Merchandise includes action figures, key chains, figurines, and plushies.

Did You Know?

• In the film The Last: Naruto the Movie, Hinata knits a red scarf for Naruto based on an event where Masashi Kishimoto's wife made one for him.
• Screenwriter Maruo Kyozuka conceived the idea of killing Neji Hyuga to allow Hinata to support and protect Naruto before his death.
• Kishimoto decided early in the manga that Hinata would marry Naruto, though this decision initially angered his own wife who preferred Sakura Haruno.
• For the Boruto era, Kishimoto shortened Hinata's hair because it had become a hindrance during her interactions with her growing children.