#but I hope if Shino gets in the top 20 that Kishimoto will finally draw his eyeballs

[kyriolex]

My Naruto Popularity Poll Conspiracy Theory

Okay, you know the character popularity poll going around for Naruto? Kishimoto will draw the top 20 characters, and the top character will get a mini-manga.

Call me paranoid, but I think the poll’s about more than hyping up your favorite characters. 

Think about it: We know Code is gearing up to attack Konoha. Kishimoto has said he’s okay with killing off his original characters. I think the poll is a way to see who he can kill off for drama. 

I don’t think it’s as simple as saying the lowest-ranking characters will die. Not too many people are going to care if Code kills Sukima from the first Chuunin exams. But if Sasuke dies, the whole franchise will go with him.

So where is the safe range? Well, let’s look at other major deaths and where characters ranked in the polls before they died.

Asuma

Asuma died in manga chapter 328. In Character Poll 6 (chapter 292), he ranked #21.

Jiraiya

Jiraiya died in manga chapter 383.  In Character Poll 6, he did not make the list of top 30. Although he did make #19 in the 10th Anniversary Poll, which combined the results of Polls 1-6.

Neji

Neji died in manga chapter 614. In Character Poll 7 (chapter 531), he ranked #15.

Kurama

Kurama died in the Boruto manga chapter 55. He didn’t make the top 21 in the 2021 Boruto Character Popularity Poll. In Character Poll 7, though, he ranked #52.

...

So based on this ridiculously small data set, we can guesstimate that the danger zone in popularity polls is between ranks 15 and 55, with 20 being the red-hot death spot. 

If you stan one of the Konoha 12 like Tenten or Choji, you’ll need to vote like hell to get them above rank 15. Doubly so if they are a parent whose death could provide convenient angst for a next-gen child. 

But if you’re all-time favorite is somebody like Anko or Pakkun, then you’re probably better off crossing your fingers and hoping they stay off everybody’s radar.