not to be a sasuke basher, but i'm personally not particularly a fan. I mean he is a jerk to naruto (and everyone for that matter), and I dont think he is the strongest ninja around (granted he is strong enough to take on kage with zetsu's help). Not trying to sasuke rage but unlike half of nb im not hanging out for his new ems. Just wanted to know what people think because obviously lots of people like him---am i missing something important?
Well, I can't speak for other people, but i'll boil down my reasons for liking Sasuke to three things (in no particular order):
1. He is a handsome character. This just has to do with nature: people like other people who are "good-looking". I like to associate myself with characters who are good-looking like Deidara, Sasuke, etc. I feel like the character you like most is a representation of who you are and what you like. Sasuke represents an image that I personally think looks cool. (No, I am not a homosexual, in case you are wondering). This aesthetic appeal also includes his jutsu, his sword, etc.
2. He's an avenger. Tell me, who doesn't like revenge stories? I'm not talking about petty revenge like when your sister drinks your soda so you decide to hide her belongings. I'm talking about justice. Granted, Sasuke is being manipulated and we may or may not agree with his own idea of 'justice', but I think Sasuke truly believes that he has to do what he's planning on doing. He truly believes that by destroying Konoha, he will be avenging his brother. I don't condone his actions, but I sympathize with him, which brings me back to my next point.
3. He's a victim. Some may be quick to jump on the band-wagon when it comes to hating Sasuke, but some forget that Sasuke is a victim of his clan's legacy, a victim of the leaders of the Hidden Leaf Village, and also a victim of his brother (who was also saved by Itachi, ironically). I'm not saying that being a victim liberates him from the wrong he's committed and the evil he's embracing -he's still responsible for the choices he makes. Nevertheless, despite the fact that Sasuke is still responsible, he's still a victim of his environment (aren't we all?), or so to speak, and I sympathize with that.
In the end, I don't like what Sasuke is becoming, but I do hope that he will be saved by Naruto: whether it means being transformed, or being killed by him. There's a lot of depth to the character of Sasuke, and that's why he's my favorite character in the Naruto manga.