Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other media have provided commentary on Lee's character. IGN's A.E. Sparrow called Lee one of his favorite characters in the series. They also compared his personality to that of Bruce Lee and Noel Gallagher. Fellow editor Ramsey Isler ranked him as the eight best character on the series and said he "was the true underdog of the series." Isler added, "Perhaps a little too intense, but always fiercely devoted to his cause, Rock Lee added all sorts of flavor to the series." However, Rock Lee's profile on IGN describes him as "kind of stiff" because of his very polite manner. Active Anime celebrated Lee's introduction in the series as a comedic relief to the growing tension of the story at that point. "Anime Insider" listed him in their top five list for "pure-hearted heroes" from anime and manga publications, ranking him at number five. "Insider" praised him for "never [giving] up, even in the face of people with actual ninja powers."