Narutohas earned its reputation, and that’s all there really is to it.Narutochanged anime forever, and its masterful storytelling has provided countless moments its fans will never forget. Across several hundreds of chapters and episodes,Narutocarved out several magnificent situations that, to this day, make other shōnen pale in comparison.
To be honest, it’s hard to draft a list that can captureNaruto’s breadth. One can restrict one’s search to the most familiar faces—Naruto, Sasuke, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and so on—but the fact is thatNarutois a series where every character has a profoundly strong moment.Narutohas an extremely wide world and places huge on its characters' backstories and psychological depth. Pretty much every character who receives screen-time also receives a moment totally awash inNaruto’s spotlight. There are a handful of moments, though, that shine above the rest.
9Sasuke Faces Off Against the Raikage
NarutoShippuden#203
The Five Kage Summit arc is one ofNaruto Shippuden’s best, andit’s also definitive for Sasuke’s character. Coming shortly after Obito gives Sasuke breadcrumbs about Itachi’s true role in the Uchiha massacre,Sasuke breaks bad and goes straight to the belly of the beast.Alongside Taka, Sasuke infiltrates the second Five Kage Summit, called to formulate a plan against Akatsuki.
People often call the highlight of the arc Sasuke’s showdown with Danzo, but his fight with the Raikage is a thrilling and underrated moment—Sasuke’s narrow escape from death in defending himself against the Raikage’s Guillotine Drop is a moment for the ages. Meanwhile, the Raikage’s comparison of Sasuke to Kakashi verges on a beautiful backhanded taunt, while Gaara’s intervention recalls the disproportionate role he played in the summit’s proceedings. Overall, the fight is peakNarutohype.
8Konan Tries to Fend Off Obito
Naruto Shippuden#253
Someone could writea whole essay about Konan being emblematic of Naruto’s countercurrents, exposing the darkness behind Konoha and the Kage system while also showing the inevitability of Akatsuki’s total radicalization. Even when Naruto promises her and Nagato a peaceful future in a deeply emotional moment, it turns out instead to be an exercise in futility—the same futile trust that produced the rubble that birthed Akatsuki and which, time after time, diverted and weakened it. Rebuilding after Pain’s assault, no resources were diverted to ensuring Amegakure’s ongoing peace.
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So, when Obito shows up in search of Nagato’s Rinnegan,Konan is left to defend Amegakure and Nagato’s corpse on her own. Konan had plenty of opportunities before the fight to show just how beautiful and unique her paper jutsu was, but her fight against Obito was where its raw power was fully realized, too. The fight is a gorgeously choreographed moment inNaruto’shistory, and its stakes and circumstances are enough to deeply confuse even the staunchest Konoha fan.
7Deidara Meets An Explosive End Against Sasuke
Naruto Shippuden#124
It might be cliché or a low-hanging fruit to call Deidara’s demolition-heavy fighting style “flashy”, but it’s also entirely true. Deidara is actually behind several ofNaruto’s kick-ass fights. There’s hardly a better example of this than when he faces off against Sasuke.
Hardly anything really needs to be said.Narutois slowly becoming a victim of its own age, and the sheer hype the series can generate is discounted in comparison to “modern” shōnen.There’s no better counterexample than Deidara vs. Sasuke, where the stakes grow ever higher with every twist and propel the viewer toward an overwhelming climax: Deidara’s mushroom-cloud-producing self-destruct jutsu, which wipes out a huge tract of forest as Sasuke only survives by the skin of his teeth and a last-second substitution.
6Hinata Rushes to Defend Naruto
Naruto Shippuden#166
Hinata and Naruto’s relationship has always been controversial, but whether one loves or hates it, there’s no doubt thatit sets up one ofNaruto’s most iconic moments. When Naruto is facing off against Pain, spending all of himself in an effort to defend Konoha, Hinata runs up to defend him. Given the broader context ofNaruto’s love for self-sacrificial gestures, it’s one of the few moments where self-sacrifice feels entirely genuine.
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That it happened more or less out of nowhere gave the moment a potent shock value, too. Ultimately, there’s not a lot to say about this moment. It’s sweet, it’s tragic, and it’s unforgettable.
5Might Guy Gives His All Against Madara
Naruto Shippuden#421
The Eight Gates jutsu isone ofNaruto’s many kinjutsu—forbidden jutsu—and its physical danger has been established ever since fairly early on inNaruto. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Madara proves to be an unstoppable force, and the most anyone can really do against him is chunk him down bit by bit. Along comes Might Guy.
To further qualify the moment, the Fourth Great Ninja War is an absolutely massive part ofNaruto Shippuden—roughly half of the series. WhenMight Guy makes his last stand against Madara, it’s a truly heroic and beautiful moment that’s both cushioned and exacerbated by the emotional exploration surrounding it. His resurrection led to many fans' ire, but Might Guy’s flaming descent is easily amongNaruto’s most touching (and excruciating) moments.
4Itachi and Kisame Invade Konoha
Naruto#81-85
This is really a series of moments, but it culminates in something unforgettable. Itachi and Kisame invade Konoha,giving viewers one of the first glimpses of Akatsuki in the process. These episodes are where viewers first get a glimpse into Sasuke and Itachi’s backstory. Between Kakashi and Sasuke’s respective confrontations with Itachi, it’s also where the Sharingan becomes a truly menacing force in the series.
But it’s the latter confrontation—Sasuke with Itachi, as Naruto tries in vain to hold back Kisame and Jiraiya pops in to protect both Naruto and Sasuke—that’s so unforgettable. Itachi aggressively tells Sasuke that he doesn’t have enough hatred and throws him into a Tsukuyomi where he has to relive the pain of the Uchiha massacre.
3Kakashi And Obito Square Off
Naruto Shippuden#375
It’s perhaps ironic that in a series calledNarutowhich, more than any other trope, can be credited withsolidifying Talk no Jutsu, the most compelling Talk no Jutsu moment actually involves a heated battle and, really, hardly involves the titular character at all. After being teased with a touch-and-go backstory about Kakashi and Obito’s time together,everything comes together in a battle between Kakashi and Obito. The highlight is the emotional cornerstone of Rin, Kakashi and Obito’s mutual friend and love interest, whose tragic death motivates Kakashi and Obito’s actions throughout the entire series.
Beyond that, the fight is a masterpiece of animation. Long before the dynamic fluidity ofDemon SlayerandJujutsu Kaisenbecame the norm for battle shōnen, Kakashi’s romp with Obito was a beautifully choreographed action masterpiece. To this day, few fights stand up to it in terms of its sheer effortlessness, and the way the pair go toe-to-toe really accentuates their deeply interconnected stories.
2Rock Lee Gives Gaara A Run For His Money
Naruto#48
EveryNarutofan recalls when Rock Lee faced Gaarain the Chunin Exams. The appeal of the moment doesn’t come from anything in particular: Rock Lee slowly combs through several of the Eight Gates as he tries to outpace and outdo the jinchuriki of the sands. He fails in the end, but despite being entirely checked out, his indomitable will to fight and prove himself leads his body to keep going anyway. It’s a horrifyingly tender insight into the psychology ofNaruto’s true underdog.
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Rock Lee is inspiring for a reason.Naruto’s power system is blatantly, unapologetically unfair. Someone like Rock Lee, with no real jutsu ability, has to be tested against—and for his whole life, compare himself against—someone like Gaara (or Naruto) with an unreal advantage. It also builds on Neji’s “genius status” and his treatment of Lee. The incredibly hype fight is a turning point for Lee, and it leads to him earning the begrudging respect ofNaruto’s more “gifted” shinobi.
1Madara Takes Down an Entire Army
Naruto Shippuden#322
This is, hands down, the most memorableNarutomoment of all time. After hundreds of chapters and episodes building Madara up, establishing an entire mythology around him, and having Obito take up his name for one of the best misdirections in anime history, fans finally got to see just what the infamous Uchiha was capable of. Following his resurrection during the Fourth Great Ninja War,Madara singlehandedly takes out hundreds of shinobi without using a single jutsu.
A million words could be spent explaining whyMadara is one of anime’s best villains. But the video above could condense such a long-winded argument into less than three minutes: when Madara’s unleashed, the taunts, jeers, and effortless power are a chef’s-kiss recitation of the inimitable swagger that makes Madara, well, Madara.Narutospent careful years building him up, and the payoff was incredible.
Naruto
Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces.
