Key Takeaways
- Naruto’s action scenes are hailed for their incredible choreography, animation, and tension between fan-favorite characters.
- Pierrot expertly adapted manga battles into awe-inspiring spectacles in both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.
- Memorable fights like Naruto vs. Gaara, Naruto vs. Sasuke, and Kakashi vs. Obito stand out for their animation and emotional impact.
Naruto is one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved franchises in the action shōnen genre due to its many good qualities, including its incredible action scenes. After all, there’s no denying that author Masashi Kishimoto has excelled at creating some of the best fights in the entire medium.
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On top of that, Pierrot – the studio behind the iconic Naruto anime – took all the epic battles from the manga and expertly adapted them into awe-inspiring spectacles, thanks to their use of animation, cinematography, voice acting, music, and more. As a result, both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are home to some truly cinematic fights, but the following are the absolute best ones in the show’s entire run.
8 Naruto vs. Gaara
An Epic Clash Between Two Giant Monsters
The initial encounter between Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara was one of the most crucial moments of Naruto Part 1. Both of them grew up as powerful but dangerous Jinchūriki but, whereas Naruto became a kind-hearted boy who wanted to help others, Gaara turned out resentful and cruel. At this point in the series, they were complete opposites, and the cinematography of their fight reflected that.
The contrast between Gaara’s ruthless sand attacks (which were boosted by Shukaku) against Naruto’s shadow clones and various ninja techniques is a lot of fun. But the battle is taken to another level when Gaara unleashes the true, gigantic form of the One-Tailed Beast. In one of the show’s most brilliant scenes, Naruto summons Gamabunta and uses his Jutsu to transform into the Nine-Tails, resulting in an epic kaiju brawl that feels way too epic and big for this early on in the series.
7 Naruto vs. Sasuke
The Intense Encounter That Closed Off Part 1
- Arc: Sasuke Recovery Mission
Tension between longtime rivals Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha got quite high by the end of Naruto Part 1. Their brief initial encounter at the start of the Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc proved that both have gotten much stronger, but they didn’t get the chance to showcase their full power until the very end of said arc when Naruto tried to make his friend return to Konohagakure.
This is practically the finale of Naruto and Pierrot knew this. That’s why they applied some of their best animation, lighting, cinematography, and music to adapt it into what eventually became one of the most legendary fights in all anime. Naruto and Sasuke’s growth and training are on full display here, because they both get to show off all of their abilities in this mind-blowing showcase of unique powers and colorful attacks.
6 Jiraiya vs. Pain
The Saddest Fight In The Series Featured Some Impressive Animation
- Arc: Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant
Moving onto Part 2 – better known as Naruto Shippuden – there’s the unforgettable encounter between Jiraiya and his former apprentice, Pain. Both combatants are not only extremely powerful, but they both have an enormous collection of different attacks and techniques at their disposal, and they get the chance to show almost all of them in just one incredible brawl.
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Between all his clever summons and the reveal of his Sage Mode, Jiraiya proved why he earned the title of Sannin during this fight, and he managed to hold his ground against Pain. However, the leader of the Akatsuki also had some tricks up his sleeve, and his attacks featured some surprisingly fluid animation as well. The conclusion to this encounter is infamously sad and tragic, but also surprisingly cinematic, since the voice acting, the flashbacks, and the background music make Jiraiya’s demise all the more emotional for the viewer.
5 Naruto vs. Pain
The Most Epic Moment In The Entire Naruto Franchise
The very moment Naruto Uzumaki appeared in Knohagaure, accompanied by three giant toads, prepared to fight Pain is still considered one of the most epic scenes in the entire franchise, even to this day. This can be easily chalked up to Pierrot’s amazing adaptation, which implemented fitting music and animation to make this entrance as cinematic as possible.
But this is not just about Naruto’s entrance, because the rest of the fight is incredible as well. Once again, Pain is a challenging opponent with many different abilities, but Naruto managed to use all of his techniques, from Sage Mode to his Eight-Tailed transformation, to defeat this powerful antagonist. The quality of the animation and cinematography were really high and, while it can’t be denied that it looks weird at times, it doesn’t change the fight that this encounter is as epic as it is satisfying, and could’ve easily worked as the final battle of the entire series.
4 Minato vs. Tobi
Undeniable Proof That Minato Deserved The Title Of Hokage
- Arc: Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown
The flashback to Naruto’s past fulfilled two extremely important roles: To finally show audiences how exactly his parents died, but also to prove how incredibly skilled Minato Namikaze was and why he deserved the title of Fourth Hokage. Right after Naruto’s birth, Minato was forced to fight a mysterious masked man named Tobi who was the person who orchestrated the current attack on the village.
Tobi (who is actually Minato’s former apprentice, Obito Uchiha) used some efficient techniques, but none of them was a match for Konoha’s Yellow Flash. Pierrot succeeded in showcasing Minato’s brilliant mind and incredible speed during this fight. Not to mention that the use of the bright blue light that comes out of his Rasengan added a magical touch to this encounter, which featured some dark, almost black & white, lightning until Minato got to land the final blow on his malicious opponent.
3 Kakashi vs. Obito
This Tragic Brawl Has Some Of The Best Animation In The Series
- Arc: Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax
The climactic battle between Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha may not be the most ambitious or epic in Naruto Shippuden, but it’s undoubtedly the best one in terms of composition and cinematic flare. The flawless fighting choreography and the collection of abrupt edits that remind viewers of the good times these two childhood friends used to share are a mind-blowing combination that makes this fight both incredibly epic and incredibly emotional.
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But, as good as the choreography and the editing are, the animation is what cemented Kakashi vs. Obito as the most legendary animated fight in all of Naruto. This battle features some of the most fluid, impressive, and well-thought-out animation in the series. The final arc of Naruto Shippuden may be very flawed, but this encounter almost makes it all worth it.
2 Might Guy vs. Madara
The Opening Of The Eight Gates Resulted In An Amazing Showdown
- Arc: Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki
Nobody was expecting Might Guy of all people to face Madara Uchiha all by himself during the Fourth Shinobi World War. But every Naruto fan is glad that he did because it resulted in one of the most amazing encounters in the entire franchise. This encounter ends with Madara declaring that Guy is the strongest fighter he’s ever faced, so the animators at Pierrot were careful to properly reflect this statement in their adaptation of their fight.
The combatant’s attacks have a lot of weight on them, not to mention that the use of flashbacks to better develop Might Guy’s personality and personal philosophy is very effective. But the stars of this battle are Might Guy’s Eight Gates, which resulted in some impressive sequences with flawless animation when finally opened. Might Guy may not have been able to defeat Madara, but he was single-handedly responsible for one of the most extraordinary and cinematic action scenes of the arc, so his efforts were not wasted at all.
1 Naruto vs. Sasuke 2
The Series’ Long-Awaited Final Battle Did Not Disappoint
- Arc: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes
The final arcs of Naruto Shippuden were flawed and underwhelming in a lot of aspects, but if there’s one thing that didn’t disappoint was the final confrontation between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha at the very end of the series. This is the follow-up to their original fight where both characters got to use their full power to finally solve their long-lasting conflict, and it was exceptionally incredible and satisfying.
These lifelong rivals used every single jutsu, technique, and power-up they had acquired throughout both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden in an inventive and cinematic encounter that also came off as surprisingly nostalgic. Not to mention that the implementation of both Kurama and Susanoo elevated this battle to a whole new level that made it surpass everything that came before it, even their final fight against the villainous Kaguya. As a result, this is definitely the most over-the-top action sequence in the entire franchise, and the flawless animation & cinematography certainly helped it a lot.
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Naruto: Shippuden
- Release Date
- February 15, 2007
- Studio
- Number of Episodes
