Key Takeaways
- Some of the most brutal and questionable moments from the Naruto manga were toned down in the anime.
- The manga showcases scenes with more visceral and disturbing details, enhancing the impact and brutality of certain events.
- The anime adaptation of Naruto often censors or alters certain scenes to comply with broadcast standards, resulting in a more subdued portrayal of the manga’s content.
Naruto is one of the most popular shonen anime of all time. Fans love witnessing the titular character’s journey from an unwanted Jinchuriki to the Seventh Hokage. The anime adaptation did a brilliant job of capturing the manga’s highs, but it couldn’t escape the dreaded jaws of censorship.
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Several brutal and questionable moments from the manga have been toned down in the anime for understandable reasons. However, some fans can’t help but feel that the impact of these scenes comes across as slightly muted since the anime pulls its punches.
8 Shikamaru’s Arm Melts To The Bone In The Manga
Tayuya’s Genjutsu Looks Horrifying
- Manga Chapter: “Playing Without Rook and Bishop” (Chapter 207 of Naruto)
Shikamaru is one of the best characters in the series and has participated in his fair share of challenging battles. During the Sasuke Retrieval arc, he took point and ensured that the strengths of the squad sent to get Sasuke back were highlighted as they chased down their target.
Eventually, the group splits off as they take on the many enemies standing in their way, and Shikamaru had to do the same when he took on Tayuya in battle. This kunoichi used the music of her flute to trap Shikamaru in a genjutsu where his arm started melting away. The manga made this scene look more brutal by showing Shikamaru’s exposed bone after all the skin fell off.
7 Kakashi’s Genjutsu On Sakura Shows A Brutalized And Mortally Wounded Sasuke To Her
No Wonder Sakura Freaks Out After Seeing Him In Such A State
- Manga Chapter: “Only for Sasuke…!!” (Chapter 6 of Naruto)
Kakashi pulled no punches when training Team 7, putting them through a grueling trial that highlighted how a lack of teamwork would prevent them from being an effective squad. He could’ve gone easy on everyone, but the manner in which he tortured Sakura made it clear just how tough of a sensei Kakashi was.
He uses a genjutsu to make Sakura see her crush in a heavily wounded state, with the manga taking things up a notch. His broken legs and a missing arm didn’t make their way to the anime, and that’s for good reason.
6 Orochimaru’s Human Experiments Are On Full Display In The Manga
The Reasons For His Arrest Are Made Painfully Clear
- Manga Chapter: “The Horrible Experiment…!!” (Chapter 121 of Naruto)
While Orochimaru’s human experiments were described in great detail in the anime, fans never got to see the true extent of his depravity. This was reserved for the manga, which presents a gruesome sight moments before the Third Hokage came to arrest his former student.
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Seeing the human experiments hanging around his lab is a tough sight to take in, especially since some of the bodies are dissected. This was missing from the anime, which took away a bit from Orochimaru’s uninhibited brutality.
5 Sasuke’s Chidori Impaled Naruto And Tore A Hole In His Chest
Proves How Important The Kyuubi’s Chakra Was To Heal Naruto For The Second Round
- Manga Chapter: “Kakashi’s Premonition” (Chapter 228 of Naruto)
The first battle between Naruto and Sasuke at the Valley of the End was hard-hitting and brutal. After pile-driving Naruto to the ground and breaking his neck, Sasuke uses a Chidori to pierce Naruto’s chest and puncture his lung.
It’s a brutal sight in the manga, while the anime covers Sasuke’s hand with an active Chidori to hide the brutality of the act. If Naruto’s Kyuubi chakra hadn’t awakened at this point, he would’ve been dead for good.
4 Kaiza’s Arms Are Cut Off By Gato To Mock His Statement
A Brutal Way To Destroy The Morale Of The Villagers
- Manga Chapter: “The Country that Had a Hero…!!” (Chapter 20 of Naruto)
The Land of Waves arc is a brilliant introduction to Naruto‘s high stakes, with this mission taking a turn for the worse when Zabuza enters the fray. When seeking asylum at a house, Naruto learns from the villagers that a man trying to save them from Gato’s oppression was punished brutally to dissuade any rebellions.
The business tycoon cut off both of Kaiza’s arms, mocking his statement of using his hands to protect everyone before sentencing him to death. In the anime, his arms are beaten up by Kaiza’s bodyguards, but they’re still attached to his body before the execution.
3 The Way Kimimaro’s Bones Come Out Of His Body Looks Gruesome In The Manga
His Muscles Can Be Seen Pushing The Bones Out
- Manga Chapter: “Sakon’s Secret” (Chapter 203 of Naruto)
Kimimaro is one of the most interesting characters in the Naruto series, using his Kekkei Genkai to extend the bones from his body and use them as weapons. If it hadn’t been for a debilitating physical illness, he would’ve served as the perfect vessel for Orochimaru.
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He appears near the end of the Sasuke Retrieval arc to stop the Leaf Village’s reinforcements from putting a premature end to their mission. The way his bones come out of his body looks more visceral in the manga, where his muscles can be seen pushing parts of his skeleton out to become bone weapons that this character can use to great effect.
2 Naruto’s Sexy No Jutsu Transformation Is Less Obscene In The Anime
The Smoke Covering Naruto’s Female Body Does The Bare Minimum In The Manga
- Manga Chapter: “Naruto Uzumaki!!” (Chapter 1 of Naruto)
Naruto’s Sexy no Jutsu is usually played for laughs, with this risque transformation befuddling male enemies and getting them distracted enough for Naruto to land a powerful blow. The fight against Kaguya featured a callback to this technique when Naruto reversed the effect and conjured numerous good-looking men to distract the mother of all Shinobi.
Fans are well aware of how obscene this form looks in the manga, with the thin wisps of smoke doing barely anything to cover up the sensitive parts of Naruto’s female body. The anime couldn’t push things too far and had to increase the volume of smoke that covered Naruto during this lewd transformation.
1 The Final Shot At The End Of Naruto And Sasuke’s Rematch Is Toned Down
Their Bleeding Arm Stumps Are Covered In Black To Hide Their Gruesome Nature
- Manga Chapter: “Naruto and Sasuke 5” (Chapter 698 of Naruto)
The final fight between Naruto and Sasuke is an epic way to end the series, with both fighters settling their differences as Sasuke finally concedes defeat. However, his stubborn nature means that he wouldn’t stop before firing off a final Chidori with the last of his strength, clashing against Naruto’s Rasengan one final time.
The resulting clash drains all their chakra and blows off their arms, with the pool of blood merging to signify that their conflict is over once and for all. One thing that fans complain about to this day is that the arm stumps in the anime are blacked out, which may seem like a small change but takes away from the meaningful nature of this iconic shot.
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Naruto: Shippuden
- Release Date
- February 15, 2007
- Seasons
- 22
