The Best Naruto Manga Covers

Summary

• Volume 54: This brant cover with intense emotions and dazzling colors pays off.
• Volume 40: The intense cover showcases the unique character designs of Deidara and Sasuke.
• Volume 35: A lighthearted cover that contains a colorful medley and quirky elements.

The story of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden spans 72 volumes of manga overall. Throughout the tale of Naruto’s rise to becoming Hokage, author Masashi Kishimoto has treated fans to some visually stunning artwork, with his skills being put on full display across the many unique manga covers produced over the course of the story’s serialization.

A manga cover grants readers a glimpse into the current story arc, the characters, and the wider themes of the show, which Kishimoto has done countless times with his iconic artwork. With that being said, it’s time to take a look at the Naruto manga covers that stand out the most for their presence, memorability, and striking designs.

9

Volume 54

A Vibrant Cover Filled With A Mixture Of Emotions

It was rare to see a cover this bright and flashy later on in Shippuden, but it certainly provided a breath of fresh air, a very intense breath, that is. A heated-up Guy and Kisame reach in from the side of the page as Konan fills the sky with paper as a rainbow shines through, resulting in a dazzling spectacle of colors.

The mixture of emotions on this page, from Guy’s rage to Konan’s concern, even to Naruto’s calmness, creates a cover that’s hard to look away from and which also feels extremely vibrant. Kishimoto decided to get bright and flashy with Volume 54, and it certainly paid off.

8

Volume 40

Kishimoto’s Excellent Character Design Takes Center Stage In This Intense Cover

When it comes to character abilities and powers, the Naruto series is packed full of diversity. Issue 40 gives readers a look at two entirely different fighters from the Naruto story, and showcases just how absurdly cool it is to see the likes of Deidara and Sasuke going at it in battle. Removing the background helps this cover draw the reader’s eyes to the characters, who look like they have been pushed to the edge of their battle, making their facial expressions all the more explosive.

Kishimoto tends to mix up when to use backgrounds or not for his manga covers, but in this case, it helps to emphasize just how unique and interesting his character designs are. There’s even a small bit of body horror on this cover, thanks to Deidara, of course.

7

Volume 35

Volume 35’s Cover Harkens Back To The More Lighthearted Origins Of The Series

The cover of issue 35 provides a delightful medley of colors that look like a paintbrush was splashed right onto the page. At the same time, it also shows Naruto’s lazier side, which is always appreciated given how intense the story eventually becomes, instead harkening back to the goofier origins of the series.

It’s clear Kishimoto had a lot of fun when making this cover, especially with all the different and unique books and ornaments he was able to toy around with in the background. The strange shapes of the bookshelf itself also add a weird and quirky element to the cover which only bolsters its uniqueness.

6

Volume 4

This Experimental Cover Perfectly Captures The Eerie Mystique That The Arc Was Known For

Zabuza and Haku are the first real threats Naruto and the rest of Squad 7 come up against in the story. However, it’s clear there was more to this deadly duo than met the eye, yet they both remained largely mysterious for much of their respective arc in the story. This cover manages to capture that aura of mystery by having Haku turn his back to Naruto, and with Zabuza lurking in the background as his blade aims sideways.

The deep blues used for this cover also do a good job of replicating the icy aesthetic this early arc was known for, which is a nice added touch. Overall, a frosty and experimental cover that perfectly feeds into the story and characters that were most prominent at that point in the story.

5

Volume 25

Naruto’s Attempts To Break The Cycle Of Vengeance Between Sasuke And His Brother Is On Full Display

By the end of the original Naruto storyline, the plucky main protagonist had essentially lost all control of the plot. He had failed to save Sasuke from the clutches of Orochimaru, and also couldn’t prevent him from seeking out revenge on his brother. It seems as though Kishimoto wanted to present this spiral of despair and confusion with this cover, showing Naruto falling between Itachi and his vengeful younger brother, almost as if he’s floating.

Kishimoto shows just how much can be said through a character’s eyes with Itachi and Sasuke in the background, and the palpable tension that always fills the room whenever they are in close proximity. Definitely one of the most creative and thought-provoking covers of the original series.

4

Volume 42

Volume 42’s Nostalgic Cover Is Made All The More Emotional When Put Into Context

Issue 42 is based around the Pain arc, and as anyone who has seen Shippuden will know all too well, this is a pretty emotional part of the series. The deep nature of the bond between Naruto and Jiraiya shines through this arc and is made front and center with this manga cover, showing the two along one of their many travels.

Kishimoto is once again showcasing his mastery at using lighting and shading to make it seem like the sun is gleaming down on them as the two relax on a warm summer’s day, giving it an almost nostalgic feel. It highlights how comfortable Naruto could always feel around Jiraiya, which is also why it becomes such a gut punch when put into context.

3

Volume 59

All Five Kage Get A Chance To Shine As Part Of A Color-Filled Illustration

A truly epic moment in Naruto Shippuden is when the Five Kage finally got together, but while seeing them sitting around a conference table was already exciting, witnessing them fight side by side was the true feast for the eyes. Kishimoto managed to not only give a small spotlight to each Kage on this cover but also showcased the future Hokage, Naruto, with a stern and confident look on his face.

It’s a nice added touch to show a Uchiha symbol in the top left to tease, but not fully show Madara as the main antagonist of the arc, and the chaotic battle the cover is referencing. Seeing a handful of the strongest characters in the Naruto universe giving it their all on a manga cover looks as jaw-dropping as it sounds.

2

Volume 53

A Cover Which Feeds Into The Story’s Major Theme Of Family

Naruto has always had a pretty complicated relationship with his father, Minato. On the one hand, he resented Minato for leaving Naruto to fend for himself while Kurama was sealed inside him, making him an enemy of the village. In the end, though, it becomes clear Minato deeply cared for his son, and so did Naruto’s mother Kushina, as is made pretty clear in the emotional portrait displayed in Volume 53.

Kishimoto makes excellent use of shading with this cover, showing Kushina and Minato covering Naruto from what looks like a giant ray of sunshine, beaming down onto the Nine Tails Jinchuriki. Family is a very prominent theme that runs throughout Naruto, and this cover was an emotional way to express that as vividly as possible.

1

Volume 43

A Painful Family Portrait That Perfectly Conveys The Uchiha Brothers’ Troubled Relationship

Sasuke’s iconic confrontation with Itachi was one of the most emotional encounters in the series due to how much buildup there was leading up to it. Sasuke had sacrificed a lot in order to chase down and eventually kill Itachi, but upon learning the truth, it ultimately tore him apart emotionally.

The terrifying scream Sasuke lets out on this page paired with a bloody Itachi reaching from behind paints a haunting image that makes this fight feel all the more intense. This is yet another cover that decides to drop the background, which makes the two stand out even more, really emphasizing the pain in both of their faces. The two Uchiha brothers have never looked better from a design standpoint than in this heartbreaking family portrait.