Naruto’s Best Forms

At the beginning of Naruto’s epic journey to become Hokage of Konoha, he was honestly a pretty useless ninja, having little to no skill in Ninjutsu or Taijutsu, and being completely unable to fully control his inner Nine-Tailed beast, Kurama. However, after a little training and plenty of high-stake encounters, Naruto managed to acquire several new and powerful forms, many of which related to his status as a Jinchuriki, but others being more of an external power-up that he acquired for a specific battle.

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While the strength of these forms has been a matter of debate for many years, something that hasn’t been as widely discussed is the design of these transformations, and how they match up in terms of overall quality and memorability. When putting powers and abilities aside for a second, and looking at them from a purely visual perspective, here’s how the Nine Tails Jinchuriki’s forms compare when taking into account attention to detail, creativity, and overall memorability.

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8 Tails Form

A Brief Glimpse At The Horrifying Potential Of Kurama’s Power

This form would only show up very briefly during Naruto’s final showdown with Pain, but it’s fair to say that it certainly makes one hell of an impression in the limited amount of screentime it receives. The form itself is concealed within a ball of rubble, with only eight tails and a bizarre mutant creature at the center being exposed.

It’s a haunting design that manages to be memorable without going above and beyond in its flashiness, effortlessly getting across just how insanely powerful Kurama can really be when showcasing its true potential. While it would have been nice to see a little more of this form from Naruto, and to be able to have seen the form in its entirety, it still stands out as an effective piece of imagery from Naruto’s journey.

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Basic Jinchuriki Form

Naruto Would Look Genuinely Menacing With His Bloodshot Eyes And Deadly Snarl

Before Naruto was able to control the immense strength possessed by Kurama, the beast’s boundless Chakra reserves would bubble to the surface, covering Naruto in a red cloak where his body would mimic that of the fox, in more ways than one. Not only would he get on all fours, but Naruto’s face would also go through some drastic changes, with his eyes becoming a bright red and a menacing snarl being splashed across his face. This would be the appearance he would take on while unleashing up to three tails of Kurama’s power.

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All of this results in a genuinely intimidating look for the protagonist which always invokes fear in the eyes of anyone standing on the other side of him. It would also serve as a subtle precursor to the vibrant designs of Naruto’s later Fox forms that he would unleash after becoming stronger in the story.

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Four Tails

Naruto Becomes Consumed By Chakra And Darkness In This Terrifying Form

It’s clear that when creating this form for Naruto, author Masashi Kishimoto really wanted to emphasize the absurd amount of power that lay within the Jinchuriki as a result of the Nine Tailed Fox. This is made crystal clear when looking at the Four Tails, a form which cloaks Naruto’s entire body in fiery Chakra while his face becomes completely covered by a black mask, making for a very eerie visual.

While he wouldn’t use this mode too much throughout the series, it’s a design that lingers on the mind even after the episodes end due to how freaky and creative it is. Kishimoto seemed to be attempting to one-up his Tailed Fox designs with Naruto over time, and this one felt like a nice middle ground between the basic form, and the later ones, which would be much more grandiose in their presentation.

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Sage Mode

An Unusually Stoic And Wise Appearance Which Represents Naruto’s Maturity After Losing His Master

One of the most badass and iconic moments in the entire series of the Naruto story is when the man himself drops into an obliterated Konoha to face off against the dangerous Akatsuki member known as Pain. However, thanks to his training at Mount Moyoboku, Naruto turns up in his brand new Sage Form, which would grant him new powers, along with a new look.

The most noticeable aspect of this iconic design is the red sage cloak that Naruto throws on, but the fact he still wears his orange jumpsuit is a nice way to remind fans that it’s still the same knucklehead ninja underneath the professional attire. The addition of the large scroll attached to Naruto’s back, along with the paint covering his eyes, clearly represents the maturity Naruto would gain after the tragic loss of his master.

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Nine-Tails Chakra Mode

Naruto’s Epic Glowing Form Represents His Chakra Mastery And Expertise

After becoming one with Kurama, Naruto is finally able to tap into its Chakra reserve, culminating in this form which he would show off for the majority of the final war. Simply put, this form is a marvel to look at, and is a design packed full of small details to look out for, such as the mystical sage symbols covering Naruto’s body, or the illustration of the bodily Chakra system. Later in the series, he even dons a long flowing cape, just in case he didn’t already look cool enough in this form.

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All of it comes together to create a true incredible design which perfectly conveys the immense underlying power that Naruto truly wields. This would also be the first time Naruto was able to enter a Jinchuriki form voluntarily, without being dragged along for the ride by an irritated Kurama. It’s therefore symbolic of his newfound bond with the inner beast, so it makes sense that it would be so bright and vibrant. While Kishimoto would build upon this design to make it even more stylish in the future, this was a breathtaking template for him to work off of.

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Baryon Mode

As Naruto Got Older, He Acquired A New Form That Features A Bright And Eyecatching Design

For Naruto to even think about pulling out the Baryon Mode, he needs to be pushed to his absolute limit, since it is largely meant to be a kind of last resort. Therefore, it’s only made brief appearances in the Boruto anime, but it’s fair to say that it’s a very creative new look for the Hokage of Konoha.

While the glowing red tails add a lot of flare to the design, what is especially noticeable are the scars covering Naruto’s face, allowing him to resemble the Nine Tails while still retaining his signature appearance. While it can definitely be a little jarring because of how much is going on at once, there’s no denying that it’s still a stunning form to look at, so fans remain hopeful that it will turn up again, potentially in Blue Vortex at some point.

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Six Tails

Naruto Dons A Skeletal Suit To Match His Demonic-Like Fox Form

Though there are only a few minor differences between the Four Tails and Six Tails forms, the addition of a creepy skeletal suit, along with the overall size expansion, still makes the latter a real feast for the eyes to look at. With six bright red tails flowing behind him and a rack of rattling bones surrounding his back, Naruto looks like some sort of demonic beast in this form, highlighting the immense power that is generated to him by Nine Tails.

This is a very effective appearance for Naruto that barely shows any resemblance to the ninja himself, which is one of the many reasons why it is so shocking and memorable. No longtime fan will ever be able to forget the first time Naruto unleashed this mode against Pain as one of his many transformations during that intense fight.

2

Tailed Beast Mode

Naruto And Kurama Form To Create A Stunning God-Like Form

While it certainly wasn’t easy for Naruto to establish a bond with his inner beast, Kurama, throughout the many hardships and tough battles, the two eventually came to respect one another. Once Kurama began lending Naruto his power, he was eventually able to fuse with the Fox to awaken the beast himself, resulting in this mesmerizing appearance.

While Kurama’s fearsome face can be seen at the top, he takes on a human body, allowing him to fight with full strength by tapping into Naruto’s combat experience. It’s a representation of what Naruto and his beast can truly achieve when putting their differences aside, and it’s one of the best designs in the series thanks to its overwhelming presence, neat details, and underlying themes.

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Sage Of The Six Paths Mode

An Effortlessly Cool Form That Oozes Power, Presence, And Style

The Sage of the Six Paths mode is essentially an upgraded version of the original Sage form, not only in terms of strength, but design too. While Naruto retains the Chakra cloak thanks to Kurama, he now has a large glowing cape which contrasts with the black undershirt that contains feint signs of the symbols from his first Kurama form.

There’s clearly been a close attention to detail with this form, such as Naruto’s whiskers turning into giant black check marks, and the cloak fitting him better as he grows older. This is Naruto’s ultimate form in both strength and looks, managing to make the Hokage look immensely powerful, but also downright badass. It manages to be utterly jawdropping to look at without needing to go too over the top, which is a testament to just how much of a visual spectacle it really is.

Naruto

Release Date

2002 – 2006

Showrunner

Masashi Kishimoto

Directors

Hayato Date

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