From epic battles to heartwarming encounters, join us as we count down the most unforgettable scenes from this beloved ninja saga! Relive the moments that made us laugh, cry, and cheer for our favorite shinobi.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most famous and notable
00:11moments from Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.
00:15To be clear, we won't be including fights, although specific moments from fights will
00:20appear.
00:21Given that Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, is sealed inside Naruto, most characters don't
00:34interact directly with him.
00:35Naruto Shippuden opens on an ominous scene of the Nine-Tails tempting Naruto with his
00:40power in their shared mindscape.
00:43However, their meeting is interrupted by Sasuke, whose Sharingan allows him to see
00:50and interact with the inner parts of Naruto's mind.
00:57Sasuke's chakra disturbs even Kurama, who compares him to Madara, the founder of the
01:04Uchiha clan.
01:06Sasuke is able to dispel the fox's presence easily.
01:10It's a foreboding scene that foreshadows not only Sasuke's increase in power, but
01:14also one of the series' endgame villains.
01:22The Third Hokage's Funeral
01:24Naruto never had parents growing up, but Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was a grandfatherly
01:31figure for him.
01:32It's a feeling many of his peers share.
01:35That's why it's so heartbreaking for them at Sarutobi's funeral.
01:42Naruto asks his sensei, Iruka, why people sacrifice themselves for others.
01:48Iruka's response touches on the connections between the dead and the living, and how those
01:53who depart the world leave a bond with all who knew them.
02:06It remains one of the biggest tear-jerker scenes in Naruto, and while the rain may cover
02:11up any tears the ninjas cry, we're not so lucky.
02:2028.
02:23Naruto First Uses the Ninetales Chakra
02:26The first life-or-death battle Naruto engages in sees him and Sasuke overmatched by the
02:31rogue ninja, Haku.
02:33Haku claims Sasuke is dead, which enrages Naruto to the point where the seal keeping
02:38Kurama's chakra inside him weakens.
02:43The resulting outburst sees the Ninetales' influence exert itself on him, making him
02:48more feral in appearance and behavior.
02:51It's both satisfying and terrifying to watch Naruto wreck Haku with his newfound strength.
03:07While Naruto goes berserk many times during this series, the first time remains an iconic
03:13both for how visceral it is, and for the promise of things to come.
03:2027.
03:23Naruto Meets His Father
03:25Arguably the worst time Naruto loses control sees the young ninja ready to destroy the
03:30seal on Kurama entirely.
03:32However, an unexpected source puts a stop to it in his mindscape, the fourth Hokage,
03:38Namikaze Minato.
03:45Although many fans predicted it, Naruto at least is shocked to learn that Minato is his
03:49dad.
03:50At first, he rages against his father for sealing the Ninetales inside him in the first
03:55place and all the pain he went through.
03:57However, during their short time together, the late Minato explains the stakes involved
04:02in his decision and expresses pride in his son and confidence that he will succeed where
04:08he failed.
04:12It's a wonderful scene and a long overdue moment of familial connection for Naruto.
04:2026.
04:23Tobi's True Identity
04:24The leadership of Akatsuki is one of the biggest mysteries early on in the series.
04:29Shortly after the confrontation between Sasuke and Deidara, we meet the final two members
04:35of the group of rogue ninjas.
04:37Conan and Pain, the latter of whom is the apparent leader.
04:41However, during their conversation, they defer to an unseen figure in a hooded Akatsuki cloak.
04:55As the music swells and thunder and lightning crash, the figure is revealed to be the masked
05:00man Tobi, who claims to be Madara.
05:09While Tobi's identity is more complicated than that, we'll never forget this dramatic
05:14reveal.
05:1825.
05:23This World Shall Know Pain
05:25Pain's assault on Konoha is absolutely brutal, and yet, these six-fold ninjas' most devastating
05:31actions occur from a single move.
05:34In a confrontation with Tsunade, the fifth Hokage claims that her village has already
05:39experienced enough pain.
05:41However, Pain disagrees.
05:48To ensure they experience the sensation fully, he puts all his power into one airborne, almighty
05:55push, also called Shinra Tensei.
06:01The resulting attack essentially functions as a nuclear bomb, flattening most of the
06:05hidden-leaf village in mere moments.
06:08It's an awe-inspiring display of power that always leaves us breathless.
06:1424.
06:17Hinata Saves Naruto
06:19Everyone's favourite knuckle-headed ninja has plenty of friends, but it's Hinata who
06:23has admired him the most from the very beginning.
06:26After Pain has Naruto pinned down, she leaps into action to save him.
06:36When Naruto asks why she's going so far, Hinata at last confesses her feelings for
06:41him.
06:46She also puts up a pretty good fight against Pain, at least in the anime, before being
06:51defeated and seemingly killed.
06:54Not only did this moment elicit plenty of shippers punching the air and or crying, it
06:58also delivers a nice fight and acts as a catalyst for Naruto going wild against Pain.
07:0623.
07:08Rasengan vs Chidori – Interrupted
07:11Naruto and Sasuke fight against each other several times during the series.
07:16While not a full-blown fight, their real first clash is atop a hospital roof.
07:21Sasuke, frustrated with his lack of strength, challenges Naruto and the two exchange attacks
07:27for a bit.
07:28Eventually, they pull out their strongest moves against one another.
07:31Naruto with Rasengan and Sasuke with Chidori.
07:39Fortunately for them both, Kakashi steps in and stops them both from harming each other,
07:45throwing them into water towers.
07:49The clash is a nice prelude to their later battles, and also reveals the extent of Sasuke's
07:59insecurities, particularly once he sees how much more damage Naruto did to his tower.
08:0822.
08:11Gaara's Ninja War Speech
08:13When the ninja of the world organise themselves into one army to battle the Akatsuki, things
08:18don't begin smoothly.
08:20Old grudges remain, and soldiers argue and start fights after they assemble.
08:25However, the overall commander, Gaara, intervenes.
08:29He delivers a speech confessing his previous hatred for the world and everyone in it.
08:34Yet, it was Naruto's empathy as a fellow Jinchuriki that helped change his perspective.
08:43Their shared pain brought them closer together.
08:45Gaara asks the assembled ninja to remember that the Akatsuki have hurt them all, and
08:51to work together to now protect his friend, Naruto.
09:00It's a powerful speech that touches on the series' central themes and tugs at our heartstrings.
09:1021.
09:13Minato Owns Tobi
09:15Everyone talks up the fourth Hokage throughout Naruto, and in this flashback, we see just
09:20how legendary he really was.
09:22Faced with Tobi, whom he believes to be Madara, Minato realises he can't physically touch
09:28him.
09:31Instead, he aims for when Tobi has to materialise to attack him.
09:39Just as Tobi concludes he's won in their mutual clash, Minato teleports to the kunai
09:44he threw through his foe's head and hits him with a Rasengan.
09:53As if that wasn't amazing enough, Minato marked him during the move, allowing him to
09:57teleport directly to Tobi, which lets the Hokage retake control over the Ninetales from
10:03him.
10:04Zabuza hits badass, and his theme music absolutely slaps.
10:1020.
10:12Zabuza's Last Stand
10:16The first arc of Naruto aired decades ago, but people still look back fondly on it.
10:21Its antagonists, Zabuza and Haku, are especially highly regarded.
10:26Hired swords for a greedy businessman, Gato, Haku dies saving Zabuza's life.
10:31After a speech from Naruto, Zabuza realises how much Haku meant to him.
10:36To make up for treating his partner less than he deserved, Zabuza decides to take down Gato
10:41himself.
10:52Despite being near death, he cuts his way through Gato's men with nothing but a kunai and
10:57his teeth.
11:04Zabuza is the first of many foes that Naruto makes better for having met, and his badass
11:10and tragic death is incredibly impactful.
11:1719.
11:22Naruto's Strongest Jutsu
11:25Kaguya Otsutsuki is a powerful being from the dawn of Naruto's world, the origin of
11:30chakra and one of the original story's final villains.
11:34Her power is such that Naruto and Sasuke can barely lay a finger on her, despite their
11:39own incredible new abilities.
11:41However, Naruto reveals to his rival that he has a secret jutsu, one that he has practiced
11:47even more than the Rasengan.
11:53He then creates a bunch of clones, who all turn into… handsome nude men.
12:05As hilarious as Naruto using his stupid, sexy jutsu on a world-ending super-being is, what's
12:12even funnier is that it actually works.
12:18Truly he is the chosen one.
12:2118.
12:22Naruto's Request for Iruka
12:25Naruto grew up without parents, but he had plenty of friends and mentors.
12:29One of the most important of either of these is Iruka, his teacher at the Ninja Academy.
12:35Before Naruto gets married to Hinata, he goes over to Iruka's house, where his sensei
12:40is failing spectacularly at cooking dinner.
12:49Naruto asks him out for ramen, and continually puts his foot in his mouth, which gets Iruka
12:54increasingly miffed.
12:56However, Naruto eventually reveals he wanted to ask him something, to act as his father
13:01at his wedding.
13:18Iruka of course accepts, and he's moved to the point he struggles to hold back tears.
13:23It's a rare Naruto fan who doesn't join him in that fight.
13:3717.
13:47Madara Summons a Meteor
13:50Madara Uchiha is a terrifying legend in the world of Naruto, and when the villain is resurrected
13:55during the war, he lives up to the hype and then some.
13:59While facing an entire division of the Allied Shinobi Army, Madara performs a jutsu using
14:04Susanoo.
14:05Soon afterwards, the sky darkens, and the ninjas below react with disbelief, wondering
14:11if they're fighting a god.
14:13And the shot zooms out to show a massive ball of rock plummeting onto them all.
14:28While veteran Tsuchikage Onoki manages to stop it with Gaara's help, it's still
14:33an iconic and terrifying illustration of the villain's strength.
14:37Almost as epic as the fact that Madara actually summoned two meteors.
14:4516.
14:49Shikamaru Avenges Asuma
14:51Shikamaru's teacher Asuma is killed by Hidan, a crazed, immortal member of the Akatsuki.
14:57After using his jutsu to bring Hidan into his family's woods, Shikamaru activates
15:02a pre-planned trap.
15:17While he can't kill Hidan, Shikamaru manages to trap him for the foreseeable future by
15:22burying the maniac alive.
15:24And he uses his teacher's lighter – cigarettes in the manga – to do it.
15:29Which is just the cherry on top.
15:37Revenge is a running theme in Naruto, but it's rare that a character achieving it
15:41feels so satisfying.
15:43This is one of those times.
15:5215.
15:57Sasuke and Kakashi Arrive in Style
16:00The Chunin Exams are a major event for the contestants trying to get promoted, and for
16:05the village hosting the event.
16:07Team Seven's first exams are endangered by many things, not the least of which is
16:12the absence of Sasuke and Kakashi, who have spent the time before the finals training.
16:17Before Sasuke's highly-anticipated match with Gaara, the hokage sets a time limit.
16:23They can't keep the crowd waiting forever, after all.
16:32Naturally it all comes down to the wire, and the proctor is just about to call the match
16:37When falling leaves swirl about, and Sasuke and Kakashi appear in the middle of the stadium.
16:58Overly dramatic?
17:00Maybe, but it's still so damn cool.
17:0514.
17:09Team Seven Reunites in the War
17:11War can divide people, but it can also see them come together.
17:15Sasuke leaves the village for years, and is antagonistic towards his former friends and
17:20home.
17:21During the final war, he reunites with his former teammates once again.
17:28There's some initial distrust, and comedy, from their peers, but Naruto and Sakura have
17:37faith in their friend, and they fight side-by-side once again against the Tentails.
17:48Even if you binged the series, it's a long real-world time between Sasuke's departure
17:52and this moment.
17:54So seeing Team Seven finally working together again is bound to get you emotional, even
17:59if you didn't have to wait years to see it happen.
18:1513.
18:20Tobi's Identity Revealed
18:27When you put a character in a mask, sooner or later, there's gonna be a big reveal.
18:32One of the most famous twists in the series is about the masked man, Tobi.
18:36Initially, we're told that Tobi is Madara Uchiha in disguise.
18:40However, when the real Madara is resurrected during the war, that throws that idea out
18:46the window.
18:47When Naruto, Kakashi, and Gai battle Tobi, they notice strange similarities between Tobi's
18:52Sharingan powers and Kakashi's.
18:58Finally, Naruto breaks the mask, revealing the truth.
19:05Tobi is Obito Uchiha, Kakashi's old teammate and the one who gave him his Sharingan.
19:16And sure, a lot of people guessed it beforehand, but the reveal itself is still etched in our
19:21brains.
19:2612.
19:30Naruto Meets His Mom
19:31As we've established, Naruto was an orphan.
19:35His parents were killed shortly after he was born.
19:37However, thanks to the magic of chakra, he gets the chance to speak to both of them.
19:43He also encounters his mother, Kushina, while trying to better control the Ninetales Chakra.
19:56He encounters her in a kind of dream space.
19:59Watching their similarities is heartwarming, as is Kushina's story of how she and his
20:04dad met.
20:14But it's the simple moments of love between the two that just get the waterworks going
20:18every time.
20:19It's everything Naruto deserved, but never received.
20:3011.
20:32Might Gai
20:33Might Gai finally opening the eighth gate of death is a momentous occasion in the series.
20:39While facing Madara Uchiha, the bushy-browed ninja unleashes his full potential, at the
20:45potential cost of his life.
20:53While their fight itself is epic, it's the final blow that makes our list.
20:57When the rest of his impressive moves prove unable to finally do in Madara, Gai unveils
21:02his last technique, Night Gai.
21:10The splendid beast of a man moves so fast, his chakra looks like a dragon, and then he
21:15hits Madara with a kick that bends space itself.
21:19Gai may not manage to kill Madara, but he cements himself as a legend here.
21:31The best part?
21:32Night Gai is basically a god-tier version of his dynamic entry.
21:3710.
21:38Naruto Returns Sasuke's Forehead Protector
21:41Naruto and Sasuke's friendship-slash-rivalry is among the most pivotal parts of the series,
21:47so it's only fitting that we start with them.
21:50During their battle after Sasuke leaves the village, Sasuke leaves behind his scratched
21:54forehead protector, symbolizing the severing of his ties to Konoha.
22:05By the end of Naruto Shippuden, Sasuke has finally come around and reconciled with Naruto
22:11and the village, though he still decides to leave Konoha to protect it in other ways.
22:17As he's leaving, Naruto returns Sasuke's scratched headband, which he has kept for
22:21years.
22:24It's a wonderfully full-circle moment, made even more epic by the return of that classic
22:33Naruto theme music.
22:399.
22:41Rasengan vs. Chidori
22:43Speaking of that damaged forehead protector, the way that it gets scratched is pretty epic.
22:49Naruto and Sasuke's epic first fight at the Valley of the End features the duo slowly
22:54escalating their power and abilities against each other.
23:04Finally, their battle reaches its conclusion in the only way it could, with a clash between
23:17their signature attacks, Rasengan and Chidori.
23:27The image of the two of them in their transformed states, leaping at each other in front of
23:31that waterfall, is forever burned in the memories of every Naruto fan.
23:408.
23:45Itachi's Death
23:46Sasuke's greatest ambition for most of the early parts of the story is achieving revenge
23:51against his brother Itachi for killing their clan.
23:54The siblings' battle is fraught with emotion, memories, and huge attacks, but its conclusion
24:00is what sticks in our minds the most.
24:09Itachi has proven himself the stronger brother, unleashing advanced Sharingan techniques that
24:14Sasuke is no match for.
24:16With his elder brother bearing down on him, apparently intent on stealing Sasuke's eyes
24:21for his own, Sasuke can only back against a wall in terror.
24:26However, when the moment comes, Itachi only pokes Sasuke on the forehead, just like he
24:31did when they were younger.
24:37The full significance of this moment is explored later, but the image is immediately striking.
24:477.
24:51Team Seven Passes the Bell Test
24:53One of the earliest events in Naruto is also one of the most memorable.
24:57While the Bell Test has plenty of notable moments, such as the infamous 1,000 Years
25:02of Death technique, the conclusion of the challenge stands out the most.
25:07Despite initially failing the team, Kakashi states that he'll give them another chance,
25:11but forbids them from giving Naruto any food.
25:19After catching them disobeying him, Kakashi seems angry at first, but when they stand
25:24up to him, the older ninja declares that they've passed.
25:31People who disobey the rules are bad, but those who abandon their comrades are worse.
25:36It's a lesson that sticks with Naruto throughout the story.
25:456.
25:47Naruto Protects Tsunade Tsunade begins the story with a debilitating
25:52weakness – a fear of blood.
25:54Shaken by a past trauma, she's attacked by Orochimaru's henchman, Kabuto.
26:00Despite getting wrecked by Kabuto earlier, Naruto steps in to save Tsunade.
26:05As he blocks Kabuto's blow with his forehead protector, Jiraiya speaks elsewhere about
26:09the most important thing for a ninja – guts.
26:18Tsunade may become the fifth Hokage, but Naruto is the one who shows her here what it takes
26:22to become one.
26:24The moment is perfectly punctuated soon after by Naruto using the Rasengan for the first
26:29time on Kabuto.
26:35It's a great character moment and an awesome attack in the same scene.
26:415.
26:45Jiraiya's Death There are plenty of impactful deaths in Naruto,
26:49but Jiraiya's is the one that hits the hardest.
26:52Naruto's long-time teacher faces off against the Akatsuki's leader, Pain.
26:57Worn down by the fight, Jiraiya is impaled.
27:04Nevertheless, he fights through the agony and manages to deliver a coded message about
27:10Pain's real identity on the back of one of his frog friends.
27:22Seeing him follow Naruto's philosophy of never giving up, and watching him peacefully
27:26sink underwater with a smile on his face, gets us choked up every time.
27:344.
27:36Naruto and Sasuke's Sacrifice Even saving the world together doesn't mean
27:40that Sasuke and Naruto can see eye to eye.
27:44After defeating their final foe, the two of them return to the Valley of the End for one
27:48last battle.
27:49While there are plenty of standout moments throughout, it's the conclusion that resonates
27:54most strongly.
28:01After an explosive final attack, the two of them are left barely able to move.
28:06They discuss their lives, their friendship, and what to do if they survive.
28:19It's a moving scene, made even more poignant by the fact that both have lost one of their
28:23arms.
28:24Their blood intermingling is a gruesome, but appropriate image.
28:28They truly are comrades.
28:353.
28:39Naruto befriends Kurama Naruto and the nine-tailed fox Kurama have
28:44a… complicated relationship, to say the least.
28:47The supposedly demonic chakra beast sealed inside Naruto has been the source of a lot
28:52of heartache for Naruto over the course of his life.
28:56But when faced with Tobi, who has control over most of the other tailed beasts, Kurama
29:01decides to give his aid freely to Naruto.
29:08Their long-percolating friendship finally solidifies in this moment, as they go into
29:13battle together.
29:14Even Kurama, who hated Naruto for being his prison, is won over by the knuckle-headed
29:19ninja.
29:25Plus, Naruto's awesome new transformation is great to see in action.
29:322.
29:34Rock Lee drops his weight Gaara vs. Rock Lee is one of the best fights
29:39in Naruto, but this moment stands out even among the rest of it.
29:43Lee is a skilled martial artist, but he initially looks overmatched by Gaara's seemingly impenetrable
29:50sand defence.
30:00That is, until Lee's teacher, Gai, gives him permission to remove his training weights.
30:06Everyone scoffs, at least until the weights make an enormous crater on the ground.
30:20Then Lee moves so fast, he manages to not only get past Gaara's sand, but also hit
30:25him multiple times.
30:27The exceptionally executed action and stellar soundtrack, featuring wailing guitar riffs
30:33and what sounds like literal bombs dropping, help turn this moment into pure, unadulterated
30:38hype.
30:39If this doesn't get you pumped, check your pulse, because you're dead.
31:031.
31:14Naruto arrives to stop pain When Naruto is away training to become strong
31:19enough to face pain, the Akatsuki leader attacks Konoha, decimating the village and many of
31:24Naruto's friends.
31:26But just when all hope seems lost, Naruto appears in a puff of smoke, along with his
31:31toad allies.
31:33Sporting an awesome new sage form and a spiffy new outfit, Naruto's arrival alone is great
31:39enough.
31:43However, soon after appearing on the scene, he manages to take down one of pain's six
31:52paths in a single blow, when they all gave other characters a lot of trouble earlier
31:57in the arc.
32:03Naruto is the hero of the story, sure, but in this moment, he starts to become the hero
32:08of his village, just as he always dreamed.
32:14Is there a memorable Naruto moment you can't believe we forgot?
32:19Use some teleportation jutsu to get down to the comments and tell us your favourites.