Censored manga moments in the Naruto anime

Key points

• Some of the most brutal and questionable moments from the Naruto manga were toned down in the anime.
• The manga shows 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 conform to broadcast standards, resulting in a more subdued depiction of the manga's content.

Naruto is one of the most popular shonen anime of all time. Fans love watching the titular character's journey from unwanted Jinchuriki to the Seventh Hokage. The anime adaptation did a brilliant job of capturing the highs of the manga, but failed to escape the dreaded jaws of censors.

Several brutal and questionable moments from the manga were toned down in the anime for understandable reasons. However, some fans can't help but feel that the impact of these scenes is diluted a bit as the anime pulls its punches.

8 Shikamaru's arm melts to the bone in the manga

Tayuya's Genjutsu looks terrifying

• Manga Chapter: “Playing without a 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 recovery story arc, he took over and made sure the strengths of the team sent to bring Sasuke back were highlighted as they pursued their goal.

Eventually, the group splits up as they face the numerous enemies that stand in their way, and Shikamaru had to do the same when he faced Tayuya in battle. This kunoichi used the music of her flute to trap Shikamaru in a genjutsu where his arm began to melt. The manga made this scene more brutal by showing Shikamaru's exposed bone after all the skin fell off.

7 Kakashi's Genjutsu on Sakura shows her a brutalized and mortally wounded Sasuke

No wonder Sakura goes crazy after seeing him in that state

• Manga Chapter: “Just for Sasuke…!!” (Chapter 6 of Naruto)

Kakashi used no punches during Team 7's training, subjecting them to a grueling test that highlighted how a lack of teamwork would prevent them from being an effective team. He could have gone easy on everyone, but the way he tortured Sakura made it clear how tough Kakashi sensei was.

He uses a genjutsu to make Sakura see her crush in a severely injured state, with the manga taking things to the next level. His broken legs and a missing arm didn't make it 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 painfully clear

• Manga Chapter: “The horrible experiment…!!” (Chapter 121 of Naruto)

Although Orochimaru's human experiments were depicted in great detail in the anime, fans never got to see the true extent of his depravity. This was reserved for the manga, which features a gruesome sight moments before the Third Hokage arrives to arrest his former student.

Seeing human experiments lying around in his laboratory is a difficult sight to accept, especially as some bodies are dissected. This was missing from the anime, which took away a bit from Orochimaru's uninhibited brutality.

5 Sasuke's Chidori pierced Naruto and punched a hole in his chest

It shows how important the Kyuubi's chakra was to healing Naruto for the second round

• Manga Chapter: “Kakashi's Premonition” (chapter 228 of Naruto)

The first battle between Naruto and Sasuke in the Valley of the End was harsh and brutal. After knocking Naruto to the ground and breaking his neck, Sasuke uses a Chidori to pierce Naruto's chest and puncture his lung.

It is a brutal sight in the manga, while in the anime he covers Sasuke's hand with an active Chidori to hide the brutality of the act. If Naruto's Kyuubi chakra had not awakened at this point, he would have died forever.

4 Kaiza's arms are cut off by Gato to mock her 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 story arc is a brilliant introduction NarutoThe stakes are high, with the mission taking a turn for the worse when Zabuza enters the fray. While seeking asylum in a house, Naruto learns from the villagers that a man who tried to save them from Gatō's oppression was brutally punished to dissuade any rebellion.

The business tycoon cut off both of Kaiza's arms, mocking his claim of using his hands to protect everyone before sentencing him to death. In the anime, his arms are beaten by Kaiza's bodyguards, but are still attached to his body before the execution.

3 The way Kimimaro's bones come out of his body looks creepy in the manga

You can see his muscles pushing the bones out

• Manga Chapter: “The Secret of Sakon” (chapter 203 of Naruto)

Kimimaro is one of the most interesting characters in the Naruto series, using his Kekkei Genkai to extend bones from his body and use them as weapons. If not for a debilitating physical illness, he would have been the perfect conduit for Orochimaru.

He appears near the end of Sasuke's recovery arc to prevent the Leaf Village reinforcements from ending their mission prematurely. The way his bones come out of his body seems more visceral in the manga, where his muscles can be seen pushing out parts of his skeleton to become bone weapons that this character can use to great effect.

2 Naruto's sexy No Jutsu transformation is less lewd 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 risky transformation confusing male enemies and distracting them enough for Naruto to land a powerful blow. The fight against Kaguya featured a callback to this technique when Naruto reversed the effect and summoned numerous good-looking men to distract the mother of all Shinobi.

Fans are well aware of how obscene this form appears in the manga, with thin wisps of smoke doing almost nothing to cover the sensitive parts of Naruto's female body. The anime couldn't go too far and had to increase the volume of smoke covering Naruto during this obscene transformation.

1 The final shot at the end of Naruto and Sasuke's rematch is toned down

Their bloody stumps are covered in black to hide their gruesome nature

• Manga Chapter: “Naruto and Sasuke 5” (Chapter 698 of Naruto)

The final battle between Naruto and Sasuke is an epic way to end the series, with both fighters resolving their differences as Sasuke finally admits defeat. However, his stubborn nature means that he would not stop before launching a final Chidori with the last of his strength, clashing against Naruto's Rasengan one last time.

The resulting clash drains all of their chakra and blows off their arms, with the pool of blood coalescing to signify that their conflict is over once and for all. One thing fans still complain about to this day is that the arm stumps in the anime are darkened, 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

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  Naruto

  Release date

  October 2, 2002

  Seasons

  5