Most cinematic fights in Naruto

Key points

• Naruto's action scenes are acclaimed for their incredible choreography, animation, and tension between fan-favorite characters.
• Pierrot expertly adapted manga battles into awe-inspiring spectacles in both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.
• Memorable fights like Naruto vs. Gaara, Naruto vs. Sasuke, and Kakashi vs. Obito stand out for their animation and emotional impact.

Naruto is one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved franchises in the action shōnen genre thanks to its many qualities, including its incredible action scenes. After all, there's no denying that author Masashi Kishimoto has excelled in creating some of the best fights in the entire medium.

Plus, Pierrot, the studio behind the iconic Naruto anime – took all the epic battles from the manga and expertly adapted them into awe-inspiring spectacles, thanks to the use of animation, cinematography, voice acting, music and more. Accordingly, both Naruto AND Naruto Shippuden they host some truly cinematic fights, but the following are the absolute best in the entire run of the show.

8 Naruto vs Gaara

An epic clash between two giant monsters

The initial meeting between Naruto Uzumaki AND Gaara it was one of the crucial moments of Naruto Part 1. They both grew up as powerful but dangerous Jinchūriki but, while Naruto became a kind-hearted boy who wanted to help others, Gaara turned out to be resentful and cruel. At this point in the series, they were complete opposites and the cinematography of their fight reflected this.

The contrast between Gaara's ruthless sand attacks (powered by Shukaku) against Naruto's shadow clones and various ninja techniques is very entertaining. But the battle goes to another level when Gaara unleashes the true, gigantic form of the One-Tailed Beast. In one of the show's most brilliant scenes, Naruto summons Gamabunta and uses his Jutsu to transform into the Nine-Tails, resulting in an epic kaiju brawl that feels too epic and big for this part of the series.

7 Naruto vs. Sasuke

The intense meeting that closed the first part

• Bow: Sasuke recovery mission

Tension between long-time rivals Naruto Uzumaki AND Sasuke Uchiha it got pretty tall at the end Naruto Part 1. Their brief initial meeting at the beginning of the Sasuke Recovery Mission arc showed that they both became much stronger, but they didn't get the chance to show their full power until the end of said arc, when Naruto tried to make his friend back to Konohagakure.

This is pretty much the ending of Naruto and Pierrot knew it. That's why they applied some of the best animation, lighting, cinematography and music to fit it into what ultimately became one of the most legendary fights in all of anime. Naruto and Sasuke's growth and training are on full display here, as both get to show off all their abilities in this mind-blowing showcase of unique powers and colorful attacks.

6 Jiraiya vs. Pain

The saddest fight in the series featured some impressive animations

• Bow: Story of Jiraiya the Gallant

Moving on to Part 2 – better known as Naruto Shippuden – there is the unforgettable meeting between Jiraiya and his former apprentice, Pain. Both fighters are not only extremely powerful, but have a huge collection of different attacks and techniques at their disposal and have the ability to showcase almost all of them in one incredible brawl.

Between all his clever summons and the reveal of his Sage Mode, Jiraiya demonstrated why he earned the title of Sannin during this fight, and managed to hold his ground against Pain. However, the Akatsuki leader also had a few tricks up his sleeve, and his attacks also featured surprisingly smooth animation. The conclusion of this encounter is famously sad and tragic, but also surprisingly cinematic, as the voice acting, flashbacks, and background music make Jiraiya's demise even more emotional for the viewer.

5 Naruto against pain

The most epic moment in the entire Naruto franchise

The moment itself Naruto Uzumaki appeared in Knohagaure, accompanied by three giant toads, ready to fight Pain is still considered one of the most epic scenes in the entire franchise, even today. This can easily be attributed to Pierrot's amazing adaptation, who implemented suitable music and animation to make this entry as cinematic as possible.

But it's not just Naruto's entrance, because the rest of the fight is incredible too. Once again, Pain is a challenging opponent with many different abilities, but Naruto managed to use all of his techniques, from Sage Mode to the Eight-Tails transformation, to defeat this powerful antagonist. The quality of the animation and cinematography was really high, and while there's no denying that it looks weird at times, it doesn't change the fact that this encounter is as epic as it is satisfying and could have easily worked. as the final battle of the entire series.

4 Minato vs. Tobi

Undeniable proof that Minato deserved the title of Hokage

• Bow: Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown

The flashback to Naruto's past served two extremely important roles: finally showing the audience how exactly his parents died, but also demonstrating how incredibly skilled he is Minato Namikaze was and why he deserved the title of Fourth Hokage. Soon after Naruto was born, Minato was forced to fight a mysterious masked man named Tobi who was the person who orchestrated the current attack on the village.

Tobi (who is actually Minato's former apprentice, Obito Uchiha) used some effective techniques, but none of them were as good as Konoha's Yellow Lightning. Pierrot managed to showcase Minato's brilliant mind and incredible speed during this fight. Not to mention, the use of the bright blue light coming out of his Rasengan added a magical touch to this match, which featured some dark, almost black and white lightning, until Minato managed to land the finishing blow on the his evil adversary.

3 Kakashi vs Obito

This tragic brawl has some of the best animation in the series

• Bow: Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax

The climactic battle between Kakashi Hatake AND Obito Uchiha it may not be the most ambitious or epic Naruto Shippudenbut it is undoubtedly the best in terms of composition and cinematic touch. The impeccable fight choreography and the collection of sudden changes that remind viewers of the good times these two childhood friends shared are a mind-blowing combination that makes this fight incredibly epic and incredibly emotional.

But, as good as the choreography and editing are, the animation is what solidified Kakashi vs. Obito as the most legendary animated fight of all time. Naruto. This battle features some of the most fluid, impressive and well thought out animation in the series. The final arc of Naruto Shippuden it may be very imperfect, but this encounter is almost worth it.

2 Could Guy vs Madara

The opening of the eight gates caused an extraordinary clash

• Bow: Birth of the Ten-Tails jinchūriki

Nobody expected it Could Guy of all the people to deal with Madara Uchiha all by himself during the Fourth Shinobi World War. But every Naruto the fan is glad he did because the result was one of the most surprising matches in the entire franchise. This encounter ends with Madara declaring that Guy is the strongest fighter he has ever faced, so Pierrot's animators were careful to properly reflect this statement in the adaptation of their fight.

The fighter's attacks carry a lot of weight, not to mention that the use of flashbacks to better develop Might Guy's personality and personal philosophy is very effective. But the stars of this battle are Gai's Eight Gates, which once opened gave rise to some impressive sequences with impeccable animation. He may not have been able to defeat Madara, but he was solely responsible for one of the most stunning and cinematic action scenes of the arc, so his efforts weren't wasted at all.

1 Naruto vs. Sasuke 2

The long-awaited final battle of the series did not disappoint

• Bow: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki strikes

The final arcs of Naruto Shippuden were flawed and disappointing in many ways, but if there's one thing that didn't disappoint, it was the final showdown between Naruto Uzumaki AND Sasuke Uchiha at the end of the series. This is the sequel to their original fight where both characters got to use all their power to finally resolve their long-standing conflict, and it was exceptionally amazing and satisfying.

These long-time rivals used every single jutsu, technique, and upgrade they had acquired in both cases Naruto AND Naruto Shippuden in a creative and cinematic encounter that also proved surprisingly nostalgic. Not to mention, the implementation of both Kurama and Susanoo elevated this battle to a whole new level, surpassing everything that came before it, even their final fight against the evil Kaguya. As a result, this is definitely the most over-the-top action sequence in the entire franchise, and the impeccable animation and cinematography certainly helped a lot.

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  Naruto

  Release date

  October 2, 2002

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  Pierrot

  Number of episodes

  220

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  Naruto: Shippuden

  Release date

  February 15, 2007

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  Number of episodes