Summary
- Naruto features incredible, perfectly paced fights that vary in intensity, some becoming fan-favorites.
- Filler episodes and arcs were common due to manga pacing, resulting in both long and worthwhile fight sequences.
- Specific battles, like Pain vs. Naruto and Team 7 vs. Madara, stand out for their storytelling and impact.
As one of the OG big three anime, Naruto isn't afraid of long fights or drawn-out arcs. It is a shonen show that is at its best when there is some action on the screen. The longer and more intense the fights, the greater the hype. Some of these fights are incredible, perfectly paced, and lauded by the fans as the greatest fights in the series, while others aren't as respected.
Considering the number of filler episodes that the anime often added from the 2000s and 2010s to give the manga time to get ahead, it's no surprise that there are a lot of drawn-out fight sequences. However, there are plenty of fights in the anime that genuinely deserve the runtime that they get.
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10 Zabuza & Haku Vs. Kakashi & Team 7
C-Rank Mission Turned A-Rank
- Show: Naruto Shippuden
- Season: 1
- Episodes: 12-18 (6 episodes)
The first major arc of the anime that hooked the audience into the world was the Wave Mission arc. This mission showed the bonding of Team 7 by putting them up against their first real hurdle. It gave some depth to the world and the characters, and introduced a fantastic villain in the form of Zabuza and his apprentice, Haku.
The initial fight between Zabuza and Team 7 wasn't too long, but the second fight, the one which decided his fate on the bridge, was longer. Two fights occurred simultaneously during these episodes: Sasuke and Naruto vs. Haku, and Kakashi vs. Zabuza. Kakashi's fight took the backseat while Naruto and Sasuke got a chance to shine, with their friendship blossoming into something that would stand the test of time.
9 Pain Vs. Naruto
A Battle for the Fate of the Leaf
- Show: Naruto Shippuden
- Season: 8
- Episodes: 163-169 (7 episodes)
Pain Vs. Naruto was arguably the best fight in the entire series. During this fight, Naruto makes an explosive entrance with his Sage mode activated and single-handedly goes against the big bad villain, who had decimated his entire village in the time it took him to get there.
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Through the course of the fight, Naruto starts to lose, slowly but surely, cementing the godly image of Pain in the eyes of the viewer. When all seems lost and the Kyuubi is on the verge of taking over Naruto's vessel entirely, the entire script gets flipped. An incredible event occurs, and all becomes right in the world once more.
8 Kabuto Vs. The Uchiha Siblings
Mangekyo Sharingans Against The Snake Sage
- Show: Naruto Shippuden
- Season: 15
- Episodes: 333-339 (7 episodes)
The Fourth Shinobi War was one of the worst arcs in Naruto in some ways, and the best one in others. On the one hand, it's gratifying to see some of the less-appreciated characters get some much-needed screen time. On the other hand, it's annoying for the viewers to have to sit through what seems like filler after filler episode while the main story takes a backseat.
Perhaps one of the more entertaining fights in the "filler" episodes was the fight between Kabuto, after he achieves Sagehood, and the Uchiha Siblings, Sasuke and a revived Itachi. The tagteam of two Mangekyo users isn't to be underestimated, but the prowess of a Senjutsu user of Kabuto's caliber was quite impressive as well.
7 Kakuzu & Hidan Vs. Team 10 & 7
Major Strike Against The Akatsuki
- Show: Naruto Shippuden
- Season: 4
- Episodes: 83-89 (7 episodes)
Revenge isn't encouraged in Naruto. Sasuke's obsession with it led him to abandon his village and friends, creating the main conflict of the series. However, revenge is inherently satisfying, and the revenge that Team Asuna got for the death of their sensei by killing Hidan and Kakuzu, two veritably immortal Akatsuki members, was served up well.
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This fight brought to light the genius of Shikamaru once more, something that fans of the show love to see. His intellect, combined with the raw firepower of Team 7 (i.e., Naruto and Kakashi), helped take down one of the most powerful teams Akatsuki had to offer.
6 Sasuke Vs. Naruto (Valley of End)
The Reincarnations Fight
- Show: Naruto
- Season: 3
- Episodes: 128-134 (7 episodes)
The first real fight between Sasuke and Naruto occurred at the end of the Sasuke Retrieval arc. Sasuke finally comes out of his ninjutsu-induced hibernation as a new man, attaining a new level of the curse seal. In order to convince him to come back to the leaf, Naruto fights him with all his might, engaging the Kyuubi to get its chakra to match the power that the curse seal gave to Sasuke.
The duel takes a fair bit of time to complete, with plenty of flashbacks, cool fight choreography, and suitable atmosphere to accompany it. However, all good things must come to an end. This fight came to an end with Naruto losing to Sasuke by a small margin, and Sasuke choosing to spare him to differentiate himself from his brother.
5 Madara vs. Five Kage
Overwhelming Superiority of the Patriarch
- Show: Naruto Shippuden
- Season: 15
- Episodes: 323, 332, 333, 334, 339, 340, 344 (7 episodes)
The legend of Madara Uchiha permeates the entirety of Shippuden, making his appearance one of the most anticipated in the entire series. The reveal that Tobi was Madara, and then that he was actually only using the name, further built up hype for the legendary figure.
When he finally appeared on the screen, it was even more incredible than any fan could have dared to hope for. One of the ways that he showed his dominance over the rest of the Shinobi world was through his fight with the fight Kage. His Susanoo-clad shadow clones took on all the current leaders without any effort, defeating them with a measly amount of effort.
4 Orochimaru Vs. Hiruzen
The Tug-of-War of Souls
- Show: Naruto
- Season: 2
- Episodes: 68, 69, 71, 72, 73, 79, 80 (7 episodes)
The Chunin arc is one of the most beloved in Naruto, because who doesn't love a good tournament or two in a shonen anime? The more competition, the better it is for showing off the powers of different characters. The conclusion of this arc is an epic battle between Orochimaru and Hiruzen, the traitor of the Leaf versus his old teacher, the third Hokage.
This fight drags on for quite some time and introduces the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, which becomes a big part of the final climax of the series during the fourth ninja war.
3 Sasori Vs. Sakura & Chiyo
Team 7's Weakest Link Shows Her Mettle
- Show: Naruto Shippuden
- Season: 1
- Episodes: 19-27 (8 episodes)
One of the first fights with Akatsuki members that the audience gets to witness is the fight between Sasori and Sakura, with Chiyo providing support. This fight establishes the fighting level of the current team of leaf shinobi, and gives Sakura time to shine. It occurs in tandem with the fight between Kakashi and Deidara, which showcases Kakashi's use of the Mangekyo Sharingan and the true power of his eye.
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2 Kaguya Vs. Team 7
The Final Battle for the Fate of the World
- Show: Naruto Shippuden
- Season: 21
- Episodes: 459-463. 470-474 (10 episodes)
The penultimate battle of the series is also one of the longest. Team 7, including Sakura surprisingly, go up against Kaguya, the Ōtsutsuki who started the entire debacle by eating the fruit of the sacred tree.
Her fight with Team 7 takes a fair amount of time, with plenty of filler episodes sprinkled in between to pad the run time, making it a frustrating watch unless viewers skip all the filler episodes.
1 Obito Vs. Shinobi Alliance 378-388
Everyone Versus the Ten Tails Jinchuuriki
- Show: Naruto Shippuden
- Season: 18
- Episodes: 378-388 (11 episodes)
The single longest fight in the whole series of Naruto is the fight between the Shinobi Alliance and Obito when he reaches his Ten Tails Jinchuuriki state. This isn't a very eventful fight, all things considered. Compared to Madara's fight, the penultimate fight against Kaguya, and the final fight between Naruto and Sasuke, Obito's fight seems a bit less flashy in comparison.
However, that's not to say it's any less entertaining than the rest of them. This fight shows the true capabilities of someone who holds the power of the Sage of Six Paths and all the tailed beasts. It's a great demonstration of what Naruto and his friends are up against, and serves its purpose as the gateway for Madara, and then Kaguya, to step into the picture.
- Release Date
- October 2, 2002
- Network
- Adult Swim
