What Was The Best Story Arc In Naruto?

At the end of a 15-year-long run which included 700 published chapters in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto cemented its place as one of the best-selling manga of all time. Following the story of its eponymous protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, the series traces his journey from growing up as a social outcast, to eventually becoming a hero to his village and the world.

Both the manga and its anime adaptation by Studio Pierrot enjoyed considerable popularity, due to the series' thrilling fights, character writing, and exploration of themes such as friendship, morality, revenge, and war. The glue that tied all this together were the individual story arcs in Naruto, where Kishimoto's talent at developing characters, world-building elements, and building tension, had the chance to shine. Hence, from all the superb narrative segments in the series, which one of them was the best story arc in Naruto?

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What Makes A Great Story Arc?

Manga and anime feature some of the best examples of arc-based storytelling in the modern age. Longer series — particularly in the shonen genre — are structured as a sequence of successive story arcs, with each introducing new characters and scenarios for its main cast to interact with.

In effect, story arcs help to bring about changes in the main cast, which can be reflected in a multitude of ways. Story arcs can also be of varying lengths and have different purposes, with some serving as critical points in a series' larger narrative, while others bridge the transitions between them to flesh out character motivations and other forces at play in the overarching plot.

An arc-based approach to storytelling has more long-term implications for a series than an episodic format, where the latter returns to its original status quo once the main conflict is resolved. On a fundamental level, story arcs in battle shonen manga and anime such as Naruto, are generally judged based on their pacing, character progression, significance of plot developments, key battles and events, as well as how well they echo the themes of the series.

Quite a few acclaimed story arcs in manga and anime are highly regarded because of how well they capitalize on plot elements set up in every preceding arc before them, providing a satisfactory payoff which brings the story full circle. A key element in the success of arc-based storytelling is centered on how well the author can connect each narrative segment to feel as if they are part of a whole, and this is an important part of what made Naruto so engaging.

How Kishimoto Seamlessly Wove Arcs Together

It is no secret that Masashi Kishimoto excelled at making Naruto's story arcs flow together in a cohesive manner, building momentum in the process. Part I of Naruto has some excellent examples of this, where everything from the Chunin Exams until the Sasuke Recovery Mission felt like a self-contained story, split up into chapters with different antagonists and objectives for the main cast to tackle. Part II also had stretches with well-organized and structured story arcs, until the latter third of the series, which covered the Fourth Shinobi World War.

More often than not, there are a few contenders that always come up when discussions about the best story arc in Naruto enter the picture. Spanning both Part I and Part II, these arcs represent the absolute pinnacle of Kishimoto's achievements as a storyteller. While their respective lengths and overall themes vary greatly, there is no debating the fact that each one was a critical turning point in the journeys of Naruto's main cast.

Chunin Exams Arc

Introduces The Supporting Cast With High-Stakes Action

Tournament arcs are a mainstay in shonen manga and anime, but the creativity and pacing of the Chunin Exams Arc, combined with its iconic fights, have often singled it out among the best arcs in Naruto. Laying the groundwork for a large portion of Part I, this arc introduced a swarm of new characters and world-building elements, to add more depth and stakes to the conflicts of the shinobi world.

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In hindsight, the Chunin Exams Arc was a spectacle that told poignant stories of struggle and perseverance through gripping fights — an approach that Kishimoto uses to great effect — which propelled Naruto from a series with promise, to something truly special.

Konoha Crush Arc

Part I's Main Antagonist Finally Makes His Move

Taking place immediately after the Chunin Exams Finals are interrupted by Orochimaru and the Hidden Sand's invasion of the Hidden Leaf, this arc features a number of fights, but its main focus is on two concurrent battles to decide the village's fate. On one hand, Orochimaru and the Third Hokage's turbulent relationship is at the fore of a thrilling confrontation that showcases Kage-level combat for the first time.

Simultaneously, Naruto struggles to protect his friends from Gaara, a fellow jinchuriki who faced the same harsh childhood as him. The conclusions of these two fights in the Konoha Crush Arc, forever alter the village and the main cast, sparking changes that would send ripples through the second half of Part I.

Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc

Brings Part I Full Circle With Naruto And Sasuke's Clash Of Ideals

Bringing an end to Part I, the Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc concerns Sasuke abandoning Konoha to seek out Orochimaru. Littered with moments that are now integral to Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry, this arc wades through the build-up to the latter's defection, before plunging into a series of tense battles, between the Sasuke Recovery Team and the Sound Four, with stakes higher than ever, and the prospect of death ever-present.

A touching tale of bonds severed by hatred, this arc's grand finale features a battle that is arguably the best in Part I, and perhaps even the entire series: Naruto versus Sasuke. The result of this conflict defined how both characters started their journeys in Part II, illustrating its significance in Naruto's story.

Fated Battle Between Brothers Arc

Sasuke Finally Confronts Itachi About His Crimes

Foreshadowed since Sasuke's introduction, this was a fight that had been a long time coming. After tracking down his brother to the Uchiha Clan Hideout, Sasuke engages Itachi in a battle that pushes both siblings to their limits, shedding light on revelations such as the secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan and its next phase of its evolution.

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However, all this was but a blip in comparison to the horror Sasuke felt upon learning the truth about Itachi, which would force him to sink further into darkness as his hatred consumed him. Short, action-packed, and enthralling, the Fated Battle Between Brothers is a mid-series conclusion to Sasuke's character arc, bringing closure to his original motives before new challenges appear.

Pain's Assault Arc

The Culmination Of Naruto's Journey From Outcast To Hero

Centered around the Akatsuki leader Pain's invasion of Konoha, this arc is a huge leap forward for Naruto as a character, as he comes to terms with the death of Jiraiya, before being called on to defend the village from his mentor's killer. While Naruto's Sage Mode training is quite engaging on its own, the real action takes place elsewhere as the village struggles to fend off Pain's hunt for the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki.

This arc also represents a massive coming-of-age moment for Naruto, as he pledges to fight against the hatred sown into the fabric of the shinobi world. With themes of overcoming grief, forgiveness, and the cycle of hatred in a war-torn world, the philosophical debate at the heart of the Pain's Assault Arc is its greatest triumph, illustrating Naruto's newfound maturity while outlining his next objective going forward.

What Was The Best Story Arc In Naruto?

Picking between any one of these arcs is neither simple nor straightforward, given how each one is directly influenced by prior events. Kishimoto's uncanny ability to tell a story with such breathtaking fluidity was a huge factor in Naruto's global success, and this made every story arc an important piece of the puzzle that constitutes the series.

That being said, it is hard to put the Fated Battle Between Brothers above any of the others, due to the relatively smaller scale of the conflict, in spite of its implications on Sasuke's character arc. Next, the Konoha Crush and Chunin Exams are almost like a single arc when looked at from one perspective, and picking any one of them over the other is near impossible. This leaves Pain's Assault and the Sasuke Recovery Mission, and it is hard to fault anyone for picking either of them as the best story arc in Naruto.

Whereas Pain's Assault is perhaps Naruto's greatest triumph at a time when Kishimoto was at the peak of his powers, the Sasuke Recovery Mission is razor focused on the series' defining rivalry, and holds as many, if not more iconic moments than Pain's Assault. Therefore, while Pain's Assault is the best story arc for Naruto Uzumaki as a protagonist, the Sasuke Recovery Mission is perhaps the arc that best encapsulates what Naruto as a series has to offer.

Naruto is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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Naruto

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8.4/10

Animation

Action

Adventure

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Release Date

October 2, 2002

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A popular shonen anime based on Masashi Kishimoto's manga, Naruto follows its eponymous shinobi's journey as he goes from his town's outsider to its hero.

Studio

Pierrot

Creator

Masashi Kishimoto

Number of Episodes

220

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube

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