Naruto is a beloved series that has captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world, and a big part of that success is some of the best story arcs in any series. With its sympathetic main character, thrilling battles and intricate plotlines, there is no doubt Naruto’s Plotlines have earned it worldwide acclaim.
Throughout the series, there have been many memorable story arcs that have left a lasting impression on viewers. Some are universally praised while others, understandably so, receive a considerable amount of criticism. Although some Naruto Arcs have notable flaws, Naruto’s Best story arcs balance action, drama and character development like no other show before or since.
20
Tenchi Bridge
Chapter 282 – 310 & Episode 33 – 53 of Naruto Shippuden
With Kakashi and Sasuke out of the picture temporarily, a new Team 7 with the additions of Yamato and Sai work together to lure Kabuto to the Tenchi Bridge. While succeeding, Orochimaru makes a sudden appearance, leading to Naruto losing himself to his power and letting Kurama take over. Meanwhile, Sai’s real intention was to assassinate Sasuke, abandoning the team in favor of his real mission. While he found him, the rest of the team managed to catch up, and one of the most heartbreaking scenes followed with Naruto pleading with Sasuke to return but to no avail.
The drama between the team was a highlight of the arcAnd Sai’s nasty personality rubbing Naruto and Sakura the wrong way had a good starting point for the friendship that was about to blossom. The fight between a transformed Naruto and Orochimaru was equally great, but unfortunately was the last good fight of the Snake Sannin.
19
Search for Tsunade
Chapter 139 – 171 & Episode 81 – 100 of Naruto
The Chunin Exams, Konoha Crush, and the Sasuke Retrieval arc are all some of the most iconic and beloved arcs in Naruto story, and unfortunately this can lead fans to ignore the arc that came between them, the Quest for Tsunade arc. This arc sees Naruto team up with the Sannin Jiraiya to find a replacement for the Third Hokage, Tsunade. Along the way, Jiraiya teaches Naruto what would end up being his strongest attack, the Rasengan.
Although not as epic as the Sasuke retrieval arc, The quest for Tsunade arc is still crucial to Naruto’s character development And in how it established Tsunade as a main character. Jiraiya and Naruto’s relationship would become an important element of the series going forward, and it all started with the Quest for Tsunade arc.
18
Kakashi was walking
Episode 119 – 120 of Shippuden
Kakashi Hatake’s origins and past are long over, and fans finally got to see the fan favorite’s flashback after the Sasuke retrieval arc and before the first arc of the time jump kicked off. This is where Obito and Rin are formally introduced, and how Kakashi obtained his Sharingan is answered. Furthermore, it was a callback to Kakashi’s philosophy of treasuring his friends, and how he came to learn that lesson.
This arc was everything one could want in a flashback. It clearly explains the motivation of the character, sets up future events, answers much-needed questions and gives the character even more depth. Interestingly, this arc is not the full backstory of Kakashi and it was in the war arc where it was revealed what happened after Obito died.
17
Akatsuki suppression mission
Chapter 311 – 342 & Episode 72 – 88 of Shippuden
Shikamaru is one of Naruto’s Best letters, and tWhile the Akatsuki Suppression Mission arc isn’t just about Konoha’s resident lazy genius, the arc features his best action. Aside from anything involving Kakuzu, the main developments of the Akatsuki Suppression Mission arc are Hidan killing Asuma and then Shikamaru getting revenge for his fallen master. Due to Shikamaru’s incredible intellect, it was always clear that he was a threat, taking down the Akatsuki resident immortals, though truly cementing his status as a shinobi.
While Asuma isn’t exactly one of the series’ most beloved characters, his death still hit fans hard, partly due to how much it clearly impacted Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji. Part 2 of Naruto Really shows the deadly stakes at play when facing the Akatsuki, so that Shikamaru succeeds where Asuma failed confirms just how much the new generation of Konoha shinobi surpasses their predecessors.
16
Konoha Hiden: The perfect day for a wedding
Episode 494 – 500 of Shippuden
Naruto Has never really been a romance series, but relationships and love have always been on the periphery. Although some fans may balk at ending Naruto Shippuden With a wedding, it’s a perfect way to bring Naruto’s story full circle and to establish how much hope there is for the new era of peace fans see in Naruto: Shippuden’s End. Seeing Naruto surrounded by so many people who care about him is really heartwarming Consider just how isolated and lonely the young ninja started out.
Although the perfect day for a wedding arc is not in these Naruto Manga, it contains one element that should be viewed as an essential part of the series. Naruto’s relationship with Iruka is criminally under-investigated throughout much of Naruto’s History, which is why it’s so incredible to see Naruto ask his father-figure to walk him down the aisle at his wedding.
15
Six corners unleashed
Episode 145 – 152 of Shippuden
Naruto and his team meet Utakata, the jinchūriki of the Six-Tails, and a girl named Hotaru. Utakata, scarred by his past, is wary of others, while Hotaru is targeted because of a dangerous jutsu sealed within her. As Naruto forms an alliance with Hotaru, he tries to protect them from the enemies that pursue them, including the Akatsuki.
The filler arc, while interrupting the flow of the battle between the brothers and Paine’s arc, did a great job of making viewers attached to Utakata and feel the loss of a jinchuriki to Paine and the Akatsuki. The series never explored the other Tailed Beasts besides Kurama and Gyuki, so this arc at least helped with the world-building of the series. moreover, This arc perfectly replicated the manga’s theme of a master and student relationshipWith Utakata and Hotaru having an amazing and wholesome relationship, that made it all the more heartbreaking when Utakata was killed.
14
Kakashi’s Anbu Arc: The Shinobi Who Lives in the Darkness
Episodes 349 – 361 of Shippuden
Naruto: Shippuden is filled with filler, but as Kakashi’s Anbu arc proves, filler doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. This arc, as its name implies, details Kakashi’s time in the ANBU and provides more details about his tragic past. Fans already knew something of Kakashi’s time in the Anbu, such as his partnership with Itachi, but Kakashi’s Anbu arc goes a long way to filling in the details of what that partnership was. The result is that it is not only Kakashi who has his backstory, but also Itachi, Hiruzen and Yamato.
The problem with many Naruto’s Filler is that it doesn’t expand the story or the characters in meaningful ways. At worst, much of the filler is attempts at comedy that come off as off considering the wider events that take place in canon. With Kakashi’s Anbu Arc however, the series shows just how effective filler can be. This arc is a must-watch for any fan of Kakashi and is good enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best canon arcs of the series.
13
Sasuke Shinden
Episode 484 – 488 of Shippuden
Sasuke investigates a mysterious illness spreading throughout a village, which causes people to behave violently. His quest leads him to clashes with rogue shinobi and uncover hidden conspiracies. Throughout the novel, Sasuke struggles with loneliness, guilt, and his new role as a protector, while also reflecting on his bonds with Team 7, especially Naruto.
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The novel adaptation of Sasuke Shinden side stories really helped Sasuke’s character By showing his commitment to atonement and finding the truth of the ninja world after being used for so long. This is a critical exploration of his path to redemption, offering a more introspective look at one of the most complex characters in the Naruto Series.
12
The Fourth Great Shinobi War
Chapters 484 – 639 & Episodes 215 – 375 of Shippuden
The Fourth Great Shinobi War is undoubtedly one of these The most anticipated arcs in Naruto History. Never before has the stage been set so precisely, with moving pieces placed across the ninja world. The return of many once-famous ninjas and the unification of the world’s great armies was a sight to behold as the arc unfolded.
Highlights of this action-packed arc include Kakashi’s bitter fight against Obito in the Kamui Realm, the return of great Naruto Villains Madara and Itachi, and Might Guy’s Gate of Death. Unfortunately, the arc is also bogged down with just as many fights that lack significance, such as Kankuro’s special ops team battling Sasori and Deidara. While this arc was full of amazing moments, it really needed to narrow its focus to ensure that each battle was relevant to the plot at hand.
11
The Kazekage Rescue Mission
Chapter 248 – 281 & Episode 1 – 32 of Shippuden
The Kazekage Rescue Mission arc saw Naruto and his friends travel to the Hidden Sand Village in order to rescue Gaara, who had recently become the Kazekage. This arc begins with a great tactical battle between Gaara and Deidara. The Akatsuki was already established in Naruto’s First part featured Itachi and Kisame, but it wasn’t until part 2 that fans got a wider picture of the group with the likes of Deidara and Sasori.
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This arc serves as a great reintroduction to Naruto and Sakura after the timeskip and contains Sakura’s most memorable battle in Naruto History. This is also the first time fans are introduced to Kakashi’s Mangekyo Sharingan in the hunt for Deidara. Although this arc develops sympathy for new additions to the cast like Sasori and Granny Chiyo, other characters who should have been prominent were left to the wayside, like Kankuro and Temari.
10
Itachi Shinden
Episodes 451 – 458 of Shippuden
Adapting the Itachi Shinden novels, This short arc easily explores one of the series’ most important and nuanced events: the Uchiha Massacre. with one of Naruto’s Best characters in the spotlight, this arc explored how Itachi Uchiha came to be, his motivations, personality, dynamics with his clan and more. It showed what led to the tragedy, and the key players such as Danzo, Hiruzen, Fugaku, Shisui, and others whose carelessness led to the boiling point.
One power Naruto Most beautiful is how deeply it explores politics and real-life tragediesAnd the adaptation made this aspect even better. Not only that, it also made a great character even better, and Itachi’s complexity really showed. However, these Itachi Shinden The anime adaptation is not completely faithful to the novels, tweaking aspects of the massacre and not fully conveying the weight of Izumi’s death at the hands of her beloved.
9
The Five Cage Summit
Chapter 453 – 483 & Episode 197 – 214 of Shippuden
Can any fan of Naruto Say they aren’t hoping for Danzo to get exactly what he deserves in this arc? The Five Cage Summit is one of the most intense arcs in NarutoRaising the stakes to global levels. The Five Cage Summit also has some of Naruto’s Most memorable scenesWith Sasuke standing on the ceiling, look down at every single cage at the top after cutting their banners down.
The utter contempt Sasuke displays in this arc is so raw that one can’t help but stand in awe of how far he’s willing to go after learning the truth about Itachi. The emergence of his Susanoo during the battle against the Raikage and Gaara is also incredible. That said, there are, again, characters that feel like they should be important in these scenarios and just aren’t. Mei, the Mizukage, notoriously gets little time to do anything meaningful in her introductory arc, and the Konoha 11 banding together to stop Sasuke ultimately amounts to nothing.
8
The story of Jiraiya the Gallant
Chapter 363 – 383 & Episode 127 – 133 of Shippuden
Jiraiya’s story is one of the hands down Naruto’s Most emotional arcs. The dilapidated setting of the war-torn Hidden Rain Village makes for a backdrop that perfectly encapsulates the arc’s tone. Jiraiya’s valiant battle against Pain is heartbreaking; Watching the action drag on more and more as the situation only grows increasingly difficult, fans await every development with bated breath.
The reveal of Payne’s abilities in this arc is also handled well, even more so than in the Payne arc itself. He feels almost unstoppable in the battle against Jiraiya, even when the Incomplete Sage mode is used. On that note, one of the few downsides to this long battle is how Jiraiya loses so easily against the Six Paths of Pain. While it certainly plays the threat of pain, Jiraiya more or less goes out with a whimper, taking away a lot of weight that was once attached to the title of “sannin”.
7
The Konoha Crush Arc
Chapters 116 – 138 & Episodes 68 – 80 of Naruto
The Konoha Crush arc deals with the aftermath of the Chunin Exams and Orochimaru’s plan to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village. The alliance between Sound and Sand Villages had been teased since the beginning of the Chunin Exams and seeing it come to fruition was truly a sight to behold.
Orochimaru’s relentless plot to seek revenge against the Third Hokage is a highlight of the Konoha Crush arcAnd the temporary resurrection of the First and Second Hokages brings the threat level of this arc into a league of its own. Additionally, this arc treats fans to the giant kaiju battle between Gamabunta and Shukaku. Unfortunately, the arc still falls flat in a few areas, however, as it has to compete with some of the much more interesting fights that preceded it in the Chunin Exam arc.
6
The Chunin Exams
Chapter 34-115 & Episode 20 – 67 of Naruto
Not surprisingly, the Chunin exams are often included in lists of Naruto’s Best story arcs – and for good reason. one of Naruto’s The biggest attraction was the fact that each ninja had different abilities and talents, creating a diverse landscape of abilities. While some of these abilities are shown in the land of arc waves, It wasn’t until the Chunin Exams that many of the series’ side characters were truly able to establish themselves and their capabilities..
The most memorable action of this Naruto Arc must be Rock Lee vs Gaara, a fight with none of the main protagonists. The story arc is set up similar to a tournament arc, only with more intricate rules and dangers, showing clear growth from the rudimentary foundations of the genre set by industry giants like Dragon Ball.
5
The battle fought between brothers
Chapter 384 – 412 & Episode 134 – 143 of Shippuden
The battle between brothers arc a standout moment in NarutoShowcasing the deep turmoil and complex emotions between Sasuke and Itachi. This arc is a gripping examination of the bond between siblings and the lengths they will go to protect one another. Sasuke’s goal to kill Itachi has been a driving force for the series, and this arc pays off that plot thread in incredible fashion.
The battle scenes are visually stunning, and the emotional weight of the story is palpable. This is the moment in Naruto When most fans fell in love with the character of Itachi– The truth of his tragic fate as a tool of war is disturbing to say the least. This arc also introduces fans to some of the blast abilities in the series – such as the Susanoo and Sasuke’s signature Kirin. The aftermath of this arc ultimately defines the rest of the series going forward.
4
Payne’s Assault
Chapter 413 – 453 & Episode 152 – 175 of Shippuden
The arc is notable for its high stakes and the sense of danger that permeates every moment. Prominent characters seem to be dropping like flies as Payne decimates the Leaf Village with no one to stop his path of carnage. Naruto’s entrance during this arc is one of the most memorable in the entire series, destroying one of Pain’s bodies instantly just as it seemed the Leaf Village had run out of hope.
The character development in the Payne’s Assault arc is one of its standout featuresWith Naruto confronting his ideals and grappling with the harsh realities of the world presented to him by Nagato. In retrospect, though, while the Paine arc is the peak of Naruto For many, it still serves many characters like Hinata who is reduced to a plot device. Additionally, Naruto’s promise to bring peace to the Rain Village was never fulfilled, causing his final speech to ring hollow.
3
The land of waves
Chapter 1 – 33 & Episode 1 – 19 of Naruto
The land of arc waves is Naruto’s First real foray into serious storytelling, and it sets the tone for the rest of the series. This arc introduces readers to the harsh realities of the ninja world and the complex relationships that exist between ninja, their comrades, and their clients.
The story is brought to life through the tragic relationship between Zabuza and Haku, which is heart-wrenching. It is all too easy to forget that Naruto is essentially a story about child soldiers and the devastation of war, but this arc pulls no punches when putting the disgusting reality of the ninja world on display.
2
Kaguya Otsutsuki strikes
Chapters 678 – 699 & Episode 459 – 479 of Shippuden
Naruto Fans tend to be split on Kaguya Otsutsuki, the last true villain of the series. Despite the controversy, however, it is hard to deny that the arc titled after her is not a series highlight. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura teaming up to take Kaguya down is thrilling and shows how far Sakura in particular has come since the early days of the series. If this were all the arc, Kaguya Otsutsuki Strikes would be a strong arc, but not one of the best in the series. Where Kaguya Otsutsuki really makes his mark is with Naruto and Sasuke’s final fight.
Naruto and Sasuke’s final fight is not just one of those Naruto’s Best Fights This is one of the best fights ever from anime. The emotional stakes, the powerful fight choreography, and the incredible techniques on display all elevate the fight to a whole new dimension of quality. Naruto Has its ups and downs, but the final Naruto vs Sasuke fight makes the whole journey feel worthwhile.
1
The Sasuke Retrieval Arc
Chapters 172 – 238 & Episodes 107 – 135 of Naruto
For many fans, the Sasuke Retrieval Arc is the definitive one Naruto story, encapsulating everything that makes the series great. This arc sees Naruto and his friends go on a dangerous mission to rescue Sasuke from the clutches of the Sound Four. The stakes are high, the action is intense, and the emotional payoff is huge.
The Sasuke Retrieval Arc also manages to balance the spotlight on multiple characters outside of the main protagonists. In deep and complex battles that do not take away from the progression of the plot. This arc is a culmination of everything that came before it, and it sets the stage for the rest of the series. It’s a testament to Naruto’s ability to tell complex, emotionally resonant stories, and it remains one of the best arcs in Shun history.