Hubbry Logo
NarutoNarutoMain
Open search
Naruto
Community hub
Naruto
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Naruto
Naruto
Naruto
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki doing a hand sign while there is a scroll in his mouth.
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Naruto Uzumaki
NARUTO（ナルト）
Genre
Manga
Written byMasashi Kishimoto
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
English magazine
Original runSeptember 21, 1999 – November 10, 2014
Volumes72 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Media franchise
icon Anime and manga portal

Naruto[a] is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young, socially isolated ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. The story is told in two parts: the first is set in Naruto's pre-teen years (volumes 1–27), and the second in his teens (volumes 28–72). The series is based on two one-shot manga by Kishimoto: Karakuri (1995), which earned Kishimoto an honorable mention in Shueisha's monthly Hop Step Award the following year, and Naruto (1997).

Naruto was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from September 1999 to November 2014, with its 700 chapters collected in 72 tankōbon volumes. Viz Media licensed the manga for North American production and serialized Naruto in their digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The manga was adapted into two anime television series by Pierrot and Aniplex, which ran from October 2002 to March 2017 on TV Tokyo. Pierrot also produced 11 animated films and 12 original video animations (OVAs). The franchise additionally includes light novels, video games, and trading cards. The story continues in Boruto, where Naruto's son Boruto Uzumaki creates his own ninja path as opposed to of following his father's.

Naruto is one of the best-selling manga series of all time, having 250 million copies in circulation worldwide. It has become one of Viz Media's best-selling manga series; their English translations of the volumes have appeared on USA Today and The New York Times's bestseller list several times, and the seventh volume won a Quill Award in 2006. Naruto has been praised for its character development, storylines, and action sequences, though some felt the latter slowed the story down. Critics noted that the manga, which contains coming-of-age themes, often incorporates cultural references to Japanese mythology and Confucianism.

Plot

[edit]

Part I

[edit]
See also: List of Naruto chapters (Part I)

A powerful fox known as the Nine-Tails attacks Konoha, the hidden leaf village in the Land of Fire, one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries in the Ninja World. In response, the leader of Konoha and the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, at the cost of his life, seals the fox inside the body of his newborn son, Naruto Uzumaki, making him a host of the beast.[i] The Third Hokage returns from retirement to become the leader of Konoha again. Naruto is often scorned by Konoha's villagers for being the host of the Nine-Tails. Due to a decree by the Third Hokage forbidding any mention of these events, Naruto learns nothing about the Nine-Tails until 12 years later, when Mizuki, a renegade ninja, reveals the truth to him. Naruto defeats Mizuki in combat, earning the respect of his teacher, Iruka Umino.[ii]

Shortly afterward, Naruto becomes a ninja and joins with Sasuke Uchiha, against whom he often competes, and Sakura Haruno, on whom he has a crush, to form Team 7, under an experienced sensei, the elite ninja Kakashi Hatake. Like all the ninja teams from every village, Team 7 completes missions requested by the villagers, ranging from doing chores and being bodyguards to performing assassinations.

After several missions, including a major one in the Land of Waves, Kakashi allows Team 7 to take a ninja exam, enabling them to advance to a higher rank and take on more difficult missions, known as Chunin Exams. During the exams, Orochimaru, a wanted criminal, invades Konoha and kills the Third Hokage for revenge. Jiraiya, one of the three legendary ninjas, declines the title of Fifth Hokage and searches with Naruto for Tsunade, whom he chooses to become Fifth Hokage instead.

During the search, it is revealed that Orochimaru wishes to train Sasuke because of his powerful genetic heritage, the Sharingan.[iii] After Sasuke attempts and fails to kill his older brother Itachi,[iv] who had shown up in Konoha to kidnap Naruto, he joins Orochimaru, hoping to gain from him the strength needed to kill Itachi. The story takes a turn when Sasuke leaves the village: Tsunade sends a group of ninja, including Naruto, to retrieve Sasuke, but Naruto is unable to persuade or force him to come back. Naruto and Sakura do not give up on Sasuke; Naruto leaves Konoha to receive training from Jiraiya to prepare himself for the next time he encounters Sasuke, while Sakura becomes Tsunade's apprentice.

Part II

[edit]
See also: List of Naruto chapters (Part II, volumes 28–48) and List of Naruto chapters (Part II, volumes 49–72)

Two and a half years later, Naruto returns from his training with Jiraiya, just as the Akatsuki start kidnapping the hosts of the powerful Tailed Beasts. Team 7 and other Leaf ninja fight against them and search for their teammate Sasuke. The Akatsuki succeeds in capturing and extracting seven of the nine Tailed Beasts, killing all the hosts except Gaara, who is now the Kazekage. Meanwhile, Sasuke betrays Orochimaru and faces Itachi to take revenge. After Itachi dies in battle, Sasuke learns from the Akatsuki founder Tobi that Itachi had been ordered by Konoha's superiors to destroy his clan to prevent a coup; he accepted, on the condition that Sasuke would be spared. Devastated by this revelation, Sasuke joins the Akatsuki to destroy Konoha in revenge. As Konoha ninjas defeat several Akatsuki members, the Akatsuki figurehead leader, Nagato, kills Jiraiya and devastates Konoha, but Naruto defeats and redeems him, earning the village's respect and admiration.

With Nagato's death, Tobi, disguised as Madara Uchiha (one of Konoha's founding fathers), announces that he wants to capture all nine Tailed Beasts to cast an illusion powerful enough to control all humanity and achieve world peace. The leaders of the five ninja villages refuse to help him and instead join forces to confront his faction and allies. That decision results in a Fourth Shinobi World War between the combined armies of the Five Great Countries (known as the Allied Shinobi Forces) and Akatsuki's forces of zombie-like ninjas. The Five Kage try to keep Naruto, unaware of the war, in a secret island turtle near Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village), but Naruto finds out and escapes from the island with Killer Bee, the host of the Eight-Tails. At that time, Naruto—along with the help of Killer Bee—gains control of his Tailed Beast and the two of them head for the battlefield.

During the conflict, it is revealed that Tobi is Obito Uchiha, a former teammate of Kakashi's who was thought to be dead. The real Madara saved Obito's life, and they have since collaborated. As Sasuke learns the history of Konoha, including the circumstances that led to his clan's downfall, he decides to protect the village and rejoins Naruto and Sakura to thwart Madara and Obito's plans. However, Madara's body ends up possessed by Kaguya Otsutsuki, an ancient princess who intends to subdue all humanity. A reformed Obito sacrifices himself to help Team 7 stop her. Once Kaguya is sealed, Madara dies as well. Sasuke takes advantage of the situation and takes control of all the Tailed Beasts, as he reveals his goal of ending the current village system. Naruto confronts Sasuke to dissuade him from his plan, and after they almost kill each other in a final battle, Sasuke admits defeat and reforms. After the war, Kakashi becomes the Sixth Hokage and pardons Sasuke for his crimes. Years later, Kakashi steps down while Naruto marries Hinata Hyuga and becomes the Seventh Hokage, raising the next generation.

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

In 1995, Shueisha published Karakuri, a one-shot manga by Masashi Kishimoto, which received an honorable mention in the 1996 Hop Step Award. Dissatisfied with subsequent draft proposals, Kishimoto began developing a new project.[2] An early concept featured Naruto as a chef, but this version was never published. Kishimoto then developed a one-shot for the summer 1997 issue of Akamaru Jump, based on an idea of a boy who could transform into a fox.[3][4] Despite positive reader feedback, Kishimoto revised the concept into a ninja-themed story due to dissatisfaction with the art and narrative.[5]

The first eight chapters were planned prior to serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Initial drafts featured detailed illustrations of Konoha village, but by the debut, the art emphasized characters over backgrounds.[5] Although Kishimoto was concerned that the use of chakra might make the series overly Japanese, he believed it remained engaging.[6] Inspired by Godzilla, Kishimoto incorporated the tailed beasts mythology to include monster designs.[7] The central theme of Part I is mutual acceptance, exemplified through Naruto's character development.[8]

In Part II, Kishimoto simplified panel layouts and plot structures to enhance readability and avoid excessive stylistic conventions.[9] His artistic style shifted from a classic manga aesthetic toward greater realism.[9] To conclude the Sasuke Uchiha arc within one volume, volume 43 contained additional chapters, leading Kishimoto to apologize for the higher cost.[10]

Characters

[edit]
Main article: List of Naruto characters

Kishimoto drew inspiration from other shōnen manga while developing characters, aiming for distinctiveness within a Japanese cultural framework.[11] Characters were organized into teams to highlight specialized skills and complementary weaknesses.[12] While romance was challenging to write, it received greater emphasis in Part II, starting with volume 28.[8] Villains were introduced to contrast moral values and highlight ideological conflicts.[13] An ellipsis was used to allow younger characters to age and develop strength, as they were initially outmatched by antagonists.[14]

Setting

[edit]
Okayama City served as the basis for Konoha village.

Kishimoto incorporated the Chinese zodiac tradition, which has a significant history in Japan; the hand signs used in the series derive from this.[6] The design of Konoha was conceived spontaneously, drawing from the scenery of Kishimoto's hometown in Okayama.[15] The unspecified time period allowed the inclusion of modern elements such as convenience stores, though projectile weapons and vehicles were excluded.[15][16]

Conclusion

[edit]

Kishimoto's childhood proximity to Hiroshima and his grandfather's wartime accounts influenced his portrayal of conflict. He believed that war results from accumulated historical tensions and aimed to depict a nuanced background for the manga's final arc. Unlike his grandfather's stories, Kishimoto intended the Fourth Great Ninja War to convey a sense of hope.[17] The narrative arc involving Nagato established thematic foundations for the ending, particularly through Naruto's forgiveness, which paralleled his eventual reconciliation with Sasuke.[14]

The series' conclusion was delayed due to unspecified issues. Upon the release of volume 66, Kishimoto noted he had reached a long-awaited narrative moment.[18] From the outset, Kishimoto planned to conclude with a battle between Naruto and Sasuke, though he initially considered their backgrounds asymmetrical—Naruto not having experienced war directly, unlike Sasuke, whose family was killed to prevent civil war.[19]

Kishimoto selected Hinata Hyuga as Naruto's romantic partner early in the series, citing her consistent admiration and respect for him as a foundation for a believable relationship.[20] Although romantic subplots were initially considered, significant development was reserved for the 2014 film The Last: Naruto the Movie, for which Kishimoto collaborated with screenwriter Maruo Kyozuka.[21][22][23] Naruto's relationship with his son, Boruto, was further explored in the 2015 film Boruto: Naruto the Movie, concluding Naruto's character arc as an adult; this was briefly depicted in the manga's finale.[24]

Media

[edit]
Further information: List of Naruto media

Manga

[edit]
Main article: List of Naruto volumes

Written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto was serialized for a 15-year run in Shueisha's magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump from September 21, 1999,[25][26] to November 10, 2014.[27][28] Shueisha collected its chapters in 72 tankōbon volumes—27 for Part I, and the rest for Part II; they were released between March 3, 2000,[29] and February 4, 2015.[30] The first 238 chapters are Part I and constitute the first part of the Naruto storyline. Chapters 239 to 244 include a gaiden (side-story) focusing on Kakashi Hatake's background. The remaining chapters (245 to 700) belong to Part II, which continues the story after a 2+1⁄2-year gap in the internal timeline. Shueisha have also released several ani-manga tankōbon, each based on one of the Naruto movies,[31] and has released the series in Japanese for cell phone download on their website Shueisha Manga Capsule.[32] A miniseries titled Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring,[b] centered on the main characters' children, began serialization in the Japanese and English editions of Weekly Shōnen Jump on April 27, 2015, and ended after ten chapters on July 6 of the same year.[33][34]

Naruto was scanlated (translated by fans) and available online before a licensed version was released in North America;[35] the rights were acquired by Viz Media, which began serializing Naruto in their anthology comic magazine Shonen Jump, starting with the January 2003 issue.[36] The schedule was accelerated at the end of 2007 to catch up with the Japanese version,[37] and again in early 2009, with 11 volumes (from 34 to 44) appearing in three months, after which it returned to a quarterly schedule.[38] All 27 volumes of Part I were released in a boxed set on November 13, 2007.[39] On May 3, 2011, Viz started selling the manga in an omnibus format with each book containing three volumes.[40]

The franchise has been licensed in 90 countries, and the manga serialized in 35 countries.[41][42] Madman Entertainment began publishing Naruto volumes in Australia and New Zealand in March 2008 after reaching a distribution deal with Viz Media.[43] Carlsen Comics has licensed the series, through its regional divisions, and released the series in German and Danish.[44] The series is also licensed for regional language releases in French and Dutch by Kana;[45] in Polish by Japonica Polonica Fantastica;[46] in Russian by Comix-ART;[47] in Finnish by Sangatsu Manga;[48] in Swedish by Bonnier Carlsen;[49] and Italian by Panini Comics.[50]

Spin-offs

[edit]

A spin-off comedy manga by Kenji Taira, titled Naruto SD: Rock Lee no Seishun Full-Power Ninden,[c] focuses on the character Rock Lee, a character who aspires to be strong as a ninja but has no magical jutsu abilities. It ran in Shueisha's Saikyō Jump magazine from December 3, 2010, to July 4, 2014,[51][52] and was made into an anime series, produced by Studio Pierrot and premiering on TV Tokyo on April 3, 2012.[53] Crunchyroll simulcasted the series' premiere on their website and streamed the following episodes.[54] Taira also wrote Uchiha Sasuke no Sharingan Den,[d] which released on October 3, 2014, running in the same magazine and featuring Sasuke.[55]

A monthly sequel series titled Boruto: Naruto Next Generations began serialization in the Japanese and English editions of Weekly Shōnen Jump in early 2016, illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto and written by Ukyō Kodachi, with supervision by Kishimoto. Ikemoto was Kishimoto's chief assistant during the run of the original Naruto series, and Kodachi was his writing partner for the film Boruto: Naruto the Movie. The monthly series was preceded by a one-shot, titled Naruto: The Path Lit by the Full Moon (NARUTO-ナルト-外伝 ～満ちた月が照らす道～, Naruto Gaiden ~Michita Tsuki ga Terasu Michi~), written and illustrated by Kishimoto and published on April 25 of that same year.[56][57][58] The staff of Shueisha asked Kishimoto if he would write a sequel to Naruto. However, Kishimoto refused the offer and offered his former assistant Mikio Ikemoto and writer Ukyō Kodachi to write Boruto: Naruto Next Generations as the sequel to Naruto.[59]

Another one-shot chapter by Kishimoto, titled Naruto: The Whorl Within the Spiral (NARUTO-ナルト-外伝 ～渦の中のつむじ風～, Naruto Gaiden ~Uzu no Naka no Tsumujikaze~), centered on Naruto's father, Minato Namikaze, was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on July 18, 2023.[60][61]

A crossover comic with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles × Naruto, ran for four issues from November 13, 2024, to June 4, 2025. The comic was written by Caleb Goellner, with drawing by Hendry Prasetya, coloring by Raúl Angulo, and lettering by Ed Dukeshire. Jorge Jiménez and Prasetya drew the cover art for the first issue.[62][63] The trade paperback edition is set to be published on October 7, 2025.[64]

Anime

[edit]
Main article: Naruto (TV series)

The first Naruto anime television series, directed by Hayato Date and produced by Pierrot and Aniplex, premiered on TV Tokyo in Japan on October 3, 2002, and concluded on February 8, 2007, after 220 episodes.[65][66] The first 135 episodes were adapted from Part I of the manga; the remaining 85 episodes are original and use plot elements that are not in the manga.[67] Tetsuya Nishio was the character designer for Naruto when the manga was adapted into an anime; Kishimoto had requested that Nishio be given this role.[68][69]

The second anime television series, titled Naruto: Shippuden,[e] was also produced by Pierrot and directed by Hayato Date, and serves as a direct sequel to the first Naruto anime series, corresponding to Part II of the manga.[70] It debuted on TV Tokyo on February 15, 2007, and concluded on March 23, 2017.[71][72]

A series of four "brand-new" episodes, to commemorate the original anime's 20th anniversary, were originally scheduled to premiere on September 3, 2023;[73] however, in August of that same year, it was announced that the episodes would be postponed to a later date.[74]

Films

[edit]
Main article: List of Naruto films

The series was also adapted into 11 theatrical films and 12 original video animations (OVAs) In July 2015, Lionsgate announced the development of a live action film with Avi Arad through his production company Arad Productions.[75] The film was planned to be directed by Michael Gracey. On December 17, 2016, Kishimoto announced that he has been asked to co-develop.[76] On November 27, 2023, it was announced that Tasha Huo will work on the script for the film.[77] On February 23, 2024, Gracey had exited the project, and Destin Daniel Cretton had been hired to direct and co-write the film. Cretton received his blessings from Kishimoto, after a visit in Tokyo, with Kishimoto stating that when he heard that Cretton would be directing, he thought that he was the perfect choice.[78]

Novels

[edit]

Twenty-six Naruto light novels, the first nine written by Masatoshi Kusakabe, have been published in Japan.[79] Of these, the first two have been released in English in North America. The first adapted novel, Naruto: Innocent Heart, Demonic Blood (2002), retells a Team 7 mission in which they encounter the assassins Zabuza and Haku;[80][81] the second, Naruto: Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! (2003) was based on the second OVA of the anime.[82][83] Viz has also published 16 chapter books written by Tracey West with illustrations from the manga. Unlike the series, these books were aimed at children ages seven to ten.[84]

Thirteen original novels have appeared in Japan;[79] eleven of these are part of a series, and the other two are independent novels unconnected to the series. The first independent novel, titled Naruto: Tales of a Gutsy Ninja (2009), is presented as an in-universe novel written by Naruto's master Jiraiya. It follows the adventures of a fictional shinobi named Naruto Musasabi, who served as Naruto's namesake.[85] The other independent novel, Naruto Jinraiden: The Day the Wolf Howled (2012), is set shortly after Sasuke's fight with Itachi.[86] Itachi Shinden, which consists of two novels, and Sasuke Shinden, a single novel, both appeared in 2015, and both were adapted into anime arcs in Naruto: Shippuden in 2016, titled Naruto Shippūden: Itachi Shinden-hen: Hikari to Yami and Book of Sunrise respectively.[87][88] Hiden is a series of six light novels published in 2015 that explores the stories of various characters after the ending of the manga.[89]

Merchandise

[edit]

Video games

[edit]
Main article: List of Naruto video games

Naruto video games have been published by various companies for consoles such as those by Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. The majority of them are fighting games in which the player directly controls one of the characters from Naruto. The player pits their character against another character controlled by the game's AI or by another player; the objective is to reduce the opponent's health to zero using basic attacks as well as special techniques unique to each character derived from techniques they use in the Naruto anime or manga.[90] The first Naruto video game was Naruto: Konoha Ninpōchō, which was released in Japan on March 27, 2003, for the WonderSwan Color.[91] Most Naruto video games have been released only in Japan. The first games released outside of Japan were the Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen series and the Naruto: Saikyou Ninja Daikesshu series, released in North America under the titles of Naruto: Clash of Ninja and Naruto: Ninja Council.[92][93] In 2025, Bandai Namco announced that the Naruto video games had sold over 37.86 million units worldwide.[94]

Art and guidebooks

[edit]
Main article: List of Naruto supplemental material

Three official artbooks based on the Naruto series have been released. The first two, titled Art Collection: Uzumaki, and Illustration Collection: Naruto, were released in Japan in 2004 and 2009, with North American editions following in 2007 and 2010 respectively.[95][96][97][98] The third artbook Illustration Collection: Naruto Uzumaki, was published in 2015 in Japan and later the same year in North America;[99][100] it contains artwork originally on Shonen Jump comic covers. It has no text except a brief commentary by Kishimoto about his favorite artworks.[101] An interactive coloring book called Paint Jump: Art of Naruto was released in 2008.[102] An unreleased artbook titled Naruto Exhibition Official Guest Book by Masashi Kishimoto was given to those who attended the Naruto art exhibition at the Mori Art Museum on April 25, 2015.[103]

Four guidebooks titled First Official Data Book through Fourth Official Data Book have been released; the first two cover Part I of the manga, and were released in 2002 and 2005; the third and fourth volumes appeared in 2008 and 2014.[104][105][106] These books contain character profiles, Jutsu guides, and drafts by Kishimoto.[107] For the anime, a series of guidebooks called Naruto Anime Profiles was released. These books contain information about the production of the anime episodes and explanations of the characters' designs.[108] A manga fan book titled Secret: Writings from the Warriors Official Fanbook appeared in 2002,[109] and another fan book was released to commemorate the series' 10th anniversary, including illustrations of Naruto Uzumaki by other manga artists, a novel, Kishimoto's one-shot titled Karakuri, and an interview between Kishimoto and Yoshihiro Togashi.[110]

Collectible card game

[edit]

Produced by Bandai, the Naruto Collectible Card Game was released in Japan in 2003,[111] and in North America in 2006.[112] The game is played between two players using a customized deck of fifty cards from the set, and a game mat. To win, a player must either earn ten "battle rewards" through their actions in the game or cause the other player to exhaust their deck.[113] The cards were released in named sets called "series", in the form of four 50-card pre-constructed box sets.[111][112] Each set includes a starter deck, the game mat, a turn-counter, and one stainless steel "Ninja Blade Coin". Extra cards are available in 10-card booster packs, and deck sets. Four box sets sold in retailers are available for each series. Cards for each set are available in collectible tins, containing several booster packs and exclusive promotional cards in a metal box.[114] By October 2006, seventeen series had been released in Japan with 417 unique cards.[111] As of August 2008, ten of these series had been released in North America.[115]

Reception

[edit]

Sales

[edit]

The manga has 250 million copies in circulation worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga series in history.[116] More than half of the total circulation is in Japan, with the remaining circulation being from 46 other countries and regions.[117] It has become one of North American publisher Viz Media's best-selling manga series;[118] their translation of the series appeared on the USA Today and The New York Times bestseller lists several times. It was included in the fiction section of the Teacher Librarian's recommended list for 2008,[119] and School Library Journal described it as an essential manga for school libraries.[120] Volume 28 of the manga reached seventeenth place in the USA Today Booklist in its first week of release in March 2008, only two places short of the record for a manga, held by Fruits Basket.[121] The volume had one of the biggest debut weeks of any manga in years, becoming the top-selling manga volume of 2008 and the second best-selling book in North America.[122][123] In 2010, Viz, the publisher, commented on the loyalty of readers, who reliably continued to buy the manga as the volume count went over 40.[124]

Critical response

[edit]

Several reviewers commented on Naruto's balance between fight scenes and plot development; A. E. Sparrow of IGN and Casey Brienza of Anime News Network felt that the result was a strong storyline,[125][126] but Carl Kimlinger, also writing for the same website, suggested that there were too many fights, which slowed down the plot.[127] Kimlinger liked the character designs, and approved of the fight scenes themselves,[127] which also drew positive comments from Rik Spanjers, who felt that the excitement of the scenes depended on Kishimoto's skill in depicting action.[127] Javier Lugo, writing for Manga Life, agreed, describing the artwork as "dramatic, exciting, and just right for the story he's telling".[128] Briana Lawrence from Mania Entertainment said the growth of the characters gave Part II an adult feel.[129] Writing for IGN, Ramsey Isler called Jutsu one of the most entertaining concepts in Naruto, stating as well that their diversity, complex signs required for techniques, the unique physical features, and the sheer destructive power of Ninjutsu are the elements that have made the series widely popular.[130]

In a review of volume 28, Brienza also praised Part II's storyline and characterization, though she commented that not every volume reached a high level of quality.[125] The fights across Part II received praise, most notably Naruto's and Sasuke's, resulting in major changes into their character arcs.[131][132][133] Meanwhile, the final battle between the two characters in the finale earned major praise for the choreography and art provided as well as how in depth the two's personalities were shown in the aftermath. However, some writers criticized Kaguya being the least entertaining villain, making the showdown between Naruto and Sasuke more appealing as a result. The finale earned nearly perfect scores from both Anime News Network and Comic Book Bin, with the latter acclaiming the popularity of the title character.[134][135][136]

Responding to Naruto's success, Kishimoto said in Naruto Collector Winter 2007/2008 that he was "very glad that the American audience has accepted and understood ninja. It shows that the American audience has good taste [...] because it means they can accept something previously unfamiliar to them."[137] Gō Itō, a professor in the manga department of Tokyo Polytechnic University, compared the series' development to the manga of Dragon Ball, saying that both manga present good illustrations of three-dimensional body movements that successfully capture the characters' martial arts. Gō felt readers could empathize with the characters in Naruto via their inner monologue during battles.[138] The series also influenced the 2010 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, with director Edgar Wright saying he was inspired by how whenever there was a "killer move" in the manga, it led to an impact in the background following any technique's usage.[139]

When the manga ended, multiple authors from the magazine expressed congratulations to Kishimoto for his work.[140] The fight scenes in general earned acclaim for how well written they were, something game developer CyberConnect2 took into account when developing the Naruto games.[141][142][143][144] Christel Hoolans, managing director of Kana and Le Lombard, called Naruto the first long-running series after Dragon Ball to become a classic in France.[145]

Awards and accolades

[edit]

Naruto won the Quill Award for graphic novel in 2006.[146][147] In April 2007, volume 14 earned the Viz the Manga Trade Paperback of the Year Gem Award from Diamond Comic Distributors.[148] The manga was nominated for Favorite Manga Series in Nickelodeon Magazine's 2009 Comics Awards.[149] It won the 16th Spanish Manga Barcelona award for the shonen category in 2010.[150] In 2015, the manga was nominated for the 19th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.[151] Kishimoto was the winner of Rookie of the Year for the series in the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs 2014 Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology Fine Arts Recommendation Awards.[152] On TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150,000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, Naruto ranked seventh.[153]

Themes

[edit]
An illustration of a ninetailed fox.
An example of a eastern fan.
Japanese cultural elements like the kitsune mythology and the uchiwa fan are often referenced in the series.

Amy Plumb argues that Kishimoto's use of references to Japanese mythology in Naruto is intended to add further layers to the story. Kishimoto expects his readers to decode the references, which allows him to avoid direct explanations. One example is Itachi, who has three ninja techniques named after Shinto deities: Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu, and Susano-o. Plumb also cites Sasuke's clan's heraldic symbol, a fan known as an uchiwa. These fans are used in Japanese myths to exorcise evil by blowing it away; Sasuke discovers late in the series that he has the ability to "blow away" the influence of the Nine-Tailed Fox on Naruto. Foxes (kitsune tsuki) are tricksters in Japanese mythology, and in some stories, they take over human bodies; Plumb comments on the obvious similarities to the Nine-Tail sealed in Naruto, and the pranks Naruto plays.[154]

Christopher A. Born notes that the Naruto storyline contains traditional Confucian values, and suggests that students who analyse manga such as Naruto and Bleach will learn more about Confucianism than they would from studying its abstract ideas.[155] Norman Melchor Robles Jr. evaluated the portrayal of both positive and negative ideas in Naruto by counting words in the script which were associated with either violence or positive values; he found that a small majority of tagged words were violent, but commented that the portrayal of violence seemed organized to show how positive strategies on the part of the protagonists could overcome the violence.[156] Sheuo Hui Gan considers the series to have a set of "traditional ethical values". She also compares the treatment of alienation in Naruto, which Naruto overcomes by joining his society, to the portrayal of alienation in Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion, where the main characters remain alienated.[157]

Naruto has been described by several critics as a coming-of-age story.[158][159][160] Psychologist Lawrence C. Rubin suggests that the storylines would appeal to readers of any age who have lost loved ones, having difficulty finding friends, or who are in other situations shown in the series.[158] In Yukari Fujimoto's view, as the characters mature, they show respect to the adults who have raised and taught them, making it a conservative storyline in comparison to other manga of the same time period such as One Piece and Air Gear.[159] Rik Spanjers sees the difference between Sasuke (a loner) and Naruto (an optimist) as tragic, arguing that the contrast between the two protagonists' approach to the world is fundamental to the plot: "Naruto's strength grows as he gains more loved ones to protect, while Sasuke remains alone and is increasingly absorbed by his quest for revenge".[160] Omote Tomoyuki points out that there are many humorous moments in the story despite the difficulties Naruto finds himself in, but the comedic elements diminish dramatically over time as Naruto grows into a teenager, particularly once Part II begins. Shōnen Jump began to serialize comedies such as Gintama and Reborn! from 2003 onwards, and in Tomoyuki's view, this is part of the reason for the change in emphasis: Naruto "was not supposed to provide laughter anymore".[161]

Fujimoto argues that the story contains overly traditional gender roles, noting "[...] its representations suggest that men are men and women are women and that they differ naturally regarding aptitude and vocation". For example, the girls initially outperform the boys in the Ninja Academy, but "once the boys get serious, the girls cannot keep pace". Fujimoto points out that this does not upset Sakura, who is now surpassed by Naruto. Character development based on female roles, when it does occur, again uses stereotypical roles: Tsunade, for example, a middle-aged woman with large breasts, is a clear mother figure, and when she teaches Sakura to be a medical ninja, which requires special skills possessed only by women, the story reinforces the idea that women only belong on the battlefield as medics. Tsunade herself, who is a figure of authority in Naruto, is portrayed as ridiculous in a way that men in the same position are not. Fujimoto suggests this presentation of women may explain why the female characters are often the most disliked characters among readers of the manga.[162]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Naruto

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by , chronicling the of its titular protagonist, , a young orphan and aspiring ninja in the fictional Hidden Leaf Village who seeks to earn the respect of his peers and become Hokage—the village's leader—despite being shunned for harboring the , a powerful demon sealed within him since birth. The narrative explores themes of perseverance, friendship, and redemption as Naruto forms bonds with teammates and under the guidance of their sensei, , while confronting escalating threats from rival villages, rogue ninjas, and internal conflicts that test the ninja world's fragile peace. Serialized in Shueisha's magazine from September 1999 to November 2014, the series comprises 700 chapters collected into 72 volumes, making it one of the longest-running of its era. By 2014, Naruto had achieved massive commercial success, with over 250 million copies in circulation worldwide, establishing it as a of modern and contributing significantly to the global popularization of Japanese pop culture. The adaptation, produced by and , faithfully expanded the 's world across two main series: the original Naruto, which aired 220 episodes on from October 2002 to February 2007, covering Naruto's early years as a genin , and its sequel Naruto: Shippūden, which ran for 500 episodes from February 2007 to March 2017, depicting his growth into a more powerful jōnin amid a looming global war. Both series, directed by Hayato Date, incorporated filler arcs to extend the storyline beyond the while maintaining its core focus on intense battles, character development, and the philosophy of the "Will of Fire" that unites the Hidden Leaf Village. Naruto's enduring legacy extends beyond print and animation to include eleven theatrical films, numerous video games, novels, and merchandise, with its influence evident in the 2016 sequel manga Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, supervised by Kishimoto, which shifts the spotlight to Naruto's son and a new generation of navigating a modernized ninja world. The franchise's emphasis on protagonists and emotional depth has inspired countless creators and fans, cementing Naruto as a defining work in shōnen storytelling.

Plot

Part I

, a 12-year-old living in Konohagakure (the Hidden Leaf Village), is introduced as a hyperactive and mischievous genin who has been ostracized by the villagers since birth due to the sealing of the Nine-Tails fox spirit within him by the Fourth Hokage to protect the village from its rampage. This isolation fuels Naruto's determination to become Hokage, the village's leader, earning the acknowledgment and respect of his peers through his unyielding spirit and growth as a ninja. After repeatedly failing the graduation exam from the Ninja Academy due to his prankster nature, Naruto steals a forbidden containing advanced techniques, masters the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and finally graduates, marking the start of his journey as a full-fledged ninja. Upon graduation, Naruto is assigned to Team 7, a three-genin squad led by the elite jonin Kakashi Hatake, alongside his rival Sasuke Uchiha—a prodigy driven by a vengeful obsession over his clan's massacre—and Sakura Haruno, a studious kunoichi with unrequited feelings for Sasuke and initial disdain for Naruto. The team's initial D-rank missions involve mundane tasks like weeding and babysitting, testing their patience and teamwork under Kakashi's survival training, where Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry clashes with Sakura's inexperience. Their first C-rank mission escalates to the Land of Waves arc, escorting bridge builder Tazuna home amid threats from the corrupt businessman Gato; there, they confront the demon-like swordsman Zabuza Momochi and his masked companion Haku, forcing the young ninjas to face life-or-death battles and the harsh realities of the shinobi world. In these encounters, Naruto awakens a fraction of the Nine-Tails' chakra to protect his comrades, while Sasuke unlocks his Sharingan for the first time, and the team ultimately completes the mission by defeating Zabuza and enabling the bridge's construction, solidifying their bonds. Returning to Konoha, Team 7 enters the Chunin Exams, a rigorous tournament to evaluate genin for promotion, competing against teams from other villages including and . The exams' written test, Forest of Death survival challenge, and preliminary matches highlight individual growth: Naruto defeats Neji Hyuga, breaking his fatalistic views on destiny; Sasuke confronts his curse mark from , a sinister Sannin who infiltrates the exams seeking a vessel for his immortality; and Sakura shows resolve by defending her sleeping teammates from ambush. The finals are disrupted by 's orchestrated invasion of Konoha allied with the Sand Village, leading to chaotic battles across the village, including Gaara's rampage and the Third Hokage's sacrificial confrontation with , resulting in the Hokage's death and the attackers' retreat. In the aftermath, Sasuke's growing obsession with revenge against his brother Itachi intensifies due to the curse mark's influence, prompting him to defect from Konoha and join for greater power. leads a retrieval team in the Sasuke Recovery Mission, culminating in an emotional valley battle where unleashes the Four-Tailed form but fails to bring Sasuke back, deepening 's resolve. With the village leaderless, —another Sannin and 's future mentor—takes on a quest to find , the remaining Sannin candidate for Hokage, during which trains under to master the Rasengan, a high-level spinning orb technique invented by the Fourth Hokage. Meanwhile, Sakura begins ninjutsu training under , marking her evolution from a combat-weak teammate to a skilled healer. These events, spanning 's ages 12 to 13, culminate in 's appointment as Fifth Hokage and a two-and-a-half-year time skip for 's advanced training.

Part II

Part II of the Naruto storyline, also known as Naruto: Shippuden, begins two and a half years after the events of Part I, with returning to Konohagakure at age 15, having trained under to harness greater control over his Nine-Tails . The narrative shifts to larger-scale conflicts as the Akatsuki organization intensifies its pursuit of tailed beasts, aiming to capture all jinchuriki to revive the Ten-Tails and enact a plan for world domination through infinite illusion. Team 7 reunites, now comprising , , Sai (replacing ), and Yamato as interim captain, tasked with missions that intersect with Akatsuki's operations. The Kazekage Rescue Mission arc marks the early escalation, where Akatsuki members Deidara and Sasori abduct , the Kazekage and One-Tail jinchuriki, extracting the beast and seemingly killing him. Naruto, alongside Sakura and Chiyo, pursues the captors to Sunagakure, leading to intense battles: Deidara clashes with and later Kakashi, while Sakura and Chiyo defeat Sasori, revealing his ties to . is revived through Chiyo's sacrifice, strengthening alliances between Konoha and Suna, but the Akatsuki's success underscores their threat, with subsequent captures of other jinchuriki like Yugito Nii (Two-Tails) and Yagura (Three-Tails). Subsequent arcs deepen personal stakes amid escalating threats. In the Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission, Team 7 investigates Sasuke's whereabouts, encountering Orochimaru's forces and setting up Sasuke's defection. This leads into the Itachi Pursuit Mission, where Sasuke confronts his brother Itachi, culminating in Itachi's death and initial hints at deeper conspiracies within Akatsuki. Meanwhile, 's Assault on Konoha arc sees the Akatsuki leader Nagato, under the alias Pain, destroy much of the village in revenge for Jiraiya's death and in an attempt to seize Naruto, who defeats Pain and learns of Nagato's tragic ideology, ultimately forgiving and reviving the village's fallen. The Five Kage Summit arc propels the story toward global war, as Tobi—masked Akatsuki figure—declares war on the shinobi nations, prompting a summit disrupted by Sasuke's attack on the Kage to capture Killer Bee. Sasuke joins Tobi temporarily, absorbing his team Taka into Akatsuki's remnants, while Naruto trains to master Sage Mode and confronts Nagato's legacy. These events converge in the Fourth Shinobi World War arc, uniting the Allied Shinobi Forces against Akatsuki's revived army of past enemies via Edo Tensei. Revelations unfold: Tobi is unmasked as , manipulated by Madara Uchiha's ideology after his presumed death; Madara himself resurrects fully, manipulating events to revive the Ten-Tails. The war's climax exposes the ancient origins of conflict, with the Ten-Tails' revival summoning Kaguya Otsutsuki, the progenitor of chakra and final antagonist, who seeks to reclaim her power from Naruto and Sasuke, descendants of her sons. Obito, becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, experiences redemption after Naruto's influence, sacrificing himself to atone for his role in the cycle of hatred. Madara, initially triumphant, is betrayed by the Black Zetsu entity and used to resurrect Kaguya, leading to a multidimensional battle where Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi seal her away using ancient methods. The series peaks in Naruto and Sasuke's final battle at the Valley of the End, resolving their rivalry through mutual understanding, with Sasuke acknowledging Naruto's path to break hatred's cycle. In resolutions, Sasuke embarks on a journey of atonement, wandering as a protector while mentoring others, and Obito's spirit aids in the war's aftermath. Naruto achieves his dream, becoming the Seventh Hokage years later, while marrying ; their son is born, symbolizing a new era of peace. Sasuke marries Sakura, fathering Sarada. The main storyline spans Naruto's ages 15 to 17, concluding the manga serialization on November 10, 2014, after 700 chapters.

Production

Development

Masashi Kishimoto conceived the Naruto series drawing from elements of , particularly the or , which inspired the concept of a young boy harboring a powerful entity within him. This idea first materialized in a one-shot pilot story published in the summer 1997 issue of Akamaru Jump, a of Shueisha's Jump magazines, where the transformed using fox-like abilities in a tale involving and spirits. The one-shot received positive reception but required revisions to adapt into a full serialization. Kishimoto submitted the refined concept to , leading to Naruto's debut on September 21, 1999, in issue No. 43 of the magazine. Part I of the ran for 238 chapters, collected into 27 volumes, concluding on November 22, 2004, with the Sasuke Recovery Mission arc to allow for narrative progression. Planning for Part II, Kishimoto introduced a two-and-a-half-year timeskip immediately following the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, aiming to refresh character designs and mature the storyline by aging the protagonists and escalating global conflicts involving groups like Akatsuki. This decision enabled deeper exploration of themes such as growth and rivalry, transforming the series from youthful adventures to more complex interpersonal and political dynamics. As the series progressed toward its conclusion, Kishimoto faced challenges in pacing, particularly during the Fourth Great Ninja War arc, where introducing multiple antagonists and resolving long-standing plot threads strained the narrative flow. Influenced by feedback from his longtime editor Kosuke Yahagi, who had guided the series since its and encouraged extensions beyond the initial five-year plan, Kishimoto finalized the ending in 2014, with chapter 700 published on November 10 in issue No. 50. The full comprises 72 volumes, emphasizing Naruto's journey to becoming Hokage as the thematic closure. Kishimoto's artwork evolved significantly over the run, shifting from rough, sketch-like lines in early chapters to a more refined, detailed style with improved proportions and dynamic action sequences by the later volumes, reflecting his growing technical proficiency. Due to the grueling weekly schedule and resulting health strains, including exhaustion from , Kishimoto increasingly relied on assistants for inking, backgrounds, and screentones, particularly in the final arcs, while maintaining oversight on character designs and key panels. In , licensed the series for English localization, releasing the first volume on August 16, 2003, and completing the 72-volume run by October 6, 2015, with adaptations preserving the original right-to-left format and cultural nuances.

Influences

drew significant inspiration from fellow creators in shaping Naruto's narrative structure, character development, and visual dynamics. He has frequently acknowledged Akira Toriyama's as a foundational influence, particularly for its escalation of battles through power-ups and epic confrontations, which informed the series' progression from village skirmishes to global conflicts. Similarly, Yoshihiro Togashi's impacted Kishimoto's approach to character depth, as seen in how abilities reflect personal backstories—such as Kurapika's chains tying to his clan's loss—prompting Kishimoto to link ninja techniques more closely to emotional histories in Naruto. Elements of Japanese folklore and mythology permeate Naruto's supernatural aspects, blending traditional yokai with broader Eastern concepts to craft its lore. The tailed beasts, powerful chakra entities sealed within hosts, echo yokai from Japanese tales, with Kurama the Nine-Tails directly inspired by the kitsune fox spirits known for shape-shifting and immense power in legends. Buddhist notions of reincarnation and the cycle of samsara underpin the Rinnegan dojutsu, whose name translates to "Samsara Eye," granting abilities like summoning paths of the six realms that mirror Buddhist cosmology of rebirth and suffering. Western media also contributed to Naruto's relational dynamics and epic scope. Kishimoto cited Star Wars as a key storytelling influence, particularly the mentor-apprentice bond exemplified by Jiraiya guiding Naruto, akin to training , emphasizing themes of legacy and redemption through guidance. Kishimoto's personal background infused Naruto with themes of isolation and community. Raised in rural , he drew from his hometown's tight-knit, insular structure—reminiscent of historical clans—to conceptualize the hidden villages as self-contained societies bound by loyalty and secrecy. His identical twin brother, , co-creator of the 555, shared early creative endeavors with Masashi, including joint submissions to Shonen Jump, fostering a collaborative environment that echoed in Naruto's emphasis on bonds between rivals and siblings. In terms of art, Kishimoto's dynamic action panels owe much to Tetsuo Hara's , whose explosive, muscular depictions of combat influenced the high-contrast, high-impact layouts in Naruto's fight sequences.

Setting

The Naruto universe is centered on a fictional world comprising numerous countries, dominated by the five great shinobi nations: , Land of Wind, Land of Lightning, Land of Water, and Land of Earth. These nations function as major powers, with their military strength embodied in hidden shinobi villages that serve as central hubs for ninja operations and governance. Konohagakure, or the Hidden Leaf Village, is located in and exemplifies this structure as the story's primary setting; similar villages include Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning, Kirigakure in the Land of Water, and Iwagakure in the Land of Earth. The shinobi system forms the backbone of these nations' societies, with aspiring trained at specialized academies, such as the Ninja Academy in Konohagakure, where they learn foundational skills before graduating as genin—the entry-level rank. Genin are typically organized into three-person teams supervised by a higher-ranked jonin instructor, progressing through ranks like chunin (mid-level specialists) to elite jonin, with the village leader holding the title of kage; the five kage from the great nations collaborate on international matters, as seen in assemblies like the Five Kage Summit. Missions, assigned by village leaders, vary in difficulty and are undertaken by teams to maintain security and diplomacy, including high-stakes S-rank assignments that demand exceptional skill. Central to shinobi abilities is , an internal energy resource molded and manipulated to execute jutsu techniques, often via specific hand signs to produce elemental or supernatural effects. Jutsu are categorized into (which unleashes physical phenomena like elemental attacks), genjutsu (illusions targeting the senses), and (, sometimes augmented by flow for precision strikes). Kekkei genkai represent rare, inheritable bloodline limits that grant unique abilities beyond standard jutsu, such as the Sharingan dojutsu of the Uchiha clan, which enhances perception and enables advanced visual techniques. The lore traces back to the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, a legendary figure revered as ninjutsu's progenitor who, in ancient times, divided his immense power among his sons and influenced the formation of shinobi clans and villages. Following his era, the world endured cycles of conflict, including the great ninja wars among the nations, where powerful entities known as the tailed beasts—or bijuu—played pivotal roles; these nine massive chakra-based creatures were sealed into human hosts called jinchuriki to harness their destructive potential as weapons. The Fourth Great Ninja War marked a turning point, uniting the five nations against a common threat and leading to enduring peace treaties that stabilized the shinobi world. Key clans shape the villages' histories and abilities, often rooted in the Warring States period's rivalries. The Senju and Uchiha clans, among the most formidable, clashed repeatedly, their conflicts contributing to the era's chaos before allying to found Konohagakure under a peace accord. The Hyuga clan, a noble lineage in the Hidden Leaf, possesses the Byakugan kekkei genkai for near-360-degree vision and employs the Gentle Fist style to disrupt opponents' networks; structured into main and branch families, it enforces traditions to protect its secrets amid internal tensions.

Characters

Main Characters

Naruto Uzumaki serves as the central protagonist, an orphan raised in Konohagakure after his parents, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, sacrificed their lives to seal the Nine-Tails fox spirit, Kurama, into his newborn body to protect the village from destruction. This jinchūriki status led to his isolation and stigmatization by villagers, fostering a hyperactive, boisterous personality marked by pranks and an unyielding determination to become Hokage for acceptance. Over the series, Naruto evolves from an underachieving academy student into a heroic leader, mastering techniques like the Shadow Clone Jutsu—learned from a forbidden scroll to pass his genin exam—and the Rasengan, a high-level sphere taught by his mentor , while achieving Sage Mode through rigorous training with the toad sages at Mount Myōboku to balance natural energy with his . His growth reflects creator Masashi Kishimoto's self-insertion of personal experiences, emphasizing themes of parental love discovered through his heritage. Sasuke Uchiha, the last prominent survivor of the Uchiha clan, drives much of the narrative through his quest for vengeance following of his family by his older brother Itachi, fueling a brooding, prodigious demeanor focused on power acquisition. Initially a skilled genin on Team 7, Sasuke defects from the village to train under , honing his clan's Sharingan dojutsu—which grants enhanced perception and genjutsu—to its advanced Mangekyō form and eventually the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan via transplant, enabling potent abilities like flames and Susanoo armor. His arc culminates in redemption, reconciling his isolation with bonds forged in rivalry, particularly with Naruto, whose persistent friendship challenges Sasuke's vengeful solitude. Sakura Haruno completes Team 7 as the intelligent, compassionate whose initial infatuation with Sasuke hinders her confidence, but she matures into a formidable medic-nin under Tsunade's tutelage, developing from precise control in her fists capable of shattering and bones. Her emotional growth shifts from dependency to , contributing expertise and tactical support to her teammates while overcoming self-doubt through dedicated . Kakashi Hatake leads Team 7 as the enigmatic "Copy Ninja," renowned for his transplanted Sharingan eye—originally belonging to his late comrade —that allows him to replicate over a thousand jutsu observed in battle, masking a tragic of lost teammates and fatherly abandonment. His laid-back facade hides a strategic genius and mentorship role, guiding Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura in forging unbreakable bonds amid missions. Among the primary antagonists, pursues immortality through forbidden experiments and body possession, defecting from Konoha as one of the Legendary Sannin to amass and power. , Sasuke's brother, orchestrates the Uchiha clan's annihilation under covert orders to avert a coup, later revealed as a sacrificial act for village , wielding the Mangekyō Sharingan for devastating techniques like Tsukuyomi. , the alias of Nagato, leads the Akatsuki with a of enforcing through shared , channeling the Rinnegan's god-like abilities inherited from his lineage and Madara Uchiha's influence. The dynamics of Team 7 underscore the series' core relationships, with Kakashi fostering teamwork among the trio, while Naruto and Sasuke's intense rivalry—rooted in parallel experiences and contrasting responses to loss—propels their personal developments and mutual redemption.

Supporting Characters

Supporting characters in Naruto play crucial roles in mentoring the protagonists, providing alliances across villages, and serving as formidable antagonists through organizations like Akatsuki. These figures deepen the narrative by influencing key events, such as training sessions, redemptions, and tailed beast extractions, while showcasing diverse abilities and philosophies. Among the mentors, , known as the "Toad Sage" or "Pervy Sage," is one of the legendary Sannin who trained under the Third Hokage. He specializes in summoning giant toads and teaches Naruto the Rasengan technique during an intense two-and-a-half-year training period. Jiraiya's free-spirited nature and world travels make him a source of vital intelligence on threats like Akatsuki. , another Sannin and the Fifth Hokage, excels in medical and possesses superhuman strength enhanced by her Creation Rebirth technique. She becomes Hokage after Jiraiya's recommendation and mentors in advanced healing arts. Iruka Umino serves as an instructor and to Naruto, offering emotional support from the series' early days by recognizing Naruto's potential beyond his pranks. Allies like , the Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village and former jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast Shukaku, evolve from a rival to a steadfast supporter after Naruto helps him confront his isolation. Gaara's sand manipulation provides defensive prowess in joint missions, symbolizing inter-village cooperation. , a taijutsu specialist on Team Guy, compensates for his lack of and genjutsu with rigorous training and the Eight Gates technique, inspiring perseverance among his peers. , a Byakugan user from the Hyuga clan, admires Naruto's determination, which bolsters her confidence in Gentle Fist combat during critical battles. The antagonistic Akatsuki members pursue world domination by capturing tailed beasts to impose peace through overwhelming power, often extracting them from jinchuriki hosts. Kisame Hoshigaki, a shark-like rogue from the Hidden Mist, fuses with his sword Samehada to absorb and employs water-style jutsu like Water Shark Bomb. Deidara, an explosive artist from the Hidden Stone, molds clay with mouths on his hands to create detonating sculptures, viewing explosions as transient art. Konan, a jutsu master and Akatsuki co-founder, transforms her body into sheets for versatile attacks and reconnaissance. These extractions, such as Gaara's, highlight Akatsuki's ruthless efficiency in advancing their global ambitions. Other notable figures include Might Guy, Rock Lee's mentor and expert, who unlocks the Eight Gates for immense power boosts at great personal risk. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and Naruto's father, was renowned as the "Yellow Flash" for his Flying Thunder God speed, sealing the Nine-Tails to protect the village in a sacrificial act revealed later in the story. These characters' arcs, from Gaara's redemption through Naruto's influence to Akatsuki's beast hunts, enrich the world's conflicts and alliances without overshadowing the mains.

Media Adaptations

Manga

The Naruto manga, written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from September 21, 1999, to November 10, 2014, spanning 700 chapters collected into 72 tankōbon volumes. The storyline is divided into two main parts. Part I, covering chapters 1 to 238 across the first 27 volumes, centers on protagonist Naruto Uzumaki's early experiences as a genin ninja in Konohagakure, including his academy graduation, Team 7 formation, and initial missions amid the Chunin Exams and various threats. Part II, encompassing chapters 239 to 700 in volumes 28 to 72, advances the narrative several years later following a time skip, following the characters as more experienced shinobi during escalating conflicts, culminating in the Fourth Shinobi World War. In , began publishing the English-language edition with volume 1 on August 5, 2003, and completed the series with volume 72 on October 6, 2015. Kishimoto's artwork features dynamic paneling that emphasizes motion and impact in action scenes, contributing to the manga's engaging pacing. The series is accompanied by official databooks, including Rin no Sho (2002), which provides detailed character profiles, techniques, and trivia from early chapters. As of 2024, the has sold over 250 million copies worldwide in more than 90 countries.

Anime

The Naruto adaptation consists of two primary television series produced by , adapting Masashi Kishimoto's while incorporating original content to extend the runtime. The original series, directed by Hayato Date, aired 220 episodes on from October 3, 2002, to February 8, 2007, covering the events of Part I of the up to the Sasuke Retrieval arc, supplemented by filler arcs such as the Land of Tea Escort Mission (episodes 102–106), which depicts Team 7's diplomatic escort duty amid a border dispute. Naruto: Shippuden, the sequel series also directed by Date at , ran for 500 episodes on from February 15, 2007, to March 23, 2017, adapting Part II of the with greater fidelity to the source material but including approximately 41% filler episodes to maintain weekly broadcasts without overtaking the manga's release schedule. Notable filler content includes the Kakashi's Anbu Arc (episodes 349–361), exploring Kakashi Hatake's early days in the Anbu Black Ops following the Third Shinobi World War. Production elements unified both series under Toshio Masuda as the primary composer, responsible for the orchestral score that emphasizes emotional and action sequences, with contributions from the Musashi Project on select tracks. Opening themes varied across seasons; for instance, the original series featured "Haruka Kanata" by for episodes 26–53, while Shippuden opened with "Hero's Come Back!!" by nobodyknows+ in its first season and "GO!!!" by Flow starting from episode 54. The series premiered internationally through Viz Media's licensing, with the English dub of the original Naruto debuting on Cartoon Network's block in the United States on September 10, 2005, and later airing uncut on from 2012. Dubs were produced for multiple languages, enabling global broadcasts on networks like YTV in and in the UK. Key differences from the arise in pacing and content expansion: the extends battles and dialogues with recaps and flashbacks to fill airtime, while filler introduce non-canon stories, such as side missions or backstories, primarily to synchronize with the manga's ongoing and avoid spoilers. These additions, comprising about 40% of the original series' episodes, allow for deeper exploration of supporting elements but can disrupt narrative momentum compared to the manga's concise chapter structure.

Films

The Naruto franchise includes eleven theatrical animated produced by , released between 2004 and 2015, which expand on the series' ninja world through standalone adventures often featuring Team 7 and ties to ongoing arcs. These typically premiered in Japanese theaters during summer or winter, aligning with key serialization periods to boost popularity, and while most serve as non-canon side stories, they explore character dynamics and battles outside the . The following table lists the films in release order, including directors and brief plot overviews:
TitleRelease DateDirectorPlot Summary
Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of SnowAugust 21, 2004Tensai OkamuraTeam 7 escorts actress Yukie and her film crew through a blizzard to the Land of Snow, where Yukie is revealed as Princess Fuun; they battle rogue ninjas to help her reclaim her kingdom and end its eternal winter.
Naruto the Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of GelelAugust 6, 2005Hirotsugu KawasakiWhile delivering a pet to a village, Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru encounter knight Temujin and his group seeking the Stone of Gelel, an ancient artifact granting resurrection and power; Naruto must stop its misuse to prevent destruction.
Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon KingdomAugust 5, 2006Toshiyuki KatoNaruto, Sakura, and Kakashi protect spoiled Prince Harusame and his family from assassins in the peaceful Crescent Moon Kingdom, uncovering a plot to overthrow the monarchy amid comedic and action-packed escapades.
Naruto Shippūden the MovieAugust 4, 2007Hajime KamegakiAncient demons threaten the world after revival; shrine maiden Shion, who predicts deaths, foresees Naruto's demise while he guards her, forcing him to defy fate to seal the demons and save her village.
Naruto Shippūden the Movie: BondsAugust 2, 2008Kazuhiro FuruhashiKonoha faces aerial attacks from Sky Country ninjas seeking Second Great Ninja War revenge; Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata escort doctor Shinou and apprentice Amaru home, forging bonds amid a counteroffensive against the invaders.
Naruto Shippūden the Movie: The Will of FireAugust 1, 2009Nobuyoshi HabaraBloodline limit users vanish across nations, blamed on the Fire Country; as tensions rise toward war, Naruto races to rescue captured Hokage Hiruzen and prove Konoha's innocence, upholding the village's enduring spirit.
Naruto Shippūden the Movie: The Lost TowerJuly 31, 2010Masahiro AizawaPursuing missing-nin Mukade to ancient Rōran ruins, Naruto is hurled 20 years into the past via a time jutsu; he allies with a young Yamato and his father, the Fourth Hokage Minato, to avert a historical catastrophe.
Naruto the Movie: Blood PrisonJuly 30, 2011Masahiro AizawaFramed for assassinating the Raikage and killing other jonin, Naruto is sent to the brutal Hōzuki Castle prison; there, warden Mui drains inmates' chakra, and Naruto uncovers a larger conspiracy while fighting for his freedom.
Road to Ninja: Naruto the MovieJuly 28, 2012Hayato DateNaruto and Sakura are pulled into an alternate universe via genjutsu by the Masked Man (Tobi); in this reversed world where personalities flip and lost loved ones live, they confront warped versions of allies to break free and thwart a domination plot.
The Last: Naruto the MovieDecember 6, 2014Tsuneo KobayashiTwo years post-Fourth Great Ninja War, Naruto joins Hinata, Sakura, Sai, and Shikamaru to rescue kidnapped Hanabi Hyuga from Toneri Ōtsutsuki, who plans to crash the moon into Earth and blind humanity with Tenseigan; the mission culminates in Naruto and Sasuke's reunion against the alien threat, bridging to the next generation.
Boruto: Naruto the MovieAugust 7, 2015Hiroyuki YamashitaBoruto Uzumaki, son of Hokage Naruto, enters the Chunin Exams but faces an invasion by Otsutsuki clan members Momoshiki and Kinshiki, who seek to harvest the world's chakra; with his team, Boruto confronts the threat, leading to a climactic battle involving his father and Sasuke to protect Konoha.
Among these, Road to Ninja stands out for its alternate universe exploration, inverting character traits and relationships to delve into Naruto and Sakura's emotional growth, while tying loosely to the main series' genjutsu themes. The Last is notable as a semi-canon entry, directly supervised by series creator , who wrote the story; it depicts the adult Naruto's romantic development with and introduces Otsutsuki lore, with events referenced in the manga's epilogue and sequel . All films were animated by , the same studio behind the TV series, with budgets emphasizing high-stakes action sequences and voice acting by the core cast, including as Naruto. They often premiered alongside volumes to capitalize on fan momentum, contributing to the franchise's commercial success; for instance, The Last grossed approximately ¥1.97 billion in , making it the highest-earning Naruto film and underscoring the series' enduring appeal. Regarding canon status, the majority are non-canon filler stories designed for entertainment without altering the main timeline, except The Last, which integrates key plot elements like the Naruto-Hinata romance and Sasuke's redemption arc. A live-action adaptation of Naruto has been in development at Lionsgate since 2015. As of early 2026, the project remains in pre-production with no confirmed release date or start of filming. In November 2025, co-writer Tasha Huo stated there were "no new updates" on the film and expressed eagerness for progress, attributing delays to director Destin Daniel Cretton's commitments to Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day (scheduled for July 2026 release). A November 2025 report suggested that filming could potentially begin in 2026 after Cretton's MCU work, with a possible late 2026 start leading to a 2028 release, though this remains unconfirmed. The project has faced ongoing delays and is often described as in development limbo.

Novels

The Naruto franchise features a series of official light novels published by under its Jump j-Books imprint, with English-language editions handled by . These light novels, authored by various writers and spanning from 2002 to the present, with over 25 volumes published by 2025, expand the core narrative by exploring side stories, character origins, and events outside the manga's main plotline. Early tie-in novels released during the manga's Part I serialization provide supplementary tales of the protagonists' formative years. For instance, The Two of Us (2003), written by Masatoshi Kusakabe, delves into the initial dynamics and missions of Team 7, highlighting , Sasuke, and Sakura's budding camaraderie under Kakashi's guidance. These works, often adapting filler arcs or original scenarios, emphasize themes of teamwork and growth in the shinobi world. Following the manga's conclusion in 2014, the Naruto Hiden series—six volumes released in 2015—shifts focus to the post-war era, examining key characters' personal struggles and new roles in a peaceful Hidden Leaf Village. Notable entries include Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky by Akira Higashiyama (February 2015), which portrays Kakashi's tenure as Sixth Hokage amid a covert mission uncovering his unresolved past, and Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise by Shin Towada (November 2015), where Sasuke undertakes a redemption journey confronting remnants of his family's legacy. Other volumes, such as Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness by Takashi Yano and Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze by Tomohisa Sato, explore strategic dilemmas and emotional reflections, respectively, while Gaara Hiden: A Sandstorm Mirage by Yūya Umemura and Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding by Shō Hinata address village-wide peace efforts and celebrations. The Naruto Shinden series, also launched in 2015, bridges to the next generation with deeper historical backstories. Itachi Shinden: Book of Bright Light and Book of Dark Night by Takashi Yano (July and September 2015) chronicle Itachi Uchiha's tragic youth and internal conflicts within the Uchiha clan, while Sasuke Shinden: The Teacher's Star Pupil by Jun Esaka (February 2016) depicts Sasuke mentoring during a crisis involving a cursed , emphasizing legacy and guidance. In the Boruto era, novels like the 2015 novelization of The Last: Naruto the Movie by Masashi Kishimoto and Maru Tomohiro detail Naruto's romantic development with Hinata amid a global threat, while Naruto: The Seventh Hokage, adapting elements of the 2015 Boruto: Naruto the Movie, portrays Naruto's challenges as Hokage balancing family and duty. The ongoing Naruto Retsuden series further extends this, with volumes such as Kakashi Retsuden: The Sixth Hokage and the Failure Boy (2019) by Tensai Kensuke examining Kakashi's retirement and mentorship of an outcast youth. More recent entries in the Naruto Retsuden series include Sasuke Retsuden: The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust (2023) by Jun Esaka, exploring Sasuke's journey post-series. As of 2025, Viz Media announced a new Naruto novel for fall release. These later works frequently incorporate "what if" explorations of alternate paths or post-series daily life, enriching character motivations and the evolving ninja society without contradicting canonical events.

Other Media

Video Games

The Naruto video game franchise, developed primarily by and published by , features a range of genres centered on action-fighting mechanics that capture the series' ninja battles and jutsu techniques. The core titles fall into fighting games, with notable entries in action-adventure and role-playing formats, allowing players to experience story-driven missions and competitive multiplayer across consoles, PC, and mobile platforms. The flagship Ultimate Ninja Storm series, developed by , comprises five main installments released from 2008 to 2017, emphasizing 3D arenas, cinematic cutscenes retelling arcs, and combo-based jutsu attacks in both single-player story modes and multiplayer. These games include original missions beyond the source material, such as exploration segments and versus battles featuring over 100 playable characters with awakening transformations. A sequel, Naruto x : Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, expanded the roster to more than 130 ninjas in 2023, incorporating new Boruto-era content while preserving the series' fast-paced combat and anime-accurate visuals on platforms like , Series X/S, , and PC. In the genre, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (2007), developed by exclusively for , blends action-adventure exploration of the Hidden Leaf Village with RPG elements like skill progression and mission-based storytelling drawn from early episodes. Mobile adaptations include Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Blazing (2016), a RPG with turn-based team battles and gacha mechanics, which achieved 15 million downloads by 2018 and featured co-op modes for executing linked ninja techniques. Collectively, the Naruto video games have shipped 37.86 million units worldwide from January 2009 to March 2025, with the Ultimate Ninja Storm subseries alone surpassing 30 million units sold by December 2024, underscoring their commercial dominance in anime-based gaming. Platforms span multiple generations, from and origins to modern systems, enabling broad accessibility for story retellings and competitive play.

Soundtracks

The music for the Naruto anime series was primarily composed by Toshio Masuda for the original run, released through a series of original soundtrack albums by . The first volume, Naruto Original Soundtrack, appeared in 2003 and features 20 tracks, including the iconic "Sadness and Sorrow," which has become a staple for emotional scenes involving loss and reflection. Subsequent volumes, such as Naruto Original Soundtrack 2 (2004, 17 tracks) and Naruto Original Soundtrack III (2011), expand on themes of action, village life, and ninja battles, blending orchestral elements with subtle electronic motifs to evoke the series' youthful energy and tension. Masuda's contributions extend to several films, contributing to a total of around 17 soundtrack CDs across the franchise's early phases, emphasizing melodic strings and percussion to mirror the protagonists' growth. For Naruto: Shippūden, composer took over, producing dynamic scores suited to the series' intensified action and darker tone, with releases like Naruto Shippuden (2007, 28 tracks) introducing tracks such as "Man of the World" for introspective moments and "Shippuden" for epic confrontations. Takanashi's work spans multiple volumes, including Naruto Shippuden 2 (2008) and Naruto Shippuden III (2016), incorporating heavier rock influences alongside traditional Japanese instrumentation like and drums to heighten dramatic battles. His style, often featuring choral elements and rapid rhythms, underscores the evolving conflicts and has been praised for amplifying the series' emotional depth. The features over 30 opening and ending themes across both series, performed by prominent J-rock and pop artists to capture the narrative's progression from to resolve. Notable examples include the first opening "Haruka Kanata" by (2002), a high-energy rock track symbolizing Naruto's determination, and Shippūden's third opening "Blue Bird" by (2008), which conveys themes of freedom and longing with its uplifting melody. These sequences often integrate series motifs, rotating roughly every 25 episodes to reflect plot arcs. Character song albums provide vocal performances by the Japanese voice , offering alternate takes on personalities through original . A key release is Ura Retsuden (2006), featuring tracks sung by like (Naruto) and (Sasuke), blending pop and ballad styles to explore hidden sides of the cast, such as comedic or introspective vignettes. These collections, totaling several volumes, deepen fan engagement by humanizing the shinobi through music. Live orchestral performances have brought the scores to audiences worldwide, notably Naruto: The Symphonic Experience (debuting in 2023 and touring through 2025), where an 18-piece synchronizes Toshio Masuda's themes with a montage of over 220 episodes, merging symphonic arrangements with pop-rock elements for immersive screenings. Earlier events in , such as promotional concerts around 2015, highlighted Takanashi's action tracks with full ensembles. The soundtracks' influence lies in their fusion of guitar riffs, electronic beats, and traditional Japanese instruments like koto and , creating a versatile palette that enhances the series' themes of perseverance and heritage without overpowering the . This approach has inspired similar hybrid scoring in later , emphasizing cultural roots amid global appeal.

Spin-offs and Sequels

The primary sequel to the Naruto series is : Naruto Next Generations, which continues the story in the Hidden Leaf Village years after the original manga's conclusion, with serving as the Seventh Hokage. The manga, illustrated by and initially written by before took over the writing from volume 14 onward, began serialization in in May 2016 and concluded its first part with 80 chapters in March 2023, followed by the sequel series Boruto: Two Blue Vortex starting in August 2023, reaching chapter 27 by October 2025 for a total exceeding 100 chapters across both parts. This sequel directly integrates with the original series' ending by focusing on the next generation of s, including Naruto's son , while introducing new threats such as the secretive organization Kara, a group of cyborg-like antagonists led by figures like Jigen who pursue Otsutsuki-related goals using advanced scientific ninja tools. The Boruto anime adaptation, produced by Studio Pierrot, premiered in April 2017 and aired 293 episodes by March 2023, covering original story arcs alongside adaptations of the manga and filler content centered on the younger characters' daily lives and missions under adult Naruto's leadership as Hokage. A second anime part was announced in 2023, though no new episodes had aired by November 2025, leaving the series in a production hiatus while the manga progressed. Other official spin-offs include the 2015 film Boruto: Naruto the Movie, directed by Hiroyuki Yamashita, which depicts Boruto's early encounters with his father as the new Hokage and introduces key elements like the Otsutsuki clan's influence that later expand in the sequel series. Additionally, the comedy anime Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals, a chibi-style series by Kenji Taira, ran for 51 episodes from April 2012 to March 2013, humorously reimagining the adventures of Rock Lee, Might Guy's Team Guy, and other supporting characters in exaggerated, lighthearted scenarios detached from the main canon. In recent years, a crossover comic series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, published by , debuted in November 2024 as a four-issue blending the ninja worlds of both franchises, with entangled in Hidden Leaf Village conflicts alongside , concluding in June 2025.

Merchandise

Artbooks and Guides

The official artbooks for the Naruto series compile illustrations and visual development materials created by . The Art of Naruto: Uzumaki, the first such collection, was published by on July 4, 2004, featuring approximately 140 pages of full-color artwork, including promotional images, character designs, and early concept sketches from the manga's initial volumes. Viz Media released an English hardcover edition on October 25, 2007, preserving the original content with translations for key annotations. This volume highlights the foundational visual style of the series, with examples of evolving character proportions and ninja attire concepts. A later artbook, Uzumaki Naruto: Illustrations, followed on February 4, 2015, from , containing 114 pages of over 70 selected full-color illustrations published between 2009 and the manga's end, emphasizing dynamic action scenes and character portraits. It includes Kishimoto's sketches demonstrating artistic progression, such as refined shading techniques and composition for battle sequences. The English edition appeared via on November 3, 2015. Both artbooks incorporate unused designs and preliminary concepts, offering insight into the creative process behind the series' iconic aesthetics. Complementing the artbooks are four official databooks published by , serving as comprehensive reference guides to the Naruto universe. The inaugural volume, Hiden: Rin no Sho, appeared on July 4, 2002, covering the first 119 manga chapters with profiles for over 100 characters, statistical breakdowns of abilities (e.g., , ratings on a 1-5 scale), and a of 100+ jutsu techniques. Subsequent releases include Hiden: Tō no Sho on April 4, 2005 (317 pages, expanding to 200+ characters and 108 new jutsu), Hiden: Sha no Sho on September 9, 2008 (adding post-timeskip updates and mechanics explanations), and Rinnegan: Hiden Character Official Data Book on February 4, 2015 (finalizing coverage through chapter 700 with 270 profiles and 232 jutsu entries). These databooks emphasize factual overviews rather than narrative, including visual aids like world maps depicting shinobi nations and villages, as well as supplementary for environments and techniques. Viz Media consolidated the first three into Naruto: The Official Character Data Book, a 360-page English edition released on January 10, 2012, with additional secrets and a bonus illustrated by Kishimoto. Updates in later guides integrate art inserts from related Hiden series materials, focusing on character evolutions without delving into .

Collectible Card Game

The (CCG), developed and published by , was first released in in 2003 and launched in English markets in 2006, featuring over 200 cards in its initial sets that depicted characters, jutsu techniques, and artwork inspired by the series. The centered on a duel-based system where players alternated turns to deploy cards representing shinobi with specific abilities, combined with Jutsu cards for attacks and defenses, all balanced by costs that simulated the series' energy mechanics. Decks were limited to 50 cards, with restrictions on duplicates to encourage strategic variety, and the objective was to accumulate battle rewards or deplete the opponent's resources. Bandai released multiple expansions tied to key story arcs, such as the 2004 Chunin Exams set in Japan, which introduced cards focused on tournament battles, character developments like those of and , and mechanics reflecting exam challenges. Subsequent English expansions, like "Coils of the Snake" in 2007, continued this pattern by incorporating elements from the Chunin Exams arc, including support cards for team strategies and genjutsu effects. The game expanded to 28 core sets by 2013, each adding 150 or more unique cards, but discontinued the CCG that year after the "Ultimate Ninja Storm 3" set, citing unspecified market factors amid rumors of licensing issues. Beyond the core CCG, Naruto-inspired collectibles included trading figures from Tamashii Nations' S.H.Figuarts line, such as articulated models of in Sage Mode and , emphasizing poseable designs for dynamic display and play. Bandai's capsules offered affordable, randomized mini-figures and mascots, like chibi-style renditions of characters from the Shippuden era, dispensed via vending machines in and available internationally. Naruto-themed apparel, including officially licensed t-shirts, hoodies, and jackets featuring symbols like the Uzumaki clan spiral, was produced by partners such as Ripple Junction and sold through retailers like . While specific sales for the CCG remain undisclosed, the broader Naruto merchandise line, including Tamashii Nations figures, contributed to Bandai's portfolio generating hundreds of millions in annual revenue during the franchise's peak. The CCG supported competitive events, with organizing Shonen Jump Championships in the that drew hundreds of participants, alongside weekly local tournaments at hobby stores in both and the to foster community play. These events highlighted top decks and awarded exclusive promo cards, sustaining player engagement until the game's end.

Toys and Collectibles

The Naruto franchise has spawned a diverse array of physical toys and collectibles, emphasizing high-quality action figures, model kits, and apparel that appeal to fans worldwide. These items, produced primarily by Namco and its subsidiaries, capture the essence of the series' characters and settings through detailed craftsmanship and posability, contributing significantly to the franchise's merchandising ecosystem. 's S.H. Figuarts line, launched in the late 2000s and continuing through the present, features premium posable action figures of key characters such as and . These 6-inch-scale models include multiple interchangeable face plates, hands, and accessories—like Naruto's Rasengan effect parts or Sasuke's Chidori—for dynamic posing that recreates iconic battle scenes from Naruto Shippuden. The line's articulation allows for over 20 points of movement, making it a favorite among collectors for both display and play. Model kits from , including the Figure-rise Standard and Entry Grade series, offer fans snap-together assembly options without glue or tools, focusing on characters like in super-deformed (SD) styles for simplified builds. These kits, comprising 30-50 pre-colored parts, enable quick construction—often under an hour—and include display stands for posing. Complementary items like village dioramas, such as paper-based 3D theater sets depicting Konoha or other ninja locales, allow users to create immersive scenes using cut-and-fold techniques. Apparel and accessories extend the franchise's reach into everyday wear, with Uniqlo's collaborations in the 2010s producing graphic T-shirts featuring characters like Naruto and Sasuke, often tied to promotional events such as exclusive DVDs. Additional items include metal keychains modeled after or character emblems, and posters showcasing artwork from the series' milestones, available through official retailers. Globally, merchandise adapts to regional markets, with producing Western-targeted like the Transformers Collaborative series, where Naruto characters such as Kurama convert into robot modes for crossover appeal. Plush , including stuffed of Naruto and tailed beasts from licensed producers, provide softer collectibles for younger fans. By the 2020s, Naruto's toys and collectibles formed a substantial portion of the franchise's overall , contributing to an estimated $10 billion in across all media and products since its .

Reception

Commercial Performance

The Naruto series has achieved significant commercial success, with over 250 million copies in circulation worldwide by 2023. It has been published in more than 90 countries and consistently topped Japan's weekly sales charts during its serialization from 1999 to 2014. The anime adaptations have also garnered substantial viewership. In Japan, Naruto: Shippuden frequently ranked in the top 10 animation TV ratings during its run from 2007 to 2017. In 2025, the franchise continued its streaming dominance, with Naruto becoming Netflix's most-watched anime in the first half of the year, accumulating 51 million views. The overall Naruto franchise has generated more than $10 billion in revenue, encompassing , , merchandise, and licensing. This includes video games, with the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm series alone surpassing 30 million units sold worldwide as of 2024. Regionally, the franchise has performed strongly in the United States through , which has reported Naruto as one of its top-selling titles, with over 2.3 million volumes sold domestically by 2007 and continued bestseller status. In , it maintains dominance in and expanding markets, bolstered by streaming availability on platforms like since 2017, which has driven renewed international viewership. A key milestone was the franchise's 20th anniversary in 2019, marked by Viz Media's "Year of Naruto" promotions, including limited-edition merchandise, events at , and special live spectacles in .

Critical Response

Critics have praised the Naruto for its dynamic fight scenes and character development, with awarding it a 9.1 out of 10, highlighting the series' progression from lighthearted training to darker narratives with high-stakes battles and emotional growth for protagonist . The anime adaptation, particularly Naruto: Shippuden, received acclaim for its emotional depth, especially in arcs exploring themes of loss and redemption, as noted in reviews emphasizing the maturation of relationships like Naruto's bond with . However, the anime faced significant criticism for its extensive filler episodes, which deviated from the and often stalled momentum; assigned grades as low as C+ to several filler-heavy installments in the original series and Shippuden, citing repetitive storytelling and lack of narrative progression. Late in the series, power creep became a common point of contention, with escalating abilities rendering earlier tactics obsolete and diminishing tension in conflicts, as analyzed in ' examination of Naruto's scaling issues. Audience reception has been largely positive, reflected in Naruto: Shippuden's 8.28 out of 10 score on from over 1.78 million users, though fan debates persist over the series ending, with describing the manga finale as "imperfect but satisfying" amid mixed reactions to unresolved character arcs. Initial reviews in the 2000s captured the shonen hype around Naruto as a fresh take on ninja adventures, as seen in The Guardian's 2020 retrospective nod to its enduring popularity during global lockdowns. Over time, views have evolved toward greater appreciation of its anti-war messages, with 2020s analyses like ScreenRant's praising the critique of the shinobi system's through antagonists like the Akatsuki, who expose the futility of endless conflict.

Awards and Recognition

The Naruto manga series and its creator, , have received several notable accolades highlighting their impact on the medium. In 2006, Naruto Volume 7 won the for Best , marking the first time a manga title claimed the honor. In 2007, , the English publisher, earned the Gem Award for Manga Trade Paperback of the Year for Naruto Volume 14, alongside the Manga Publisher of the Year recognition. himself was honored with the New Face Award in the media arts category from Japan's in 2015, acknowledging the series' 15-year run and its cultural contributions. The anime adaptation has also garnered recognition, particularly for its voice acting. , who voices the protagonist , received the Kids/Family Award at the 5th in 2011 for her performance across various roles, including in Naruto. Other cast members have similarly been celebrated; for instance, multiple voice actors from the series have won individual over the years for their contributions to the franchise. That same year, marking the manga's 25th anniversary, released a special commemorative video celebrating the milestone and its enduring legacy in .

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Global Influence

Naruto rapidly expanded internationally following its debut in the United States on Cartoon Network's block on September 10, 2005, where it became the most-watched program among boys aged 9 to 14, captivating audiences with its action-packed storytelling. Although the broadcast version underwent edits to tone down for younger viewers, such as digital removal of and alterations to injury scenes, the series maintained strong viewership and laid the foundation for its North American fanbase. In , Spanish and dubs further amplified its reach, positioning Naruto as the top children's TV series in seven South American countries and fueling a surge in and regional fan events. The franchise has cultivated a dedicated global fan culture, evident in convention appearances like creator Masashi Kishimoto's panel at in 2015 and recurring voice actor reunions at events such as Anime Riverside. Online, the English dub's "Believe it!" has evolved into a widespread symbolizing , while the series inspires extensive fanfiction, with over 129,000 works archived on AO3 as of late 2025. Naruto also exhibits notable parallels with Western media, particularly , in elements like mentor-protégé dynamics and character growth arcs, reflecting shared influences from East Asian storytelling traditions. On a societal level, Naruto's portrayal of the protagonist's journey emphasizes perseverance and resilience, concepts rooted in Japanese philosophies like ganbaru (persistence), which have been analyzed in academic studies as promoting emotional growth through social bonds and . This narrative has influenced educational discussions on overcoming adversity, including , by highlighting the transformative power of and community support. By 2025, the series remains a streaming staple on , accumulating over 40 million viewing hours in the first half of the year alone, while its merchandise drives significant global sales within the expanding market, projected to exceed $9 billion annually.

Themes and Analysis

One of the central themes in Naruto is the cycle of , depicted as an intergenerational inheritance of vengeance that perpetuates conflict, particularly through the Uchiha clan's "curse of hatred," where trauma and marginalization fuel endless retaliation. This motif draws on theory and Levinasian , portraying hatred as a political and emotional force that securitizes groups, mirroring real-world dynamics of systemic violence. In contrast, the pursuit of peace is presented not as a utopian ideal but a fragile requiring radical ethical choices, as seen in characters like , whose sacrifices critique utilitarian trade-offs between individual lives and collective stability. Creator has emphasized this theme's roots in personal observations of loneliness and loss, stating that the series explores "not repeating the errors of the past" to break such cycles. Complementing this is the theme of bonds and friendship overcoming isolation, where interpersonal connections serve as antidotes to solitude and revenge. Naruto's relationships, such as his mentor-student dynamic with , illustrate how "lonely beings" form family-like ties beyond blood relations, fostering resilience against hatred. Kishimoto drew from his own experiences with orphaned friends to craft this, noting that Naruto's restraint after witnessing Sasuke's vengeful path underscores self-control through . Symbolically, the sealed within Naruto represents his profound burden of isolation, embodying a for rejected otherness that villagers project onto him due to fear, amplifying his loneliness from birth. Hand signs, often used in collaborative jutsu, further symbolize unity, as alliances during crises like the Shinobi World Wars highlight over individual strife. Analyses of roles reveal critiques embedded in character arcs, particularly Sakura Haruno's, which highlight disparities in the shōnen genre's portrayal of women. Despite training under , Sakura's growth plateaus compared to male teammates like Naruto and Sasuke, often framing her agency through romantic devotion to Sasuke rather than independent power, reflecting Confucian-influenced subordination. Female characters broadly occupy supportive roles—healers or love interests—perpetuating patriarchal tropes where like and Ino rank lower in strength hierarchies, critiquing how Naruto reinforces traditional fragility despite occasional subversions. On , the series interrogates war's futility during the Shinobi World Wars, with Nagato's ideology positing shared suffering as a path to , though Naruto rejects this for empathetic , echoing phenomenological views on pain's role in human existence without endorsing destruction. This aligns with theological parallels to cycles of and renewal, where breaking through parallels Abrahamic . Scholarly studies position Naruto as a pivotal in shōnen tropes, shifting from simplistic heroism to nuanced explorations of resilience and dichotomies like versus . It influenced later series by deepening growth, moving beyond power escalation to emphasize psychological bonds and anti-war messaging, as analyzed through Campbell's monomyth where Naruto's journey fulfills dreams of amid . Kishimoto's interviews reveal inspirations from real conflicts, including his struggles with the arc's themes of hatred post-9/11, aiming to depict revenge's toll without glorifying violence. Criticisms often focus on pacing issues that dilute thematic delivery, with extended fillers and uneven post-time-skip arcs disrupting the cycle of hatred's buildup, making redemption feel rushed or contrived. This structural flaw hinders deeper engagement with and bonds, as repetitive battles overshadow philosophical inquiries into peace.

Recent Developments

In celebration of the manga's 20th anniversary in , created new artwork featuring key characters, which was showcased at the NARUTO to THE LIVE 2019 event held in on October 5 and 6. This event highlighted the franchise's enduring popularity and included merchandise based on Kishimoto's illustrations. The manga, serving as a sequel to the original series, concluded its first part with 80 chapters in March 2023 before entering a brief hiatus. It resumed serialization in August 2023 with the Two Blue Vortex arc, written by Kishimoto and illustrated by , reaching over 107 chapters by November 2025. The adaptation, produced by Studio Pierrot, has been on indefinite hiatus since March 2023 to allow for quality improvements and alignment with the manga's timeskip narrative, with no confirmed return date as of late 2025 but speculation pointing to 2026 or later. A notable crossover project emerged in late 2024 with the four-issue miniseries Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, published by . Written by Caleb Goellner and illustrated by Hendry Prasetya, the series began with issue #1 on November 13, 2024, and concluded with issue #4 in June 2025, blending the ninja worlds of both franchises in a story involving Team 7 and . Bandai Namco released Naruto x Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections for the on November 17, 2023, featuring remastered gameplay from prior Ultimate Ninja Storm titles alongside new content from the Boruto storyline and over 130 playable characters. This port expanded accessibility to the franchise's series on Nintendo platforms. Following the conclusion of Naruto in 2014, which had taken a toll on his health due to its demanding weekly schedule, Kishimoto launched his next original manga, Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru, in May 2019 with artist Akira Okubo. The sci-fi series, published in , ran for 43 chapters across five volumes until its cancellation in March 2020, allowing Kishimoto time for recovery and a shift to supervisory roles on .

Iconic quotes

The Naruto series is renowned for its memorable and motivational quotes that encapsulate its core themes of perseverance, friendship, redemption, and growth.
  1. "I'm not gonna run away, and I'm not gonna go back on my word... That is my ninja way!" - Naruto Uzumaki
  2. "Believe it!" (Dattebayo!) - Naruto Uzumaki (catchphrase)
  3. "When a person has something precious to protect, that's when they become truly strong." - Haku
  4. "The ones who aren't able to acknowledge themselves are bound to fail." - Itachi Uchiha
  5. "People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. That's how they define 'reality'." - Itachi Uchiha
  6. "A place where someone still thinks about you is a place you can call home." - Jiraiya
  7. "This world shall know pain!" - Pain (Nagato)
  8. "If you don't like the hand that fate has dealt you with, fight for a new one." - Naruto Uzumaki
  9. "Hardship is what makes a man, Naruto." - Jiraiya
  10. "You and I are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome." - Itachi Uchiha

References

  1. https://naruto-official.com/en/about
  2. https://naruto-official.com/en/about/story
  3. https://naruto.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Volumes
  4. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=167
  5. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7293
  6. https://naruto-official.com/en/anime/naruto1
  7. https://shop.viz.com/products/naruto-3-in-1-edition-vol-1
  8. https://www.viz.com/read/manga/naruto-3-in-1-edition-volume-2/product/2765
  9. https://www.amazon.com/Naruto-Vol-4-Heros-Bridge/dp/1591163587
  10. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Naruto-%283-in-1-Edition%29-Vol-3/Masashi-Kishimoto/Naruto-%283-in-1-Edition%29/9781421539911
  11. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/naruto-masashi-kishimoto/1129762901
  12. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Naruto-%283-in-1-Edition%29-Vol-4/Masashi-Kishimoto/Naruto-%283-in-1-Edition%29/9781421554884
  13. https://www.amazon.com/Naruto-3-1-Vol-vols/dp/142155495X
  14. https://www.cbr.com/naruto-shippuden-characters-age/
  15. https://www.cbr.com/every-naruto-story-arc-chronological-order/
  16. https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b00114/
  17. https://www.viz.com/naruto
  18. https://naruto.fandom.com/wiki/The_Day_of_Departure!!
  19. https://gamerant.com/naruto-kishimoto-reveals-reason-behind-shippuden-timeskip/
  20. https://dailyanimeart.com/2014/11/11/narutos-kishimoto-talks-about-manga-ending/
  21. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/anime/kishimoto-explains-why-writing-naruto-was-most-difficult-after-the-pain-arc/articleshow/121196293.cms
  22. https://www.comicbook.com/anime/news/naruto-interview-major-changes-original-draft-editor-manga-anime/
  23. https://www.cbr.com/naruto-masashi-kishimoto-mangaka-art-style-details/
  24. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2015-10-14/masashi-kishimoto-at-new-york-comic-con/.94186
  25. https://www.amazon.com/Naruto-Vol-1-Uzumaki/dp/1569319006
  26. https://www.viz.com/blog/posts/interview-masashi-kishimoto-59
  27. https://www.viz.com/blog/posts/togashi-x-kishimoto-discuss-creation
  28. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/anime/the-real-myth-behind-narutos-kurama-how-japanese-folklore-inspired-the-nine-tailed-fox/articleshow/121537562.cms
  29. https://www.cbr.com/naruto-characters-japanese-folklore/
  30. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-etw-naruto17-2008dec17-story.html
  31. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-list/2016-08-20/.105504
  32. https://naruto-official.com/en/anime/boruto/list/01_945
  33. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1429
  34. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1401
  35. https://naruto-official.com/en/anime/boruto/list/01_992
  36. https://naruto-official.com/en/anime/naruto2/list/01_897
  37. https://naruto-official.com/en/anime/boruto/list/01_982
  38. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1321
  39. https://naruto-official.com/en/books/18
  40. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1684
  41. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1555
  42. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1327
  43. https://naruto-official.com/en/anime/naruto2/list/01_865
  44. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1876
  45. https://naruto-official.com/en/anime/naruto2/list/01_662
  46. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1342
  47. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1668
  48. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1817
  49. https://naruto-official.com/en/anime/naruto1/list/01_270
  50. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/16/naruto-character-reveal-3
  51. https://www.viz.com/blog/posts/anime-naruto-father-s-day-special-757
  52. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/23/naruto-character-reveal
  53. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/19/naruto-character-reveal-2
  54. https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/12/best-naruto-characters
  55. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/15/naruto-rock-lee-unveiled
  56. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/25/naruto-character-reveal-5
  57. https://www.cbr.com/naruto-akatsuki-no-sense-trivia/
  58. https://www.cbr.com/best-naruto-villains-ranked/
  59. https://www.cbr.com/naruto-minato-biggest-differences/
  60. https://www.washington.edu/docs/2022/10/25/naruto/
  61. https://www.facebook.com/allanimeatonce/posts/-naruto-by-masashi-kishimoto-started-26-years-ago-in-weekly-shonen-jump-the-icon/1400000435459769/
  62. https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/naruto
  63. https://www.slashfilm.com/925006/why-the-action-in-naruto-looks-so-good/
  64. https://www.abebooks.com/9784088732886/Naruto-Hiden-Rin-Sho-Character-408873288X/plp
  65. https://naruto-official.com/en/news/01_1726
  66. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1825
  67. https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/guides/2023/10/3/naruto-arcs-order-shippuden-boruto
  68. https://www.screenrant.com/naruto-shippuden-filler-list-show-episodes-skip/
  69. https://screenrant.com/kakashi-naruto-filler-deserves-manga-canon/
  70. https://www.milanrecords.com/release/naruto-original-soundtrack-2-aniplex-anime/
  71. https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/50425/why-does-naruto-s-anime-and-manga-have-huge-differences
  72. https://screenrant.com/naruto-movies-canon-last-boruto/
  73. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3535
  74. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=5042
  75. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6602
  76. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=8017
  77. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9194
  78. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10757
  79. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=11422
  80. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=12869
  81. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=14172
  82. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=16184
  83. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=16924
  84. https://www.cbr.com/which-naruto-movies-are-canon/
  85. https://screenrant.com/narutos-live-action-movie-update-uncertain-director-mcu-focus-tasha-huo/
  86. https://www.cbr.com/live-action-naruto-movie-disappointing-update/
  87. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-12-06/full-list-of-naruto-epilogue-novels-unveiled/.81844
  88. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-04-05/naruto-gets-new-3-book-novel-series/.129928
  89. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=17314
  90. https://www.amazon.com/Naruto-Kakashis-Story-Akira-Higashiyama/dp/1421584409
  91. https://www.amazon.com/Naruto-Sasukes-Sunrise-Shin-Towada/dp/1421591294
  92. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-07-26/summary-release-dates-revealed-for-new-naruto-shinden-novels/.90891
  93. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-05-01/naruto-gets-new-konoha-shinden-novel/.101643
  94. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-10-28/the-last-naruto-the-movie-to-get-novelization/.80421
  95. https://www.viz.com/read/manga/naruto-the-seventh-hokage-and-the-scarlet-spring/all
  96. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-06-02/naruto-franchise-retsuden-novel-series-get-2-more-installments-for-naruto-sasuke/.147392
  97. https://www.viz.com/read/novel/naruto-novels/all
  98. https://gamerant.com/viz-media-confirms-release-new-naruto-book/
  99. https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/naruto
  100. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1020790/NARUTO_X_BORUTO_Ultimate_Ninja_STORM_CONNECTIONS/
  101. https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/naruto/naruto-x-boruto-ultimate-ninja-storm-connections
  102. https://www.pocketgamer.com/naruto-shippuden-ultimate-ninja-blazing/naruto-shippuden-ultimate-ninja-blazing-launches-new-celebration-event-filled-wi/
  103. https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/en/ir/library/assets/pdf/2025/factbook2025_en.pdf
  104. https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/naruto/news/naruto-ultimate-ninja-storm-series-30-million-units-sold-worldwide
  105. https://vgmdb.net/album/24084
  106. https://nerdist.com/article/naruto-digital-soundtracks-available-for-first-time-outside-japan-milan-records/
  107. https://www.milanrecords.com/release/naruto-shippuden-original-anime-soundtrack-aniplex/
  108. https://www.fanverse.org/threads/july-06-2016-naruto-shippuden-original-soundtrack-iii.1071467/
  109. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk65UCMPiug
  110. https://owldb.net/naruto-opening-and-ending-songs-list/
  111. https://www.discogs.com/master/2582285-Various-Naruto-Super-Hits-2006-2008
  112. https://www.narutoinconcert.com/
  113. https://www.roadcoentertainment.com/shows/naruto-the-symphonic-experience/
  114. https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/boruto-two-blue-vortex
  115. https://naruto-official.com/en/anime/boruto/list/01_1101
  116. https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/boruto
  117. https://idwpublishing.com/products/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-x-naruto
  118. https://www.amazon.com/Art-Naruto-Uzumaki-Masashi-Kishimoto/dp/1421514079
  119. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Art-of-Naruto-Uzumaki/Masashi-Kishimoto/The-Art-of-Naruto-Uzumaki/9781421514079
  120. https://otakumode.com/shop/54c08ca4a02447555bbb2f8b/Naruto-Illustration-Collection-Uzumaki-Naruto
  121. https://www.theouterhaven.net/2015/11/art-book-review-uzumaki-naruto-illustrations/
  122. https://otakumode.com/shop/54409a05faee1189430a030e/Naruto-Hiden-Tou-no-Sho-Character-Official-Data-Book
  123. https://naruto-official.com/en/books/1
  124. https://leafninja.com/country.php
  125. https://www.amazon.com/Naruto-Official-Character-Data-Book/dp/1421541254
  126. https://www.ebay.com/itm/205214328022
  127. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/22910/naruto-collectible-card-game
  128. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AMsM5q30tQ
  129. https://www.ccgtrader.net/games/naruto-ccg/
  130. https://www.ebay.com/itm/204630113118
  131. https://capsulecorpgear.com/naruto-ccg-card-rarity/
  132. https://www.change.org/p/bring-back-the-naruto-ccg
  133. https://www.change.org/p/bandai-i-want-to-bring-back-the-naruto-ccg-game
  134. https://www.shfiguarts.com/category/1/49/SHFiguarts/SHFiguarts-Naruto.html
  135. https://us.gashapon.jp/
  136. https://www.ripplejunction.com/collections/naruto
  137. https://www.reddit.com/r/dragonball/comments/jqri6q/toei_and_bandai_financial_results_dragon_ball/
  138. https://www.scifijapan.com/merchandise/naruto-shippuden-collectible-card-game-shonen-jump-championships
  139. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65GEwfDEuD4
  140. https://p-bandai.com/us/brand/shfiguarts
  141. https://tamashiiweb.com/item/13853/?wovn=en
  142. https://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Figure-rise-Standard-Uzumaki-Naruto/dp/B07DWD7BNX
  143. https://www.hlj.com/entry-grade-uzumaki-naruto-naruto-shippuden-bans65119
  144. https://www.hobbytown.com/ensky-puzzles-paper-theater-naruto-naruto-uzumaki-3d-diorama-kit-ens50424/p1575486
  145. https://www.uniqlo.com/jp/en/contents/feature/ut-archive/brand/11SSNA/
  146. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-12-20/naruto-anime-dvd-offered-at-uniqlo-t-shirt-stores
  147. https://shop.viz.com/collections/official-naruto-posters-shop-naruto
  148. https://www.gbpostersmerch.com/products/naruto-hokage-4ths-kuna-3d-premium-keychain
  149. https://www.hasbropulse.com/product/transformers-collaborative-naruto-shippuden-x-transformers-kurama-and-gamakichi/G00505L00
  150. https://poggers.com/products/naruto-shippuden-9-naruto-uzumaki-plush-great-eastern
  151. https://screenrant.com/highest-grossing-anime-ip-list/
  152. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-03-30/japan-animation-tv-ranking-march-20-26/.114147
  153. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/what-we-watched-the-first-half-of-2025
  154. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/10/02/naruto-dominates-graphic-novel-sales
  155. https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GY9PJ5KWR/naruto
  156. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2019-09-05/viz-media-celebrates-naruto-20th-anniversary-with-the-year-of-naruto/.150786
  157. https://www.ign.com/comics/naruto/reviews
  158. https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/10/naruto-manga-finale-review-chapter-699-and-700
  159. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/naruto-shippuden/episode-407/.86971
  160. https://www.cbr.com/naruto-powerscaling-controversy-shonen-anime-relevant/
  161. https://myanimelist.net/anime/1735/Naruto__Shippuuden
  162. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/apr/17/studio-ghibli-and-beyond-the-best-anime-for-coronavirus-lockdown-days
  163. https://screenrant.com/sorry-naruto-akatsuki-was-right-shinobi-world-horrible/
  164. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2006-10-11/naruto-wins-2006-quill-award
  165. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-03-14/masashi-kishimoto-wins-rookie-of-the-year-award-for-naruto/.85976
  166. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2024-09-25/shueisha-honors-naruto-25th-anniversary-with-special-video/.215891
  167. https://www.animationmagazine.net/2005/08/naruto-coming-to-cartoon-network/
  168. https://www.bookpage.com/reviews/5345-frances-wall-naruto-conquers-american-fans-graphic-novels-comics/
  169. https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4826
  170. https://www.awn.com/news/naruto-expands-fan-base-across-latin-america
  171. https://www.imdb.com/news/ni64573540/
  172. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ZfCLvKU-k
  173. https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Naruto%20(Anime%20*a*%20Manga)/works
  174. https://www.cbr.com/avatar-last-airbender-aang-naruto-similarities-differences/
  175. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/393589133_Naruto_A_Study_of_Resilience_and_Growth_in_Japanese_Animation
  176. https://in.ign.com/naruto-1/238858/news/naruto-racks-up-40-million-hours-on-netflix-as-anime-viewing-hits-billions-in-2025
  177. https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/anime-merchandising-market.asp
  178. https://www.academia.edu/128912794/Blood_as_Currency_Peace_as_Myth_A_Philosophical_Inquiry_Through_Itachi_Uchiha_and_the_Naruto_universe
  179. https://www.resetera.com/threads/kana-interview-masashi-kishimoto-on-naruto.247504/
  180. https://www.academia.edu/126447345/Crossroads_of_Animation_and_Theology_Exploring_Anime_Through_the_Lens_of_Judaism_Christianity_and_Islam
  181. https://www.jsr.org/hs/index.php/path/article/download/2595/1731/25629
  182. https://www.allmultidisciplinaryjournal.com/uploads/archives/6281E13F446D51652678975.pdf
  183. https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/kiryoku/article/download/72428/28377
  184. https://scholar.dominican.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=literary-intercultural-studies-senior-theses
  185. https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoBestFriendsPlay/comments/t7zftu/masashi_kishimoto_describes_his_struggles_with/
  186. https://screenrant.com/naruto-anime-bad-decisions-valid-criticism-list/
  187. https://www.ranker.com/list/valid-fan-criticisms-about-naruto-anime/keithmurphy
  188. https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2019/9/6/manga-author-kishimoto-draws-20th-anniversary-illustration-for-naruto-to-boruto-the-live-2019
  189. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-09-09/naruto-gets-new-merch-with-art-by-masashi-kishimoto-for-20th-anniversary/.150882
  190. https://www.cbr.com/the-boruto-timeskip-is-necessary-two-blue-vortex/
  191. https://comicbook.com/anime/news/boruto-anime-return-part-2/
  192. https://idwpublishing.com/products/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-x-naruto-1-exclusive
  193. https://tmnt-ninjaturtles.com/tmnt-naruto-01-idw/
  194. https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/comics/series/178131/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-x-naruto
  195. https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/naruto-x-boruto-ultimate-ninja-storm-connections-switch/
  196. https://nintendoeverything.com/naruto-x-boruto-ultimate-ninja-storm-connections-announced-confirmed-for-switch/
  197. https://twincitiesgeek.com/2019/06/masashi-kishimoto-makes-his-triumphant-return-with-samurai-8/
  198. https://www.viz.com/samurai-8-the-tale-of-hachimaru
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.