Not only is Naruto one of the best anime series ever, but one arc from the massive series stands out as arguably the best in the entire art form. Naruto is a massive franchise consisting of three major series: the original Naruto, the peak Naruto: Shippuden, and the controversial Boruto.
Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden aren’t just amazing series: they’re two of the most beloved series ever. Modern-day anime fans grew up on these two series, and it’s a given that without these two series, there would be a lot less fans of Japanese animation in America.
Both Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden are filled with incredible arcs, but out of all the highs the franchise provides, there is one arc that stands above the rest.
Shōnen Is Better than Ever
There’s Never Been a Better Time to Be a Fan of the Genre
Shōnen has always been the most dominant genre of anime in America. When One Piece, Bleach, Naruto, and Dragon Ball Z first came to America, they seemed too good to be true. Few knew the difference between anime and American cartoons, and it didn’t really matter. These fight-focused anime took the West by storm, and decades later, things haven’t changed much.
Over the past few decades, different shōnen series have shown the West just how great anime is. Attack on Titan dominated the 2010s, showcasing one of the darkest anime ever through an amazingly complex main character and a world filled with mystery.
This season, there isn’t a series bigger than My Hero Academia. The series finale looks exceptional, and some of the episodes in the final season will easily go down as some of the greatest episodes of anime in 2025.
2025 itself has been stacked top-tier shōnen showdowns. Solo Leveling’s second season somehow surpassed the first, furthering Sung Jinwoo’s story and including some of the best fights in anime. All of these great shōnen series were able to thrive because of one franchise: Naruto.
Naruto Is One of the Best Shōnen Ever Made
Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden Are in a League of Their Own
Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto, is a landmark anime series. There isn’t a single fan of anime who hasn’t heard of this series, and few shōnen enjoyers have missed out on this absolute treasure. Naruto set the pace for its genre, and most shōnen series that have come after it have taken a page or two from its book.
The Naruto franchise stars the titular Naruto as a bratty kid in a village who despises him. He’s an orphan who takes his frustration out on his village through pranks and mischief, but he’s so much more than the local punk. On more than one occasion, before he even turns 13-years-old, Naruto stands against some of the toughest enemies in the series for his friends and village.
Naruto: Shippuden shows a much more mature side of Naruto, even though he’s only a few years older. As an older teenager, Naruto became one of the strongest characters in the entire series. He had a nearly limitless potential that was supported by his insane work ethic and some of the best mentors he could have asked for.
Naruto is a stand-out series because of Naruto’s growth. Few anime franchises follow their main character from childhood to adulthood, and Naruto does it masterfully. Watching Naruto grow from a brat to a living legend is just one of the reasons why this series will forever rank as an all-time great.
Naruto Has Plenty of Great Arcs
The Series Has No Shortage of Peaks
It’s shocking just how many amazing arcs Naruto has. Most anime franchises have a handful of top-tier arcs: Naruto has dozens. Naruto has so many amazing arcs that it could lose half of them and still have more than 99% of anime franchises. Before Naruto: Shippuden ever hit the screen, Naruto was basically showboating through its arcs.
The Sasuke Retrieval Arc in the original Naruto is debatably the best arc in the franchise. Watching Naruto and Sasuke go to battle over Sasuke’s future is tear-jerking, thought-provoking, and heart-pounding all at once. The Chunin Exams Arc is another highlight, forcing genin ninja against one another in brutal combat.
Naruto: Shippuden also has a bevy of amazing arcs. The Fourth Ninja War Arc is easily one of the best arcs in anime, as it shows a true war between the ninja villages and Madara’s forces on a scale that no other anime could replicate.
Another highlight of Shippuden is the tragic Fated Battle Between Brothers, when Sasuke gets his long-awaited revenge on his brother, Itachi. It’s a grueling arc in hindsight, but on first watch, it was one of the most anticipated moments in the story.
Nothing Tops the Pain Arc
It’s Easily One of the Greatest Arcs in Anime
A collage of the six forms of Pain from Naruto
Out of every arc in the Naruto franchise, nothing has or will top the Pain Arc. The Pain Arc is Naruto at its absolute best, and, in a way, the series doesn’t ever reach a high like this one again. The Pain Arc shows Naruto’s final run in with the terrifying, near mythical Akatsuki.
For the entirety of Naruto, the Akatsuki have been legendary villains. They’re some of the most enigmatic characters in anime, controlling the world by terrifying villages and stealing powerful Jinchuuriki for an unknown reason.
Pain, the leader of the organization, finally makes his way to Konoha for Naruto. He completely levels the village, kills several key characters, and is about to kill the Fifth Hokage when Naruto finally arrives in the single best moment of the entire franchise.
Naruto’s arrival is ground-shaking. He’s exactly what his village needs, but in a way, it was too late. Kakashi was dead, the village was gone, and Pain was waiting to abduct him. Their fight is one of the best in anime, and it’s a fight nobody who watched the series will ever forget.
Will There Be Another Arc like the Pain Arc?
There Are a Couple of Shōnen Arcs with Comparable Merit
Toads and Naruto entering from Mt. Myoboku during the Pain’s Assault Arc
There have been a lot of great arcs in anime recently: Solo Leveling’s Jeju Island Arc is the greatest arc in the franchise, My Hero Academia is reaching new highs with its final arc, and Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc showcases one of Chainsaw Man’s best arcs in arguably the best anime movie of the year.
Even though these arcs top their respective series, they have nothing on the Pain Arc. Kishimoto had been building towards the Pain Arc since the original Naruto. Everything in the franchise up until that point was leading to that moment.
Naruto: Shippuden’s Pain Arc will always be one of the greatest arcs in anime, if it isn’t the very best. From Pain’s destruction of Konoha, to Naruto’s arrival, to the village finally accepting Naruto as their hero, this arc has no shortage of highs and few, if any, lows.
Naruto (2002) TV Show Poster
First Episode Air Date
October 3, 2002
Cast
Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei