Naruto is one of the most popular anime series out there. If you want to see the best episodes, check out these great ones!

The Naruto franchise, like many popular anime of the 90s and 2000s, was based on a manga. Masashi Kishimoto created a sprawling world where ninja harnessed their chakra to accomplish impossible feats. The franchise is still ongoing with the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga and anime. Before Boruto became the center of the story, however, his father was just a kid trying to find his way in the shinobi world. Some of Naruto’s most popular story arcs include those of the Chunin Exams and the Sasuke Recovery Mission. In fact, many of the most popular, and the highest-rated, episodes land in those two story arcs.

The first chapter of the Naruto franchise contained over 200 episodes. Those episodes average an 8.3 out of 10 in the Internet Movie Database rating system. IMDb allows users to rate movies and television shows on a 1 to 10 scale. One star is considered the worst, while 10 stars is considered the best. After over 57,000 ratings, the top episodes of Naruto comprise some seriously good anime.

Updated on April 13th, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: With episodes of Naruto still available to new audience members on streaming sites, those new viewers still have the ability to rate episodes on IMDb, making IMDb's rankings in a near-constant state of flux. The best Naruto episodes continue to be some of the most emotional episodes of the series that also contribute to the action and some of the most popular arcs of the series.

20 Eye To Eye: Sharingan VS Sharingan! S1E82 (8.4)

This particular episode of the anime gave the audience a great look at the sheer power Itachi Uchiha has. Though he's admired by Sasuke, and the reason Sasuke wants vengeance so badly as a kid, seeing Itachi torture Kakashi Hatake, one of the most powerful shinobi the audience has seen to that point, so thoroughly, makes him appear like an instant threat.

This is also the episode that begins to tease the importance of the Akatsuki, the criminal organization that would dominate so much of the arcs during the middle of Naruto's story.

19 The Broken Seal S1E16 (8.4)

Though this episode is only 16 into the anime, it's one of the first hints at the real bond between Sasuke and Naruto. They spend a good chunk of time as rivals throughout the show, but Naruto is so determined to save him from himself later, even referencing him as his brother. This is the beginning of that as the two battle Haku together, both nearly sacrificing themselves for the other and refusing to give up the fight.

It's also the first big hint at just what Naruto is capable of. When he thinks Sasuke is killed in battle, the seal holding the nine-tailed fox at bay is briefly broken, allowing him a surge of power. The episode as a whole is a lot of teasers for the storylines to come, but it's also got the great fight sequence to boot.

18 The Sand Shinobi: Allies Of The Leaf S1E125 (8.5)

Set during the incredibly popular "Sasuke Recovery Arc," this episode gives the spotlight to the Suna siblings Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara. It splits its time amongst the three as they save Kiba, Shikamaru, and Lee, respectively, from the conflicts they're embroiled in.

It's a great episode to remind the audience just how strong the siblings are as ninja, but also a nice change to show them off as allies. Though they were enemies of Konoha during the Chunin Exams, the trio grow to become incredibly important to Naruto and his friends over the course of the franchise. Shikamaru eventually even marries Temari.

17 The Sharingan Revived: Dragon-Flame Jutsu! S1E30 (8.5)

Not only are Sasuke's fights beloved by fans, but so is the arc centered on the Chunin Exams. It makes perfect sense then for this episode to be so highly rated since it involves both of those subjects.

Sasuke's battle against Shiore occurred in this episode. Just when Sasuke thought he had the upper hand, however, Shiore's face melted away to reveal Orochimaru's underneath. Orochimaru then did something unexpected: bit Sasuke and took off. Though Anko pursued him, she wasn't able to stop him.

16 Roar, Chidori! Brother VS Brother S1E84 (8.6)

This is a huge episode for Sasuke and Itachi fans. While in the present, Itachi and Kisame are on the hunt for Naruto, with Sasuke intent on stopping them, much of the episode is actually told in flashback.

Those flashbacks provide the audience with Sasuke's point of view from the day that Itachi destroyed the Uchiha clan. Eventually, the series reveals the entire truth behind that day, and not just Sasuke's perception of it, but the day is what makes Sasuke the shinobi he is when he and Naruto are placed on the same team. Sasuke is consumed with a desire for vengeance at the time.

15 The Third Hokage, Forever S1E80 (8.6)

Set during the aftermath of Orochimaru's attack on Konoha during the Chunin Exams, this episode of Naruto explores the emotional fallout from the attack, though it only has time to do that in bits and pieces. Naruto learns a lot about sacrifice and legacy as a result of the Third Hokage's death, but he's not the only one.

Gaara learns what it means to truly care about other people instead of simply fear them or blame them. He sees how much strength Naruto draws from his desire to protect his friends, and how much his friends band together. It's the turning point for Gaara to grow into a better person. He takes that first step when he apologizes to his siblings for what he's put them through.

14 A Failure's True Power S1E62 (8.7)

Another episode set during the events of the Chunin Exams, this one centers on Naruto and Neji instead of Sasuke. In the final rounds of battles, Naruto had to battle Neji.

While Neji saw Naruto as a failure of a shinobi, he was in for quite a surprise. Even after sealing off all of Naruto's chakra, Naruto was still able to battle him thanks to the chakra of the Nine-tails inside of him. Naruto even managed to pull off an upset, successfully fooling Neji with a shadow clone and winning the match.

13 Good-Bye Old Friend... I'll Always Believe In You! S1E114 (8.7)

When Shikamaru was instructed to lead a search for Sasuke Uchiha, he took most of his male classmates along with him. He knew that each of them had skills that would help along the way, but one of the first he had to leave behind was Choji, his best friend.

Choji insisted the others go on without him and used the Akimichi Clan's food pills to take on a member of the Sound Four. This episode included the bulk of the fight, as well as plenty of emotional backstory for Choji and Shikamaru's friendship. It endeared a lot of fans to Choji if they didn't already like his character.

12 Attack! Fury Of The Rasengan S1E94 (8.7)

When Naruto left the village with Jiraiya to search for Tsunade, he spent a lot of time learning to create a Rasengan. During the events of this episode, and a battle against Kabuto, he got to use it.

Jiraiya, Shizune, and Naruto tried to help Tsunade when she's paralyzed by her phobia of blood in battle against Orochimaru. Jiraiya took on Orochimaru, leaving Naruto and Shizune to deal with Kabuto, while Tsunade looked on in fear. Though the episode was largely made up of a difficult fight, Naruto surprised them all, unwilling to let anyone harm Tsunade, with his desire to fight on her behalf strengthening his skills.

11 Lee's Hidden Strength: Forbidden Secret Jutsu S1E49 (8.8)

Like a lot of the episodes set during the Chunin Exams, this one didn't just showcase a big fight - though it did that too. This episode occurred right in the middle of Rock Lee's fight against Gaara.

While Lee gathered his force of will to battle Gaara, he also remembered how far he'd come as a shinobi. So did his teammates. Much of the episode treated the audience to flashbacks, demonstrating how strong of a shinobi Lee was without him being able to perform complicated jutsu.

10 The Beast Within S1E124 (8.8)

As the Sasuke Recovery Mission neared its end, many of the team members found themselves in dire straights. Luckily, another group of shinobi went from being enemies to allies in “The Beast Within.”

Much of the episode was spent simply showing how much trouble Kiba, Rock Lee, and Shikamaru were in. Great animation sequences showcased their fights, but all of that was set up for the big reveal. Kankuro came to Kiba’s aid. Gaara defended Lee. Temari swooped in to save Shikamaru. After having been considered enemies in an earlier story arc, it was a nice change. It was also a sign of things to come as the Sand Siblings would become a much larger part of the franchise moving forward.

9 For A Friend… S1E132 (8.8)

Following Sasuke’s defection from Konohagakure, Naruto was determined to bring his rival home. Unfortunately for him, Sasuke had other plans. This episode kicked off said plans.

In it, Sasuke decided Naruto was the closest person to him. He considered the other boy a friend, and as a result, he found it necessary to destroy Naruto so that he could grow stronger. Throughout the episode, Sasuke attacked Naruto, while Naruto did little more than take it. It might have infuriated some fans, but Naruto wasn’t initially willing to hurt Sasuke. The Nine-tails inside Naruto healed his wounds while Naruto reminded Sasuke of their rivalry and friendship. The reminder only added to Sasuke’s resolve, while it made Naruto more determined to bring him home. They were at an impasse.

8 Losing Is Not An Option S1E117 (8.8)

The Sasuke Recovery Mission is one of the fan-favorite arcs of the anime. There was something so satisfying about seeing so many of the young characters take on such a brutal mission - and live to tell the tale. This particular chapter spotlights Neji’s part of the battle.

In “Losing Is Not An Option,” Neji faced off against one of the Sound Four on his own. Though nearly outmatched, Neji found a way to use an injury to his advantage. When his enemy launched an arrow at him, Neji allowed it to pierce him, then sent his chakra traveling back along the arrow and its string to paralyze his opponent. Neji’s injuries were so severe that fans thought he might not make it through the mission, but they didn’t have to worry about losing him just yet.

7 Naruto’s Ninja Handbook S1E78 (8.9)

One of the aspects fans love about the Naruto franchise is the title character’s battles with other tailed beasts. This episode gave fans their first real taste of that - and helped Gaara become a fan favorite.

While battling Gaara, this is the episode where Naruto realized that the two weren’t so different. When he couldn’t make headway with the other shinobi, he called for help, summoning one of the giant toads. Gamabunta named Gaara’s tailed beast form as Shukaku. It was the first glimpse the audience got of what it meant for someone to have a tailed beast locked inside and take control. It led to a massive fight sequence that, of course, couldn’t be contained in a single episode.

6 The Demon In The Snow S1E19 (9.0)

The earliest Naruto episode to land in the top 10, this one took place while Team 7 was on a mission in the Land of Waves. It marks the end of their confrontation with the ninja Zabuza.

Though Zabuza spent the previous episodes as their enemy, after Naruto mourned the loss of Zabuza’s protege Haku, the ninja had a change of heart. Zabuza targeted the organized crime boss who took the life of Haku instead. Naruto learned in the episode that many of the people in power only thought of shinobi as tools to be used in battle, something Naruto disagreed with. It was the first time in the series that the idea of being more than just a fighting machine was brought up, though it wouldn’t be the last.

5 Beyond The Limit Of Darkness And Light S1E79 (9.0)

Part of the Konoha Crush arc, this episode expanded to allow for the audience to see what was going on in the village beyond the battle between the teens. As serious as Naruto’s face-off with Gaara was, the rest of the village was also in big trouble.

The Third Hokage battled Orochimaru for as long as he could. When his power wasn’t enough to hold out anymore, he sacrificed himself, but not before making sure to paralyze Orochimaru’s arms. Without the use of his arms, Orochimaru couldn’t properly form hand signs to engage in battle, giving the village a minor win against him. That win came at a heartbreaking cost though as they needed a new leader.

4 The End Of Tears S1E134 (9.0)

“The End Of Tears” saw Sasuke and Naruto’s battle that began in "For A Friend..." come to an end.

Throughout the battle, the two used their most powerful weapons against one another. Sasuke activated his full cursed seal while Naruto gave in to the power of the fox. Interestingly, the battle reads more like two friends showing off as neither can bring himself to outright destroy the other. Sasuke, technically, won the fight as he’s still standing in the end. It’s a prelude to the battles the two would fight in the sequel series Naruto Shippuden.

3 The Fifth Gate: A Splendid Ninja Is Born S1E50 (9.1)

Also set during the arc of the Chunin Exams, this episode showcased how great of a ninja Rock Lee could be. Unlike his classmates, Lee relied solely on his hand-to-hand skills.

This episode saw the culmination of his match against Gaara. Lee’s hand-to-hand skills were no match for an opponent who used sand as a weapon, so Lee began to use the Eight-Gates technique. As far as he got was opening the Fifth Gate, a move which granted him more physical power, but made Gaara take more extreme measures. After Gaara crushed one of Lee’s legs and arms, it was revealed that Lee would never be able to fight like a ninja again. It was an emotional ending to the match for fans.

2 Gaara Vs Rock Lee: The Power Of Youth Explodes S1E48 (9.2)

This episode began the match between Lee and Gaara at the Chunin Exams which finds so many of its pieces in the top episodes of the series.

Despite their very different abilities, the two managed to appear relatively evenly matched. Unfortunately, for Lee, appearances could be deceiving. The audience got a great fight sequence between the two in the episode, but the end revealed the Gaara Lee had been fighting the whole time was actually the result of a body replacement jutsu. It was a great twist, and Lee had his work cut out for him.

1 A Plea From A Friend S1E133 (9.3)

Though other episodes in this particular arc rank amongst the top episode, this one takes the highest honor. Perhaps it’s because the bulk of the fight occurs in this one as Sasuke and Naruto battle over the former defecting from Konohagakure.

“A Plea From A Friend” saw Sasuke pummel Naruto as he taunted his former teammate that he “won’t even be able to scratch [his] forehead.” That taunt came back to haunt Sasuke in “The End Of Tears,” but here, it only served to set the mood. The very fluid fight sequence occurred only after Naruto admitted that he thought of Sasuke like a brother for the first time. Naruto’s bond with Sasuke, and Sasuke’s desire to break it, formed the foundation of their conflict for the entire rest of the series.

NEXT: The 10 Worst Episodes Of Naruto According To IMDb

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