The 15 Best Episodes Of 'Naruto: Shippuden' That Prove It's The Essential Anime
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Vote up the episodes that are peak Naruto.
Extending from the original Naruto anime and covering Part II of the manga, Naruto: Shippuden is one of the most popular shonen anime of its era. It remains wildly popular even several years after its conclusion, but with a show this long, some episodes are better than others. For this list, we're bringing you the best Naruto: Shippuden episodes to ever air.
Many of these greatest installments deal with dark, emotional moments, like Episode 345, "I'm In Hell," which shows how Obito became a villain, and depicts Rin's demise. Others are more triumphant, like Episode 166 - "Confessions," in which Hinata finally reveals her feelings for Naruto after protecting him from a dangerous villain.
From all the greatest highs and lows of Naruto's ninja journey, vote below on which episodes you think are the most essential viewing.
- 123 VOTES
'The End' - Episode 138
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: After an intense battle between Sasuke and Itachi in which Sasuke uses his new lightning jutsu, Kirin, for the first time, Sasuke finally defeats his older brother. This happens when Itachi removes the Cursed Seal from Sasuke, a move that takes too much energy and ultimately ends him. Before collapsing, Itachi pokes Sasuke in the forehead - a gesture of brotherly affection from their childhood.
Why It’s Essential: Sasuke has been planning this fight for years. He joined Orochimaru in order to get the strength to take Itachi on. When he defeats his brother, it should be a moment of triumph, but it isn't. Itachi is in severe physical and emotional pain, and he seems to want Sasuke to win the fight. At the end, he reminds Sasuke of their former bond, which confuses the issue even further. Sasuke will soon learn that Itachi was always more of a victim than a perpetrator, but for now he's left feeling hollow.
- 225 VOTES
'The Unison Sign' - Episode 478
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: After a massive battle that leaves both on the brink of losing their lives, Naruto and Sasuke have a conversation that covers their friendship and all the trials they've faced with each other. Both explain their perspective on the relationship, with Naruto maintaining how much he's always cared about Sasuke, and Sasuke explaining how their growing bond reminds him of his slain family, who he doesn't want to think about. They end their conversation with a renewed bond.
Why It’s Essential: Naruto and Sasuke have had a complicated relationship since the very beginning of the series. Naruto would have done pretty much anything for Sasuke - even when Sasuke wanted nothing to do with him. It didn't matter what villains he joined, or how far he strayed from their village, Sasuke was his friend and he was going to bring him back no matter what. This episode is an airing of grievances after a massive physical fight that will leave both of them permanently disabled - and permanently friends.
- 311 VOTES
'Planetary Devastation' - Episode 167
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: Believing that Hinata has been killed, Naruto transforms into the fox's six-tailed form. He fights Pain using countless Tailed Beast Balls, while Pain fires back with Planetary Devastation. Naruto destroys the necklaces that was meant to restrain the fox, and ultimately gains eight tails and is preparing to gain a ninth. But before he loses himself to the fox completely, his father's spirit appears.
Why It’s Essential: For the most part, Naruto has been able to control the Tailed Beast inside of him thanks to the seals that his father put in place. But here, he totally loses control and becomes a beast that indiscriminately destroys everything in its path - exactly what everyone who hated and feared him growing up assumed that he would. This is a pivotal, if devastating moment for Naruto. Also, while he probably would have reacted strongly had he thought that Pain had hurt any of his friends, there's something about Hinata being his future wife that makes the moment all the more intense.
- 411 VOTES
'Congratulations' - Episode 474
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: Using the sealing jutsu that they learned from Hagoromo, Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto manage to seal Kaguya away. Hagoromo removes them from Kaguya's world, and Naruto gets rid of Zetsu. Many goodbyes are said - Obito is about to pass away and Kakashi has a last moment with him, while Hashirama has a last moment with Madara. Hagoromo promises to release the summoned Kage, and Naruto has an emotional goodbye with his dad.
Why It’s Essential: This is the conclusion to the last arc of the series. Kaguya is the last major villain that they'll face, and this is her defeat. Seeing the original Team 7 come together to do the honors after being separated for so long makes this a particularly emotional moment. What comes after - all the goodbyes - cap off the story lines that revolved around those relationships. Everyone present gets the closure that they need, even if it's too late for anyone to change what they've done.
- 526 VOTES
'I Will Love You Always' - Episode 339
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: The first part of this episode deals with the Five Kages' attempt to defeat Madara. Things aren't going well for them, since Madara has activated his Susano-o and is attacking them with his sword. But the meat of the episode involves Sasuke's encounter with a reincarnated Itachi. Sasuke expresses his desire to get revenge on Konoha for what they did to Itachi. Itachi uses his Sharingan to show Sasuke everything that happened the day of their clan's downfall. He leaves Sasuke with an important message: he will always love him.
Why It’s Essential: This episode provides the closure that Sasuke needed in his relationship with his brother. He wasn't able to get it when they fought, because Itachi passed away before they could have a real conversation. Itachi wanted Sasuke to end him without knowing the truth about the Uchiha Clan's downfall so that he could gain an Eternal Mangekyo. When Sasuke learned that Itachi had been manipulated by Danzo, his perspective on the event completely changed and he regretted slaying his brother. This scene gives them a chance to actually talk.
- 618 VOTES
'The Fourth Hokage's Death Match!' - Episode 248
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: Just after Kushina gives birth to Naruto, Tobi appears and puts explosive tags on the baby, forcing Minato to go into defense mode. Meanwhile, the Nine-Tailed Fox is being unleashed into Konoha. Minato must balance keeping his wife and child safe with defending the village. Ultimately, he's able to take control of the Nine-Tails away from Tobi.
Why It’s Essential: This solves a mystery that's been part of the series since the first episode: where are Naruto's parents, and why did they implant a Tailed Beast inside of him? It also connects Naruto's past to the current conflict involving the Akatsuki, Madara, and Obito. Essentially, this episode provides key pieces of information that tie multiple plot points together.
- 718 VOTES
'I'm In Hell' - Episode 345
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: After recovering from his injuries with the help of Madara's artificial humans, Obito witnesses something terrible: his best friend Kakashi destroys his other best friend, Rin, with a Chidori attack while fighting a group of Kirigakure ninja. When he witnesses this, he goes on a rampage and massacres the Kirigakure ninja. Exhausted, he tries to save Rin, but fails. Ultimately, he concludes that he is in Hell.
Why It’s Essential: This episode explains Obito's entire motivation for teaming up with Madara. While recovering from an excruciating injury and having plant matter replace his damaged body parts, he spends the whole time listening to Madara talk about how horrible the world is in an effort to persuade him to participate in the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan. After priming his brain to accept the idea, Madara creates proof by implanting the Three-Tails into Rin, causing her to sacrifice her own life so that it wouldn't destroy her hometown. She asked Kakashi to destroy her, but all Obito saw was his best friend obliterating his other best friend. Agreeing with Madara's dark views was only natural after a trauma like that.
- 823 VOTES
'Confessions' - Episode 166
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: Using her Byakugan, Hinata sees that Naruto is pinned to the ground during a confrontation with Pain. Despite Naruto's protests, Hinata attempts to defend him using Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists. At first, Pain tracks her with his Rinnegan, but when Nagato coughs up blood while controlling his path, he gets distracted and Hinata lands a hit. Hinata explains why she wants to defend Naruto by confessing her love for him.
Why It’s Essential: This episode is one of the most important ones there is for Hinata's character development. In the past, she never would have been brave or strong enough to take on an enemy like Pain, but she's been training hard and she has a great motivation: love. That's another major development for Hinata. She's loved Naruto since they were children, but she's always been too shy to tell him. Now, with their lives on the line, she does both.
- 910 VOTES
'Hero of the Leaf' - Episode 175
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: This episode wraps up the Pain Invasion Arc. At the start, Kakashi has a chance to talk to his father, but that won't last long because he's about to come back to the land of the living. Naruto has gotten through to Pain, and he is now willing to use Chibaku Tensei - also known as Planetary Devastation - to bring everyone back to life. Naruto is regaled as a hero, and Pain passes away. The episode also sees Naruto mourning Jiraiya, who remains deceased.
Why It’s Essential: Naruto has always wanted to be accepted by his village. As a child, he was shunned because of the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside of him. Now, after saving the village, he's finally feeling loved and supported by them. This also resolves the conflict with Pain up up until this point was one of the most difficult foes that Naruto has ever had to deal with. Naruto finally defeats him with a method involving one of his signature moves - the unofficially named “Talk no Jutsu.” Basically, he hears Pain out and then helps him understand why his actions were wrong. This ability is part of what makes Naruto such a beloved protagonist, even if fans do sometimes poke fun at it.
- 1010 VOTES
'The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant' - Episode 133
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: Jiraiya is able to take a good look at Pain's different bodies. He realizes that he recognizes all of them as people he once knew - and more importantly, he recognizes the main body as Yahiko, a child he once taught. He isn't able to defeat them, but he does manage to get a message out to the other shinobi before passing away. He also has some time to look back on some of the important parts of life, and reflect on his master-student relationship with Naruto.
Why It’s Essential: Jiraiya was one of the most important adults in Naruto's life. He taught him many of the jutsu he learned, and provided him with fatherly support. His demise is one of the worst losses' that Naruto can remember experiencing, and it's going to take a lot for him to move past it. The episode also reveals a little bit about what might be motivating Pain, and what his connection to Jiraiya might be.
- 1110 VOTES
'Thank You' - Episode 249
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: Naruto gets to meet his mother Kushina because a bit of her chakra was sealed into the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style that was used to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox. She tells him the story of how Minato sealed half of the foxes' chakra into Naruto, and half into himself in order to stop its rampage. Sadly, both Minato and Kushina had to sacrifice their lives to accomplish this.
Why It’s Essential: Naruto lost both of his parents on the day that he was born, so being able to actually meet them is a pivotal moment in his life. In this scene, he finally gets the motherly affection he's been denied all his life. We get to learn more about how Naruto came to have the Nine-Tails sealed into him in the first place, and we get to hear how much Naruto's parents genuinely loved him. The scene offers real insight into characters who have been fairly mysterious in the past.
- 1217 VOTES
'The Fourth Hokage' - Episode 168
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: Naruto has an encounter with his father's psyche, which was added to the Nine-Tailed Fox's seal. He learns that his father is the Fourth Hokage, and a little bit about the circumstances that led him to seal the Tailed Beast inside of him. He isn't exactly thrilled that his father did this, and he makes it clear by punching him. Minato accepts his anger but tells Naruto that he believes that he can handle the power. He then fixes the seal, and Naruto is able to return to the battlefield with a new level of control.
Why It’s Essential: Like his encounter with his mother, this moment is important for Naruto's understanding of his background and his heritage. He learns a lot about who his parents were and what led them to make the choice they did about the Tailed Beast. He also has a chance to actually confront his father about a resentment that he's been holding onto for quite some time. Naruto isn't the type to hold grudges, but this one goes too deep for anyone to brush it aside.
- 139 VOTES
'Danger! Sage Mode Limit Reached' - Episode 164
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: Naruto is going head to head with Pain's various paths. He can't fuse with Fukasaku and Shima because the Nine-Tails rejects them, so Naruto has to utilize a strategy involving multiple shadow clones if he wants to stay in Sage Mode. He also uses a series of smoke bombs in order to confuse the paths about which clone has his Rasenshuriken. He makes good progress, but by the end of the episode his giant toad allies have been defeated and he must face Pain alone.
Why It’s Essential: This episode features some excellent fight choreography, so it's a great watch for that reason alone. It's also noteworthy because Naruto can't just rely on brute force as he might have in the past - he has to think seriously about strategy. That's not exactly his forte, but he's better at it than a lot of fans give him credit for, and he displays as much here. Finally, as the title implies, the episode shows that Sage Mode isn't the answer to everything, no matter how powerful it might be.
- 1410 VOTES
'The Ties That Bind' - Episode 364
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: The Ten-Tails has been summoned, and it's wreaking havoc. One of its Tailed Beast balls destroys the Allied Shinobi Forces' Headquarters, which means the end for Shikaku and Inoichi. Neji also passes away in this episode because he sacrifices himself to protect Naruto and Hinata. Obito tries to persuade Naruto that all of these deaths were in vain, but Hinata and the Nine-Tails convince him otherwise, restoring his will to fight.
Why It’s Essential: This episode features some painful character demises. Shikamaru and Ino have to stand by while their fathers die face imminent destruction. They can't do anything about it, and they must keep fighting as if it hadn't happened. This shows their development, for better or for worse. Also, Neji is the first member of the original Konoha 12 to lose his life. His willingness to sacrifice his own life to save Naruto and Hinata signifies a change in his attitude, but it's still an incredibly sad moment that changes the stakes.
- 158 VOTES
'The Sage of the Six Paths' - Episode 421
Photo: Studio PierrotThe Plot: The first half of the episode reveals that Naruto is the reincarnation of Asura, Hagoromo's younger son, while Sasuke is the reincarnation of Indra, Hagoromo's older son. The second episode features the battle between Madara and Guy.
Why It’s Essential: The first part is crucial because it explains the entire reincarnation cycle that's been a major factor in Naruto and Sasuke's connection with one another. It also goes a long way in explaining Madara and Hashirama's connection, because they were previous reincarnations, too. The second part of the episode isn't as relevant to the overall plot, but it's one of the coolest fights in the series. Guy is often used as comic relief, but here he shows what he's made of with moves like Evening Elephant and Night Guy. Naruto also displays his newfound healing abilities when he saves Guy's life at the end.
