It goes without saying that Naruto is among the most popular shonen anime of all time. The legendary rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke, along with other character arcs and excellent stories, makes for a riveting watch. Most fans have no problem binging all the way to the end.
Both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are full to the brim with some of the greatest episodes of all time. Given that the focus right now is on the former, it’s time to take a trip down memory lane and look at some of the best episodes present in the original run of Naruto.
15 S1 E19 — The Demon In The Snow
The duo of Zabuza and Haku made a stellar impression during the first major arc of the show. It was a great moment that expanded on the bond between Team 7 and showed Naruto’s latent potential.
At the end of this battle, a wounded Zabuza realizes that he was nothing more than a pawn in the larger scheme of things, and treated Haku unfairly. Thankfully, he performed one final act of atonement before passing away.
14 S2 E38 — The Fifth Hokage! A Life On The Line
This is the episode where Tsunade finally becomes the Fifth Hokage, overcoming her fear of blood and saving Naruto from death. It takes a ton of willpower on her part, making her a powerful character indeed.
Witnessing Tsunade’s personal struggles and how she manages to overcome them is a blast. It’s a great character-focused that ends on a high note, with all three members of the Sannin unleashing their summons.
13 S2 E25 — Eye To Eye: Sharingan Vs. Sharingan!
This is the first time we properly see Itachi in action, and who better to have this duel with other than Kakashi? Both Sharingan users flex their skills, but Itachi shows why his natural right over this eye technique made him such a greater threat.
This leads to Kakashi being caught in a powerful genjutsu that sounded positively nightmarish. It was clear that Itachi’s powers were in a league of their own.
12 S2 E20 — Light Vs. Dark: The Two Faces Of Gaara
Gaara is one of the most fascinating characters in the entire series. He starts off as a rather sadistic ninja before the truth about his tragic backstory comes to light.
This leads to Gaara being viewed as more sympathetic in the eyes of viewers, although that doesn’t change the fact that he was actively trying to harm Naruto and his friends. Thankfully, this fight was far from over… even if Naruto had botched up his summoning technique.
11 S3 E24 — The Beast Within
Lee is easily one of the best characters in Naruto. His powerful mastery of taijutsu and infectious personality made him a major highlight of the Chunin arc.
The Beast Within explores a goofier side of his character when he unwittingly drinks some alcohol and shows a surprising mastery of the Drunken Fist. His attacks look incredible, making his fight with Kimimaru quite entertaining indeed.
10 S2 E5 — A Failure’s True Power
The fight between Naruto and Neji during the Chunin Exams is easily one of the best in the series, allowing the protagonist to show just how much he’s grown as a ninja. The sheer volume of emotions in this battle makes it one of the best that viewers get to witness.
Most people assumed that Neji would easily overpower the Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja in this contest. However, Naruto’s unrelenting resolve and a strong force of will allowed him to overpower his opposition near the end of the fight.
9 S2 E37 — Attack! Fury Of The Rasengan
The Rasengan is one of Naruto’s most iconic moves, and in this episode, he pulls off this attack for the first time. Considering this, it goes without saying that this episode ranks among the most legendary in the series.
Watching Naruto land this ultra-powerful attack on Kabuto is an incredibly satisfying moment, with the music reaching a satisfying crescendo as he does so. It’s one of the best moments in Naruto and serves as a turning point for the protagonist.
8 S2 E21 — Naruto’s Ninja Handbook
For the longest time, it seemed that Naruto would be incapable of being useful in battle; after all, he had a penchant to do some truly stupid things in his fights. However, it’s a testament to the amazing zeal and power of this character that he remained headstrong against unfair odds during his battle against Gaara.
From using his patented Shadow Clones to summoning Gamabunta in a moment of desperation, the ways in which Naruto manages to even the odds are truly incredible. Though he delivers the final blow to Gaara in the following episode, the fight between both these adversaries is extremely entertaining regardless.
7 S1 E48 — Gaara vs. Rock Lee: The Power of Youth Explodes!
Of course, it would be impossible to talk about Gaara without mentioning his excellent fight against Rock Lee. Many fans of the show consider this episode’s fight to be a standout highlight of the Chunin Exams arc.
At the start of this episode, it’s clear for everyone to see that Gaara has the upper hand. However, Rock Lee is no pushover and decides to go past his limits to defeat this powerful fighter. It’s an exhilarating battle to watch.
6 S1 E49 — Lee’s Hidden Strength: Forbidden Secret Jutsu!
Any Naruto fan who doubted Lee’s taijutsu’s capabilities would be singing a different tune by the end of this episode. After showing the power that can be unlocked by opening part of his Eight Gates, Lee shows exactly why he’s a force to be reckoned with.
The fact that he even managed to scare Gaara by opening the Gates makes this episode endlessly watchable. It was during this episode that fans actually thought Lee had the capability to overpower and defeat Gaara once and for all.
5 S1 E50 — The Fifth Gate: A Splendid Ninja is Born
In a final bid to defeat Gaara once and for all, Lee opens the Fifth Gate. The strain it puts on his body is enormous, and he becomes well aware of what he must do to defeat Gaara in one quick stroke to win the match.
However, Gaara ended up being way too smart and resilient to be taken down, even with such a powerful technique. His subsequent attack could have halted Lee’s progress as a ninja, had it not been for the character’s resilience and dedication to become a strong shinobi.
4 S3 E28 — A Cry on Deaf Ears
The first fight between Naruto and Sasuke is easily one of the best moments in Naruto. It was a faceoff that most people were eager to see for the longest time, so it was satisfying to see both these characters finally communicate through their fists alone.
At the start of the fight, Naruto tries his hardest to convince his friend to see the light. However, Sasuke doesn’t change his mind. The escalation leads to a battle that was in the making from the very start of Naruto.
3 S3 E32 — For a Friend
After activating his Cursed Seal, Sasuke manages to gain the upper hand in this battle. Naruto ends up on the receiving end of a beatdown — but not for long.
The chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox awakens in him, and Naruto’s resolve strengthens as a result. He decides to bring Sasuke back to the village, even if it meant that he had to break every bone in his best friend’s body.
2 S3 E33 — A Plea from a Friend
Naruto finally gets the upper hand. However, this wasn’t to last, since Sasuke develops a matured Sharingan in the middle of this battle. This allows him to read the movements of his opponent, and dodge them with ease. Finally, he decides to defeat Naruto with a resounding piledriver.
However, the Nine-Tailed Fox has other plans, as he envelops Naruto’s body with his own chakra and lays down a spectacular beatdown of his own. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Sasuke decides to up the ante by using the second form of his Cursed Seal to even the odds.
1 S3 E34 — The End of Tears
The battle between Naruto and Sasuke finally reaches its end in this episode. Both fighters are somewhat evenly matched, although one could argue that Sasuke’s Cursed Seal Transformation gave him a greater advantage.
Regardless, the battle ended with a resounding clash of the Chidori and the Rasengan. Ultimately, Sasuke emerged victorious and defected from Konoha once and for all. It’s an unforgettable episode, one that fans often find themselves returning to over and over.
