As the character in the series with the highest number of recorded fights, Naruto has more than a few close calls with exceptional opponents. Eitherusing his various ninja skillsor through the famous “Talk-No-Jutsu”, the shonen protagonist has overcome countless obstacles on his way to becoming the future Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village.
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Despite his power, there are several situations in whichNaruto is saved from a crushing defeat seemingly through some odd or unusual methodthat would have easily killed a side character in the same situation. These victories seem rushed or unearned in cases, with fights only existing to further the character’s personal development rather than an actual match of fighting power.
Updated on August 22nd, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra:When one talks about the greatest shonen anime of all time, it’s only a matter of time before Naruto comes into the picture. The legendary shonen series is full to the brim with iconic moments across the board, including a slew of amazing fights that the titular protagonist has won with his strength and wit. That being said, one has to admit that Naruto’s plot armor allowed him to win a number of these fights, with the following battles being especially egregious in this regard.
15Naruto Vs. Sasuke
It would be impossible to talk about Naruto’s iconic fights without mentioning his duel with Sasuke. While the latter was the victor in the first battle, Naruto edged him out in the second one… although the manner of victory was rather questionable.
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In fact, one can argue that Naruto should’ve been down for the count long before the battle reached its final conclusion. There were several moments when Sasuke should’ve obliterated Naruto… but these moments never came to pass.
14Naruto Vs. Mizuki
Naruto’s first-ever confrontation with a high-level ninja came against a Chunin by the name of Mizuki. After being manipulated by this shinobi to steal a Forbidden Scroll, Naruto found out that Mizuki actually had his own nefarious purposes.
In a bid to save his sensei Iruka from meeting an untimely demise, Naruto decided to pull out his patented Shadow Clone technique out of nowhere. One can only wonder how this knuckle-headed ninja managed to master such a high-level technique, especially after fans were well aware of just how weak his clone jutsu really was!
13Naruto Vs. Orochimaru
While it’s understandable that Orochimaru was rather weak when he faced off against Naruto, it’s still hard to believe that he had such a hard time against Naruto. After all, this man was responsible for the demise of the Third Hokage!
Instead of witnessing his true power, we see Orochimaru trying his hardest to flee from a berserk Naruto who let the Nine-Tails hold a tighter grip over him. It’s definitely a visual spectacle, but the end result was certainly rather disappointing for people who wanted to see Orochimaru’s true power against Naruto.
12Naruto Vs. Kakuzu
After perfecting the Rasenshuriken, Naruto decided to bring out this technique in a fight against one of the members of the Akatsuki. Given how powerful Kakuzu was shown to be, it was rather hard to imagine just how Naruto would best this imposing foe.
With his Rasenshuriken, Naruto was able to easily defeat Kakuzu. While the climax of this battle was certainly awe-inspiring, one can’t help but wonder whether Kakuzu was taking it easy on Naruto.
11Naruto Vs. Tailed Beasts
After finally reconciling with Kurama once and for all, Naruto and the Nine-Tailed Fox team up to unlock a whole new level of power. This allows them to fight against the possessed Tailed Beasts and bring them back to normal.
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While this fight was a great way to show Naruto’s powerful capabilities, the power level that is shown in this episode is a tad too unrealistic. From deflecting multiple Tailed Beast Bombs to defeating all the Tailed Beasts single-handedly, one has to wonder just how Naruto managed to accomplish the same with a power he was unfamiliar with!
10Naruto Vs. Kimimaro
Kimimaro is a usual opponent and deadly considered how early in the series he made his first and only appearance. The ailing servant of Orochimaru is able to manipulate his own bones into weapons, creating a system of attacks with no blind spots and blindingly-fast striking ability.
Any attack Naruto threw at the ninja was met with a slew of bone spears that quickly exhausted his Shadow Clone Jutsu.A drunken Rock Lee was the only thing keeping Naruto from being defeated,and even then, Lee and Gaara merely had to wait out Kimimaro dying of a pre-existing illness to secure victory.
9Naruto Vs. Neji
One of the many fights that served to further the storyline and development of characters rather than actual physical might. Neji,after previously defeating Hinata in a vicious fashionwas in need of an attitude adjustment and Naruto was already displaying his ability to talk his way through tough fights. Neji was coerced to understand that fate isn’t something a person is born into, rather each person makes their path in life by actions and behavior.
Logically, Neji was a far stronger fighter at this point and possessed a fully-released Bakugan ability that he easily used to defeat another member of his own clan prior to the fight. Someone whose sensory ability and visual prowess being taken out by a simple uppercut from below is a rushed ending to a fight that could have been far more intense for both characters.
8Naruto Vs. Haku
Having a heavy-weight match early in the series both allowed Team 7 to establish a social dynamic between characters as well as hinting at the abilities of the Nine-Tailed Fox within Naruto. Haku clearly had the upper hand, and nearly wiped out the majority of the team before Naruto began to access his true power and display the beginning of his true capabilities.
That being said, pulling out the Jinchuuriki power this early on and in such a fashion was a bit of a cheap shot to end the fight that neither Naruto nor Sasuke had any real hope of winning.
7Naruto Vs. Kabuto
After establishing Kabuto as a high-ranked criminal that managed to evade detection and escape capture byKakashi, a celebrated ninja among the Leaf Village, his fight with Naruto is something that should be considered unfair. The fight served to display Naruto’s new ability, the Rasengan, which would go on to become a staple in fights for Naruto for the rest of the series. Kabuto had been recently holding his own against Tsunade during the fight and had the ability to quickly slice through the body, muscles, and tissue to inhibit his opponents from moving.
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Having Naruto not only be able to move with nothing connecting his muscles and tendons together is astonishing, but then also giving him a random burst of energy enough to construct a Rasengan to end the fight was also only to push the plot alone. Had the fight been based purely on skill, Kabuto would have had an easier time shredding the protagonist apart one muscle at a time.
6Naruto Vs. Pain
Undoubtedly one of the most intense and exciting fights inNaruto, the ending of the fight is also one of the most potent uses of “Talk-No-Jutsu” during the show. Naruto fairly earned his victory against Pain, but then went on a search to find the real Rinnegan bearer, Nagato of the Hidden Rain Village. Upon arriving he is greeted by both Nagato and Konan.
Konan herself could have easily taken Naruto down in his weakened state, especially with a full display of her abilities in her subsequent fight against Obito. Instead of this, Naruto uses the symbology of his name and Jiraya’s importance in both of their lives to bridge the gap with Nagato, convincing him to change his ways at the final moment.
