🍥 ANIME LEGACY
20 Years Later, Naruto Is Still the Greatest Anime Ever Made – Here's Why
I watched the first episode of Naruto when I was twelve years old. A loudmouth kid in an orange jumpsuit. A giant fox demon trapped in his belly. A village that hated him for something he had no control over. I had no idea I was about to fall in love with a story that would stay with me for the rest of my life.
Twenty years after the manga ended, and nearly a decade since Shippuden finished, Naruto is still finding new fans. Teenagers who weren't even born when the original aired are discovering it on streaming platforms. And they are falling in love for the same reasons we did.
Let me tell you why Naruto is not just a good anime. It is the greatest anime. And no, I will not be taking questions.
🍥 The Hero's Journey Done Right
Naruto Uzumaki starts as the worst ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village. He fails the graduation exam three times. His clothes are ugly. His technique is sloppy. Everyone either ignores him or despises him because of the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside his body.
But he never gives up. That is his whole thing. "My ninja way is to never go back on my word." It sounds cheesy written down. But watching him say it over and over, year after year, believing it when no one else did, changes something inside you.
By the end of Shippuden, Naruto saves the entire world. Not because he was born special. Because he worked harder than anyone, believed in himself when no one else did, and never let the hatred change who he was.
📖 Characters That Feel Like Real People
Every single character in Naruto has depth. Even the villains. Especially the villains.
The lonely outcast who refused to give up. Represents the power of perseverance and unconditional love.
The prodigy destroyed by trauma. Represents the dangerous path of revenge and isolation.
The ordinary girl who became extraordinary through sheer determination. From crying for help to saving lives.
The coolest sensei ever. Hiding trauma behind a mask and a book. Represents how grief changes people but doesn't have to break them.
The terrifying villain who just wanted to learn everything. Represents the danger of knowledge without ethics.
The best villain in anime history. A broken idealist who wanted peace through pain. "Those who do not understand true pain can never understand true peace."
Name another show where the villain's speech makes you question your own beliefs. I will wait.
👀 Hidden Details You Missed the First Time
Part of the magic of Naruto is how it rewards rewatching. Here are some details you probably missed.
- The Nine-Tailed Fox has a name. Kurama. If you only watched the English dub, you might not know this. The Nine-Tails is not just a monster. He becomes one of Naruto's most important relationships.
- Jiraiya's dying thoughts. In his final moments, he thinks about his failures. His students. The peace he never achieved. But he also smiles, knowing that Naruto will succeed where he could not.
- The swing appears in every opening. Remember the swing Naruto sat on alone as a child? It is hidden in almost every opening sequence. A quiet reminder of his loneliness even when the action is exciting.
- Itachi was protecting Sasuke the whole time. This is the biggest twist in anime history. Itachi killed his entire clan to prevent a coup and protect the village. Then he brainwashed Sasuke to hate him so Sasuke would become strong enough to survive. He died smiling, poking Sasuke's forehead one last time.
😭 Moments That Still Make Me Cry
I have watched Naruto three times. These moments still get me every single time.
- Zabuza and Haku's death. "Your words cut deeper than any blade." A villain crying over the body of the person he claimed to use as a tool. That is when Naruto stopped being a kids' show.
- Jiraiya sinking into the ocean. The moment the toad sage realizes his life had meaning. "The tale of Naruto Uzumaki." I cannot even type that without tearing up.
- Naruto meeting his mom. Kushina's goodbye speech. "There is no need to be a fine shinobi. Just never give up."
- Minato's goodbye. "Happy birthday, Naruto." The Fourth Hokage telling his son that he loves him, right before disappearing. Devastating.
🔁 The Cycle of Hatred
At its core, Naruto is about the cycle of hatred. Pain says it best. "Hatred breeds hatred. This world is cursed."
He is not wrong. Look at Sasuke. He hated Itachi, so he killed him. Then he learned the truth and hated the village instead. The cycle continued until someone refused to participate.
That someone was Naruto. He refused to kill Nagato, even though Nagato murdered Jiraiya. He refused to kill Sasuke, even after everything. He chose understanding over revenge. He chose peace over hatred.
In a world that tells us to fight fire with fire, Naruto teaches us that the only way to end the cycle is to walk away from it.
🎵 The Music Is Perfect
I dare you to listen to "Sadness and Sorrow" without feeling something. The Naruto soundtrack is legendary. "Blue Bird," "Sign," "Silhouette," "Hero's Come Back" – every opening is a banger.
The composer, Toshio Masuda, understood the assignment. The music captures loneliness, triumph, loss, and hope. Sometimes the soundtrack alone is enough to make me emotional.
👘 Boruto and the Legacy
I know Boruto gets a lot of hate. I get it. It is not the same show. Naruto is about an underdog fighting for recognition. Boruto is about a privileged kid with a loving family. Different struggles.
But Boruto has its moments. The Naruto and Sasuke vs. Isshiki fight is incredible. Seeing Naruto become Hokage and finally be loved by the village he saved is beautiful. Boruto is not Naruto. But it is a worthy continuation.
And the new generation of animators is doing incredible work. Some Boruto fight scenes are visually superior to anything in the original. The animation quality in the mid-2020s has been stunning.
🎙️ TryOneRead Take
Naruto is not perfect. There is too much filler. The pacing in the War Arc is a mess. Some characters could have been developed more. Tenten fans deserve better.
But perfect is overrated. Naruto is not perfect. It is better than perfect. It is real. It is raw. It is a story about trauma, loneliness, found family, forgiveness, and hope. It is a story about a noisy kid in an orange jumpsuit who refused to give up until the entire world loved him.
That kid grew up to be Hokage. He got married. He became a father. He saved the world. And along the way, he saved us too.
Believe it.