We all love the emotional dialogue, but let’s be real – we all watch Nartuo because of the fights. But which Naruto fight is best?

With hundreds of episodes spanning years and years of our lives, it’s nearly impossible to pick which fights are “best.” There’s so many good ones!

Lucky for you, over here at JosephWriterAnderson.com, we’ve done exstensive research, and applied our unique, mathematical formula that calcualtes things like numbers of punches thrown, and even how many jutsu are used in each battle, in order to bring you the 10 best Naruto fights, ranked. Just kidding! We just ranked them based on epicness – no science required.

Without further ado, here are the 10 best Naruto fights, ranked.

warning – some spoilers ahead.

10. Haku vs Sasuke and Naruto

There are so many epic fights in Naruto it can be easy to forget about one of the earliest fights of them all. That is the fight between Haku and Sasuke/Naruto. This fight is important for many reasons. However, the main reason it’s important is that it’s the first time Squad 7 ever faces down a powerful ninja all on their own. No Kakashi Sensei to save them. Just two dudes against…Haku.

This fight also serves to introduce us to elements in the show that are very important later. Things like Haku’s tragic backstory which becomes a mainstay in the many “villains” we come to meet. As well as a preview of Naruto’s destructive nine tails fox power.

Just as importantly, Sasuke awakens his Sharingan.

9. Orochimaru vs Lord Third

While Zabuza may be the first really powerful antagonist we come across, he’s way less creepy than Orochimaru. Orochimaru is pretty much what you think about when you think of a bad guy. He’s obsessed with living forever (kind of like Voldemort), and he even sounds creepy. He’s also got a thing for snakes.

Of course, in the grand scheme of things, Orochimaru isn’t really all that powerful, at least not in comparison to some of the people who show up. Yet his fight with Lord Third is the first Kage level fight that we get to witness. This means more powerful Jutsu, and more lives hanging in the balance of who wins and who loses.

8. Kakashi vs Zabuza

Similarly to when we meet Haku, Zabuza is one of the first major antagonists we come across. He is strong enough to challenge Kakashi, and give him a run for his money. As many are quick to point out, Kakashi is not exactly at his strongest during the land of waves arc. Still, even being able to go toe-to-toe with Kakashi at any level is an impressive feat. This fight is especially cool because it leans into the more strategic, brainy elements that make up the best fights in Naruto.

7. Jiraiya vs Pain

Most of Shippuden is spent getting to know the evil organization of the Akatsuki, fighting them, and sometimes winning, sometimes losing. The whole time, Pain is propped up to be the leader of the Akatsuki, so we know he undoubtedly must be powerful. Jiraiya – being the gusty ninja that he is – decides to go and gather information on his own. Unfortunately for him, he is ambushed. And yet, his display of skill and abilities under pressure is one of the more compelling battles to watch in all of Naruto.

6. Rock Lee vs Gaara.

Everyone loves the story of an underdog. Especially if that underdog is lovably odd, Rock Lee. Everyone is afraid of Gaara and for that time in the story, when everybody was still a kid, Gaara’s powers seemed pretty unbeatable. Like, indestructible unbeatable.

We all wanted to believe that Rock Lee could win – even with no Jutsu. We’re even led to believe that he stands a really good chance. However, ultimately, even his impressive/obsessive training regimen is not enough to beat someone with the sheer raw power and ability of Gaara.

5. Kakashi vs Obito

The battle between Kakashi and Obito is a breath of fresh air in an arc otherwise filled with a lot of overpowered mega hitters. In this duel, we return to the old style of Naruto fights – complete with their awesome animation, hand-to-hand elements, and quick thinking/strategy.

You almost don’t want it to end the fight is so compelling. But, as they say, all good things must end.

4. Sasuke vs Itachi

The only fight as hyped up for the entire show maybe as the inevitable Sasuke vs. Naruto multiple showdowns is this one – Sasuke’s revenge fight against Itachi. What’s really cool about this fight is that it’s the rare happenstance of two advanced Sharingan users squaring off against one another. We get exposed to a lot of the attacks and powers that are going to come up later, and also get to experience Itachi’s incredilbe power. Even though Sasuke has become a force to be reckoned with, Itachi has him playing into his hand the entire battle.

It’s hard to live up to a fight as hyped up as this one, but we think the creators of Naruto did a pretty good job.

3. Minato vs Obito

Speaking of hype – what about the hype surrounding the Fourth Hokage? This guy was legendary for the entire show and then, finally, we get to see him fight? This battle does not disappoint, and we get to see Minato perform feats that are virtually unmatched by anyone (outside of those with the godlike/plot armor powers that show up later).

In many ways, Minato is the ultimate warrior. He has incredible battle sense and a keen mind. He’s also mastered several impressive Jutsu, can teleport anywhere in the world, and is able to out think a ninja that nobody else int he current timeline seems able to deal with.

It’s not a particularly long battle. But sometimes, the best Naruto fights are also the shortest.

2. Naruto vs. Sasuke (Shippuden & Classic)

Now we get to this one, and you knew it was coming. Naruto vs. Sasuke was hyped up both in the original Naruto, and later in Shippuden. A number of times. Neither battle, however, disappoints. Naruto and Sasuke are virtually the strongest two Shinobi in the show and of all time (leaving those Otsuki out of the picture). Their chakra natures are also in conflict, with one amplifying the other. it’s a typical case of yin vs. yang. And the two fights compliment each other, as well. While the first one is a smidge more emotional because it’s the first time they duke it out and there’s a lot of hard, fresh feelings between them, the second battle is more complex and has a lot of the great artwork and animation we love Naruto for. Truly one of the greatest fights in Naruto and all of anime, for that matter.

1. Naruto vs Pain

It’s hard to choose the best Naruto fight because there are simply so many good ones. And yet, even when compared to all of them, the Pain arc and fight stands out as the best of the best. While later fights are reminiscent of the kinds of battles we love to see, Pain vs Naruto is really the fulfillment of all those battles, as well as various key aspects of the story. We get to meet the Akatsuki leader (sort of). The Hidden Leaf Village is finally successfully sieged. Naruto gets to show off his full powers and save the day. What else do you need?

It’s truly awesome to see just how powerful Naruto has grown – the six paths are able to conquer the whole village and Naruto is able to smack ‘em dead pretty handily. All except for the Deva path, however. That particular Pain takes some work.

Naruto could have ended here and in many ways a lot of what the show was foreshadowing would’ve been completed. We’re glad we got to see more epic fights, however.

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