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While most Naruto fans will find these films entertaining, not all of them are worth the time it takes to watch them. The majority of these films are also not a part of the canon story, so missing out on one or two won’t leave the audience missing any crucial information. Which is the best Naruto movie? Which is the weakest?
Updated on February 16, 2022, by Suzail Ahmad: Naruto has received a lot of criticism regarding the amount of filler that the anime has, and most of that is justified, but there is no denying that the series has some of the most entertaining non-canon content in anime. Due to the series’ immense popularity, it has received a total of 11 movies so far, and while not all of them are on the same level, they provide quality entertainment. To make things easier for the fans, we have added the best highlight from each Naruto movie.
11 Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (6.5)
Taking place in Naruto’s younger years, Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom sees Team 7, with the addition of Rock Lee in place of Sasuke, travel to the Land of the Moon to protect a young prince and his father. While the film is a standard fan-fare that most fans will enjoy, it also adds new Jutsu to both Rock Lee and Naruto’s arsenal that are, unfortunately, never seen again due to the film being non-canon.
Highlight: While Sasuke was not a part of the movie, Rock Lee ensured that no one would miss the Uchiha. Rock Lee’s synergy with Team 7 was outstanding, and his fighting style provided a unique experience to the viewers.
10 Legend of the Stone of Gelel (6.6)
Like the previous film, Legend of the Stone of Gelel sees an altered version of Team 7, this time with Shikamaru Nara in place of Sasuke rather than Rock Lee. Although the film begins with the team searching for a lost ferret, it quickly turns into a fight against strange robotic warriors and a man hell-bent on remaking the world in his image. Like Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, this anime sees Naruto learn a new form of Rasengan that he also never uses again.
Highlight: The highlight of the movie is definitely Naruto’s special Rasengan. The Rasengan that he uses is green and orange, and it proved to be enough to destroy the stone.
9 Clash in the Land of Snow (6.7)
This film is fairly standard for early Naruto features, seeing Team 7 go on what should have been a relatively simple mission that quickly spirals out of control when they dive in without knowing all the facts of the case. While Clash in the Land of Snow is notable for Sasuke actually appearing on his team, the reason why this film is memorable isn’t because Naruto’s emo best friend finally decided to show up for work.
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Included in the Japanese release of the film was also a 10 minute short that showed Naruto’s inability to go to the bathroom during a sporting event, which also portrayed almost every character in Naruto whether they were supposed to be alive at the time or not, including the Fourth Hokage.
Highlight: The movie lays stress on the main theme of the anime. It acts as a good means to reiterate the ideas of determination, guts, and confidence in one’s own self.
8 Naruto Shippuden the Movie (6.9)
The first Shippuden film that shows a teenage Naruto rather than his younger self, this film follows Naruto, Sakura, Neji, and Rock Lee as they try to stop a demon named Moryo from destroying the world. While the film is a little weird in some places, introducing several supernatural and cosmic elements that wouldn’t come into play in the series until much later, it is notable for having Rock Lee drunkenly murder someone after eating an alcoholic candy and Naruto agreeing for father a priestesses child without knowing what he actually needed to do.
Highlight: The highlight of the movie is undoubtedly Naruto’s goofiness. He is known to be a knucklehead, who is capable of doing all kinds of outrageous things. However, in this movie, he surpasses all of his previous stupid stunts when he unknowingly agrees to become the father of Shion’s baby.
7 Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds (7.0)
Shortly after Konoha is attacked by the Land of the Sky in retribution for what happened during the Second Great Ninja War, Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata try to find a way to stop the Land of the Sky from carrying out their assault plans while also having to deal with another ’tailed" beast, this time the Zero-Tails that takes the form of a chakra absorbing leech. Bonds also sees Sasuke return to help Naruto, though he quickly leaves to keep training with Orochimaru once his work is done.
Highlight: The movie sees Sasuke Uchiha return to action after leaving the Hidden Leaf to train under Orochimaru. In the movie, Sasuke and Naruto team up to defeat Shinno. The two combine their attacks and come out on top.
6 Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower (7.0)
Many other Naruto stories tend to focus on someone trying to either destroy Konoha, the world, or simply gain power in one way or another. The Lost Tower takes these elements and adds a twist of time-travel that sees Naruto and Yamato travel 20 years into the past to work together with Minato and a young Kakashi to seal off the power of a ninja named Mukade, who intends to use the power of an ancient chakra source for various evil shenanigans.
Highlight: Naruto’s meeting with Minato is easily the highlight of The Lost Tower. The two of them work together and join their powers to create a special Rasengan to take down the enemy.
5 Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will Of Fire (7.2)
After several major land’s people start to lose their Kekkei Genkai abilities, with the exception of Konoha, many high ranking ninjas begin to suspect that the Land of Fire is planning to initiate another ninja war and plan to strike first before anything can come of it. Along with Sakura and Sai, Naruto attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery while having to deal with a mind-controlled Kakashi as well.
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Most notable for this film is that, unlike many others that came before it, Naruto saves the day with a Rasengan that he has actually used before, the Wind Release Rasengan, rather than one made up for the film that is never used again.
Highlight: The Will of Fireends on a very hilarious note as Naruto mistakes Kakashi’s smile for something creepy. All the members of Konoha 11 give their opinion about Kakashi and his sexuality. In the meantime, Kakashi chases Naruto in order to clear up the confusion.
4 Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison (7.3)
In a rather bold opening, Blood Prison sees Naruto arrested for, allegedly, attacking the Fourth Raikage, before having to deal with a plot to release a demon from a locked container while wearing a chakra inhibitor. The addition of a chakra inhibitor, of course, doesn’t seem to affect Naruto all that much, though he does nearly die towards the end of the film and marks one of the few times where Naruto’s life has actually been in danger.
Highlight: The movie showcases the use of a special Fire Release technique that is capable of sealing the chakra of an individual. Once the seal is placed on a user, they cannot mold chakra and if they stray too far from the applier, they burst into flames and die.
3 The Last: Naruto the Movie (7.6)
One of the few canon Naruto films, The Last bridges the gap between Naruto and Sasuke’s climactic fight at the end of Naruto Shippuden and the epilogue that begins the sequel series, Boruto: Naturo Next Generations. Two years after the conclusion of Shippuden, Hinata’s sister is kidnapped by Toneri, a member of the Otsutsuki clan, in order to take her Byakugan eyes. As well as seeing just how far Naruto has come in those two years, The Last also finally sets up Naruto and Hinata’s romance that had been teased for the majority of the series beforehand.
Highlight: After defeating an Otsutsuki during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Naruto faces another stern test while trying to fight Toneri Otsutsuki. During the fight, Naruto uses Six Paths Sage Mode to land a punch on Toneri, which results in the destruction of almost the entire moon.
2 Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie (7.7)
In a somewhat odd side story involving the Akatsuki, Tobi, and the White Zetsu, Naruto and Sakura are sent into a miniature version of the Infinite Tsukuyomi by Tobi while he tries to get his hands on the Red Moon Scroll. This film serves as a way for Naruto to not only see the kind of life he had missed, as this alternate reality shows life if his parents were still alive, but also allows him to come to terms with the family he already has, namely Iruka.
Highlight: The highlight of the movie is definitely the part that shows an alternate reality to the viewers. Naruto and Sakura see different versions of their friends, which teaches them a lot of valuable lessons.
1 Boruto: Naruto The Movie (7.9)
Shortly after The Last, another canon film featuring Naruto was released in Boruto. Taking place several years after the events of Shippuden, Boruto follows Naruto’s son, the titular ninja, who has to deal with his father’s job as the Seventh Hokage taking him away from his family while also training alongside Sasuke to free his father from new members of the Otsutsuki clan who have returned to claim Kuruma in order to make a chakra fruit that will make them immortal. The film’s story was later expanded upon for the first season of the sequel series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations with some changes made to the events.
Highlight: The standout moment of Boruto: Naruto the Movie is when Naruto and Sasuke unleash their true power and overwhelm Momoshiki. This leaves the Otsutsuki extremely perplexed as he cannot believe that two humans could defeat him.
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