Openings are an often overlooked part of anime. Not only do they give you an idea of what to expect from the show, they also add to how memorable the series is. Since studios have a lot of freedom in how they do their openings, they can either be hit or miss. Fortunately, most of Naruto’s openings are very, very strong.
Naruto's openings are not only incredibly iconic, but they are also some of the best openings in the entire series. With so many amazing openings to choose from, here are 9 of the best Naruto openings!
9 diver
A gorgeous visual narrative that captures the dynamics of Naruto and Sasuke.
- Song: NICO Touches The Walls
- Opening Number: Naruto Shippuden Opening 8
Compared to the visuals of many other Naruto openings, Diver may not be up to par, and there are no well-animated fight scenes, but where Diver shines is in its storytelling. The opening begins with Naruto sinking into the water surrounded by his enemies, showing his extreme helplessness, and Sasuke is also seen drowning in the water. The water is a metaphor for how both of them were considered outcasts and never really fit in at first.
As the opening ends, we see Naruto being pushed out of the water by his friends and the people of Konoha, showing how Naruto was saved by getting closer to those around him. Sasuke, on the other hand, tends to keep looking up at Naruto from the water and sink deeper, refusing help and choosing to be alone.
8 blood circulation system
Light and darkness, hope and despair
- Song: Asian Kung-Fu Generation
- Opening Number: Naruto Shippuden Opening 19
There are many light and dark themes in Naruto's opening and the story itself, representing hope and despair. Naruto himself has always represented light, while Sasuke is the contrasting darkness. This goes deep into the characters, their personalities, and even the color palette and design. This contrast of light and hope as an allegory for finding hope and despair is the main theme of the 19th Naruto opening.
The opening begins with Naruto and the others being plunged into darkness as the Ten-Tails bloom and Kagura revives. They call out Naruto's name and come out of the darkness one by one, but he continues to sink deeper. Finally, after Sasuke calls him, Naruto escapes and transforms into the Six Paths Jinshuuriki and prepares to fight Kaguya alongside Sasuke.
7 Haruka Kanata
Create hype by introducing characters
- Song: Asian Kung-Fu Generation
- Opening Number: Naruto Opening 2
Haruka Kanata is the second opening in the entire Naruto series. This is one that has brought Naruto to immense popularity in a very short period of time. This opening is one of the most iconic and influential openings in the entire series, despite lacking the professional storytelling or animation sequences seen in later openings.
The opening starts by introducing Naruto and Team Seven, and then the supporting cast. The opening comes before the Chunin Exams arc begins, so it doesn't have much of a narrative impact. However, the opening does a great job of introducing characters that we'll see later on, and gives us a good look at the world of Naruto.
6 The Return of the Hero
Naruto's Resurrection
- Song: nobodyknows+
- Opening Number: Naruto Shippuden Opening One
If I could use one word to describe this opening, it would be hype. Naruto’s long-awaited return after his time travel has all the fans excited for the new series, and this opening does an amazing job of giving fans a glimpse of what the show has in store for them.
The opening introduces new character designs for the already beloved cast, as well as a completely new character. The song, Hero's Come Back, is highly addictive and fits the visuals well, creating a sense of excitement.
5 go!!!
Fighting dreamers
- Song: Flow
- Opening Number: Naruto Opening Four
If Naruto's second opening was the spark that sparked its popularity, the fourth opening turned that spark into a blazing fire. Go!!, or more commonly known as Fighting Dreamers, is a simple opening. It's a classic when it comes to anime openings, and anyone who's ever watched anime will instantly recognize the first few seconds.
It follows the same idea as Haruka Kanata, introducing characters with a catchy song in the background. What makes Go!!! stand out from its predecessors is that it has some sort of narrative that revolves around the Chuunin Exams arc.
4 Not swayed by sudden rain
A visually stunning fight between the Five Kage and Madara
- Song: NICO Touches The Walls
- Opening Number: Naruto Shippuden Opening 13
Naruto Shippuden Opening 13 is an absolute delight from an artistic standpoint. It’s one of the most well-animated and expertly choreographed openings in the series, with a ton of hype and a memorable soundtrack that’s beyond perfect.
At first, the opening shows various characters important to the Shinobi Wars arc, with a war scene as the backdrop. Then, the animation speeds up to a thrilling sequence where all five Keiji fight Madara at once. As it nears the end, the pace slows down, ending with Naruto headbutting Obito and finally exchanging punches with Kurama.
3 Bluebird
A song that lingers in everyone's head
- Lyricist: Ikimonogakari
- Opening Number: Naruto Shippuden Opening 3
Anime openings should appeal to both the eyes and the ears. Most Naruto openings are equally about visuals and music, but Blue Bird is almost as memorable thanks to the beautiful song of Ikimonogakari.
The animation and visuals are not lacking either. The scene where Shikamaru and Asuma fight Hidan is particularly well choreographed, with a strong emphasis on dynamic perspective shots. The repeated blue bird image also adds a lot of stylized charm to the shot. However, other than that, the opening doesn’t have much to offer in terms of visuals, and is popular mainly because of how catchy the song is.
2 silhouette
Compare Naruto and Sasuke to Hashirama and Madara
- Song: Kana-Boon
- Opening Number: Naruto Shippuden Opening Six
If we were to tank openings purely by popularity and influence, Silhouette would take the top spot without a rival. The opening has reached cult status even outside of the anime community, with people using it as a reference to create memes and animations.
Even if the opening wasn't that popular, it would still be one of the best Naruto openings. From a narrative standpoint, the opening shows the resolution of Naruto and Sasuke's arcs and compares them to Hashirama and Madara's arcs.
The opening starts with a scene of Hashirama and Madara fighting, contrasting the dynamics of Naruto and Sasuke. This contrasting theme is repeated throughout the opening, with Naruto and Sasuke repeatedly joining forces, and Madara and Hashirama fighting to the death. The opening also features some very stunning visuals, depicting several beautiful fight scenes.
1 symptom
Jiraiya's End, Itachi's Truth
- Song: Flow
- Opening Number: Naruto Shippuden Opening Six
The sixth opening of Naruto Shippuden is the most emotionally moving opening in the entire series, going all out on the fight between Jiraiya and Itachi and not sparing any animation. The opening starts with a look at the childhood of Naruto and Sasuke, who are loved by Jiraiya and Itachi respectively. This joyful scene is overturned when Naruto falls into deep despair after Jiraiya's death, and Sasuke kills Itachi, believing that he is responsible for the suffering caused by the death of the Uchiha clan.
There are also other subtle references to events that occur in the story, such as the revelation that Pain is one of Jiraya's former disciples, adding to the tragedy of Jiraya and Jiraya's fight. There is also a scene where Naruto is shown covered in darkness in a similar way to the Tailed Beast's appearance, which is both a metaphor for despair and Naruto eventually handing over control to Kurama in the fight against Pain.
