10 Ways Naruto Changed Anime Forever

Summary Naruto humanized villains, showing no one is born evil, exploring second chances and redemption.

Naruto rejected norms in anime, showcasing gray morality, diverse characters, and challenging tropes.

Naruto's impact goes beyond anime, inspiring other series, centralizing Crunchyroll, and becoming mainstream.

Naruto is a household name even for people who know nothing about anime. Its popularity spans the entire world and is one of the most profitable franchises of all time. Anime as a medium wouldn't be where it is without it, and the impact it has had is very hard to quantify.

Adapting the hit manga by Masashi Kishimoto which has more than 250 million copies in circulation, the anime is not only one of the most recognizable in the medium, but also in the general entertainment industry. Spanning 15 years, the anime may have ended in 2017, but it is still one of the most relevant series with an incredibly large and strong fan base.

Related Naruto Shippuden's 10 Best Episodes of All Time The Naruto Shippuden anime captivated millions of fans worldwide, but its ten best episodes are still talked about a decade later for good reason.

10 Naruto Showed That Villains Don't Have To Be Cartoonishly Evil

Villains Are Human Too

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A major point of praise for Naruto is that it humanized the villains, and showed that no one was born evil. By analyzing the context of one's evil actions and explaining why they are who they are, the villain cast in the series managed to become one of the best ever seen. This was the case from the beginning, as Zabuza and Haku were the first antagonists, but fans ended up loving them because of their beautiful relationship and the fact that they were victims of the shinobi world.

A major theme of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden is second chance, and Kishimoto used the villains to explore this. From Obito fighting alongside the heroes, Nagato seeing hope after talking with Naruto or Gaara finding companionship within Naruto, the series teaches that no one is too far gone for atonement. In fact, Naruto's entire reason for fighting so hard is to make Sasuke see the wrong in his ways.

9 Naruto Rejected The Norm Many Times

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The series was always a trailblazer, and refused to stay within the bounds of logic. Naruto is a blonde boy who wears an orange jumpsuit - the complete opposite of what a ninja is supposed to be. Kishimoto revealed that he did not want to be confined, and the series not being afraid to dive into the unknown is one of the many things that made it so special.

The series wasn't afraid of showing the dark sides of both the supposed heroes and villains, and it made the line between the two as ambiguous as possible. From Konoha's involvement in the genocide of the Uchiha and countless other tragedies to the discrimination that many face, Naruto takes a gray approach to a genre that is typically black and white. Furthermore, the female characters had a role in the series, and although there was room for improvement, it was a great example that shonen anime can have female leads.

8 Naruto Was Proof That Anime Can Be Translated Into Other Mediums

Games, Live-Action, Spin-offs, And Movies - Naruto Has It All

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Because there was such a huge demand for Naruto, the series was made into various mediums. The original movies were almost always successful, the video game is the best-selling anime game ever, and a completely new series with Naruto's son, Boruto, as the lead was launched after the end of the original. Although Naruto isn't the first instance of anime movies or games becoming profitable, it was definitely a big example that big anime can be successful in other forms besides episodical television.

With a live-action Naruto movie on its way directed by the director of Shang-Chi, the series' IP is as strong as ever, almost 8 years later. It is obvious the franchise will receive more and more projects in the future, which is a huge win for fans of the series.

7 Naruto Is The Face Of Anime

Naruto Is The Most Popular Anime, And The Stats Prove It

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Together with Dragon Ball Z, Naruto is synonymous with the word anime and is the first and sometimes only series people can think of. The anime aired at a time when the medium was still not as popular in Western markets, and although series like Sailor Moon and Pokémon were very popular and there was a decently strong fanbase for anime, the medium as a whole was not very accepted. Then came Naruto, which took the world by storm and was one of Toonami's most popular series at the time.

Furthermore, the series airing from 2002 all the way to 2017 was monumental in increasing anime's popularity. It was at the front of the media's expansion to the global stage, and it is still widely recognized as one of the biggest if not the biggest anime. It is not only the most streamed anime on Crunchyroll, but also the most-searched anime on Google. However, it wasn't a solo operation, as many anime were integral in making the medium as loved and accepted as it is today, such as Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece and countless others.

6 Naruto Is The Perfect Example Of The Importance Of Music In Anime

The Anime's Soundtrack Is Still Unforgettable Today

One of the many things that Naruto did right is the music and sound design, and this carried on into Shippuden. The series has birthed some of the most iconic original soundtracks, such as Raising Fight Spirit, Sadness & Sorrow, Strong and Strike, and many other epic themes that elevated the experience. Furthermore, the way that the music enhanced a scene made the anime much more emotional, invoking a stronger version of the intended feelings.

Naruto is considered to have the best opening songs ever, and with the diversity of talent and visuals in them, it is easy to see why. From Japanese-themed ones, goofy dances to stark and grim openings, Naruto's playlist of music is undeniably amazing.

5 Naruto Set A New Bar For Action Series

Stellar Animation And Emotional Context Were Key

Set in a world of ninjas, Naruto was obviously going to be a spectacular and exciting action anime, but the battles are simply on another level. Part 1 of Naruto had many scenes that rival the best of modern animation, such as Gaara vs Lee and Naruto vs Sasuke, showing that the anime was ahead of its time. Naruto Shippuden took it up a notch, with more fluid choreography and sequences that went viral on numerous occasions, and many animators still reference Naruto fight scenes in modern anime.

Animation isn't what makes the fights in Naruto good though, as the context behind each one of them resonated with fans on a deeper level and made them more memorable. Whether it be Sasuke's revenge against Itachi, Kakashi putting down Obito, or Hinata risking her life for Naruto, the fights in Naruto transcend simple violence and are very complex.

4 Naruto Raised An Entire Generation Of Kids

Millions Grew Up Watching Naruto's Journey To Hokage

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As a shonen series, Naruto was targeted at young boys, but a big chunk of the fandom is also older than the target demographic. Kishimoto revealed in an interview that he was actively incorporating themes, storylines, and characters for the sake of children. From making many of the characters, including Naruto, an orphan so that children from broken homes could relate, to the theme of friendship being a cornerstone of the series, Naruto was a great role model for kids and served more than just as entertainment.

That is the reason why Naruto is the most popular kids' show and many consider the series very influential in their childhood. However, Naruto contained many heavy themes that were eye-opening for the children, and it also taught many important lessons, such as the value of hard work, the concept of family, and more. The series was also used in education, as lessons certainly became more interesting when the number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja was involved.

3 Naruto Inspired Countless New Series

Many Current Series Are Influenced By Naruto

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With a manga and anime as big as that of Naruto, millions of kids around the world grew up watching the adventures of Naruto and Team 7, and a few happened to become legendary mangaka that shape the current landscape of the anime world. Sui Ishida was inspired to make Tokyo Ghoul because of Naruto, Horikoshi Kohei idolizes Kishimoto, Jujutsu Kaisen's Gege Akutami borrows a lot from Naruto and even Eichiro Oda is a huge fan and incorporates elements of Naruto into One Piece.

The influence also goes past just anime, and it inspired and references in movies and TV shows around the world. A-list actor and director, Michael B. Jordan said that Naruto is his favorite, and it is very obvious from his roles. The cult movie, Scott Pilgrim vs The World was heavily influenced by Naruto, and Boondocks replicated the fight scene between Orochimaru and Sasuke. Naruto transcended mediums and was proof that anime can be impactful outside the anime industry.

Related Shonen Jump’s New Hit Kagurabachi Is Inspired By One Of The Biggest Manga Ever The creator of Kagurabachi was inspired to become a mangaka by another Shonen Jump manga that is now one of the best franchises ever.

2 Naruto Made Crunchyroll Legit

Naruto Was Crunchyroll's First Legal Series

It might be hard to believe, but Crunchyroll started out as a for-profit video upload and streaming site that specialized in hosting East Asian content. As the site allowed users to upload unlicensed copies of copyrighted titles, it drew criticism from anime licensers and distributors, but all that changed when the founders received a 4 million investment in 2008, and they wanted to become a legit platform. It was difficult, and months of hard work led them to a jackpot: they acquired exclusive streaming for Naruto Shippuden.

This was the start of their ascent to the top of the anime streaming industry. For a long time, their name was Crunchyroll - Watch Naruto Shippuden For Free, which shows that the series was their main selling point. The Naruto franchise is the most-streamed anime in the past decade, and is the most popular in North America, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East region. Described by Crunchyroll themselves as the building blocks of the platform, millions around the world should be thankful to Naruto for a centralized and hassle-free platform where they can watch anime and purchase merchandise.

1 Naruto Is An Integral Part Of Pop Culture

Naruto Was One Of The first Anime To Become "Mainstream"

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Besides Dragon Ball and Pokémon, Naruto is one of the few anime that can be said to have become mainstream. Meme culture has catapulted the anime to great fame, and the series' length provides many chances for humorous tweets and posts. The anime is also deeply engrained with minorities, such as Latin Americans and Black Americans, perhaps due to the underdog story that resonates with many.

It even influenced gastronomy, inventing a new real-world dish called Ichiraku Ramen, which was Naruto's favorite food. From references in many mediums, the iconic Naruto run, the Dattebayo phrase, to the popular ninja headband, Naruto proved that anime could be an important part of pop culture.