Biggest Changes Between Naruto Manga and Anime

Key insights

• The Naruto manga introduces the genin naturally, while the anime features graduated introductions that influence character depth.
• In the manga, Chidori surrounds the user's arm with lightning; It's not just a ball like in the anime.
• Sakura shows her concern for Naruto in the manga, while the anime portrays her as mean.

Naruto is one of the best shonen anime of all time, catching the attention of fans around the world as the titular character proves everyone wrong and becomes the Hokage of the Leaf Village. This story burns slowly but pays off with a satisfying ending, with hardcore fans finding even more things to love about this series with the sequel. Boruto.

While the anime adaptation remains fairly faithful to the manga in many ways, there are some changes between both versions Naruto that are worth highlighting. Some of these changes were for the better, while others confused fans.

8 The genin are introduced more naturally in the manga

The introduction of certain characters comes much later

The manga introduces Naruto's classmates fairly early on, making their inclusion in later storylines seem more natural. However, the anime decides to speed up these introductions so that fans aren't overwhelmed by the plethora of new characters right at the start of the series.

Depending on the fan's subjective point of view, this can be either a good or bad decision. Sure, these spaced-out introductions made the characters easier to remember, but it also left viewers confused about the depth of the bonds Naruto shared with his classmates.

7 The Chidori is said to surround the arm with lightning

In the anime, it forms a ball of lightning that serves as a parallel to the Rasengan

• Appears in:Naruto & Naruto: Shippuden

The Chidori is one of the coolest techniques ever Narutowho repeatedly clashes with the Rasengan in the series. The ball of lightning that the ninja conjure in their hand looks like a perfect counterpart to the ball of swirling energy in Naruto's patented technique.

However, the manga iteration of Chidori has one notable difference. Instead of just a ball of lightning, this technique coats the user's entire arm with this jutsu, allowing them to strike enemies with powerful energy and cause devastating consequences.

6 The fight between Tenten and Temari is more detailed in the anime

The manga pushes this fight to the background as Ino and Sakura have a conversation

After fighting to a draw and both being eliminated from the Chunin Exams, Sakura and Ino engage in a heart-to-heart duel as Temari and Tenten begin their battle. In the manga, this conversation is so important that readers don't even get to see the final battle of the Chunin Exams.

However, the anime didn't have to limit itself to just one scene, but fleshed out this fight and made it clear how Temari could easily surpass Tenten. It's a beautiful shot that ensures all the fighting takes place Naruto feel important, even if some of them take up more screen time.

5 Team Guy gets a rare moment to shine during the Kazekage Rescue Arc in the anime

The scene where they fight their clones is completely original

• Appears in:Naruto: Shippuden

After the timeskip, manga readers were saddened to see Team Guy relegated to the sidelines and not given a single moment to shine. The anime attempts to rectify this by including an original fight during the Kazekage rescue, although the impact of this scene is controversial.

Team Guy ends up fighting his clones as they attempt to remove a certain seal. The battle seems impossible to win until the group realizes that they must be better than before to defeat their identical enemies. It might be a little silly, but fans will accept it if it means characters like Neji and Lee get a chance to be useful.

A great way to give Shikamaru's character more meaning

In the manga, Shikamaru is promoted to the Chunin rank behind the scenes while Naruto is busy searching for Tsunade with Jiraiya. However, the anime changes this sequence to give more weight to Shikamaru's character.

As Tsunade decides on the squad that will track down Sasuke when he is kidnapped by Orochimaru's minions, he informs Shikamaru that he has been promoted to Chunin and would lead the rescue operation. It's a small but notable change that makes Shikamaru's promotion more impactful.

3 Shikamaru's breakdown and subsequent revelation is an anime original scene

One of the best inclusions in the adaptation

• Appears in:Naruto: Shippuden

The Naruto The adaptation has been repeatedly criticized for relying too heavily on meaningless filler. However, that doesn't mean the anime didn't have the potential to add some meaningful scenes if the situation called for it.

This was the case when Shikamaru collapsed in front of his father's eyes following Asuma's death, before finally experiencing a strategic breakthrough that led him to attempt to avenge his sensei's death. It's a powerful scene that immediately makes you feel at home Narutoand most fans were amazed to find out that this entire sequence was just an anime shot.

2 In the manga, Sakura expresses concern when Naruto struggles with the written exam

For some reason she is mean and laughs at Naruto in the anime

It's easy to understand why some Naruto Viewers aren't big fans of Sakura's character. It doesn't help that the anime changes her reactions in a critical scene, making her seem even more despicable to her haters.

As Naruto struggles with the written test, Sakura becomes seriously worried about her team member and wonders how he will pass such a tough test. However, the anime turns Sakura into an insufferable character who laughs at Naruto's misery and secretly hopes that he fails.

1 Naruto taught Konohamaru the Rasengan before the timeskip

In the anime, Naruto and Konohamaru are older when the latter is taught this move

• Appears in:Naruto: Shippuden

Konohamaru didn't get much screen time after the timeskip, so fans were happy to see him become relevant again after he used a Rasengan to take out one of Pain's bodies. The chronology of when he experiences the Rasengan changes differs slightly between the manga and anime.

The manga makes it clear that Naruto taught Konohamaru the Rasengan before embarking on the journey with Jiraiya before the timeskip. Meanwhile, the anime clearly shows that both characters are older when they start training, which makes for a small but notable change.

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  Naruto: Shippuden

  Release date

  February 15, 2007

  Seasons

  22

  studio

  Pierrot

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  Naruto

  Release date

  October 2, 2002

  Seasons

  5

  studio

  Pierrot