Highlights

  • Naruto movies provide entertaining non-canon content for fans, showcasing unique jutsu and character dynamics.
  • Not all Naruto films are essential viewing, as most do not impact the main storyline or provide crucial information.
  • Boruto: Naruto The Movie is considered the best Naruto film, featuring powerful fights and a compelling storyline.

As one of the longest-running and most popular Shonen manga in the last 20 years, it's no surprise that Naruto would also get the feature film treatment somewhere along the way. While it hasn't had as many films under its belt as other franchises, it has more than enough to fill a fan's binge-watching quota several times over.

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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 June 17, 2024, by Suzail Ahmad: Despite ending years ago, Naruto remains one of the most popular anime series. People can still be seen talking about the series on social networking sites. While the anime was still ongoing, the creators in charge did their best to release new content that would help them increase the popularity of the series.

So, they released new movies regularly, and it turned out to be a great idea. While most of these movies were not canon, they provided fans with plenty of entertainment. It also enabled the creators to give more screen time to characters who were overlooked in the anime and the manga.

11 Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom

IMDb Rating: 6.3

Naruto Guardians of the Crescent Moon film poster
  • Release Date: August 5, 2006

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 for the viewers. Rock Lee's fiery personality also made the movie rather enjoyable.

Main Villain: Guardians of the Cresent Moon is a unique movie in the sense that the main villain does not have any powerful ninjutsu, which some fans might find underwhelming. However, Shabadaba was smart, and he would use his intelligence to turn people against each other. Keeping in mind the villains who appear in other Naruto movies, Shabadaba was not that impressive.

10 Legend of the Stone of Gelel

IMDb Rating: 6.4

Legend of the Stone of Gelel film poster
  • Release Date: August 6, 2005

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 proves to be enough to destroy the most tensile barrier. It would have been a great idea to make this particular Rasengan canon, especially since Naruto relies on this particular technique time and time again.

Main Villain: The Stone of Gelel was a highly coveted artifact that was blessed with an unbelievable amount of power. Haido, the main villain, wanted to get his hands on the stone in order to control everyone. Once he found the stone, Haido used its power to enhance his physical abilities to the point where he could take on multiple strong ninjas at the same time. Haido was also extremely manipulative, and he did not care about others in the least. He would use them and discard them when they served their purpose.

9 Clash in the Land of Snow

IMDb Rating: 6.6

Sakura in battle in Clash in the land of Snow
  • Release Date: August 21, 2004

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 that 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.

Main Villain: The primary antagonist of the movie was Doto. He was the leader of the Land of Snow. Doto was skilled at using Ice Release, a formidable ability that could cause serious damage. He would use it to create giant figurines that he would then use to attack his enemies. Like most villains in Naruto, Doto Kazahana was relentless, going as far as murdering his own flesh and blood if they tried to stand in his way.

8 Naruto Shippuden the Movie

IMDb Rating: 6.7

Naruto in Shippuden the Movie
  • Release Date: August 4, 2007

Naruto Shippuden the Movie is 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.

Main Villain: After completing its transformation, Moryo is able to wreak havoc with its incredible physical power. The creature could even create an army made of stones that was almost indestructible. To further limit its opponents, Moryo could engulf them in darkness, leaving them without the ability to see. Moryo's host also had their limitations removed, but a regular human could not control the entity for an extended period of time.

7 Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds

IMDb Rating: 6.8

Naruto in Shippuden Bonds
  • Release Date: August 2, 2008

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 to take down the enemy. Seeing the two rivals combine their efforts after such a long time was truly mesmerizing.

Main Villain: Naruto had to face Shinno, who was a very well-rounded ninja. He was both physically and mentally strong enough to pose a threat to the Hidden Leaf ninjas. Shinno was well-versed in regeneration techniques, and he was a master of using dark chakra. He would often combine the dark chakra with his Body Revival technique to become stronger. For years, Shinno plotted his rise to power, and he did so by tricking innocent people who were oblivious to his cruel nature.

6 Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower

IMDb Rating: 6.8

Naruto in The Lost Tower
  • Release Date: July 31, 2010

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. Not only did it allow fans to see the father-son duo in action, but it also gave them a better idea of what kind of person Minato was. The two of them work together and join their powers to create a special Rasengan to take down the enemy.

Main Villain: Mukade was a missing ninja who had big dreams. He wanted to change the past and become an influential minister. Mukade's original body was weak, but he did take control of a puppet that was fitted with various kinds of weapons. He could also travel through time by absorbing the seal placed on the Ryumyaku. This made him a challenging opponent who could easily cause problems for his opponents, and they had to be on their toes to avoid being hit.

5 Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will Of Fire

IMDb Rating: 7.0

The Konoha 12 in The Will of Fire
  • Release Date: August 1, 2009

After several 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 Fire ends on a very hilarious note as Naruto mistakes Kakashi's smile for something creepy. All the members of Konoha 11 give their opinions about Kakashi and his sexuality. In the meantime, Kakashi chases Naruto in order to clear up the confusion. The movie perfectly encapsulated the humourous side of Naruto and the series as a whole.

Main Villain: Hiruko wanted to start the Fourth Great Ninja War so that the world would be engulfed by chaos. In order to compensate for his lack of power, Hiruko used the Chimera Technique to steal Kekkei Genkai from other people. If a character like him were part of the canon story, he would have caused great problems for the heroes. Even if Kishimoto didn't want him in the actual story, he could have at least given a strong ninja the Chimera Technique.

4 Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison

IMDb Rating: 7.1

Naruto in Blood Prison film
  • Release Date: July 30, 2011

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. This was an extremely overpowered technique and many fans would have liked to see one of the Uchiha use something similar in the manga.

Main Villain: In Blood Prison, Naruto had to face many challenges, but the biggest of them all was fighting Muku. Like most Naruto villains, Muku had a rough past, which made him go down the wrong path. Muku was able to use Fire Release, and after becoming Satori's host, he gained the power to shoot energy balls and feathers. Naruto had to toil a lot to beat this foe, which showed that Muku was not someone to be trifled with.

3 The Last: Naruto the Movie

IMDb Rating: 7.6

Naruto and Hinata in The Last film
  • Release Date: December 6, 2014

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. This was an important moment for Naruto fans, as they had been led to believe that the hero had grown weaker over time. But his performance against Toneri proved that he was stronger than ever.

Main Villain: Toneri's goal was to use the Tenseigan to carry out Hamura's wish. However, he had to gain enough power to go through with the undertaking. When Toneri stole Hanabi's Byakugan, he awakened the Tenseigan in his eyes. This granted him access to various abilities, including Tenseigan Chakra Mode and Truth-Seeking Balls. With these powers, Toneri was able to cause a lot of trouble for Naruto and his friends.

2 Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie

IMDb Rating: 7.6

Naruto and Hinata in Road to Ninja
  • Release Date: July 28, 2012

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 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. For the fans, it proved to be great entertainment.

Main Villain: Menma was revealed as the main villain toward the end of the movie. He was the alternate version of Naruto, so there was not much difference between him and the real deal. Menma possessed the black Nine-Tails, which was extremely dangerous. After Tobi took control over his body, Menma temporarily gained the Sharingan. All these abilities made Menma a force to be reckoned with, and the hero had to work hard to beat him.

1 Boruto: Naruto The Movie

IMDb Rating: 7.8

Boruto in Boruto film
  • Release Date: August 7, 2015

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.

Boruto: Naruto The Movie is generally considered to be the best Naruto movie, by both fans and critics alike. The movie's success later led to its story being expanded upon for the first season of the sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, with a few notable 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. The two hadn't gone all out in a while, so it gave the audience a better understanding of how powerful the heroes had become. Naruto and Sasuke's efforts left the Otsutsuki perplexed, as he could not believe that two humans could defeat him.

Main Villain: ​​​​​Part of the movie's success was its incredibly powerful villain. Momoshiki Otsutsuki came to the earth to get his hands on the chakra fruit and punish Kaguya for her treason. Momoshiki had access to the Byakugan and the Rinnegan. He could absorb all kinds of jutsu with the Rinnegan and release them with increased power. This made it almost impossible to beat him using ninjutsu.

Naruto_ Shippuden
Naruto: Shippuden
Action
Adventure

Release Date
February 15, 2007
Studio
Pierrot
Creator
Masashi Kishimoto
Streaming Service(s)
Amazon Prime Video , Crunchyroll , Hulu