If there’s one thing fans want from the best episodes of Naruto Shippuden, it’s an epic fight sequence and emotional payoff. Following the original Naruto series, Naruto Shippuden brought audiences tales of a ninja community on the brink of war. The anime spent a decade releasing new episodes, and teenagers with advanced fighting abilities were the saviors in the series based on Masashi Kishimoto’s manga. During that decade, more than 500 episodes of television were produced.
A large chunk of the original stories in the Naruto series involved young students learning the skills they would need to be successful shinobi, including the endlessly quotable Naruto Uzumaki, but Naruto Shippuden is where the stakes are raised. Most episodes involve life-or-death fights, and those stakes, not knowing if a beloved character would make it out alive, are part of what keeps the audience invested in the story. In addition to this, characters learn more, grow more, and have much more intricate fights in Naruto Shippuden. The best episodes of the series truly reflect the emotional growth of the main characters as well as showcase some of the coolest fighting in the franchise.
25 Episode 26 - "10 Vs 100"
Part of the “Kazekage Rescue Mission” arc, this top episode was the first Naruto episode where Naruto's teammate, Sakura Haruno, truly got the chance to shine and show how much progress she made during the time jump between series. Sakura is often lamented by fans as needing to be saved so much as a teenager, and being too obsessed with Sasuke Uchiha to be of real use. Here, Sakura was separated from her usual teammates and working with Lady Chiyo against a puppet master who was practically impossible to stop. The writing in the episode is full of near misses and almost happy conclusions before pulling the rug out from under the audience. It’s a perfect showcase for Sakura.
24 Episode 424 - "To Rise Up"
This Naruto Shippuden episode is loved because there’s a lot of action going on all at once. The villain Madara Uchiha and Naruto are in the middle of a big fight, but the spotlight isn’t all on Naruto, but also on his teammates. Sakura spends time with Obito Uchiha, discussing plans with him. Sasuke works with the reanimated Tobirama Senju in order to get to Naruto and help him in the fight. Despite the of Team 7 having been disconnected for so long, their teamwork was still somehow intact and working across distances.
23 Episode 141 - "Truth"
“Truth” is one of the episodes responsible for making the audience see Itachi as a hero. In it, Sasuke gets the full story of just why Itachi massacred the entire Uchiha clan in Konohagakure but spares Sasuke’s life. The story reveals Itachi as a spy for his family within Konoha’s Anbu, but as loyal to the village despite his own family’s desire for power.
Not only does Itachi take out his entire family to stop them from inciting a war in the shinobi world, but he also brokers a deal with Madara to spare Konoha from his wrath, for the time being, and one with the Third Hokage to keep his little brother safe. Itachi isn’t just an impressive ninja, but a master negotiator and something of an anti-hero.
22 Episode 366 - "The All Knowing"
On the one hand, this episode is a placeholder. Not much happened in it, despite it being in the middle of Madara and Naruto’s battle for the fate of the world. But this is because the episode is more about Sasuke getting answers than anything else. The seemingly irredeemable villain Orochimaru lets Sasuke ask questions of the reanimated Hokage, and while it allows fans to spend more time with characters that didn’t have a lot of screen time, like Minato Uchiha and the Senju brothers, it also teases what's to come. This episode also acts as a pretty great cliffhanger instead of one of the usual episodes that focus heavily on battle.
21 Episode 165 - "Nine-Tails Captured"
When Pain came to Konoha, it created a memorable arc. Not only did the series seemingly lose Kakashi, but Naruto appeared to be bested by a dangerous enemy. In this episode, Pain and Naruto come to something of a standstill as the former explains his motivations. While most of the episode in the long-running Naruto arc focuses on the talk between Naruto and Pain, other characters aren't completely abandoned. Shikamaru Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka have the B plot of the episode as they track down the real Pain while his Six Paths are otherwise occupied. Despite the episodes that feature mostly slow speeches, this one keeps the audience on the edge of their seat.
20 Episode 175 - "Hero Of The Hidden Leaf"
Because Naruto spent the bulk of his childhood being ostracized by his village and constantly having to prove himself as more than the nine-tailed fox inside of him, this episode could have acted as his happy ending. It lands among the best Naruto Shippuden episodes solely because Naruto is finally seen by the village the way he always wished: respected and as a hero. Naruto isn't just welcomed back to the village after he defeats Pain, he's carried around and cheered. It's a turning point for the way he was treated by others in the franchise.
19 Episode 164 - "Danger! Sage Mode Limit Reached"
Fans of Naruto fight sequences were in for a treat with the arc surrounding Pain. This episode is one of the best of Naruto Shippuden since it isn't just Naruto throwing whatever he has at an enemy or talking him to death, he actually gets to strategize a little. The episode is also a peek into how Naruto's mind works as he battles Pain and realizes just which of the Paths of Pain he needs to take out first. Even though he couldn't sustain Sage Mode throughout the episode, fans can't completely count him out.
18 Episode 372 - "Something To Fill The Hole"
In this episode, Sasuke returns to Konoha to fight for the village, ing forces with Sakura and Naruto against Naruto's most powerful monster, the Ten-Tails. But Team 7 isn’t the only team to get the spotlight. The Naruto Shippuden war episodes actually do a great job of showcasing the talents of Naruto’s other former classmates, as well. Leading the fight are Shikamaru and Ino Yamanaka, who use their shadow and mind abilities to help protect the village. The reanimated Hokage also comes in to the fight, bringing together most of the components the audience love about the war episodes.
17 Episode 364 - "The Ties That Bind"
This particular episode is an emotional one for Naruto fans. It features the deaths of three characters that they’ve gotten to know as the Fourth Shinobi World War raged on. In it, Shikaku Nara and Inoichi are unable to thwart an incoming attack, leaving the two of them to mentally reach out, using Inoichi’s power, to their children to say goodbye. It's a blow for fans who have already watched Team 10 Ino and Shikamaru lose their beloved teacher. Likewise, fan-favorite, Neji Hyuga, blocks Hinata Hyuga while she shields Naruto from an attack, protecting them, so they can keep fighting, and there isn't a dry eye in the audience.
16 Episode 339 - "I Will Love You Always"
This episode goes a long way toward making Itachi a fan favorite. Sasuke, after all, ends up defecting from Konoha and wanting revenge against the village he thinks betrayed his brother. This episode reveals the truth to Sasuke, however, that Itachi was protecting the village and his little brother all along. Itachi saying goodbye to his brother is heartbreaking for Sasuke, but it provides a big leap forward in the story for the audience and allows Itachi's character arc in Naruto to be better understood. Knowing the truth allows Sasuke to move on.
