For many anime fans, when Naruto first exploded onto their screens, things were never the same. Masashi Kishimoto's iconic series introduced readers and viewers to the incredibly rich world of the ninja, teeming with both good and evil.
Naruto is full of tragic characters, heartbreaking storylines, and painful injustice. Still, for all its truly challenging moments, there are equally as many uplifting and sidesplitting ones that fans have returned to again and again. For those that want to relive the nostalgia that comes with the original series (without having to go through the emotionally taxing elements), there is a bounty of hilarious, fun, and triumphant episodes to explore as well.
A Failure's True Power (Ep62)
A Failure's True Power chronicles the climax of Naruto and Neji Hyuga's battle during the Chunin Exams. Neji closes all of Naruto's chakra points while lecturing about fate and even goes as far as arrogantly suggesting the match be called at that point. Naruto digs deep, successfully accessing the chakra of the Nine-Tailed-Fox, and levels up to match Neji's powerful techniques.
But it is ultimately Naruto's strategic wit that allows him to triumph over the prodigious Byakugan . Naruto's very public victory gives him newfound recognition among both his peers and elders, making it a super satisfying moment that works every time it's returned to.
Zero Motivation: The Guy With Cloud Envy! (Ep64)
Staying with the Chunin Exams, Zero Motivation: The Guy With Cloud Envy! tracks the only Hidden Leaf ninja that actually became a chunin the first time around. In the match following Naruto's shocking victory over Neji, Shikamaru Nara dukes it out against the Sand Village's Temari, a duel that quickly turns into a battle of wits.
Shikamaru's astounding intellect is put on full display as he expertly maneuvers Temari into a trap with his Shadow Possession Jutsu. His surprising forfeit of the match kickstarts the fan-favorite legend of Shikamaru's lazy genius, as well as the beginning of his and Temari's destined relationship.
Sasuke And Sakura: Friend Or Foe (Ep3)
The dysfunctional chemistry at the heart of the Team 7 trio is established in Sasuke And Sakura: Friend Or Foe. Newly graduated, Naruto and his classmates are sorted into their three-person teams, all while their future sensei look on from afar with the Third Hokage.
Highlighted by Naruto and Sasuke's accidental first kiss, Naruto provides fresh fuel for their rivalry, tying him up and taking his place in a bid to get closer to Sasuke. In the end, he is foiled by his own inability to adhere to expiration dates, much to the repeated enjoyment of any nostalgic Naruto fan.
Naruto's Ninja Handbook (Ep78)
Naruto's progress as a ninja takes a giant leap forward in the aptly titled Naruto's Ninja Handbook. With Sasuke paralyzed by the effects of his curse mark and Sakura caught in the clutches of the slowly transforming Gaara, Naruto steps up to take on his fellow Jinchuriki, conjuring up massive amounts of chakra and summoning an army of clones.
When Gaara completes his transformation into the One-Tails and traps Naruto in a tomb of sand, Uzumaki counters by summoning chief toad Gamabunta, both hilarious and impressive; the early stages of Naruto and Gaara's epic showdown is an easy episode to return to.
Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi-sensei's True Face! (Ep101)
One of the early mysteries of Naruto (that wasn't revealed until years later during the Shipudden series) is what Kakashi Hatake looks like under his mask. In Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi-sensei's True Face! Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura team up to try and uncover their beloved sensei's face.
They initially attempt a series of traps, all of which are foiled by outside forces or Kakashi himself. Things get even more out of hand when a trio of ninja looking for revenge get involved. Seeing the original Team 7 together and getting into wacky antics is endlessly enjoyable.
Formation! The Sasuke Retrieval Squad! (Ep110)
When it comes to heist movies, one of the best parts is always assembling the crew. That sentiment very much applies to Formation! The Sasuke Retrieval Squad! After Sasuke defects from the village, Tsunade tasks Shikamaru with retrieving him.
After starting with Naruto (personally recommended by Tsunade), the two pick up Choji, Kiba & Akamaru, and Neji on the way to the front gate. After send-offs from Rock Lee and Sakura, the Ocean's Eleven style team heads out to steal Sasuke back from the Sound ninja. And much like a heist movie, the same rewatchable appeal applies to the montage of hastily putting together this young ninja team.
Or Fail: Survival Test (Ep4)
Or Fail: Survival Test showed the first interactions between Kakashi and his trio of young genin, and of course, they did not make the greatest of first impressions. After some quick introductions, Kakashi subjects them to the fabled bells test.
Naruto wastes no time attacking his new sensei head-on while the others break off on their own, ignoring any attempts at teamwork. They look on as Kakashi continuously tricks Naruto (including with the patented Thousand Years Of Death technique). Reflecting on this team's very humble beginnings makes where they ended up all the more amusing and impressive.
An Unrivaled Match: Hokage Battle Royale! (Ep71)
Making for one of the greatest showdowns among all three Naruto series, in An Unrivaled Match: Hokage Battle Royale, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi finds himself up against not only Orochimaru but the reanimated First and Second Hokage as well.
Trapped in a special barrier by Orochimaru's subordinates, the Third Hokage has no choice but to face his former mentors head-on. Orochimaru watches as all three Hokage unleash towering jutsu that literally changes the battlefield's landscape, all before Orochimaru s the fray himself. Returning to this episode serves as a great refresher for the staggering power of the first three Hokage.
Start Your Engines: The Chunin Exam Begins! (Ep24)
Long before Naruto could shine in the later stages of the Chunin Exam, he had to make it past his greatest obstacle, the written exam. In Start Your Engines: The Chunin Exam Begins! Naruto and company must answer a series of impossible questions where they are highly encouraged to cheat but are also harshly punished if caught.
While his comrades pick up on the true intentions of the test, Naruto is predictably stuck, not smart enough to answer the questions but too scared to cheat. Viewers get to watch as Naruto hilariously struggles through his worst nightmare while getting to see the many clever ways ninjutsu can be used.
The Beast Within (Ep124)
Even fresh out of the hospital, Rock Lee is not one to miss the action. In The Beast Within, Lee takes on Sound ninja Kimimaro with his drunken fist style, all while Kiba and Shikamaru slowly lose their individual wars of attrition against the other Sound ninja. While Lee's drastic shift in fighting style initially bewilders him, Kimimaro regains the upper hand when he activates his special bone Kekkei Genkai.
But just before Lee, Kiba, and Shikamaru can be finished off, the three ninja siblings of the Sand (Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro) come to their aid. While Lee's new style is certainly the draw, Might Guy's hilarious story about how he discovered it is more than enough reason to return to this episode.