One of the best and most singular elements of anime is its theme songs. A popular anime can switch up their opening and ending songs multiple times in a season, introducing or cementing Japanese artists overnight, and boosting their tracks to the top of the charts. Few if any anime do a better job of that than Naruto Shippuden.
But a great opening or ending is more than just a hit song, the visuals hold just as much weight. And when both are working in tandem they lift up the other, elevating the whole to a level that neither can attain alone.
Opening: 3 (Blue Bird)
Naruto Shippuden kicks off with a number of undeniable bangers (including the very first opening, Hero's Come Back!!), and Blue Bird is easily one of the standouts. The prominent trio responsible for this pure pop perfection is Ikimonogakari, an anime music star with hit songs across multiple series.
A bluebird made of chakra-like energy acts as a through-line for the story of the opening visuals, rousing Naruto out of his unconscious fall through the sky and carrying him through the montage of antagonists, from current big bad, Furido, to the Akatsuki, and finally Sasuke.
Ending: 34 (Niji no Sora)
If there's anything to know about Naruto Uzumaki, it's that he loves ramen and his favorite place to eat it is at Ichiraku Ramen. A staple of the Konoha experience, it's an eatery that holds significance for more than just Naruto.
From male duo FLOW, Niji no Sora acts as the soundtrack to Ichiraku's integral relationship with the anime's core characters, weaving in between generations and drawing poignant parallels along the way. It culminates with the owner and his daughter proudly treating Naruto and the Five Kage in the rebuilt Ichiraku under a rainbow-filled sky.
Opening: 8 (Diver)
Naruto story, and Diver illustrates a chapter of it with great effectiveness. The opening starts with Naruto slowly sinking into the sea, when Sasuke suddenly appears. And instead of coming to Naruto's aid, Sasuke attacks him.
But before Naruto can drown, Sakura places a hand on his back, followed by Kakashi and the rest of his friends. Together they launch Naruto out of the water, where he comes to his senses and prepares to dive back in for Sasuke. The concept meshes perfectly with Rock band NICO Touches the Walls' ionate song to raise the emotional punch to new heights.
Ending: 15 (U Can Do It)
Ending themes are most effective when they're expanding the world of the anime, especially with quiet everyday moments that the series itself doesn't have time to explore. Ending 15 accomplishes just that, depicting an off day for Naruto in which he organizes a small training session.
Backed by the upbeat U Can Do It from the all-girl pop trio DOMINO, Konohamaru, Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee spar with Naruto, each challenging him with their own fighting styles. The background color changes with each challenger, and the pace of action matches perfectly in time with the ideal song for the story being told.
Opening: 13 (Not Even Sudden Rain Can Defeat Me)
The standout of the second half of opening themes (along with fellow notables 16, 18, and 20), NICO Touches the Walls comes in again with another strong contribution. Not Even Sudden Rain Can Defeat Me soundtracks the parallel showdowns between Naruto and Tobi, and the Five Kage and a reanimated Madara Uchiha.
Opening by overlaying each Kage (and Sasuke oddly enough) with an animal or natural force, things pick up when Madara attacks and the Kage jump into action, while Naruto races up towards a waiting Tobi. The song's guitar goes at a million miles an hour, keeping pace with the high-level clashes and elevating the excitement of an already intense opening.
Ending: 8 (Bacchikoi!!!)
Effectively serving as a good bit of levity in a series that certainly has its share of heavy moments, Ending 8's Bacchikoi!!! is hilariously fun. The trio of Sakura, Ino, and Hinata kick things off by doing coordinated dances to the charismatically performed lyrics, before the perfect ringleaders, Might Guy and Rock Lee take the reins, pulling in an apprehensive Naruto along with them.
Before long they're all together, dancing and posing as if they're in a big-budget music video. Rock/Rap group Devparade's committed performance is just as if not more important than anything the very fitting visuals contribute.
Opening: 2 (Distance)
Another highlight of the very strong early opening themes in the anime series, Opening 2's Distance by band Long Shot Party plays as a perfect upbeat contrast to some of the serious thematic elements explored in the opening's visuals. The powerful lyric "You are my friend" rings true to Naruto's feelings, as a younger version of him walks towards a similarly aged Sasuke.
Simultaneously, Team Yamato (Yamato, Sai, Naruto, and Sakura) is introduced as they confront Orochimaru and Kabuto while attempting to retrieve Sasuke. Naruto and Sasuke bookend the opening, meeting face to face as their older selves, standing as enemies, and bringing a bit of tragic irony to that prominent lyric.
Ending: 6 (Broken Youth)
NICO Touches the Walls cement themselves as anime theme MVPs with Ending 6's Broken Youth. The story is set in a parallel universe where Naruto and Sasuke are wandering ronin, each with a bounty on their heads.
The laid-back groove of the song picks up when they cross paths and recognize each other. They find themselves in a standoff, with the music and tension between them building, and just as both prepare to strike, the croaking of a frog kills the mood. Every moment of Ending 6 lands beautifully, the results of a flawless merging of song, visual, and vibe.
Opening: 7 (Toumei Datta Sekai)
An opening that never fails to affect any Naruto fan, Opening 7 begins with Jiraiya in some ethereal plane, putting pen to paper. His former students, Pain (AKA Nagato) and Konan look upon his beloved Konoha village, before springing into action and launching their attack.
Artist Motohiro Hata's Toumei Datta Sekai soundtracks the battle, playing under the destruction and devastation of the village fans know better and more intimately than any other place in the ninja world. Naruto finally bursts onto the scene, backed by flashes of lightning as the song crescendoes, and he and Pain clash in a culmination of pure epicness.
Ending: 12 (For You)
Arguably the most beautiful and emotional theme in all of Naruto, Ending 12 opens with a young Sakura, quickly ed by a similarly aged Jiraiya, Naruto, Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. From there, the visuals flow in and out of the lives of each of them, hitting on some of their lowest points, before transitioning to their brighter present.
Pop singer AZU's gorgeous ballad For You breathes both heartache and elation into the ending, lifting up already powerful scenes to the next level. Sight and sound combine to impeccably connect the Legendary Sannin to their most prized students.
