The Naruto franchise is filled with battles many anime fans regard as the best fights of all time, but ten from the first part stand head and shoulders above the rest. Some of the series' greatest moments are not always part of the best fights. Moments like Naruto's first Rasengan against Kabuto and Chōji's giant win against the Sound Ninja Jirōbō came after some one-sided beatdowns that don't always fair well with repeat viewings. However, that is not the case for the Naruto series' best fights, which continue to excite viewers decades after their debut.

Masashi Kishimoto's ninja epic concluded its 700-chapter run in 2014, with the anime airing its final episode in 2017. The sequel series revolving around Naruto's son, Boruto, has been ongoing, but the story of how Naruto became the Seventh Hokage still holds a close place in many fans' hearts. With the anime recently celebrating its 20th anniversary, there hasn't been a better time to look back at the story of the young orphan who saved the Shinobi world with empathy and a lot of really cool ninja battles.

10 Shikamaru vs Temari (Episode #64)

Some fans prefer the more subdued and strategy-heavy fights of Naruto Part 1 compared to Naruto Shippuden's large-scale battles. Not many of the fights get more clever than Shikamaru vs. Temari. Gaara's sister Temari first tried to defeat the lazy Konoha genin by overpowering him with her sizeable club-like fan and her sharp wind attacks. Shikamaru became a difficult target by hiding in the shadows. Although the match technically ends in a draw, its conclusion sees the young Konoha ninja proving his strategic mind superior to Temari's overwhelming strength. He uses his limited resources and environment to stealthily connect his Shadow Possession technique to the cautious Sand Ninja. Sneaky and brilliant as a great ninja should be.

9 Naruto Vs Neji (Episode #60 - #62)

Throughout Part 1's epic Chunin Exam arc, Neji had been built up as one of the most talented and dangerous ninjas in training. His skills attracted the attention of powerful characters like Gaara and Sasuke. However, Naruto was chosen to fight the young Hyuga prodigy in one of the exam's very public battles. After watching Neji brutally defeat Hinata and learning about the Hyuga clan's barbaric hierarchy, Naruto rose to the occasion and not only fulfilled his vow to beat Neji to his future wife but pledged to change his opponent's clan once he became Hokage—one of Naruto's most significant steps towards becoming the man he'd grow into.

8 Third Hokage vs Orochimaru (Episodes #69 - #73)

Orochimaru had proven that he was a ninja to be feared during the Chunin exams, but near its end, he brought about the largest-scale ninja battle the Naruto series had seen yet. An assassination attempt on the elder Third Hokage eventually proved successful, but not without many twists, turns, and, unfortunately, some overly drawn-out scenes. Several highlights from the battle include Orochimaru introducing the Reanimation technique to viewers by resurrecting the First, Second, and almost the Fourth Hokage to aid him in battle. The Third ultimately uses the Reaper Death Seal to handicap the rouge ninja for the remainder of the series. It would be some time before Naruto fans would see such combat with consistently high-level jutsu again.

7 Sasuke Vs Orochimaru (Episode #30)

Orochimaru's first major test for the young Uchiha Sasuke surprised both the Legendary Sannin and anime viewers in Naruto episode #30. During the fight, the rouge Konoha ninja was masquerading as a Sound Ninja in the Forest of Death part of the Chunin Exams. With Sasuke seemingly out of options and Naruto out of commission, the fledgling Uchiha took on the older ninja with his early Sharingan and everything he'd learned to that point in the series. The fight's climax saw Sasuke restraining Orochimaru with dozens of flammable wires, and blasting him with a powerful Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu that burned into fan's minds as one of Sasuke's most astounding attacks.

6 Neji Vs Sound Ninja Kidōmaru (Episodes #115 - #117)

Neji's character was introduced in Part 1 of Naruto as a ninja with incredible strength, intelligence, and abilities. One by one, those features are stripped away from Neji during his battle against Sound Ninja Kidōmaru. The cockiness that exuded from Neji during his introduction was cracked against Naruto, but it was shattered against Kidōmaru. The Sound Ninja's long-distance attacks and disturbing spider summons dissected the talented Hyuga's weaknesses.

The Sound Ninja had a way past each of Neji's overpowered abilities. After sending out countless attacks, Kidōmaru was able to ascertain the one point on Neji's body that he could not protect. Several sharp objects then hit their target and severally wounded one of Konoha's most esteemed genin. Dedicated to helping Naruto, the ninja who changed his life, failure wasn't an option for Neji. Backed against a wall, Neji had to get creative for what might be the first time in his life and took a powerful attack through the hip to create an opportunity to stun and close in on his sniping enemy. Neji barely won, but he showed fans what he was made of.

5 Naruto Vs Gaara (Episodes #76 - #79)

Not long after shocking onlookers with his defeat of Neji, Naruto managed to save an exhausted Sasuke before Gaara landed a killing blow. As Gaara grew increasingly unhinged due to the bloodthirsty Tailed Beast chakra trapped inside him, Naruto pushed the once untouchable threat mentally and physically. Konoha's most unpredictable ninja managed to land hundreds of punches with an overwhelming Shadow Clone assault and even land a hilarious Thousand Years of Pain attack with an explosive kunai on Gaara's partial transformation. The epic fight culminates in a surprising Kaiju battle in the forest, a demon-shattering headbutt, and a tearful reconciliation that changes Gaara forever.

4 Orochimaru vs Tsunade And Jiraiya (Episodes #95 - #96)

Naruto and Gaara's big Kaiju battle in the forest was sured in the following arc when the Leaf's Legendary Three Sannin reunited. While Naruto's first Rasengan against Kabuto was one of the series' best moments, Orochimaru's fight against Jiraiya and Tsunade would show viewers how large ninja battles could be with each Sannin summoning their own giant creatures. Each summoning paired well with the Sannin's powerful abilities and produced some of the largest attacks the series had seen. In hindsight, Jiraiya and Tsunade's epic team-up against Orochimaru felt like a preview of many of the battles that would come later in Naruto Part 2.

3 Kimimaro vs Rock Lee (Episodes #123 - #124)

Fresh from recovering from a life-threatening surgery to heal from a career-ending injury, Rock Lee had many reasons not to show up during the Sasuke Retrieval arc, but he did. Orochimaru's follower, Kimimaro, was a final barrier to reaching Sasuke. Naruto stood little chance against his outstanding taijutsu and Shikotsumyaku abilities that let him manipulate his bones to create brutal attacks. Rock Lee's inability to use chakra and exceptional fight against Gaara made Lee a fan-favorite character. However, when he arrived to fight one of the deadliest ninjas after being told he might never be able to be a ninja again, it solidified Rock Lee as one of anime's greatest characters. Then, he accidentally drank sake instead of his medicine.

Lee's natural prowess at drunken boxing overwhelmed Kimimaro and the viewer's funny bones. Rock Lee's determination, martial arts skills, and hilarious yet touching bond with Guy Sensei helped elevate the Kimimaro battle to one of Part 1's best battles. It's a fight that masterfully combines excellent character writing, jaw-dropping fight choreography, stellar animation, and a surprising amount of well-timed humor between moments of fantastic hand-to-hand combat. Rock Lee's final canon fight in Naruto Part 1 would raise the franchise's bar for taijutsu battles to levels that the franchise would rarely reach again.

2 Rock Lee vs Gaara (Episodes #48 - #50)

The Chunin Exam's Preliminaries took the murderous and previously untouchable Gaara of the Sand and saw him take damage for the very first time in his life. When Rock Lee drops his comically heavy strength training weights and then proceeds to deliver a beat down on the series' scariest character introduced so far, it became and remains one of the most satisfying fights in the anime medium. To say the scene is iconic is an understatement because it's a strong contender for a first fight to show someone who knows nothing about anime. Rock Lee versus Gaara is a battle that has helped many people get introduced to anime.

Rock Lee versus Gaara works so well on many levels, which helps it be enjoyable to watch, even without story context. 3D animation, which was revolutionary for the time, allowed the background to move dynamically with the fluid movement of Gaara's sand and Lee's fast attacks. The fight also effectively explains how the Eight Gates Technique works, putting a microscope on Lee's tragic character and the hardcore training he'd endured to gain the strength needed to compete against ninjas capable of using chakra. Lee represents a character who accomplishes wonders despite not being born with what many others are gifted. While his skills were not enough to win against Gaara, Rock Lee won the hearts of countless viewers.

1 Naruto Vs Sasuke (Episode #128 - #134)

Part 1's climax is Naruto's best fight because it has the action, story, and emotional impact that's required to make a great Naruto battle and what all of the series' plot threads had been leading up to. While the battle has its fill of outstanding action, Naruto and Sasuke's first battle at the Valley of the End is as epic as it is emotional. The two young ninjas formed a strong brotherly bond with one another throughout all of Part 1's arcs, and that bond's weight is tested in this battle, which reveals much about Naruto and Sasuke's character.

Each character in Part 1's best battle is desperate for different reasons. Sasuke is determined to grow stronger with Orochimaru's aid so he can avenge his entire clan. While Naruto is willing to risk everything to protect his friend and the first real bond he'd ever established. Each attack thrown comes with emotional weight that delivers as nearly as much tears as it does adrenaline to watch. The battle's conclusion sees Sasuke win but refuses to kill his best friend to gain more power. Naruto versus Sasuke is Part 1's best anime fight because its emotional highs are so effectively propped up and conveyed by the fight's epic action, animation, and choreography.

Years after its final episode aired, clips from the Naruto anime's best fights are still consistently shared and ired by existing and new fans online. The Naruto series' emotional storylines greatly assisted its battles in feeling rewarding to watch. Although the franchise has continued with Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, the original Naruto anime still holds up, especially its fight scenes.

Watch Part 1 of the Naruto anime on streaming platforms and Viz Media.

Sources: TheRamenGuy, Naruto Uzumaki, Kasikamic Vids, Jason Perez, Hidden leaf otaku, Nohara Family, Flashback A, vizmedia (1,2)/ YouTube