The collective 31-season Naruto anime series is where the real captivating tale of Naruto Uzumaki comes alive. However, the Naruto movies are the real pièce de résistance. You can’t miss them if you want to taste the delicacy in full.
Naruto is an anime supernova: the giant that illuminates the whole universe. The wise old mentor of the main character that drives the whole narrative from behind the scenes? Yeah, that. Naruto singlehandedly popularized anime in the West since its English dub first aired in 2005. And even after hundreds of new anime hitting the screens, it retains the same popularity.
The original 72-volume manga by Masashi Kishimoto tells the tale of Naruto Uzumaki in two parts: Volumes 1–27 take place during Naruto’s preteen years, and Volumes 28–72 capture his adventures during his adolescent years. Aniplex and Pierrot first created a 220-episode anime television series based on Part I from 2002-2007, simply titled Naruto. A subsequent series, titled Naruto: Shippuden then adapted Part II of the manga from 2007-2017 in 500 episodes.
The Naruto anime franchise has also sprouted 11 theatrical films and 12 original video animations (OVAs). The first three films correspond to the first series, and the remaining eight correspond to the second. Here is an elaborate list of all Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden movies in order:
1. Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (2004)
The first film in the series centers on a bodyguard mission undertaken by Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to protect an actress named Yukie Fujikaze. They are tasked by Kakashi Hatake to prevent Yukie from being captured during the production of her latest film.
Yukie is later revealed to be Koyuki Kazahana, a princess from an island known as the Land of Snow, hence the title of the film. In the United States, the film aired on Cartoon Network on Sept. 8, 2007. Though, it was originally released in Japan on Aug. 21, 2004. Chronologically, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow is set after episode 101 of the Naruto anime series.
2. Legend of the Stone of Gelel (2005)
The second film hit the Japanese theaters in Aug. 2005 and finds Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura caught in a war between the Sunaga village and a large force of armored warriors while on a ninja mission. The trio encounters a mysterious group led by a rogue ninja named Temujin, who possesses a powerful mineral called the Stone of Gelel.
Legend of the Stone of Gelel eventually made its way to Cartoon Network on July 26, 2008, and also became a direct-to-video film in the United States, released to DVD on July 29, 2008. It is chronologically set after episode 147 of Naruto.
3. Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (2006)
Somewhat echoing the first movie, Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom takes Naruto, Sakura, Lee, and Kakashi on yet another bodyguard mission to protect the future prince of the Land of Moon, Hikaru Tsuki, and his father Michiru. It is the third and last film of Part I. It received both a theatrical and DVD release in Japan, in Aug. 2006 and April 2007 respectively.
For the US audience, the film aired on Cartoon Network on Nov. 8, 2008, and was released on DVD three days later. Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom is set after episode 196 of the anime, and the film’s footage is seen in the opening and ending credits for episodes 197 through 199.
4. Naruto Shippuden the Movie (2007)
The first movie of the Naruto: Shippuden series and the fourth in order, Naruto Shippuden the Movie follows a teenager Naruto on a mission to protect the priestess Shion. He is accompanied by Sakura Haruno, Rock Lee, and Neji Hyuga as they attempt to bring her to the body of Mōryō, a demon attempting to conquer the world.
The idea is to seal his spirit away once more and fail Yomi’s plans, which can only be done by Shion. The film was released in Japan on Aug. 4, 2007, and on DVD in the United States on Nov. 10, 2009. The early trailer of the film alluding to Naruto’s death shocked fans, as it came after only 32 episodes into Naruto: Shippuden.
5. Bonds (2008)
Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, and Kakashi take the central stage in Bonds as enemy ninjas from the Land of the Sky arrive in Konoha and quickly set about attacking the village. The violence turns out to be an act of vengeance for the Hidden Leaf Village‘s devastating attack on the Sky Country during the Second Great Ninja World War.
After releasing two trailers, the opening sequence of episodes 70 and 73 of Naruto: Shippuden was replaced with footage from the film. The film, set after episode 71 was eventually released on Aug. 2, 2008. The English version of Bonds was released on DVD and Blu-ray on Oct. 25, 2011.
6. The Will of Fire (2009)
The third Naruto: Shippuden film, The Will of Fire takes place during the potential outbreak of the 4th Great Ninja World War. The plot comes down to Team 7 rescuing Kakashi against the orders of Tsunade as he sacrifices himself to end the world war. Team 8, Team 10 & Team Guy are sent to retrieve Naruto & Sakura as they battle the villain Hiruko, a missing-nin culprit.
The film hit the Japanese theaters on Aug. 1, 2009, followed by a North American release on Oct. 23, 2012, by Viz Media. The movie was unveiled by the Naruto 10th Anniversary website and is set after episode 126 of Naruto: Shippuden.
7. The Lost Tower (2010)
The seventh overall film, The Lost Tower debuted in July 2010 along with a little surprise—a comical short feature titled Naruto, the Genie, and the Three Wishes!! The film eventually reached the American audience by the courtesy of Viz Media on Sept. 17, 2013. It is set after episode 143 of Naruto: Shippuden.
The film takes us 20 years into the past along with Naruto and Yamato to the ancient city of Rōran. Our hero is tasked to capture a missing-nin named Mukade, who has unleashed a powerful forbidden jutsu. The Lost Tower ultimately follows Team 7’s struggles to thwart Mukade’s scheme both in the past and the present. The film was also released on DVD on April 27, 2011.
8. Blood Prison (2011)
Have you ever wanted Naruto in prison? Cause being that good of a hero has to be illegal. Well, Naruto does end up in prison in his eighth theatrical adventure, but for an assassination attempt on the Fourth Raikage during a diplomatic mission. Allegedly, of course. Blood Prison follows our hero imprisoned at Hōzukijou, where he discovers a sinister plot unfolding among the inmates.
He now has to unravel the mystery behind the prison’s secrets and clear his name off the false accusations. The thrilling saga, set after episode 196, landed in Japanese theaters on July 27, 2011, and in North America on Feb. 18, 2014.
9. Road to Ninja (2012)
Naruto and Sakura find themselves transported to an alternate reality in Road to Ninja, which is the polar opposite of their reality. This universe resulted from Tobi using a genjutsu-based, limited version of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the Limited Tsukuyomi. If you ever wondered how a womanizer Sasuke would be or how Naruto would be with his parents alive, the film offers it all.
Road to Ninja debuted halfway through the Naruto: Shippuden series after episode 251. It was released in Japan on July 28, 2012, and became the highest-grossing Naruto film surpassing Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow after 8 years.
10. The Last (2014)
The first canon film in the series, The Last is set before the finale of Naruto. It follows Naruto’s team on a mission to stop the moon from falling and rescue Hinata’s sister Hanabi from Toneri Otsutsuki. Toneri wishes to marry Hinata and punish mankind for weaponizing the chakra. The film resolves all loose plot ends while wrapping up the romantic relationships between the main characters.
The Last premiered in Japan on Dec. 6, 2014, followed by Viz Media and Eleven Arts screening it in 21 theaters North American theaters on Feb. 20, 2015. Naruto’s love confession to Hinata in the film remains among the most popular ones of all time.
11. Boruto (2015)
Boruto is the second canonical film in the series, first teased in the post-credits scene of The Last. It follows the son of Naruto and Hinata—Boruto Uzumaki as he trains with his father’s rival Sasuke to surpass him. It also features the children of other main characters, like Sarada Uchiha, the daughter of Sasuke and Sakura.
A sequel to the Naruto manga series, Boruto spawned a manga and an anime series titled Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. It became the 7th highest-grossing anime film in Japan after its release on Aug. 7, 2015. Boruto remains the highest-grossing movie in the Naruto franchise to date.