How does Sasuke lose his arm and does he ever get it back? The ‘Naruto Shippuden’ episode where it happens, explained

Sasuke Uchiha was everyone’s favorite bad boy in the original Naruto Shippuden run. At first glance a cold-hearted killer and bitter rival of hero Naruto Uzumaki, viewers were slowly introduced to Sasuke’s violent backstory.

Most of the early episodes involving Sasuke saw him locked in a deadly quest for vengeance against his older brother after the latter had murdered most of his clan. After teaming up with Naruto, Sasuke came to consider him his only friend – endearing the antihero to viewers.

But Sasuke’s ambitions to be the strongest shinobi ran deep, leading to his betrayal of Naruto. In episode 476, the pair fought a titanic battle. They charged at each other with such force that both lost an arm in the crush – Sasuke his left and Naruto his right. “The Final Battle,” as it is known, knocked some sense into Sasuke as he quickly abandoned his lust for power. While Naruto accepted a prosthetic arm after it was over, Sasuke chose not to do this, believing that the loss of his arm was just punishment for his many misdeeds.

In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, there are no signs that Sasuke will change his mind. Even so, he is still a skilled warrior, using his katana to deadly effect. Even without his arm, Sasuke is still considered one of the strongest shinobi of all-time alongside Naruto himself. It is thought that, together, the pair have the power to destroy the world.

But the shinobi-infested world of Naruto is a dangerous one, and it remains to be seen if the reformed Sasuke will survive.