Naruto’s eponymous main character has undergone several major changes. He started the series as a normal kid with a decent amount of potential. At certain points in the franchise, he was closer to a living god than a shinobi. His transformations have defined the shōnen genre, and they’re a great way of tracking his progress.
Naruto was always going to be strong. His father was the Fourth Hokage, his mother was a descendant of one of the toughest clans around, and he had the Nine Tails sealed inside of him from the moment he was born.
Naruto was taught by some of the strongest and smartest ninjas around. He was able to fulfill every ounce of his potential thanks to help from Iruka, Kakashi, Jiraiya, his parents, and more. Unlike series like Dragon Ball, Naruto’s transformations aren’t as straightforward in terms of power-scaling as they seem.
Base Form
Naruto before His Massive Transformations
Before he was the Seventh Hokage, Naruto was a (relatively) normal kid. He grew up an orphan in a village that was scared of him. It was a tough childhood for the future leader of Konoha, but Naruto did incredibly well given his circumstances. Not only did he deal with his situation well, he overcame a ton of adversities to become a powerful kid.
Naruto was one of the strongest kids in his cohort. He wasn’t as strong as Sasuke was, but he held his own on more than one occasion. At this point in the franchise, Naruto didn’t know how to tap into Kurama’s power at all. He was a regular genin, and not too long after, he was anything but normal.
Demon Fox Cloak (Version 1)
Kurama’s Chakra Leaking Out
Naruto was much scarier than Naruto: Shippuden, and the Demon Fox Cloak form was a big reason why. Before Naruto became friends with Kurama, he had little to no control over the tailed beast’s power within him. When Naruto became filled with rage, Kurama’s chakra would leak out.
Most refer to this form as Version 1 of the Tailed Beasts Modes. This version sees its user begin to use the chakra of the tailed beasts inside of them. Because Naruto didn’t have a good relationship with Kurama, he wasn’t able to control himself very well using this form.
Still, the Demon Fox Cloak form, as Jiraiya referred to it, gave Naruto a huge boost in power that immediately separated him from the rest of his fellow genin. It wasn’t enough to take down some of the strongest characters in Naruto, but it was certainly a start.
Version 2
Naruto Losing Even More Control
Version 2 of the Tailed Beasts forms is a little different from the first. Both the first and second versions of the Tailed Beasts forms see jinchuuriki tap into the power of the tailed beasts inside of them, but Version 2 differs because the form becomes more physical.
The first form surrounds the jinchuuriki in chakra that looks like air or steam. The second form creates tougher chakra that encases the user, making it seem like a more complete transformation. When Naruto was fighting Pain, he unleashed six of the nine tails within him, adding a skeletal structure to the chakra around him.
Naruto’s Version 2 transformation is substantially stronger than Version 1. Version 2 is enough to put both Orochimaru and Pain on the defensive, and they’re some of the strongest villains in Naruto.
Sage Mode
Naruto’s First Use of Senjutsu
Naruto’s Sage Mode is one of the coolest transformations in the franchise. It’s one of the few transformations that he earns without Kurama’s help, and that’s one of the many reasons why it feels so satisfying. Naruto is also one of the few characters in the franchise to use the form, and he mastered senjutsu in almost no time at all.
Sage Mode is one of the strongest forms in the series because it abides by different rules. While some characters are impervious to ninjutsu, like one of the Pains, senjutsu is still effective. It can damage even the toughest of enemies, and it gives Naruto a chance to add sage chakra to some of his strongest jutsu.
Partial Transformation
Naruto Was Close to Losing it All
It’s hard to tell whether Sage Mode is stronger than Naruto’s Partial Transformation, but it seems like the Partial Transformation takes the cake. Naruto was doing very well against Pain using Sage Mode, but Pain looked hopeless when Naruto entered the Parial Transformations.
Again, because Naruto didn’t have a good relationship with Kurama during his fight against Pain, he wasn’t able to control it. Most other jinchuuriki, however, are able to control their Partial Transformations and add them to their arsenal of attacks.
This form saw Naruto almost lose complete control of himself to Kurama, but thanks to his father, he was able to regain his composure and finish his fight with Pain.
Kurama Mode
Naruto Learned Kurama’s Name for the First Time
Naruto’s friendship with Kurama is a major milestone in the series. Since the very beginning, the Nine-Tailed Fox has been nothing but an enemy. He went on a rampage in Naruto’s village, killed both of Naruto’s parents (on Naruto’s birthday), and threatened to kill Naruto for years.
Naruto finally befriends the strongest tailed-beast and is able to use his chakra without losing himself. This form is most commonly referred to as Kurama Mode because Naruto is able to use it after Kurama finally gives him his name.
Naruto’s orange-glowing aura becomes iconic during the final arcs of Naruto: Shippuden, and it all started with this form. He gains his iconic aura, a cool cape, and marking around his body that show that he’s truly ascended to another level.
Six Paths Sage Mode
A Massive Upgrade on Kurama Mode
Somehow, Six Paths Sage Mode is an even bigger upgrade than Kurama Mode. Six Paths Sage Mode allows Naruto to break the rules binding other ninjas. He’s able to use the rare Sage Mode at an even more efficient level, he can sense Madara’s invisible shadows, and his strength and speed skyrocket.
All of Naruto’s normal abilities become much stronger in this form. He’s able to imbue all of his attacks with nature energy, making them effective against enemies who are impervious to normal ninjutsu. Without this form, Naruto would have had no chance in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Asura Kurama Mode
Naruto’s Strongest Form in Naruto: Shippuden
Asura Kurama Mode is Naruto’s strongest form in Naruto: Shippuden. Its first appearance couldn’t have come at a better time, as Naruto was facing Sasuke it what turned out to be one of the best fights in the history of anime. Naruto’s Asura Mode is just as big and bad as Sasuke’s Complete Susano’o, and it had to be.
Naruto was able to combine three Kurama avatars into one, creating a massive three-headed, six-armed construct that was able to launch multiple Rasengans at Sasuke. Naruto wasn’t able to sustain this form for long, but it lasted long enough to tank Sasuke’s strongest attack and damage Sasuke heavily at the same time.
Baryon Mode
Naruto’s Strongest Form in the Franchise
Baryon Mode isn’t just Naruto’s strongest form in Boruto, it’s his strongest form in the entire franchise. It’s a form that he only used once in a desperate attempt to beat Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. Baryon Mode is a form unique to Kurama that allows Kurama’s jinchuuriki, in this case Naruto, to use Kurama’s chakra as a form of fuel.
It’s not a normal usage of Kurama’s chakra like a tailed-beast transformation. Baryon Mode works similarly to nuclear fusion, creating an incredible amount of energy at the cost of permanently expending Kurama’s chakra.
To call Baryon Mode impressive would be an understatement. As Naruto gets stronger throughout the franchise, his abilities get bigger and louder. Baryon Mode is the exact opposite, showcasing the Seventh Hokage in a flow state with no unnecessary movements, superfluous thoughts, or even an ounce of wasted energy.
- First Episode Air Date
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October 3, 2002
- Cast
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Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei
