There are plenty of great anime series out there, but not many of those series have achieved the level of success that the Naruto franchise has. The franchise teaches audiences the value of hard work, friendship, and determination, but that is only one of the reasons why it is so popular, as the franchise has consistently provided fans with entertaining ninja battles that are filled with action.

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Naruto is the main protagonist, so it makes sense that he participated in many of the franchise's best fights, but he is not the only character who has fought fierce battles. There are plenty of battles in both Naruto and Shippuden that do not involve Naruto, and although they all feature skilled and talented ninja, a few of those battles are better than others.

10 The 3rd Hokage's Fight With Orochimaru Showed What A Kage-Level Looked Like

The 3rd Hokage's Fight With Orochimaru Showed What A Kage-Level Looked Like

When he was in his prime, the 3rd Hokage was undeniably stronger than Orochimaru, but that doesn't mean that their fight during the Konoha Crush Arc wasn't impressive. Orochimaru had assumed the identity of the Kazekage, and used the element of surprise to trap the 3rd Hokage inside a barrier.

The pair fought in an exhilarating battle, and fans got to see what Kage-level combat looked like when Orochimaru used the Reanimation Jutsu to bring back the 1st and 2nd Hokage. The three Hokage put on a clinic of taijutsu and ninjutsu, and it all ended when Lord Third sacrificed himself with the Reaper Death Seal.

9 Jiraiya's Fight With Pain Led To A Very Painful Loss

Pain Vs Jiraiya

Jiraiya infiltrated the Hidden Rain Village in order to uncover the identity of the Akatsuki's leader, and he ended up fighting two of his former students. At the beginning of his fight with Pain, he took on the Animal Path, which resulted in a great battle between a summoned toad and several other creatures.

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As the fight continued, Pain sent two additional bodies, including the Preta Path that can absorb most ninjutsu. Jiraiya was able to defeat all three of these bodies thanks to his Sage Mode, but Pain surprised him with another three bodies, and Jiraiya was soon outnumbered 6 to 1. Jiraiya continued to put up a fight, but the battle ended with the saddest death in the series.

8 Sakura & Chiyo Taking On Sasori & His 100 Puppets

Sakura & Chiyo Taking On Sasori & His 100 Puppets

Sasori killed the 3rd Kazekage and used his puppets to taker down an entire nation, which makes him one of the strongest ninja outside of Konoha. The Akatsuki's puppet master took on his grandmother and Sakura simultaneously, and after several of his puppets were destroyed, he was forced to use his own body along with his 100 best puppets.

Sasori controlled all of these puppets at once, but Sakura was able to hold her own thanks to some help from Sasori's grandmother, Chiyo, who used her 10 best puppets as well. This was the first major battle of Naruto: Shippuden and the level of action did not disappoint.

7 Sasuke Vs Killer B Had A Great Deal Of Action

Sasuke using a lighting sword against Killer B

Sasuke nearly died on several occasions, and Killer B was responsible for two of those close calls. Sasuke and his group went to capture B because he wanted the Akatsuki's help, and the fight started out with B overpowering Sasuke, Jugo, and Suigetsu with his sword skills.

Sasuke gets impaled with multiple swords and then gets hit with a Tailed Beast-infused lariat, and when he gets rescued, B transforms into the Eight-Tails. Suigetsu takes on the beast and gets hit by a Tailed Beast Bomb, and the fight ends shortly after when Sasuke hits him with Amaterasu's black flames.

6 Deidara's Battle With Sasuke Was Quite Explosive

Sasuke vs Deidara clone

Deidara was tasked with taking out Orochimaru, and when he learned that Sasuke killed him first, he decided to go after Sasuke instead. Deidara was the Akatsuki's explosives expert, and he specialized in ranged combat, which put him at a disadvantage against Sasuke's Sharingan since the young Uchiha's eyes can read enemy movements.

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Their battle featured a lot of explosions, and Sasuke was able to neutralize several bombs with his Lightning chakra. At one point, Deidara detonated a massive clone that produced hundreds of microscopic bombs, but Sasuke survived thanks to genjutsu, and he survived Deidara's final attack by summoning a giant snake to absorb the force of the blast.

5 The Battle Between Madara & Hashirama Set The Stage For The Entire Series

The battle between Madara and Hashirama in Naruto.

By the end of the series, it was quite clear that Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were two of the strongest characters in history, and that is because they both possess god-tier skill and chakra. In their prime, Madara had mastered both the Sharingan and Mangekyō Sharingan, while Hashirama had Wood Release and Sage Mode.

The two fought each other several times, but it was their final battle that was truly spectacular, as Madara controlled the Nine-Tails and covered it with his Susanoo. This battle altered an entire region, but it also set up events that spanned the entire series.

4 The Sharingan Was On Full Display During Sasuke's Battle With Danzo

Sasuke vs Danzo in Naruto

Danzo did a lot of terrible things, and he justified his actions by saying he only wanted to protect the Leaf Village. He helped orchestrate the Uchiha Clan massacre, and when Sasuke learned this, he traveled to the Five Kage Summit to kill him.

Sasuke ended up winning this fight, but Danzo proved to be a difficult opponent thanks to all his battle experience, but it also helped that he possessed multiple Sharingan which allowed him to use Izanagi to rewrite his death. This fight showed what the Sharingan was truly capable of, as every ability was used and the end result was a pretty brutal battle.

3 Shikamaru's Team Went After Hidan & Kakuzu To Avenge Azuma

Kakuzu standing with his hearts and Hidan in Naruto.

Thanks to some forbidden techniques, Hidan and Kakuzu were both technically immortal, and Hidan's immortality was on full display during his fight with Asuma, where he survived getting his head cut off. Asuma died during this encounter, and Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino set off to avenge their sensei. Kakashi agreed to help them as well.

The team ambushed the Akatsuki duo, but it didn't work, and the resulting battle led to an action-packed episode that was filled with taijutsu. The best part of this fight was watching Kakashi battle Hidan while also having to avoid attacks from all three of Kakuzu's mask creatures.

2 Sasuke's Battle With Itachi Was A Major Turning Point In The Series

itachi vs sasuke In The Uchiha Hideout

For years, Sasuke trained and sought out more power in order to kill his brother and avenge his clan, and the final battle between him and Itachi did not disappoint. The fight began with the brothers feeling each other out with genjutsu, and when they decided to finally get serious, they unleashed a barrage of shuriken at each other.

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Itachi's vision was already pretty bad because of overuse, but he was still able to match Sasuke, and later on in the fight, he manages to overpower his younger brother. Their Fire Style Justu clashed, and Itachi won by using Amaterasu, and he then used Susanoo to block all of Sasuke's attacks.

1 Kakashi's Battle With Obito Was Filled With Emotion

Kakshi's Battle With Obito Was Filled With Emotion

Quite a few people were responsible for Obito's downfall, including Kakashi, who wasn't able to keep Rin safe. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, Obito had been dead for years, which is what made his reveal as the fake Madara even more impactful.

He and Kakashi may have not gotten along when they were younger, but they still cared for each other, which is why their fight in Obito's special dimension was so emotional. The fight mainly focused on taijutsu, but what made it so good was the fact that it cut between their current and past selves.

NEXT: Naruto: 10 Minor Characters Who Changed Everything