Long ago, in the far-gone days of... 2002, there was once an obnoxious ninja who wanted to be Hokage. Who knew that someday this man would actually do it and pass on his dream to his son Boruto. We're of course talking about Naruto, better known these days as Boruto's dad. This Ninjutsu-based series was one of the big three for the longest time, reigning in the love under the spotlight along with One Piece and Bleach.
In fact, it just recently had a new game announced! And, no one can argue that Naruto has poorly-designed characters. In fact, it's a lot of the reason people were drawn to the show initially. And, Naruto loved to give characters costume changes whether it was through movies, time skips, or other events. So let's go through some of our favorite outfits/designs in the series overall.
10 Gaara Of The Sand
We'll start things off simple with one of the most striking and memorable designs in the show, Gaara of the Sand Village. Another Jinchurriki, like Naruto, Gaara stands out in any crowd. This is in part due to his gigantic gourd, red hair, and dark rings around his eyes. Most of us remember him best from his fight with Rock Lee or Naruto, but Gaara actually plays a decently sized part in the story overall. Personally, we think Gaara's design is the best example in the series of combining fashion and function. It's not too loud, or too garish, but it is absolutely striking nonetheless. Personally, the katakana on his head is the only aspect that's a bit overboard, but otherwise, 10/10.
9 Shippuden Naruto Uzumaki
And, speaking of Naruto, let's talk about his costume change from the OG series to Shippuden. It isn't a huge change, but it is absolutely an improvement. One of the long-running complaints about the show is how colorful these "ninja" are. How can a shinobi master the art of stealth if he's always in a bright orange and puffy jacket? To be fair, the kid can still beat most fictional ninjas. In any case, author Kishimoto gave us a little something by taking out the blue in his old costume and adding in some black, finally.
Honestly, there's not much to say about this costume, as it really just cleans up most of the issues with the original. It looks slimmer, cleaner, and overall more adult, which is perfect for a Naruto that's much less annoying than before.
8 The Akatsuki
Of course, we couldn't make a list about Naruto costumes without including the one that's probably been cosplayed the most. The Akatsuki are the villains for a large portion of Shippuden, they're a group of Rogue Ninjas working under "Tobi" who are striving to harness the power of all ten Jinchruiki. And they can be seen in any crowd thanks to their striking black and red robes. These full-body robes are simple, yet the red clouds add just the right amount of flair. It's not one of our favorite costumes, but we realize that the fans love it, so we made sure to include it all the same. And of course, out of all of them, Itachi pulls it off the best.
7 Tobirama Senju
Tobirama Senju was the second Hokage of the Hidden Leaf who played a huge part in establishing the city and its military might. We first see this Hokage in the flesh during the Orochimaru Invasion arc, but late in the story, we find out his past. Tobirama, frankly, has one of the best designs in the show, and we wish he played more of a part in the story. It's odd how adding a fur collar to any costume instantly makes it 10x better, but even more, than that, his design just works! Are the red scars a bit much? Sure. But they're not super loud, and the overall cohesiveness of the rest of his costume more than makes up for it. Give everyone fuzzy collars!
6 Shino Aburame
Poor Shino, one of the most beloved characters, who is seemingly despised by the author. Finally, Shino gets to spend his days in the spotlight due to becoming a teacher in the Boruto series, but most of the time spent here is as a pathetic comedic relief. But enough ranting, let's talk about how amazing Shino's design is. As a kid, his high colors work well to distinguish him from the rest without going too far, and as a teen, his hood is even more cohesive.
Then, finally, as an adult, for some reason he goes full Cyclops and gets a visor. While we aren't huge fans of his adult design, no one can argue that Shino is one of the best-restrained designs in the entire franchise.
5 Killer Bee
Next, it's time to talk about our boy Killer Bee. This man has it all, he has the charm, the representation, and even the power! Killer Bee is one of the most hardcore characters in the show, all while remaining likable and prominent in the events of the story. Bee is possessed by the eight-tailed octopus Jinchurriki, and as such he carries eight blades. Any design that can nail having the character carrying eight different weapons while not looking overly complicated is automatically a win in our book.
4 Orochimaru Style Outfits
Instead of talking about the outfit of a specific character, let's talk about a series of outfits worn by those working for Orochimaru. These beige and purple costumes are radically different from the garb worn by any other village, so they stick out well in any scene. The Shimenawa bow is the tell-tale sign of these costumes, and it does a fantastic job of making them feel sacred yet sacrilegious.
Of course, Orochimaru wears it best, but Sasuke's variation on the costume is probably his best design outside of the movies.
3 The Anbu
It's a shame that Anbu plays such a small role in the story because boy, do they look like actual shinobi! These black ops ninjas are essentially the elite force of the Hidden Leaf. Their costumes are always simplistic, black, and feature an animal mask that hides the wearer's face. This slight variation is enough to make every Anbu member feel individual and we personally just adore their aesthetic as a whole. Plus, Kakashi was in the Anbu at one point! The White Wolf of the Leaf Village. Oh, and Sai was too, though it seems like his shirt might've shrunk in the wash.
2 Frog Sage Naruto
It's only fair that Naruto's on here twice, considering he's the main character of the show and he has tons of different forms/transformations. There's his kid design, teen design, adult design, fox chakra shroud form, Sage of the Six paths form, full fox form, and finally his Frog Sage form. And, out of all of them, the Frog Sage form is the best. This is the form Naruto takes when he utilizes natural Chakra. It's just different enough from the original to feel special, yet doesn't go way overboard like his "pure Chakra" forms tend to do. The horizontal pupils, more complex robe, and red makeup all combine to make it his most simplistic striking costume in the whole series, and we couldn't gush about it enough.
1 The Last: Movie Designs
Naruto: The Last might be one of the worst movie titles we've ever heard. Hopefully, they never plan to make anything Naruto related again after this, or this movie will sound even more ridiculous. Obviously the intention is that this movie would be the final piece of Naruto media before they fully transition to Boruto, but still. In any case, the designs for the cast in this film are absolutely some of the best in the series. Adult Sasuke for example, is the best he's ever looked by far. And, after over a decade, Naruto is finally wearing an all-black outfit. All it took was literally the end of the franchise for this spunky Hokage to actually dress for espionage. Who would have thought it?