Naruto has been beloved by fans ever since its initial release, with its popularity only continuing to grow over time as the series expands. There are a ton of fans who have grown up alongside Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura — and all the peers, rivals, and mentors alike who guide them through their tumultuous journeys. It all begins with Iruka empathizing with a young, orphaned Naruto, and deciding to give him a chance when everyone else in Konoha ostracized him throughout his entire life.
It's no wonder Naruto manages to hold and grow its popularity over time. Underdog series often do well, and Naruto certainly earns his place as one of the most well-known. There are plenty of times when Naruto puts himself directly into the line of fire, proving he's capable of holding his own, defying all odds, and stealing the show.
10 He Stabs Himself In Order To Get Poison Out Of His Bloodstream
Whenever Team Seven sets out on their first official mission, they get much more than they bargain for. Due to being unable to pay the price of a higher-ranked mission, the client is forced to lie to Kakashi's team, and puts the group of rookies in genuine life-threatening danger.
During this mission, Naruto ends up being stabbed, and poison enters his bloodstream. He's able to neutralize it in a moment of bravery by stabbing his own hand, which even Kakashi is taken aback by — before telling him moments later that he'll die without proper medical attention.
9 He Teaches Himself The Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu Without Help
Naruto is an absolute laughingstock during his academy days, unable to produce even a single lifelike clone while his classmates can at least produce one or two. That changes almost immediately when Naruto's goaded by Mizuki to steal a forbidden scroll.
Naruto trains in secret using the knowledge the scroll contains, and thanks to the inhuman amount of chakra the Nine-Tails supplies him, he's able to learn the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. This is made even more impressive given his previous failures, and that he's able to single-handedly take down Mizuki using a forest full of clones.
8 He Stands Up To Orochimaru When Even Sasuke Won't
During the Forest of Death arc, Team Seven runs into Orochimaru for the very first time. Sasuke and Sakura immediately freeze up in fear upon realizing how powerful their opponent is compared to them, and it's one of the first moments where their lives feel genuinely in danger.
Naruto appears midway into the fight, standing up to Orochimaru despite how easily the foe stopped the other members of Team Seven. Naruto even goes as far as to say the Sasuke he knows wouldn't be acting like such a coward, even against an enemy like Orochimaru, which is what snaps Sasuke back into the fight.
7 He Proves To Neji That Even Failures Can Change Their Destiny
For much of the classic series, Naruto is looked upon by almost everyone else around him as an outcast and a failure. This has an effect on him and how he acts. Naruto seeks approval in any way he can when he's young — even if this means pulling petty pranks and riling others up.
After being shown belief and kindness from Iruka, Naruto begins to change himself little by little, despite the fact that he'd always been looked at as a failure. Not only is he able to clash against Neji with his opposing ideology, but Naruto ends up beating him, proving that even people branded as "failures" can still change themselves and their destiny.
6 He's Able To Tame The Nine-Tailed Fox Demon Inside Of Him
For much of classic Naruto, as well as Shippuden, Naruto is at odds with Kurama — the nine-tailed fox demon that was sealed away inside him at birth. It's no wonder why they're at odds with one another. Naruto is afraid of what Kurama's power might do, and keeps it sealed away unless he absolutely needs to call upon it. Meanwhile, Kurama is trapped inside a small prison within Naruto, unable to escape or act in any way.
However, like he tends to do with most characters in the series, Naruto affects Kurama as the two of them travel together. Over time, he gains the fox's respect, and Naruto in turn comes to view him as a trusted ally of the Leaf. Above all else, Naruto's dedication compels others to believe in and support him.
5 He Achieves His Lifelong Dream Of Becoming The Hokage
Naruto's ultimate dream has always been to become the Hokage, in order to gain the respect and acknowledgment of everyone in the Hidden Leaf village. He does mature over time, and he understands more of what being the Hokage and putting one's village first really means.
Naruto ultimately gains the attention of every person in the village when he becomes its Seventh Hokage. He personally adopts the Third's policy of treating everyone in the village like family and putting them above all else — demonstrating that his dream wasn't simply empty words all along.
4 He Comes Up With A Way To Combine Shadow Clones and Rasengan
Not only is Naruto able to teach himself the Shadow Clone Jutsu without anyone's assistance, but he's also able to learn the Rasengan and put his own spin on it — combining the two techniques together. It's even more impressive that he masters the Rasengan in only a week when he's still just genin-level.
Naruto then learns how to create the Rasengan using his Clones, in the event that one of his hands happens to be unusable at any point during a fight. It's an ingenious strategy and one that's seen working against the likes of Kabuto early on.
3 He Channels Grief Over Jiraiya's Passing Into Sage Mode Training
No matter how old someone is, or how many times they've gone through loss before, it's never easy to cope with. Naruto's been experiencing loss ever since birth, beginning with his parents and followed by many of the comrades he makes along the way.
The hardest hitting loss by far has to be Jiraiya's passing. Not only does he become Naruto's closest and most valued mentor, but the Toad Sage becomes an irreplaceable father figure for him. Naruto takes this intense grief and channels it into an intense, drawn-out training session that helps him unlock the power of Sage Mode.
2 He Learns How To Break Out Of Genjutsu Despite Not Being A Genjutsu-Type
Genjutsu, not heavily utilized in Naruto's universe, is one of the most powerful forms of supportive tools shinobi have. Even basic-level techniques can be used to disorient, confuse, or bind an opponent to make them easier to deal with. Advanced-level users such as Itachi have been shown to possess incredible destructive power.
Despite not being a genjutsu-type, Naruto learns how to break out of genjutsu in his own unique way, thanks to Jiraiya. He's later goes as far as to break out of one of Itachi's most powerful techniques — previously able to disable the likes of Kakashi.
1 He Channels The Nine-Tails Chakra For The First Time Against Haku
The first time Naruto truly awakens the spirit of the Nine-Tails shakes not just his enemies to the core, but Kakashi and Tazuna as well. He believes Sasuke to have been killed by Haku, and allows the beast's spirit to come out in a moment of blind rage.
The Nine-Tails' chakra is so powerful it leaves even Kakashi questioning if the boy in front of him at that moment is even the same Naruto. It might not have been Naruto's most powerful or impressive use of Kurama's power, but it deserves a spot for being the very first time it's properly channeled.