10 Of The Greatest Naruto Anime Music Videos
From straight-up tributes celebrating the most beloved characters in "Naruto" and "Naruto: Shippuuden", to videos paying homage to the more intricate relationships in the franchise, to footage honoring films that delve beyond the official cannon, these are the 10 best Naruto AMVs of all time.
Addicted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjqzqmrHMBE
Song: Addicted / Silver End | Maker: justSyker | Awards: None
Editor justSyker essentially took a carpe diem anthem about getting addicted to life and transformed it into a video about being addicted to fighting. On a deeper level, editor justSyker made it into an AMV about fighting because the characters in "Naruto" are addicted to life (read: they don't want to die). Regardless, the video is fast and full of action. What could be better?
Plus, it's always great when video editors use clips that match up with literally what's being sung in a given song. That's exactly what editor justSyker did in "Addicted."
When vocalist/guitarist Christian Lerø sings "Stand up/Stand up," Danzou Shimura "stands up" with a determined look on his face. When Christian sings "Wake up/Wake up," we see Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha opening their eyes. Similarly, there's a more dramatic point in the video when Sasuke's eyes open after Christian sings "Open/Your eyes."
We love it when things work out like that.
Gaara: The Duality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m3dqtdLj8k
Song: Seizure Of Power / Marilyn Manson | Maker: Grace of Darkness (GoD Studios) / produced by TNS Productions / in association with AZ Productions | Awards: None
When you find a Gaara video entitled "the best gaara amv," you click the heck out of it. No exceptions. This is one of the best Naruto AMVs out there and, quite possibly, the best Gaara one. Seeing as there's a more emotional video of Gaara later on in this list, we needed to find one that depicted him during his earlier days before he became all grown up with "lame" adult responsibilities. He was much more bad ass when he was an angry, little brat.
This video is a testament to just how messed up Gaara was. While "Seizure of Power" is a Marilyn Manson song, this tune is completely instrumental (with no vocals from the rocker), leaving nothing but the raw power of the music to convey Gaara's craziness. While the main focus of this AMV ostensibly seems to be Gaara's fights during the Chuunin Exams, there's so much more behind it. Just read the title. "The Duality." It's about Gaara's demons.
The first time we see anything remotely related to Gaara's inner anguish is right after his fight against Rock Lee. And the way editor Grace of Darkness slips in these moments is just chilling.
The first one happens during a signature part of the song when we hear two "chugs" followed by complete silence. Before the "chugs," there's nothing but a black screen. Right when we hear those first two "chugging" notes, a still, partial image of Gaara clutching his head and yelling (at us) towards the ground appears. The picture then vanishes when the music stops. When the momentary silence is broken with more chugging, another still picture of a more saddened Gaara appears on the black screen. It, too, disappears into blackness once the chugging ends. Finally, a creepy image of a grinning Gaara clutching one eye as he stares menacingly at the screen appears before disappearing into the blackness in the same fashion.
And this is only the beginning.
Akatsuki Tribute
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuhI5f12m18
Song: Heathens / Twenty One Pilots | Maker: AC DFRO | Awards: None
We admit it. Everyone knows this song. It's awesome. Plus, anyone who's watched "Naruto: Shippuuden" knows that the Akatsuki are heathens. And, while they're not really friends (despite the song's lyrics "All my friends are heathens..."), they "co-mingle." Yes, the words "Akatsuki," "Heathens" and "AMV" were all entered into the YouTube search engine to find such a video. There needed to be at least one AMV with that combination on this list. And we found one!
That being said, this particular video really deserves a spot here. It should come as no surprise that there are a slew of Naruto AMVs paying homage to Akatsuki by using this song, and this is the best one.
As everyone knows (because the song is impossible to escape), the tune is moderately slow. Because of this, many of the "Akatsuki Heathens AMV" renditions out there are also slow. Agonizingly so. But, here, AC DFRO "sped it up" by playing around with the song's beat by rapidly switching back and forth between scenes when appropriate. AC DFRO did this quickly enough to keep our attention, but not too fast to make it seem forced. Plus, for that "K-SH" sound that can be heard during the verses, AC DFRO throws in a static-y image that pops up momentarily over the main footage. It's cool. And dramatic.
Like we said, it's the perfect combo.
Unspoken - Hurts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwX4hocZUZg
Song: Unspoken / Hurts | Maker: Dark AMVs | Awards: None
There are literally hundreds (okay, maybe not hundreds, but a lot) of Sasuke and Itachi tribute Naruto AMVs on YouTube. While many of them feature a great song or show off some really cool editing techniques, these videos normally misuse key scenes that ruin everything. Yes, "misuse" is the right word. So is the word "ruin."
Take a moment and think of what Sasuke and Itachi's most pivotal scene is. How about the one when Itachi does that childhood "forehead-poke" thing to Sasuke "during" their climatic fight? If you're going to somehow incorporate that moment into your video, don't use it willy-nilly. And, unfortunately, there's a lot of "willy-nillying" going on in these other tributes. It's a great scene. Make it count. Don't squander it.
In this video, it definitely counts and isn't squandered. Here, Dark AMVs actually "tells" the story of Sasuke and Itachi's relationship by presenting the scenes chronologically. And the moment this important scene occurs is just perfect.
Then there's the video's lyrics. Take a gander at this line: "And leave the rest unspoken/I'll never change my mind." Those words alone really say a lot (pun intended) about Itachi and Sasuke's relationship. There are so many words that Itachi left unspoken. And based on what happens to both characters, the song's final lyrics take on a whole new meaning: "So just let me go/I won't change my mind./I'd rather be lonely/Than be by your side." Damn.
Then there's dat bridge! As vocalist Theo Hutchcraft repeatedly sings the words "Leave it unspoken," Dark AMVs included monumental footage (with audio) of when "Tobi" "speaks" Itachi's unspoken words to Sasuke. That's deep on so many levels.
Naruto and Kurama: Save Me If I Become My Demons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMdH5mbchoQ
Song: My Demons / Starset | Maker: HiddenWhiteFang | Awards: None
Sometimes, the title of a song just really gets you excited when it's paired with a certain AMV concept. First, we have a song called "My Demons." Second, the title of the music video is "Save Me If I Become My Demons." And who has a "demon" -- or, to be more precise, a tailed beast -- inside him? Who could potentially "become" his demon if provoked? That's right. Naruto! And, yes. You guessed it. (You probably guessed it when you read the title of the video, but that's neither here nor there.) This music video is about Naruto and Kurama. There are so many wins right now on literally every possible level.
But this video doesn't just contain clips of Naruto struggling as a Jinchūriki. (But don't worry, there are plenty of those to be had.) Editor HiddenWhiteFang managed to slip in a few intense moments that not only relate to the song's lyrics but are highly emotional. Probably the most touching one occurs when vocalist Dustin Bates sings "I need a savior to heal the pain." At that time, we're shown Minato Namikaze appearing to Naruto in "chakra form" and then Kushina speaking to Naruto later on in the series. They're definitely Naruto's saviors.
On a less "emotional" level, when "the enemy" is mentioned during the song, we see Naruto fighting his "darker self," which is yet another one of his many demons. Nice.
The only downside of the video is that HiddenWhiteFang decided to incorporate dubbed parts into the video rather than subbed. If you can get past that, then you'll be fine. If not, then, oh well. This is still one of the best Naruto AMVs of all time. HiddenWhiteFang took advantage of the song's quiet bridge by adding audio from the show as well as the film "Road To Ninja". They all have to do with Naruto's "demons." The most intense audio clip is when Kushina pleads to Minato to not make Naruto a Jinchūriki. It's insanely poignant.
NaruHina - Gravity (Naruto and Hinata)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LewKxu0zdDQ
Song: Gravity (feat. Liz Kretschmer) / Umpire | Maker: Antares Amv | Awards: None
For all us Naruto nerds, we know what NaruHina means: it's a term signifying the romantic relationship between Naruto and Hinata Hyūga. There are many, many, many Naruto AMVs that pay homage to these two characters. So the fact this one made the list should already be impressive enough.
However, it should also be noted that once "The Last: Naruto the Movie" came out, the NaruHina universe was forever changed. The floodgates literally opened. In no time, the internet was soon filled with scenes and memes from the movie. It's now literally impossible to find a NaruHina video that doesn't honor "The Last" in some way. So, naturally, this music video also features a great deal of scenes from the movie.
However, this "post-floodgate" phenomenon can also have another effect. Ever since the film came out in 2014, it feels as though people have completely forgotten about their relationship in the actual show. Luckily, editor Antares Amv didn't discriminate when it came to including pivotal scenes from "Shippuuden" in this music video.
It also helps that this video isn't just a slew of romantic scenes. (There are plenty of fight scenes, too.) It's from Hinata's perspective. This is clear from the very beginning when we see Hinata staring at Naruto before there's a flash of light, sending us to a series of "past" clips. This strategy creates the illusion that what we're seeing (after the flash) are Hinata's memories. As a rule of thumb, "POV" videos are usually more engaging than plain tributes. And that's definitely the case here.
And while the verses are slow (like all great romance videos generally are), editor Antares Amv edited it so that the scenes quickly "leap" back and forth to quicken the pace. (Many other NaruHina videos don't do this. They stumble onward.). What also helps is that the chorus in "Gravity" is, well, kind of different from the verses. It's fast. When the chorus hits, the song gets wild. Like, it's literally filled with crazy noises and other forms of DJ magic. And Antares Amv does not let them go to waste.
How? Antares literally speeds the clips up, like insanely speeds them up. Antares even "rewinds" some. This editing technique might bother some viewers, however, it works because they accurately depict each refrain's "chaos" and break up the lovey-dovey (sometimes monotonous) verses.
One of the more creative moments takes place during the first chorus. As people who are familiar with the song know, Umpire employs a strange whirring sound during each refrain. In the first chorus, Antares included a clip where Naruto's seal spins at the exact moment this noise occurs, making it appear as though the "whirring" is coming from the spinning seal. It's comical, yet brilliant.
Oh, and, yes, the scene when Pain slams Hinata into the ground is used. And it's fantastic. In fact, this moment in the anime is incredibly important when it comes to Naruto and Hinata's relationship. We're glad Antares Amv decided to use it even though the "focus" of the video is "The Last" film. Heck, we all want the movie to be official, and the best way to make it appear as though it's canon is by pairing it with Naruto episodes. Let's canonize the crap out of that movie!
Sunrise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHyIrtDUQ3U
Song: Sunrise / Our Last Night | Maker: AnimeOpEd | Awards: None
What's interesting about this music video is that editor AnimeOpEd not only chose certain scenes for this video -- which you have to do anyway cuz, duh, you can't make an AMV otherwise-- but also chose what words to underline.
AnimeOpEd did this by literally editing specific words from the song's lyrics to appear over certain clips. While creating a cool effect, doing so in turn generated additional themes in the process. In the first half of the opening verse, the words "despair," "darkness" and "scared" pop up when we see Sasuke finding the bloody remains of his family. This was a rather ingenious way of making the viewer realize that, yes, Sasuke experienced despair, he was lost in darkness and was undoubtedly scared at that time.
When combined with the chorus, this strategy of underlining certain words creates a rather powerful effect. This is especially the case during the first chorus. Right when the chorus drops, Naruto punches the crap out of Pain, making it feel as though Naruto is "punching" the negative words we saw earlier (and their respective images) away. It also helps that, while the verses are dark and gloomy, the chorus is bright and cheerful.
One of the most heart-felt moments actually occurs in the first verse during a similar switch in tone. Right before the chorus, there's a moment when the melody changes from a depressing one to an upbeat major chord progression. At that moment, AnimeOpEd brilliantly chose to enhance this "transition" by including the heart-wrenching scene when Kushina throws herself at a stunned Naruto before wrapping her arms lovingly around him. It's a touching moment in the anime, and the way it's paired with the music is just beautiful.
Conquer {Gallant Jiraiya}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A01XGczHIk0
Song: Shattered / Trading Yesterday | Maker: MasterChick184 | Awards: First place in unknown tournament
This song is depressing as hell. This tribute is depressing as hell. Together, they make one hell of a depressing video ... and probably one of the saddest Naruto AMVs of all time. We all know what happens to Jiraiya. And it just makes us miss his pervy nature all the more ... especially when we watch this music video.
When making this tribute to the life of Jiraiya, editor MasterChick184, of course, decided to start it with that momentous scene when Tsunade tells him to come back alive. This rather poignant moment is only made sadder by the song's haunting piano melody and from what transpires.
And, of course, editor MasterChick184 decided to include that scene near the end of the video when Jiraiya thinks of what the title of his sequel should be.
When you read the video's actual description on YouTube, you'll see just how much this AMV meant to MasterChick184 and what the themes are. As she writes, "It's mainly Jiraiya and his life, until his last moments," with the main focus being love. She goes on, saying, "Even if his former student, Pain, became the leader of Akatsuki, [Jiaiya] did not regret taking the three Rain orphans in. His love for Tsunade ... drove [Jiraiya] to become stronger. His love for Naruto was a chance for redemption for his past mistakes."
We couldn't say it better ourselves.
Already Over
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDrAC8-daCA&t=111s
Song: Already Over / Red | Maker: xAdsuailx | Awards: None
The story and time-syncing aside, the effects in this video are pretty stellar. (The word "stellar" is a pun you'll understand soon enough.) For one, there's a scene that shows Sakura "cupping" the moon in her hands. But rather than just using this plain, elongated clip of Sakura doing this, editor xAdsuailx took advantage of the song's melody by having images appear in the moon, right when certain notes are played.
There's another moment like this later on. During a scene when Naruto is staring up at the night sky, "images" appear above him in a way that directly coincides with the music. (And that's not even mentioning the times animated "ripples" gracefully float across the screen whenever a piano note is played, giving the impression that the notes are causing the ripples.) Simply put, the effects are awesome.
Since the song is immensely sorrowful (as is the subject matter), the scenes xAdsuailx chose are dramatically longer than most to further convey the video's overall sadness. These moments, while powerful, could've potentially made the video drag on. But these little embellishes make the elongated scenes not only work but give the AMV an extra oomph, aesthetically.
But they also have another purpose.
The images that editor xAdsuailx edits over the "normal" scenes directly correlate to the video's subject matter. "Already Over" is an AMV illustrating the sadness of Team 7 (Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and their teacher, Kakashi, after Sasuke goes rogue to pursue a life of revenge. Sasuke's betrayal causes a great deal of pain for those he left behind. There's sadness, bitterness, anger, frustration, and so much more. So when Sakura is shown cupping the moon and when Naruto is staring into the starry sky, xAdsuailx edits in images of Team 7 before Sasuke left, creating a profound sense of loss.
It's a highly poignant video, and brilliantly orchestrated. The fact that the chorus breaks away from the quietness of the verses by featuring distorted guitars and a more forceful singing style made it possible for xAdsuailx to move beyond the sadder emotions to portray the more aggressive feelings from Sasuke's betrayal.
The words of the song only enhance the overall theme. "Already Over?" I think we know what's over.
Still Alive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfjcsFqrGNk
Song: Still Alive / Lisa Miskovsky | Maker: ClouDHuN84 | Awards: None
When it comes to the Jinchūriki, there are a plethora of emotions and dichotomies involved that are just begging to be explored in Naruto AMVs. Besides Naruto, the other Jinchūriki who's just as popular and just so happens to share a rather tragic past is ... Gaara. The pain both characters have had to endure and the unlikely friendship they were able to forge from the salvaged remains of their shattered lives are a vital part of the series. That's what this music video delves into.
The song's lyrics just match up perfectly with the video's "story line." Heck, the opening lines are: "No, I have changed/I have changed/Just like you." During this time, editor ClouDHuN84 shows images of Naruto smiling before switching to Gaara, creating the illusion that Naruto is speaking to Gaara about their "journey" as Jinchūrikis.
Like in the music video "Already Over," ClouDHuN84 also edits in additional imagery that "pops up" right on cue when we hear certain notes. At the beginning of the AMV, ClouDHuN84 "stacks" pictures across a black background, making them look like actual photos from a scrapbook of memories.
There are also additional moments in the music video when "extra" images appear over the main footage, creating stunning juxtapositions in the process. One worth noting is a clip where Gaara looks forlornly into the distance while scenes of his struggles suddenly materialize all around him.
And this isn't even mentioning the editing that's done during the chorus. Plus, the lyrics "I'm still alive/I'm still alive/I can't apologize, no" really smack you in the face, seeing as doing something as simple as living was extremely difficult for both Gaara and Naruto. It's really sad, but uplifting at the same time. They've made it. They're still alive.
Oh, and all of the lyrics are included at the bottom of the screen (like it's done in most anime openers and closers). We didn't mention that? Yah. They are. That's awesome.
