Team 7 vs. Zabuza Momochi and Haku
The first major fight of the series, this battle puts the protagonists of the newly formed Team 7 (Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke) against far greater odds than they expected. Against the ninja Zabuza, a man so fierce he was banished from his own village, and his apprentice Haku, the team will need all their skills and more to get away in one piece.
Rock Lee vs. Gaara
Rock Lee, one of the most skilled hand-to-hand combat ninjas in the Leaf Village, against Gaara, a Sand Village ninja whose defense is so great, he has never been injured in battle. As two of the most skilled young ninjas their respective villages have to offer, it is hard to guess which fighter will come out on top.
Hiruzen Sarutobi vs. Orochimaru
A classic battle of the noble master against his now evil apprentice. As the leader of the Leaf Village, Sarutobi battles to protect his home and its people against the twisted vengeance of his former student.
Naruto Uzumaki vs. Gaara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQxto3ZYkRE
The powers of ninjas make them monsters among men, but Gaara is a monster among ninjas. With his friends injured and their lives in danger, Naruto must put his skills to their greatest test so far if he wants to save the people he cares about, and himself.
Battle of the Sannin
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. These three shinobi were once the most powerful ninja team that the Leaf Village had to offer, so what could be more epic than the three of them locked in a battle where they are no longer allies?
Neji Hyuuga vs. Kidomaru
Neji Hyuuga is a prodigy ninja and arguably one of the strongest of his generation, winning the majority of his battles with skillful ease. That is until he battles Kidomaru and is given a run for his money in a battle that will spell certain death for the loser.
Rock Lee vs. Kimimaro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWHEceemXFY
Rock Lee, barely recovered from life-threatening injuries, rushes to aid his friends against Kimimaro, a ninja whose lethality is only matched by his determination. While also being action packed, this fight serves as one of the most humorous moments within the series.
Naruto Uzumaki vs. Sasuke Uchiha
Naruto and Sasuke's first major battle serves as the big finale before the time skip that leads into Naruto Shippuden. With both main characters giving it their absolute all, this is a fight that absolutely shakes the foundation of the series as it paves the way for much of the plot in the remainder of the series.
Sakura Haruno and Chiyo vs. Sasori
Naruto Shippuden features the protagonists up against Akatsuki, a criminal organization made up of 10 of the deadliest rogue ninjas in the world. The first of these opponents fought is Sasori, who gives Sakura a chance to show off the skills she acquired during the time skip in a fight for her life.
Shikamaru Nara vs. Hidan
Shikamaru, a side character, facing off against Hidan, one of the deadly members of Akatsuki. The fight may sound one-sided, but it is extremely exciting as one of the few moments where a supporting character faces off against a major bad guy alone without getting the stuffing kicked out of him in less than a minute.
Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kakuzu
This fight is somewhat cliche as a moment where a villain is about to finish off the hero's friends, only for the hero to show up last minute and enter the fray himself. Despite that, it is a major character development moment for Naruto and shows off his improved skills as a ninja.
Jiraiya vs. Pain
Another fine example of the good teacher fighting the now evil student. This fight not only shows Jiraiya at full power, it is our first real look at Pain, one of the series' major antagonists.
Sasuke Uchiha vs. Itachi Uchiha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4mwJw2nzs0
For years, Sasuke has sought revenge against his brother for the crimes of Itachi's past. That moment finally comes, in a climactic battle of brother against brother.
Taka vs. Killer Bee
Sasuke is a powerful shinobi at this point in the series, to the point of arrogance. Despite having a team behind him, the four members of Taka, Sasuke, Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo, have their work cut out for them trying to apprehend the ninja Killer Bee and it is kind of funny to see Sasuke in one bad situation after another for repeatedly underestimating his foe.
Naruto Uzumaki vs. Pain
The moment of truth as the title character of our series faces off against the leader of Akatsuki. With a slew of new abilities at his disposal, Naruto will need every trick in his book to fight a ninja with enough power to battle against an entire village single-handedly.
Taka vs. The Five Kage
Once again, Sasuke manages to bite off more than he can chew. He decides to try and fight the five Kage, leaders of the five strongest Ninja Villages, and provides audiences with a great opportunity to see this group of super ninjas in action.
Sasuke Uchiha vs. Danzou Shimura
Danzou is very much a "by any means necessary" individual, manipulating the Shinobi world from his position of power to suit the needs of the Leaf Village as he sees best. When one of his dirty schemes finally catches up with him and Sasuke comes for revenge, it is soon apparent that Danzou is not the crippled old man he appears to be.
Kakashi Hatake vs. Obito Uchiha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLeAk7Jfr8Q
Former friends, driven to become enemies due to the horrors of war. This fight was mostly glossed over in the manga, but the anime transformed it into one of the series' most beautiful action sequences.
Madara Uchiha vs. The Five Kage
The primary antagonist has revealed himself and will go up against five of the greatest shinobi in the world. Other fights in the series get pretty intense, but this is the point where the battles start taking place in ground-shattering proportions.
Guy Might vs. Madara Uchiha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCJaw1gXvh8
Madara Uchiha has defeated every opponent that has faced him, using powers that make him all but a god. Then a lone opponent approaches, Might Guy, and he is prepared to lay down his life for the chance of defeating Madara once and for all.
"Naruto" and "Naruto: Shippuden" contain far too many fights to list all of the good ones, even when we are looking at 20 different battles. The series has much to offer for almost any anime fan, and even after more than a decade and well over 400 episodes it is still going strong.
