Report NaughtyZubat's Profile

Arms Warrior DPS Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities (Legion 7.0.3)
Last updated on Sep 01, 2016 at 23:31 by Wordup64 comments
General Information

On this page, we list your Arms Warrior core abilities and how they should be used together (rotation) in World of Warcraft Legion 7.0.3. We also explain when to use your various cooldowns. Then, we go deeper and present all the subtleties that you will need to know if you want to excel at playing an Arms Warrior.

The other pages of our Arms Warrior guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Author and Reviewer

This guide has been written by Wordup, a frequent theorycrafter involved in a number of class communities. He is also an experienced player who has been in the world top 100 since the days of Sunwell, currently raiding in Echoes. You can also follow him on Twitter.

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Archimtiros, one of the best DPS Warriors in the world, who raids in Infinity. You can follow him on Twitter.

1. Single-Target Rotation

The core of Arms revolves around maximising your use of Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash and your use of powerful abilities within the debuff window, so whilst the rotation is quite skinny, there is room to push more damage with heads up play.

1.1. Single Target

Cast Charge Icon Charge if out of range of your target.
Cast Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash if available.
Cast Icon Warbreaker if Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash is absent from the target.
Cast Overpower Icon Overpower if taken and available.
Cast Execute Icon Execute with Icon Shattered Defenses or Ayala's Stone Heart Icon Ayala's Stone Heart procs.
Cast Mortal Strike Icon Mortal Strike.
Cast Slam Icon Slam.
If Rend Icon Rend is taken, ensure the debuff is active and refresh whenever convenient within 5 seconds of expiration.

1.2. With Focused Rage

This assumes you have taken the advanced build from the Talents section.

Cast Charge Icon Charge if out of range of your target.
Cast Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash if available.
Cast Icon Warbreaker if Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash is absent from the target.
Cast Overpower Icon Overpower if taken and available.
Cast Execute Icon Execute with Ayala's Stone Heart Icon Ayala's Stone Heart procs.
Cast Mortal Strike Icon Mortal Strike (regardless of Focused Rage Icon Focused Rage stacks).
Cast Focused Rage Icon Focused Rage if not at 3 stacks or during Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry.
Cast Slam Icon Slam if at 3 stacks of Focused Rage Icon Focused Rage, or during Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry.
If Fervor of Battle Icon Fervor of Battle is talented, replace Slam Icon Slam with Whirlwind Icon Whirlwind at all times. If Rend Icon Rend is talented, apply outside of the Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash window and refresh the debuff whenever it has less than 5 seconds remaining.

Note that with Focused Rage Icon Focused Rage, in some cases due to Rage starvation you can have situations where you will be unable to fill your Global Cooldown due to spending the rage off the Global Cooldown with that. This is fine, but make sure during Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry to spend aggressively as you should have Deadly Calm Icon Deadly Calm making all uses free.

1.3. Execute Usage

Execute Icon Execute is currently only used in conjunction with Icon Shattered Defenses, or if using it, Ayala's Stone Heart Icon Ayala's Stone Heart procs. When using Focused Rage Icon Focused Rage, it is pushed out entirely outside of ring procs, due to Mortal Strike Icon Mortal Strike taking priority.

1.4. Opening Rotation

Use your Potion just before the pull.
Cast Charge Icon Charge.
Apply Rend Icon Rend if talented
Cast Avatar Icon Avatar and Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry with Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash
Continue with single-target rotation.
2. Multiple-Target Rotation

At 2-3 targets, the rotation remains the same, but switching talents to Sweeping Strikes Icon Sweeping Strikes is highly recommended. You also replace Slam Icon Slam with Whirlwind Icon Whirlwind at all times, even without Fervor of Battle Icon Fervor of Battle.

Against multiple targets, Arms favours using Cleave Icon Cleave to empower Whirlwind Icon Whirlwind in place of Single Target filler skills.

2.1. 4+ Target AoE

Cast Icon Warbreaker.
Cast Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm with Icon Warbreaker active.
Cast Cleave Icon Cleave.
Cast Whirlwind Icon Whirlwind.
Try to stack all available cooldowns with Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm as frequently as possible alongside the Icon Warbreaker effect for high bursts of damage.

3. Important Notes

3.1. Tier 4 Talents

Tier 4 provides two different options when it comes to different encounter types and how you want to approach them, and picking the appropriate talent for the situation can augment your ability to react to them.

Bounding Stride Icon Bounding Stride provides a powerful increase to the distance you can cover with Heroic Leap Icon Heroic Leap uses, whilst also increasing its availability by reducing its cooldown by 15 seconds, allowing for more flexibility. Given that Heroic Leap Icon Heroic Leap has no restrictions, unlike Charge Icon Charge that requires a target, this is a great choice on high mobility encounters.

Whilst Defensive Stance Icon Defensive Stance does hit damage output due to it requiring Global Cooldowns to activate alongside a flat reduction to damage dealt, having a very short 10-second cooldown allows for extremely high flexibility when dealing with frequent dangerous mechanics.

3.2. Focused Rage

Although this is the most powerful talent when taking a built to complement it, it is significantly harder to capitalise on and should only be considered if you feel comfortable with the spec already. It plays quite differently, as there will be circumstances in which you cannot fill Global Cooldowns as you will spend Rage on Focused Rage Icon Focused Rage instead, which is off the Global Cooldown. This means knowing when you can freely spend versus needing to be conservative to make use of Focused Rage is very important and comes with practice. During Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry however, you are free to use both repeatedly as the cost is reduced to zero through Deadly Calm Icon Deadly Calm.

3.3. Cooldowns

Arms comes with two baseline cooldowns with variable uses in Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry, for general use, and Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm, for AoE situations. It also has a number of talents that either provide additional tools such as Avatar Icon Avatar or augments to existing abilities like Deadly Calm Icon Deadly Calm, and stacking as many effects that scale with each other is key to pushing as much out of Arms as you can.

3.3.1. Battle Cry

Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry is a short 5-second duration ability that grants a 100% increase to critical strike chance on a 1-minute cooldown. Due to its short duration coupled with its frequent availability, using it as often as possible with high damage periods is crucial to pushing high damage in short windows. This also synergises very well with Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash in single-target situations, or with Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm due to them both being short duration, high impact effects. Your last uses of your cooldowns stacked up with Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry should be saved for the Execute Icon Execute phase, as it contributes a great deal to the overall Arms output. Also note if using Avatar Icon Avatar, you should always delay Avatar Icon Avatar for the next Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry, and not vice versa.

3.3.2. Bladestorm/Ravager

Making the most out of Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm in AoE situations is a huge benefit to the versatility of the Arms toolkit. Stacking other cooldowns such as Battle Cry Icon Battle Cry can create a huge surge of damage very quickly, just be aware that you cannot cast anything else during the channel. If burst AoE is required more frequently than Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm would allow, consider taking Ravager Icon Ravager instead to maximise your use, and place it just before enemies spawn, use all cooldowns currently available, and cast Whirlwind Icon Whirlwind during its duration.

3.3.3. Colossus Smash and Warbreaker

Try to line up cooldowns with your Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash as frequently as possible, due to the significant damage boost during the debuff. Icon Warbreaker is used as a filler to maintain the effect during downtime. Try to always line up with Bladestorm Icon Bladestorm uses for maximum effect. Also note that, due to being a debuff on targets hit, you cannot pre-cast it before enemies spawn, and instead must actually hit targets as they reach you before Bladestorming.

4. Mastering your Arms Warrior

The notes above provide an outline for general Arms play, below are some more in depth mechanical breakdowns of concepts vital to Master if you want to squeeze out the best performance possible.

4.1. Rage Management

Arms generates Rage purely from auto-attack swings and Charge Icon Charge casts, and all abilities cost Rage to use, other than Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash which is free, alongside auto-attack Critical Strikes generating additional Rage. Having enough Rage to keep Mortal Strike Icon Mortal Strike on cooldown is important, and over-committing Rage to Slam Icon Slam can sometimes be punishing due to Tactician Icon Tactician resets. Holding too much Rage however can punish you by limiting the amount of Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash resets generated, so a balance must be maintained where you are not empty but still making use of your Global Cooldowns.

4.2. Colossus Smash

The crux of the Arms specialization is Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash, with both the Tactician Icon Tactician effect and Mastery: Colossal Might Icon Mastery: Colossal Might. Whilst maximising the debuffs impact is important, the damage that the initial strike deals on top of being free means that playing around it is not important, instead keeping it on cooldown for free, high damage hit as frequently as available to allow room for extra resets will give the most benefit to your output.

4.3. Movement and Mobility

Warriors have a great deal of active tools through Charge Icon Charge and Heroic Leap Icon Heroic Leap that allow for instant movement across large distances. Finding ways to maximise your uptime on a target through intelligent use of these is crucial, as downtime is extremely detrimental to the Arms rotation, as losing auto-attack swings has a severe impact on Rage available, and limits opportunities to reset Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash. Consider talents such as Double Time Icon Double Time and Bounding Stride Icon Bounding Stride if an encounter requires higher than usual movement.

4.4. Advanced: Heroic Charge

A small optimisation you can do is use Heroic Leap Icon Heroic Leap in conjunction with Charge Icon Charge to get back to your target for a surge of free Rage. This can also be done by simply running out of range, but is much less efficient. This should however be limited to use only during Colossus Smash Icon Colossus Smash downtime with no short term damage buffs active, and when under 50 Rage just before an important burn phase.

4.5. Defense

Arm's primary tool for survivability comes in the form of Die by the Sword Icon Die by the Sword, reducing all damage taken by 30% and increasing Parry chance by 100% for 8 seconds, on a 3-minute cooldown. Whilst this has a very high cooldown, it can be very impactful if used correctly. If you feel your survivability does not cover your needs however in encounters, consider taking Defensive Stance Icon Defensive Stance if the damage dealt penalty is not a concern.

Warriors also have access to Commanding Shout Icon Commanding Shout, granting all party and raid members 15% increased maximum health for 10 seconds, on a 3 minute cooldown. This is a great additional tool for not only your defense but your group as well, and should be used appropriately to co-ordinate additional survivability against key mechanics.

⋘Artifact Traits and Relics
Stat Priority⋙
5. ChangeLog

02 Sep. 2016: Added a clarification to the single-target rotation regarding Warbreaker. It should be cast if Colossus Smash is absent from the target.
29 Aug. 2016: Updated for Legion's launch.
21 Jul. 2016: Updated mentions of Fervor of Battle to reflect the fact that it is now the recommended Level 45 talent.
19 Jul. 2016: Fixed Tier 18 Set Bonuses section.
19 Jul. 2016: Updated for the Legion pre-patch.
For help, theorycrafting, and more please visit our Warrior Forum64 comments
Box Table of Contents CONTENTS
+
Introduction
+
Spell Summary
+
Builds and Talents
+
Artifact Traits and Relics
×
Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
1. Single-Target Rotation
1.1. Single Target
1.2. With Focused Rage
1.3. Execute Usage
1.4. Opening Rotation
2. Multiple-Target Rotation
2.1. 4+ Target AoE
3. Important Notes
3.1. Tier 4 Talents
3.2. Focused Rage
3.3. Cooldowns
3.3.1. Battle Cry
3.3.2. Bladestorm/Ravager
3.3.3. Colossus Smash and Warbreaker
4. Mastering your Arms Warrior
4.1. Rage Management
4.2. Colossus Smash
4.3. Movement and Mobility
4.4. Advanced: Heroic Charge
4.5. Defense
5. ChangeLog
+
Stat Priority
+
Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
+
Macros and Addons
+
Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
Box Divider
Box From The Forums FROM THE WARRIOR FORUMS
Best PVE damage spec?
Focused rage, bar space and rotation
(Arms) During Battle Cry, FR+HS or Slam + HS?
Stats Weight for askmrrobot
How to Dual Wield as Arms/Prot Warrior - Legion Guide
Box Divider
Box Related Pages IN THE SAME CATEGORY
Transmog Warrior Sets
Transmog Warrior Models
Fury Warrior Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
Protection Warrior Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
Level up a Warrior
Box Divider
Box Latest News LATEST NEWS
Icy Veins Small Logo
Pirates' Day 2016
Item Lets You Avoid Getting De-masqueraded
Blizzard's Going Away Gift for Chris Metzen
Legion Hotfixes: September 16th
Raid Preview: 7 Eerie Reasons to Enter the Emerald Nightmare
Paid Battletag Changes Available Now
Nighthold Gallery (Non-raid Version)
September 15th Hotfixes, Karazhan PTR Testing
Box Divider
Box Recent Posts RECENT FORUM POSTS
Icy Veins Small Logo
Feral Druid Relic: Need explanation or validation
Which race atm?
Frost DK - Does it do anything well?
Looking for some frost help
Switching to UH
Simcraft + Versatility
Unholy DK - trinkets
DK bullet points
VISIT FORUMS
Box Divider
Box Popular Threads POPULAR FORUM THREADS
Icy Veins Small Logo
Marksmanship Hunter 7.0.3
Outlaw Rogue 7.0.3
Demonardvarks Unholy DK Scourge Fishing Guide
Describe Your Class in 1 Sentence
Subtlety Rogue 7.0.3
Feral rotation video request
Arcane Mage 7.0.3
Havoc Demon Hunter 7.0.3
VISIT FORUMS
Box Divider
PAGE TOP

Naruto Uzumaki (うずまきナルト, Uzumaki Naruto) is a shinobi of Konohagakure. He became the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails on the day of his birth — a fate that caused him to be ostracised by most of Konoha throughout his childhood. After joining Team Kakashi, Naruto worked hard to gain the village's acknowledgement all the while chasing his dream to become Hokage. In the following years, through many hardships and ordeals, he became a capable ninja regarded as a hero both by the villagers, and soon after, the rest of the world, becoming known as the Hero of the Hidden Leaf (木ノ葉隠れの英雄, Konohagakure no Eiyū, Literally meaning: Hero of the Hidden Tree Leaves). He soon proved to be one of the main factors in winning the Fourth Shinobi World War, leading him to achieve his dream and become the village's Seventh Hokage (七代目火影, Nanadaime Hokage, Literally meaning: Seventh Fire Shadow).

Contents[show]
Background
Naruto and Kushina2
A newborn Naruto with his mother Kushina.
Naruto was born on the night of October 10th to Minato Namikaze (the Fourth Hokage) and Kushina Uzumaki (the second jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails). He was named after the protagonist of Jiraiya's first book, which made the Sannin his godfather.[14] The Third Hokage made special arrangements for Minato to preserve Kushina's seal containing the Nine-Tails while she gave birth to Naruto in a remote location, escorted by midwives and Anbu. A masked man, Tobi, tracked down their location, however, killed the midwives and Anbu, and captured Naruto, forcing Minato to quickly rescue him and teleport him to a safe house.

Minato and Kushina protect Naruto
Minato and Kushina protect Naruto from the Nine-Tails.
With Minato gone, Tobi captured Kushina and released the Nine-Tails from her, using it to devastate Konoha.[15] Minato saved Kushina and left Naruto in her care before he went to protect the village,[16] eventually defeating Tobi and freeing the Nine-Tails from Tobi's control. Returning to Naruto and Kushina's location, Minato realised the only way to stop the Nine-Tails was to seal it within Naruto, believing that his son would someday need the fox's power to defeat Tobi when he returned.[17] Since the Nine-Tails' chakra was too immense to seal into an infant, Minato sacrificed his soul to split the fox's chakra in half, sealing the Yin half within himself and the Yang half within Naruto. After telling Naruto how much they loved him, Minato and Kushina succumbed to their wounds from protecting their son from the Nine-Tails and passed away.

Orphaned, Naruto grew up not knowing who his parents were, receiving only his mother's surname, as Hiruzen wanted to protect Naruto from his father's enemies.[18] Minato's dying wish that Naruto be regarded as a hero was honoured by the very few who could put aside their pain and losses caused by the disaster, while the majority of Konoha, however having no knowledge of the circumstances surround his birth, openly ostracised and resented Naruto for containing the beast that devastated the village and took many lives; some even viewed Naruto as the Nine-Tails itself. Soon, the Third Hokage forbade anyone from mentioning the Nine-Tails, hoping that the younger generation would not blindly hate Naruto as their parents did.[19] However, Naruto's peers emulated their parents' hatred of him, despite not knowing why. This social isolation caused Naruto to crave acknowledgement, which he would gain by pulling pranks.

Naruto's first encounter with Hinata
Naruto meets Hinata.
On a snowy day - the day of his enrolment in the Ninja Academy[20] - Naruto first met Hinata Hyūga, who was being picked on by three bullies. Despite not knowing her, Naruto immediately came to her defence, but he was outnumbered and knocked unconscious, and the bullies damaged his red scarf. When Naruto awoke, Hinata thanked him for helping her and returned his scarf to him, but he let her keep it. He was unaware that the young Hyūga girl's growing affections for him began from that moment onwards.[21]

Young sasuke and Naruto
Naruto and Sasuke in the Academy.
In the Academy, Naruto became a student of Iruka Umino, who acted as a surrogate older brother to keep him in line and help him work harder. Naruto also met his class-mate Sasuke Uchiha and tried to befriend him, since he was alone as well. Jealous of Sasuke's skills and popularity, however,[22] he developed a one-sided rivalry in his pursuit to prove himself just as good as, if not better than, Sasuke, wishing that someday, Sasuke would accept him as an equal.[23] Naruto also grew close with the owner of Ramen Ichiraku, Teuchi and his daughter Ayame, being welcomed as their favourite customer.

Personality
Naruto's Ninja Registration Photo
Naruto's ninja registration photo.
Naruto is characterised as boisterous, exuberant and unorthodox, quite similar to Hashirama Senju.[24] He inherited his mother's verbal tic, as he ends his sentences with "Dattebayo!" (だってばよ!) when excited or frustrated. Though he responds best to competition and is not afraid to ask for assistance, Naruto is relatively naive, simple, and slow to understand principles or situations. He often requires an oversimplified analogy in order to grasp explanations,[25] and can even forget some concepts that he himself noted earlier if he is too emotional.[26] Naruto is aware of his faults, and admits he acts strong to mask his embarrassment and frustration about them.[27][28] Despite his naivety, Naruto can be quite observant, picking up on things others miss and retaining information casually gathered through conversation.[29]

Growing up as an orphan who suffered years of hatred and social isolation by Konoha's villagers has influenced Naruto's character in a number of ways: he is heedless to formality and social standings, addressing certain people with nicknames instead of honourifics;[30][31] he has picky eating habits of ramen, his favourite food; he has a perverted side that manifests as uses of the Sexy Technique or attempts to peep into women's baths;[32] he didn't understand the real meaning of "love" and believes that loving someone and ramen are both the same. Despite his quirks and the criticism they earn him, Naruto is said to have a personality that draws people to him,[33] inspiring friendship and loyalty through acts of genuine kindness that could change a person's world view. He is thus able to build meaningful relationships that he lacked in early life; the Sage of Six Paths believes Naruto's kindness is a special gift that allows him to befriend Kurama, a living embodiment of hatred.[34] Naruto deeply cherishes these bonds and will go to great lengths to protect them, best seen with Sasuke after his defection from Konoha. Naruto's time at the Falls of Truth revealed that a part of him hated the villagers for ostracising him, only to admire him after he saved them during Pain's Assault. This allowed Kurama to manipulate Naruto's rage until he confronted it and learned to let it go, becoming greater than what he suffered.[35]

Naruto's Promise
Naruto promises Sakura to return Sasuke to Konoha.
Another of Naruto's prominent traits is his desire for acknowledgement; his pranks around the village were for people to notice, or at least scold, him. Therefore, he dreamed of one day becoming Konoha's Hokage, the epitome of acknowledgement and respect from everyone in the village.[36] Knowing his dream is a long, arduous and seemingly impossible path, Naruto developed his own nindō of never going back on his word. This life-long philosophy serves as the cornerstone of Naruto's great self-confidence; he believes he can accomplish any goal with enough hard work and perseverance, no matter how big the obstacle is or how long it takes to complete it. This guides him in many aspects of life besides a battle, such as his promise to Sakura of bringing Sasuke back to Konoha. Over time, his goal to be Hokage grew from a desire for acknowledgement to a desire to help and protect the people close to him, which Tobi attributed to the Will of Fire.[37] His nindō is reinforced by his understanding that shinobi were meant to endure through hardships.[38] His belief in hard work and perseverance made him detest people who would use shortcuts to achieve their goals, as he disqualified his son from the Chūnin Exams for using the banned and unfair Kote, and expressed disgust at Momoshiki and Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki for their reliance on harvesting from Chakra Fruits to lazily gain power.[39]

After the death of his master Jiraiya, talking to his father Minato and listening to Nagato's tragic story, Naruto grew to understand the cycle of hatred and vowed to break it in order to bring real peace to the world.[40] To that end, his participation in the Fourth Shinobi World War is not only to protect his friends, but also to bear and erase the world's hatred all by himself. After encountering a reincarnated Itachi Uchiha, however, Naruto realises that he cannot handle everything alone and that he must allow his friends to support and fight alongside him. As he does so in war's climax, his fighting spirit inspires the Allied Shinobi Forces to join him and keep fighting to end the war as well, ultimately becoming an example for many people to admire, follow, and believe in.[41][42]

Naruto watching Hinata knit
Naruto becomes shy around Hinata.
Naruto first met Hinata Hyūga when they were children, where his open kindness and courageous spirit earned him her admiration, which grew into love. On his part, Naruto remained largely oblivious to Hinata's feelings for him and even considered her "weird" because of her shyness around him. However, things change during the Chūnin Exams in Part I when they began to interact more and support each other, causing Naruto to like her as a friend.[43] In Part II, as Hinata becomes willing to risk her life to protect Naruto, he in turn sees her as a strong person despite his speechlessness at her love confession. During The Last: Naruto the Movie, Naruto finally recognises the love that Hinata has always had for him, causing him to become more bashful and protective of her, just as she was for him. Realising that she alone has always had faith in him and that she has always been there for him, he reciprocates her feelings and desires to be with her for the rest of his life. After only a few months of dating,[44] they marry and eventually have two children, Boruto and Himawari.

As an adult, Naruto becomes wiser and more mature, though he retains some of his negligence for honourifics.[45] Although he finally achieves his dream of becoming Hokage, its many tasks not only overwhelm Naruto at times, but often leave him unable to spend time with his family, particularly upsetting his son Boruto. Naruto is also more responsible in his duties as Hokage and as a father: he forbids use of the Kote in the Chūnin Exams as it diminishes a shinobi's true potential; he is disappointed by Boruto's cheating in the exams and even removes his forehead protector in front of the audience after lecturing him. Nevertheless, Naruto deeply loves his family, as he creates shadow clones to tend to them while he's busy, protects them in times of danger, spends time with them when he can, and expresses pride in his children's successes.[39] He in fact adopts Hiruzen's philosophy that everyone in the village is his family, believing that true relationships are made up of love rather than blood relations.[46] His refusal to give his son any special treatment due to their blood-relationships, along with the insistence that the boy professionally addresses him as "Seventh" or "Hokage" while in the office, is a testament of Naruto's lack of bias and prejudice.[39]

Appearance
Jiraiya says Naruto strongly resembles his father:[47] he has blonde, spiky hair and blue eyes, while inheriting the shape of his mother's eyes and face.[48] His trademark characteristic are the three whisker markings on his cheeks. Dan Katō initially mistook Naruto for Nawaki due to their stark resemblance.[49] Naruto was rather short for his age during Part I,[50] though he grew to be taller than Sakura in Part II[51]. Naruto originally wore green goggles on his forehead, though he discards them after becoming a genin.


Naruto in Part II (left) and in Part I (right) respectively.
Expand slideshow1 of 2Add photo
In Part I, Naruto wore an orange and blue jacket with a white collar, a white swirl with a tassel on the left side, and a red Uzumaki crest on the back. He also wore orange pants with a shuriken holster on his right knee, blue sandals, and a blue forehead protector, given to him by Iruka after graduating from the Academy. In Part II, Naruto wears a more form fitting outfit after wearing out his original one while training with Jiraiya,[52] with a T-shirt or mesh armour underneath. While retaining the swirls and orange pants, the blue pieces of his outfit changes to black: his forehead protector (which is now longer), sandals, and orange jacket, the black colour showing more prominence than the blue did originally. During his battle with Pain, Naruto briefly wore a short-sleeved red coat with a black flame pattern around the hem and carried a large scroll on his back.


Naruto in The Last: Naruto the Movie.
Expand slideshow1 of 2
Naruto loses his right arm after the Fourth Shinobi World War, though it is later replaced by a fully maneouverable prosthetic arm made of Hashirama Senju's cells, wrapped completely in bandages. In The Last: Naruto the Movie, Naruto grew taller again, cut his hair short and wore a black elastic forehead protector. Over his pants and sandals, he wears a black uniform jacket with an orange zipper and buttons on the waist and sleeves, which can be folded up at times. He has a red armband with an Uzumaki crest on his left arm. After becoming Hokage, Naruto dons a garment similar to his father's: a white cape that has a red flame pattern around the hem, is held together by a red rope, and has the kanji for "Seventh Hokage" (七代目火影, Nanadaime Hokage) written vertically down the back. Underneath this, he wears an orange sweatshirt with black stripes (reverse in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations), black pants and sandals. He occasionally wears the traditional Hokage headpiece, but has stopped wearing a forehead protector.

Abilities
Naruto Vs Kaguya
Naruto's combined senjutsu and tailed beast influence over his trademark techniques.
Naruto was an inept student in the Academy, failing to graduate three times before becoming a shinobi. Through sheer determination, however, his skills rapidly improve in Part I as he defeats strong shinobi such as Neji Hyūga, Gaara, and Kabuto Yakushi, earning acknowledgement from the Sannin for his potential.[53] Under Jiraiya's tutelage for two-and-a-half years, Naruto becomes strong enough to fight members of Akatsuki, such that Konoha villagers praise him as a hero of Hokage-material after he defeats Pain.[54] Although the Fourth Shinobi World War was initially meant for his protection by most of the Kage, Naruto's eventual and required participation leads to the defeat of many reincarnated Kage,[55] tailed beasts,[56] and enemies of Ten-Tails' calibre;[57] others believe Naruto has surpassed the previous Hokage and is the central force in winning the war.[58][59][60] Naruto's skills further improve in later years: he defeats the Tenseigan-wielding Toneri Ōtsutsuki; by adulthood, he achieves his life-long dream by becoming the Seventh Hokage.[13]

Naruto has learned how to counter genjutsu from Jiraiya, but has limited skill in using it.[61]

Chakra and Physical Prowess
Naruto gives Hinata power
Naruto sharing Kurama's chakra with Hinata through physical contact.
As an Uzumaki and a reincarnation of Asura Ōtsutsuki,[62] Naruto has massive reserves of strong chakra, estimated as at least four times greater than Kakashi's and described by Karin as "bright and warm."[63][64] He initially struggled with controlling his chakra properly, which was offset by his large reserves.[65] Naruto's control improved greatly over time, becoming able to transfer his chakra to others[66] and perform one-handed hand seals.[67] He later receives chakra from the other tailed beasts and Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, increasing his reserves further. Naruto's powerful life force grants him an extreme longevity, healing power, stamina, and vitality,[68] allowing him to survive (albeit barely) the extraction of a tailed beast.[69] These traits are all augmented after he receives a prosthetic forearm made from Hashirama's cells.

Naruto's clones vs Gaara
Naruto attacking Gaara with his Naruto Uzumaki Two Thousand Combo.
While naturally a short-range fighter, Naruto's taijutsu wasn't very adept in Part I, using unpredictable attacks to surprise combat experts like Kiba Inuzuka and Neji.[70][71] He often utilised shadow clones or Kurama's chakra to engage or overwhelm his enemies in combat; with the former, he has created techniques such as the Naruto Uzumaki Combo and its stronger versions.[72] Although these tactics resume in Part II, Naruto becomes more capable in taijutsu due to Jiraiya's training, being able to contend with other skilled users.[73][74][75] He has grown fast enough to rescue an ally from nearby danger,[76] and strong enough to punch an opponent several metres while exhausted.[77] By adulthood, Naruto's improved taijutsu allows him to defeat dozens of opponents without using shadow clones or enhancements.[21]

Jinchūriki Transformations
Main articles: Jinchūriki Forms and Nine-Tails Chakra Mode
Version 1 form
Naruto's Version 1 form.
As the jinchūriki of Kurama's Yang half, Naruto had a massive chakra reserve at least a hundredfold greater than Kakashi's.[63] Due to his Uzumaki lineage and being Kurama's jinchūriki his entire life, Naruto's chakra has more effectively mixed with the fox's,[78] allowing him to perform several chakra-taxing techniques without feeling fatigued. While accessing Kurama's chakra, typically through sheer rage, enhanced Naruto's fighting abilities, the fox's negative influence made Naruto more aggressive and in less control of his actions. This caused him to uncontrollably access Version 1 and Version 2 forms, and needed Kurama's power to be suppressed through various methods to regain control. These drawbacks made Naruto decide to rely on his own strength instead of Kurama's until he proved able to control it completely. By the time he became the jinchūriki of Kurama's Yin half, he could access his Version 1 form without the initial drawbacks.[79]

Naruto transforming
Naruto transforming from his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode into his Kurama Mode.
Realising he could not avoid using Kurama's power, Naruto sought to learn how to control it with help from Killer B, the jinchūriki of Gyūki, and unexpectedly, his own mother, Kushina. Upon succeeding and taking most of Kurama's chakra, Naruto attains Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, which greatly increases his speed, strength, and defences. Because he didn't yet have Kurama's cooperation, however, Naruto needed to exercise extreme caution while using the form, as it could cost him his life. Eventually, when Kurama acknowledges Naruto's life-long strength of character and Naruto learns the fox's true name, their new-found friendship grants Naruto access to Kurama Mode, another increase in physical abilities. Two years later, he could isolate the form to one hand, either to enhance his strength or to block attacks.

Naruto's tailed beast mode
Naruto's Tailed Beast Mode.
Failing to transform into a replica of Kurama at first, Naruto soon achieved a Tailed Beast Mode in the unique form of a transparent chakra shroud. In it, he could create Tailed Beast Balls and upon others entering the shroud, he could revitalise their life forces,[80][81] or have them temporally don chakra-cloaks.[82] After becoming the jinchūriki of Kurama's complete self, Naruto was capable of manifesting it outside his body to fight independently. Naruto has also received chakra from the other tailed beasts during the Fourth Shinobi World War,[83] making him a human pillar for the power of Ten Tails.[84] This allows him to access their unique abilities himself or infuse them into his Rasengan and its variants.

Ninjutsu
Summoning Technique
Naruto using the Summoning Technique.
In the Academy, the Sexy Technique was the only technique that Naruto could perform successfully, with no practical use other than to shock his instructors. During his shinobi career, he learns several ninjutsu styles from Jiraiya, such as how to summon toads of Mount Myōboku like Gamabunta to assist him in battle or to crush enemies from above. He becomes skilled in shurikenjutsu, able to throw weapons quickly and with precision,[85] barrage an enemy using shadow clones,[86] or as Hokage, cross blades with Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki.[39] Naruto's repetoire expands to fūinjutsu upon receiving Gerotora near the start of the Fourth Shinobi World War.[87]

Clones vs Shadows
Naruto sensing and fighting Madara's shadows.
Naruto's ability to sense chakra is shown only through his modes. He can identify chakra signatures from vast distances in Sage Mode,[88] detect negative emotions in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and empower his sensory abilities to the highest possible level in Six Paths Sage Mode,[89] able to sense the invisible shadows of Limbo. In the anime, Jiraiya introduces Naruto to cooperation ninjutsu, where two or more people combine their techniques to create an even more powerful one.[90] The collaboration techniques he performs with other individuals typically utilise his own elemental affinity, such as the Typhoon Water Vortex Technique with Yamato, the Wind Release: Toad Gun with Gamatatsu, and the Scorch Release: Halo Hurricane Jet Black Arrow Style Zero with Sasuke.

Shadow Clone Technique
Multiple Shadow Clone Technique
Naruto using the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
Naruto's first trademark technique is the Shadow Clone Technique, which he is noted to have attained a mastery of superiority to other users.[91] In the Academy, Naruto was unable to perform most of the basic techniques taught, including a basic Clone Technique. However, when Iruka risks his life to save him, Naruto overcame this by performing the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, effectively conquering his inability to create a clone. From that point on, Naruto's skill with the shadow clone technique blossomed to great heights. As a ninja with unusually high chakra reserves, Naruto can use this technique, as well as it's advanced version, to create hundreds of shadow clones and retain a decent amount of chakra in each one with relative ease.[92] He can use them to outnumber or deceive his enemies in combat, manoeuvre himself in mid-air, transform into weapons, scout an area, or test an opponent's abilities.[93] During his wind training in Part II, Naruto learns that he, the original user, will receive all knowledge and experiences that shadow clones gain once they disperse. This method allows him to drastically speed up his training by learning, what could be completed in years, in just days.

Rasengan
YellowRasengan
Naruto creating a Rasengan with one hand.
Naruto's second trademark technique is the Rasengan, a one-handed technique created by his father. Due to his poor chakra control, Naruto often uses a shadow clone to form the spherical shape while he provides the chakra. Over time, Naruto's improved skill allows him to produce larger versions of the Rasengan, perform it faster,[94] and even have his shadow clones make their own Rasengan. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, he became able to form a Rasengan and its variants without any shadow clones or transformations and noticeably larger.[95][96][97] Naruto has also shown the ability to release the Rasengan as an energy wave,[21] or as a projectile in the anime.[98] Using senjutsu or Kurama's chakra, Naruto can create more powerful and elaborate variations of the Rasengan; using the latter, he even develops the Super Mini-Tailed Beast Ball, performing it in a similar manner to the Rasengan.

Nature Transformation
Fūton Rasenshuriken
Naruto and his shadow clones create a Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
Naruto's natural affinity is Wind Release, which he learned from Asuma Sarutobi to flow into his weapons to increase their offensive might.[99] Using shadow clones, he was able to complete his father's difficult task of adding his elemental nature to the Rasengan. One shadow clone helps form the Rasengan, while the other provides the wind chakra, producing the Wind Release: Rasengan and the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. The latter, when used as a melee attack, inflicts cellular damage on both the enemy and Naruto; he later learns to throw the Rasenshuriken to avoid injuring himself. In The Last: Naruto the Movie, he became skilled enough to form a Rasenshuriken without any shadow clones and even guide it. Using Sage Mode or Kurama's chakra, Naruto can create different-sized variations, or even two Rasenshuriken simultaneously.

Via Six Paths Senjutsu, Naruto can utilise all five nature transformations, as well as Yin–Yang Release.[100] He can make perfect use of the latter to revitalise life-forces, heal whomever he touches, and restore missing organs.[101] With chakra from the tailed beasts, Naruto can also use the kekkei genkai of Shukaku's Magnet Release, Son Gokū's Lava Release, and Kokuō's Boil Release.

Senjutsu
Naruto's Sage Mode
Naruto's Sage Mode.
After Jiraiya's death, Naruto was trained in senjutsu at Mount Myōboku, requiring his high chakra reserves. Unlike Jiraiya, he was able to perfectly balance natural energy with his chakra to enter Sage Mode, symbolised by the orange pigmentation around his eyes. Using Sage Mode makes Naruto's techniques stronger, enhances his physical abilities,[102][103][104] and allows him to utilise the Frog Kata taijutsu style.[105] Since Fukasaku was unable to fuse with Naruto and gather natural energy for him (due to Kurama's interference), Naruto employs shadow clones instead. Once they disperse, the natural energy they absorb will transfer to the original when need be, allowing him to resume using Sage Mode for a number of times. However, creating more than five shadow clones overall disrupts the focus of the ones gathering natural energy. The need for this method diminishes over time as Naruto becomes able to enter Sage Mode faster.[106]

Naruto can combine also Sage Mode with Kurama's chakra to further enhance his abilities, such that he can resist Nagato's control, shatter Truth-Seeking Balls and, two years later, fly without the use of Six Paths Senjutsu.[107]

Six Paths Sage Mode
Main article: Six Paths Sage Mode
Naruto's SPSM
Naruto's Six Paths Sage Mode.
With the power given to him by Hagoromo, Naruto gained access to the Six Paths Sage Mode (六道仙人モード, Rikudō Sennin Mōdo).[5] In this mode, his eyes become yellow and his pupils take on a cross-like shape — without manifesting the orange pigmentation around his eyes present in Sage Mode. Naruto can also don a new chakra cloak similar to Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, which he can access instantly and maintain much longer than Sage Mode.[108] Naruto's Six Paths Sage Mode cloak changes several times throughout his later years. Naruto's physical attributes and techniques are further augmented,[109][110][111] to the point he can dodge attacks at the speed of light. The mode grants him flight and immunity from Truth-Seeking Balls.

Naruto's Battle Avatar
Naruto's conjoint Tailed Beast Mode.
Naruto also manifests nine Truth-Seeking Balls, composed of all five basic natures, Yin–Yang Release, and Six Paths Sage Chakra. He can mould the balls into staves and platforms, fire them as projectiles, convert them into Tailed Beast Balls to create Tailed Beast Ball Rasenshuriken, or transfer them to his shadow clones. Naruto also retains use of his Tailed Beast Mode avatar of Kurama, which rivals Sasuke's Complete Body — Susanoo in size and power.[112] Using shadow clones, he can create and combine three Kurama avatars into a single construct with three faces and six arms, similar to Asura's. [113] This state allows Naruto to infuse two massive Rasenshuriken with natural energy.[114]

Intelligence
Naruto's intelligence
Naruto reveals himself after disguising as a Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
While headstrong and often acting without thinking, Naruto's years as a prankster has given him a cunning imagination that is useful in battle. He is a remarkable tactile learner, able to learn better through executing a task rather than theorising about it.[115][25] Once they see him in action, even the likes of the Second Hokage revise their thoughts about Naruto's intellect.[116] After meeting Hagoromo, Naruto has gained the innate ability to grasp the nature of chakra and comprehend all universal things,[117] allowing him to quickly master the new powers he received.

Naruto's most famous skill lies in his ability to deceive his opponents, making effective uses of even the most simple techniques to trick the deadliest of opponents.[118] He can formulate multi-step plans or backup plans in the thick of battle,[119] and act quickly even when given new information.[120] His strategies typically involve shadow clones: he may direct his opponent's attentions towards one of his clones to disguise his own movements; he may transform them into objects or other individuals for surprise attacks; he may make himself seem predictable by creating a pattern, just to throw them off by breaking it. He has even thrown in what others would call random, completely useless supplementary techniques at powerful opponents and successfully create a decent opening for a counterattack.[121] Naruto is rather observant, able to notice details others may overlook and subsequently take advantage of them to overcome his opponents.[122]

Stats
Databook Ninjutsu Taijutsu Genjutsu Intelligence Strength Speed Stamina Hand seals Total
First 2 1.5 1 1 2 2 4 1 14.5
Second 3 2 1 1.5 3 3 4 1 18.5
Third 4 3.5 2 3 3.5 3.5 5 1.5 26
Part I
See also: Plot of Naruto
Prologue — Land of Waves
Failing once again to graduate from the Academy, a disappointed Naruto is advised by one of his instructors, Mizuki, to steal the Scroll of Seals and learn a technique from it in order to graduate. As Naruto struggled to learn the Shadow Clone Technique, Iruka Umino tracked him down and realised that Naruto was tricked by Mizuki into stealing the scroll. Mizuki attacked them and told Naruto about the Nine-Tails sealed within him, claiming that Iruka hated him because of it. When Iruka risked his life to protect Naruto, however, he saw through Mizuki's lies and used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to defeat him, prompting Iruka to happily grant Naruto his graduation from the Academy. Naruto would later befriend Konohamaru Sarutobi, grandson of the Third Hokage, and teach him several perverted or useful techniques.

Team Kakashi
Team 7's group photo.
Naruto was eventually assigned to Team 7, partnered with Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno under the leadership of Kakashi Hatake. During their first meeting, Naruto shared his love of ramen, his hobbies, and his dream to become Hokage. To test their qualifications, Kakashi gave the team a bell test, stating that whichever of the three takes one of the two bells on his person will officially become genin. Instead of hiding like Sakura and Sasuke, Naruto tried to take the bells from Kakashi by force, only to be easily defeated, hung upside-down from a tree and tied to a wooden post in an attempt to steal lunch. After Sakura and Sasuke fail as well, Kakashi explains that the goal of the test was to use teamwork, to do together what none of them could do by themselves. He is persuaded to allow them to try again after lunch, but instructs Sasuke and Sakura not to feed Naruto. They feed him anyway, needing him in top-form if they're to work together. Kakashi sees this and, because they care more about the team than listening to his instructions, allows them all to pass.

Zabuza Vs Genin
Naruto and Sasuke team up against Zabuza.
After a series of uneventful D-rank missions, Naruto is able to secure a C-rank mission for Team 7: escorting Tazuna to the Land of Waves. Soon after leaving Konoha, they are attacked by the Demon Brothers. Naruto is paralysed with fear, forcing Sasuke to step in to disarm them and protect Tazuna until Kakashi can capture them. Tazuna confesses that assassins have been hired to kill him but that he couldn't afford the bodyguard detail he needs. Although the mission is now A-rank in nature - far beyond the skill of genin - Team 7 decides to continue with it. Angered by Sasuke's taunting of him, Naruto cuts his hand to bleed out the poison he received earlier, vowing to never waver again. When they arrive in the Land of Waves and are confronted by Zabuza Momochi, Naruto is overwhelmed by the battle between Kakashi and Zabuza before he is knocked aside by Zabuza's water clone. Remembering his vow, Naruto regained his confidence and teamed up with Sasuke to free Kakashi from Zabuza's Water Prison. In the end, Zabuza is seemingly killed by Haku, allowing Team 7 to escort Tazuna back to his house.

Kakashi finds Zabuza's death suspicious and decides the train the team in case he returns. He has them perform the Tree Climbing Practice to improve their chakra control, which will help them against Zabuza. Naruto becomes frustrated after several failures and asks for advice from Sakura, who herself mastered it from the start. Now rapidly improving, Naruto competes with Sasuke to finish the training, each determined to outdo the other. One day, Naruto encounters Haku (albeit unaware of his true identity) and they each discussed their dreams and desire to protect those precious to them. After Haku leaves, Naruto finishes the training with Sasuke but is left exhausted, so Team 7 leaves him behind the next morning as they resume their escort duties. Naruto awakens and arrives to assist Team 7 in fighting Zabuza and Haku, but, unaware of how Haku's Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals work, he joins Sasuke within the prison.

Naruto's 1st use of 9 Tails
Naruto's first use of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Naruto cannot break free with his shadow clones and Sasuke cannot melt the ice with his fire. As Haku moves in to kill Naruto, Sasuke uses his body as a shield to protect Naruto and seemingly dies. Enraged by Sasuke's apparent death, Naruto unwittingly accesses the Nine-Tails' chakra for the first time, allowing him to destroy the ice mirrors and defeat Haku, breaking his mask. Realising his opponent was the boy he met before, Naruto calms himself. He is asked by Haku to kill him, since he feels of no further use to Zabuza. Before Naruto can do so, Haku immediately stops him and goes off to save Zabuza from being killed by Kakashi, sacrificing his own life. When Zabuza refuses to appreciate this, Naruto angrily scolds him, stating that Haku gave up his life to save someone precious to him. Touched by his words, Zabuza, using Naruto's kunai, killed Gatō and many of his henchmen before he himself dies. Sasuke soon awakens, and when their injuries heal, Team 7 leaves for home via Tazuna's newly-constructed Great Naruto Bridge.

Chūnin Exams
Team 7 resumes its series of unremarkable missions. For their performance in the Land of Waves, however, Kakashi decides to enter them in the Chūnin Exams taking place in Konoha, which greatly excites Naruto. Because they've only recently graduated from the Academy, the three feel they must give strong showings to prove themselves. When they enter the exam hall, the team is met by Rock Lee, who challenges Sasuke to a fight; Naruto tries to attack Lee in jealousy, but is easily swept aside. The fight is interrupted by Might Guy, after which Naruto notes that the bandages around Lee's arms signify his arduous taijutsu training.

During the exam's first stage, the participating genin are given a written test, the goal of which is to cheat without getting caught. Unaware of this, Naruto struggles to answer the questions, so Hinata Hyūga, who is seated next to him, offers to let him to copy off her paper. Despite the temptation, Naruto declined Hinata's offer, claiming that he isn't the type to cheat and that they might be disqualified if they are caught. Before the tenth question can be given, the genin are presented with the opportunity to forfeit; Naruto refuses to do so, declaring his refusal to give up and his goal to still become Hokage. His determination to face the tenth question despite the potential consequences inspires the rest of the genin to do the same, and so they pass the first stage.

For the second phase, teams enter the Forest of Death with the objective of obtaining a set of two scrolls, one of which they are given at the start. Naruto becomes separated from his team and is attacked and swallowed by a giant snake. He manages to kill it and regroups with his frightened team-mates against Orochimaru. Angered by Sasuke's sudden cowardice and resignation, Naruto engages Orochimaru using the Nine-Tails' chakra, defeats his giant snake, and taunts Sasuke before Orochimaru suppresses the Nine-Tails' chakra, rendering Naruto unconscious. After he awakens, Team 7 continues its search for the second scroll, which they eventually gain by defeating Team Oboro, allowing them to pass the second stage.

Uzumakirendan
Naruto defeats Kiba.
In the preliminary matches of the exam, Naruto was pitted against Kiba Inuzuka and his dog, Akamaru. Believing the match to be an easy victory, Kiba and Akamaru overwhelmed Naruto with many high-speed attacks, so Naruto tricks Kiba into knocking Akamaru out of the fight by using the Transformation Technique, shocking all spectators. Naruto then disorients Kiba by farting in his face and defeats him with the Naruto Uzumaki Combo (which he invented from watching Sasuke's Lion Combo). When Neji and Hinata's match begins, Naruto is enraged by Neji's ruthless tirade against Hinata and cheers Hinata on to defeat Neji. Although Hinata is defeated, Naruto wipes up her blood and vows to defeat Neji in the finals.

Naruto meets Kurama
Naruto meets the Nine-Tails.
During the month of training, Naruto first meets Jiraiya (who knocked Ebisu, Naruto's original teacher) and trains under the Sannin to improve his chakra control. Recognising Naruto as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Jiraiya removes the seal Orochimaru had placed on Naruto to ease his control and begins teaching him to how use the Nine-Tails' power by summoning toads. To accelerate Naruto's slow progress, Jiraiya pushes him over a cliff, causing Naruto to enter his subconscious and meet the Nine-Tails. Working past his fear, he bravely demands chakra from it as "rent" for living in his body. The Nine-Tails complies and Naruto summons Gamabunta, though he exhausts himself and ends up in the hospital, where he is visited by Shikamaru Nara. After talking, he and Naruto stop Gaara from killing Rock Lee in the next room and listen to Gaara's story of his childhood, which Naruto finds very similar to his own. Gaara prepares to kill them, but Might Guy intervenes and forces Gaara to retreat. On the day of the finals, Naruto meets Hinata at the Third Training Ground and expresses his doubts about his upcoming match with Neji. Hinata reassures Naruto that he never gave up because he always had the strength to overcome his own failures, admiring him for it. Reinvigorated, Naruto thanks Hinata and tells her even though he first thought she was weird, he now likes her.

Naruto vs Neji
Naruto vs. Neji.
Facing Neji in the first match of the finals, Naruto began by creating shadow clones to overwhelm Neji's with sheer numbers. Deeming Naruto a failure who could never defeat a genius like himself, Neji easily defeats Naruto's clones and seals his chakra with Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Determined to prove Neji's ideals about fate wrong, Naruto tapped into the Nine-Tails' chakra and, revitalised, clashed with Neji. When the smoke cleared, Neji emerges and Naruto lies defeated. This, however, was only a shadow clone, and the real Naruto burst from the ground beneath Neji, defeating him with an uppercut. Before he is declared the winner, Naruto tells Neji that creating clones was once his shortcoming and that Neji needs to stop believing in inescapable fate. When Sasuke finally arrives for his match with fought Gaara, Naruto is envious of Sasuke's improvements, but is later put to sleep along with most of the audience, commencing the Konoha Crush.

Konoha Crush
Sakura wakes up Naruto so they can pursue Sasuke, who was pursuing Gaara himself. They arrive in time for Naruto to kick Gaara away before he can kill Sasuke. Partially transformed into Shukaku, Gaara knocks Sakura unconscious and binds her to a tree, forcing Naruto to battle him, with little success. Naruto relates to Gaara's painful life as a jinchūriki, but he is not willing to let anything to happen to Sakura and Sasuke. Determined to protect his friends, Naruto creates an army of shadow clones to relentlessly batter Gaara, forcing him to fully transform into Shukaku, to which Naruto responds by summoning Gamabunta.

Naruto defeats gaara
Naruto defeats Gaara.
Gaara puts himself to sleep to give control of his body to Shukaku, forcing Naruto and Gamabunta to figure out a way to end the jutsu. They do so by transforming into a giant fox (the Nine-Tails in the anime) to restrain Shukaku, allowing Naruto to awaken Gaara with a solid punch to the face. Shukaku's influence disappears, but Gaara regains control and traps Naruto with his sand. Naruto escapes by tapping into the Nine-Tails' chakra, and headbutts Gaara when he is close enough, destroying Shukaku's form. Exhausted from the fight, the two leap at each other for one final exchange, and Naruto punches Gaara, claiming victory.

Naruto and Gaara fall to the ground, unable to move. Slowly crawling towards Gaara, Naruto explained that he also suffered a painful and lonely life, but was later saved by having friends. To that end, he will do anything to protect them, even if it means killing Gaara. Understanding Naruto's true strength, Gaara retreated with Kankurō and Temari with a new outlook on life, while Naruto passes out from exhaustion and is returned to Konoha with Sasuke and a rescued Sakura. A few days later, Team 7 attends the Third Hokage's funeral.

Search for Tsunade
Jiraiya is tasked with finding Tsunade, a candidate for Fifth Hokage, and convinces Naruto to accompany him by promising to teach him a technique stronger than Sasuke's Chidori. Stopping at an inn in Shukuba Town, Naruto was approached by Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha of Akatsuki, who intend to capture the Nine-Tails. When Sasuke shows up and furiously attacks Itachi, Naruto gathers the Nine-Tails' chakra to help Sasuke, but it is absorbed by Kisame's Samehada. Jiraiya soon arrives and drives off Itachi and Kisame, but Sasuke is left mentally and physically damaged by Itachi. Might Guy appears and takes Sasuke back to Konoha, but not before giving Naruto a spare green jumpsuit.

To prepare for the next encounter with Akatsuki, Naruto begins learning the Rasengan, completing two of its three learning steps. Taking a break from training, Naruto and Jiraiya eventually found Tsunade and her assistant Shizune at a restaurant. When Tsunade refuses the offer to become Hokage and insults all who held the title, an angry Naruto challenged her to a fight and attacked her with an incomplete Rasengan, only to be easily defeated. Impressed by his progress, however, Tsunade makes a bet with Naruto: if he can master the Rasengan in a week, he gets the First Hokage's Necklace; if not, she gets his wallet. Naruto agreed and spent the week trying to perfect the Rasengan, but has no success and collapses from exhaustion. Once he recovers, Naruto heads out with Jiraiya and Shizune to stop Tsunade from meeting with Orochimaru.

Naruto vs. Kabuto
Naruto defeats Kabuto with the Rasengan.
They arrive to see Tsunade, who never intended to aid Orochimaru, in the midst of battle with Kabuto Yakushi. When Tsunade is incapacitated, Naruto fights Kabuto in her place and eventually defeats him with a perfected Rasengan, which he formed by using a shadow clone. Naruto collapses almost immediately afterwards, his heart muscles torn by Kabuto, but Tsunade successfully manages to heal him, gives him the necklace he wins, and accepts the position of Hokage. After Orochimaru and Kabuto are defeated, Naruto and the others return to Konoha, Tsunade confidently believing Naruto would someday become a great Hokage.

Land of Tea Escort Mission
Main article: Land of Tea Escort Mission
Sasuke Recovery Mission
Naruto visits a recovering Sasuke at the hospital, but is immediately challenged to a fight, to which Naruto eventually agrees. The fight escalates quickly, culminating with Naruto using Rasengan and Sasuke using Chidori. Kakashi arrives and deflects their attacks into opposing water towers before they can clash, Naruto unknowingly doing more damage than Sasuke. Distressed by Sasuke's behavior, Sakura informs Naruto of the cursed seal Sasuke received from Orochimaru, though Naruto assures Sakura that Sasuke would never abandon Konoha for power. Unfortunately, Sasuke does just that and Naruto joins the Sasuke Recovery Team in order to bring him back; he promises a tearful Sakura to do so before he leaves. En route to Sasuke, the team encounters members of the Sound Four, each of which battles a member of the recovery team, while Naruto engages Kimimaro. Overwhelmed by Kimimaro's taijutsu skills, Naruto is saved at the last minute by Rock Lee, who volunteers to fight Kimimaro while Naruto heads after Sasuke.

Naruto Sasuke clash
Naruto fights Sasuke.
Naruto finally meets Sasuke at the Valley of the End. His pleas for Sasuke to come back to Konoha and warnings that Orochimaru will take his body fall on deaf ears. Naruto starts attacking him, ready to take him back to Konoha by force if necessary. Undeterred, Sasuke responds by tapping into his cursed seal and landing a series of heavy blows on Naruto. It becomes painfully clear to Naruto that Sasuke is fighting with an intent to kill, so Naruto utilises the Nine-Tails' chakra to overpower Sasuke. Naruto says that Sasuke is like a brother to him and that he will do anything to protect that bond. Sasuke vows to sever that bond, but acknowledges Naruto as an equal by putting on his forehead protector. They continue trading blows, with Naruto eventually manifesting a fox-shaped cloak and Sasuke entering his cursed seal's second level. Naruto clashes his Rasengan with Sasuke's Chidori, and within the dome of resulting energy they trade final blows: Sasuke punches Naruto and Naruto scratches Sasuke's forehead protector.

When the energy dissipates, Naruto lies defeated, but Sasuke spares him and continues his way to Orochimaru, leaving his scratched forehead protector behind. Kakashi and Pakkun arrive late and failing to retrieve Sasuke, leave with Naruto. In the hospital, Naruto once again promises Sakura to bring Sasuke home someday to Sakura that he would someday bring Sasuke home. Soon after, Jiraiya arrived with an offer to train Naruto for preparation against Orochimaru and Akatsuki in three years and to give up on Sasuke, as he is no different from Orochimaru. Naruto accepts Jiraiya's training, but refuses to give up on Sasuke, satisfying Jiraiya.

Original Anime Arcs
See also: Plot of Naruto
Naruto and jiraiya leaving
Naruto leaves with Jiraiya.
In the anime, Tsunade gives Naruto several missions with members of the Konoha 11 to keep him busy while Jiraiya collects more information about Akatsuki. As in the manga, Naruto later departs with Jiraiya to begin his three-year training, after making a determined gesture at the Fourth Hokage's statue.

Interlude
Gutsy Master and Student: The Training
In the anime, shortly after leaving Konoha, Jiraiya and Naruto discuss the fact that Naruto will need to learn how to counter genjutsu if he hopes to be a match against Sasuke the next time they meet. Naruto practices with Gamariki to dispel genjutsu, but he struggles with it and his chakra keeps hitting Gamariki, who doesn't appreciate it. Naruto follows Jiraiya to the Genjutsu Tree Village to try a different approach, but they discover the village has been taken over by Kandachi. They free the villagers and then attack Kandachi, who Naruto eventually defeats with his newly-created Big Ball Rasengan. As they leave afterwards, Jiraiya is pleased by how similar Naruto is to Minato Namikaze and hugs him, which Naruto is bothered by.

In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friends' Paths
Two years into their training, Naruto's control of the Nine-Tails' chakra has improved significantly. Jiraiya tries to give him more access to the Nine-Tails' power and uses Gerotora to weaken Naruto's Eight Trigrams Sealing Style. Seizing the opportunity, the Nine-Tails mocked Naruto for his inability to save Sasuke, using Naruto's negative emotions to force him to enter a version 2 form with four tails. Not in control of his body, Naruto attacks Jiraiya and nearly kills him before he manages to suppress the Nine-Tails. Naruto has no memory of what happened and Jiraiya doesn't tell him, instead shifting Naruto's training to other pursuits, including keeping his anger in check so that the Nine-Tails won't flare up again.[123]

Part II
See also: Plot of Naruto: Shippūden
Kazekage Rescue Mission
Naruto and Jiraiya return to Konoha after two-and-a-half years of training, where Naruto becomes surprised by Tsunade's newly-formed statue on Hokage Rock. He greets his old friends afterwards: he gives Kakashi a copy of Icha Icha Tactics as a gift; he catches up with Sakura, whom he has become taller than; he gets back into a competition of Sexy Techniques with Konohamaru Sarutobi, only to be violently reprimanded by Sakura. Kakashi reforms Team 7 with them and gives them another bell test, but unlike last time, taking the bells from him is the real objective. As with last time, Naruto launches a first attack before the test officially begins, but this time it nearly succeeds. Despite their improved abilities, Naruto and Sakura were still unable to get a bell through conventional means, and it was only by Naruto's threat to spoil the latest Icha Icha novel that they distracted Kakashi long enough to take the bells.

While Team 7 tries without success to find a mission to go on that Naruto won't complain about, word reaches Konoha that Akatsuki has kidnapped Gaara, the Kazekage. Team 7 is sent to Sunagakure to assist in rescuing Gaara. On their way to Suna, Naruto explains that Gaara was kidnapped because he is the jinchūriki of the One-Tail, just as Naruto is the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. Upon arrival in Suna, Naruto defends Kakashi from Chiyo's assault when she mistakes him for his father. Team 7 gathers what intel they can on Gaara's kidnappers and leave to go after them; Chiyo volunteers to escort them since they aren't familiar with the country around Suna. Naruto promises a recovering Kankurō to rescue Gaara before they leave.

While en route to an Akatsuki lair, they are confronted by Itachi Uchiha, who traps Naruto in a genjutsu. Sakura and Chiyo release him, allowing Naruto to team up with Kakashi and defeat Itachi with a Big Ball Rasengan. The Itachi is discovered to be an impostor, so they continue to the Akatsuki lair, meeting up with Team Guy, who takes down the barrier over the entrance so that Team 7 can get in. They find Gaara's body finds with his kidnappers, Deidara and Sasori. Deidara flies off with Gaara's body with Naruto and Kakashi in pursuit, leaving Sasori to Chiyo and Sakura. Naruto, enraged, makes repeated failed attempts to rescue Gaara before he is calmed by Kakashi, who uses his new Mangekyō Sharingan to distract Deidara with Kamui. Naruto retrieves Gaara's body, but seeing it drives him over the edge: he furiously attacks Deidara and beats him mercilessly into the ground. Discovering that it was a Clay Clone, Naruto slips into his two-tailed form in rage, but is restored to normal by Kakashi via the Chakra-Suppressing Seal.

Gaara awakens
Gaara awakens, with Naruto by his side.
Deidara escapes, while Naruto and Kakashi regroup with Sakura, Chiyo, and Team Guy. Sakura attempts to revive Gaara, but the removal of Shukaku has caused him to die. Naruto breaks down in tears and angrily lashes out at Chiyo, saying she had no right to make Gaara not only a jinchūriki, but also lose his life because of it. As atonement and with Naruto's aid, Chiyo sacrifices her life to revive Gaara; as the jutsu nears completion, Chiyo voices her faith in Naruto's ability to save Gaara and to become Hokage. Naruto greets Gaara when he awakens, and a few days later, Teams 7 and Guy attend Chiyo's funeral in Suna. Before returning home, Naruto and Gaara shake hands (Gaara using his sand) as a sign to their close relationship.

Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission
During her fight with Sasori, Sakura learned of an opportunity to meet with a spy in Orochimaru's ranks in a few days' time, hoping it will lead them to Sasuke. Kakashi is left bedridden from his fight with Deidara, so Yamato leads Team 7 as his replacement. Replacing Sasuke on the team is Sai, whom Naruto actually encounters earlier and dislikes, declaring him an inferior version of Sasuke. Sai is happy for this distinction and proceeds to degrade Sasuke for defecting from Konoha, forcing Yamato to use his Wood Release to break up their fight. Naruto is constantly exasperated by Sai's lack of empathy and his ridicule of Sasuke, but resolves to work with Sai if it means saving Sasuke.

Team Yamato
Team 7 confronts Orochimaru and Kabuto.
Yamato disguises himself as Sasori and goes to the Tenchi Bridge to meet the spy while Naruto, Sakura, and Sai hide nearby. The spy, Kabuto Yakushi, begins telling Yamato about Orochimaru's organisation, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Orochimaru, who teams up with Kabuto to fight Yamato, having intended to kill Sasori. Team 7 comes to his aid and Orochimaru, recognising them, taunts Naruto about Sasuke. Naruto is enraged and strikes him, using his version 1 form to make his attacks more devastating. Naruto's rage intensifies as he submits to the Nine-Tails' influence: he destroys the Tenchi Bridge and eventually advances to his version 2 form while fighting Orochimaru. Naruto is soon forced back to the destroyed bridge, where, unable to tell friend from foe, he unknowingly attacks Sakura when she approaches him.

Yamato restrains Naruto with his Wood Release and suppresses the Nine-Tails' influence, but its chakra leaves Naruto's body badly damaged. After Sakura heals him, Naruto wakes up unable to remember what happened, but is surprised by the devastated landscape. When they realise that Sai is missing, Yamato reports that he has joined with Orochimaru and Kabuto. On the way, Yamato secretly takes Naruto aside and tells him that he is the one who attacked Sakura. He encourages Naruto to use his own strength instead of the Nine-Tails in order to protect his loved ones. The team locates Sai, whom Yamato has placed a trace on, at Orochimaru's lair and capture him. Restrained, Sai asks why Naruto is determined to save him; Naruto replies that his bond with Sasuke is too precious to be broken and that he will do anything to protect it. Intrigued, Sai switches sides, helping them capture Kabuto and then searching the base for Sasuke on Naruto's behalf. While he's gone, Yamato goes through his belongings and finds evidence that Sai has been assigned to assassinate Sasuke.

Sasuke draws sword
Sasuke prepares to kill Naruto.
When they find Sai, he explains that he truly does want to help retrieve Sasuke, and in fact has already found him: Naruto and Sakura are speechless to see Sasuke again. Sasuke reacts with indifference to them, but Naruto remarks he can't become Hokage without saving his friend. To demonstrate that they mean nothing to him, Sasuke quickly neutralises them all. As Naruto struggles to avoid the temptation of using the Nine-Tails, Sasuke suddenly appears in Naruto's subconscious using his Sharingan and suppresses the Nine-Tails. He then prepares to kill them, but is persuaded not to by Orochimaru and leaves without further comment. Naruto is upset at having failed once more to bring Sasuke home, but is reminded by Sakura that they need to become stronger and Team 7 returns to Konoha.

Twelve Guardian Ninja
Main article: Twelve Guardian Ninja (Arc)
Akatsuki Suppression Mission
Once Kakashi is done recuperating in the hospital, he assembles Naruto, Sakura, and Sai to discuss their failed mission to retrieve Sasuke. Kakashi believes the best way to match Sasuke is for Naruto to create a new jutsu. As the training began, Naruto discovers that his nature is wind and learns to use the wind nature. Ordinarily, such training would take months or years, but Kakashi advises that Naruto, by training alongside hundreds of shadow clones can do the same training in a mere fraction of the time. With Kakashi's instructions and the training grounds created by Yamato, Naruto quickly masters how to use the wind nature. The next step is more difficult for him: combining that nature with the Rasengan.

Naruto vs Kakuzu
Naruto defeats Kakuzu.
Like Kakashi and Minato Namikaze before him, Naruto fails several times in trying to combine his nature with the Rasengan; his frustration evokes the Nine-Tails' chakra at times, which Yamato suppresses. With further advice from Kakashi, Naruto finds his solution using two shadow clones: one helps him form the Rasengan and the other adds his wind nature. When they receive news that Asuma died in battle with members of Akatsuki, they take a break to attend Asuma's funeral. Kakashi leaves Yamato in charge of overseeing Naruto's training so he could help Team 10 avenge Asuma. Having finished his jutsu, Naruto and Team Yamato went to provide assistance, arriving in time to save Kakashi and Team 10 from Kakuzu. Naruto engages Kakuzu alone with his newly-created Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, though it dissipates on its first use and Naruto is rescued by Kakashi and Yamato. The technique succeeds the second time, destroying two of Kakuzu's hearts and putting the last one on the brink of failure. Kakashi finishes off Kakuzu and they return to Konoha.

The Rasenshuriken injures Naruto's arm after use and he is forbidden to use the technique ever again. When they visit Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto has a hard time eating while his arm mends, so Sakura opts to help, before the responsibility falls to Sai, then to Kakashi. As they leave afterwards, they are met by Konohamaru, who demonstrates his Sexy: Girl on Girl Technique; Naruto approves but Sakura is disgusted and violently reprimands him. In the manga, Konohamaru responds with Sexy: Boy on Boy Technique; Sakura approves but Naruto is disgusted and violently reprimands him.

Three-Tails' Appearance
Main article: Three-Tails' Appearance
Itachi Pursuit Mission
News reaches Konoha that Sasuke has killed Orochimaru. Realising that this is a good opportunity to try once again to reunite with Sasuke, Kakashi combines Teams 7 and 8 into an Eight Man Squad with the mission to find either Sasuke or his assumed target, Itachi. When they split up to search, Naruto, because he's a target of Akatsuki, is given a protective escort in the form of Hinata, Yamato, and Bull. Their group encounters Kabuto, who offers them intel on Akatsuki and its members, his thanks to Naruto "inspiring" him to overcome Orochimaru after absorbing his remains. Kabuto then escapes.

Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant
Itachi's Genjutsu
Naruto and Itachi converse.
After regrouping and Kiba Inuzuka detects Sasuke's trail, Naruto creates shadow clones to search the area faster, one of which encounters Itachi. Itachi repels Naruto's attacks and insists he only wants to talk. He asks Naruto what Sasuke means to him and what he will do if Sasuke ever moves against Konoha. Naruto replies that he is Sasuke's brother – a better brother than Itachi is – and that if Sasuke ever attacks the village he will defend it without killing Sasuke. Itachi is happy with this answer and gives Naruto some assistance for this purpose: a special crow that he stores within Naruto's body. Itachi left, and Naruto continued his search, eventually finding Sasuke.[124]

As they near Sasuke's location they are intercepted by Tobi of Akatsuki, who prevents them from progressing and who is invulnerable to their attacks.

Fated Battle Between Brothers
As the group continually tries to attack Tobi, he dodges the attacks with ease. Naruto tries several times to attack him with his Rasengan, but without success. Tobi attempts to use a hidden jutsu to attack the teams, but fails at it. Eventually, Zetsu comes to tell him about Sasuke and Itachi's fight. Tobi leaves when he receives news that Sasuke has killed Itachi, and Teams 7 and 8 try to reach Sasuke before he does. Unable to find where Tobi has taken Sasuke, they are forced to return to Konoha.

Six-Tails Unleashed
Main article: Six-Tails Unleashed
Pain's Assault
Naruto after Jiraiya's death
Naruto mourns Jiraiya's death.
As Naruto contemplated his meeting with Itachi, he was called to the Hokage Residence to hear sombre news: his master Jiraiya was killed by Pain, the leader of Akatsuki. Grief-stricken, Naruto blamed Tsunade and spent the day mourning his teacher's death, depressed that Jiraiya cannot see him become Hokage. After being comforted by Iruka and Shikamaru, Naruto helped to decipher Jiraiya's dying message and eventually they succeed. Understanding that Jiraiya had bought him time for his own

Story[edit]
Gurren Lagann takes place in a future where Earth is ruled by the Spiral King, Lordgenome, who forces mankind to live in isolated subterranean villages. These villages have no contact with the surface world or other villages and are under constant threat of earthquakes. Selected villagers called diggers are conscripted to expand their homes deeper underground. Simon, a meek young digger ostracized by his peers, finds solace in his best friend and older brother figure, an eccentric delinquent named Kamina. Kamina encourages Simon to join his gang, Team Gurren, to help him achieve his dream of visiting the surface world. One day, Simon unearths a drill-shaped key called a Core Drill, followed by a small mecha resembling a face called a Gunmen.[10][11] Shortly thereafter, a huge Gunmen crashes through the ceiling and begins attacking the village, followed by a girl named Yoko, who attempts to repel the Gunmen. Simon uses his Core Drill to activate the smaller Gunmen (which Kamina names Lagann), and it is used to destroy the larger Gunmen and break through to the surface world.

Simon and Kamina learn from Yoko that humans on the surface are attacked each day by Gunmen piloted by beastmen, humanoid creatures who serve as Lordgenome's army. Kamina hijacks a Gunmen and names him Gurren, combining him with Lagann to form the mecha Gurren Lagann. Their actions inspire other humans to steal their own Gunmen and join Team Gurren, which makes Kamina rename it Team Dai-Gurren. Eventually Team Dai-Gurren captures an enemy Gunmen fortress to use as their base of operations, though Kamina is killed in the preceding battle by one of Lordgenome's four generals. Rossiu, a boy from another village, takes over the job of piloting Gurren, but Kamina's death causes Simon to sink into depression until he meets Nia, Lordgenome's daughter. Team Dai-Gurren is initially distrustful of her but allows her to join when it becomes apparent that she was abandoned by her father, like many who came before her. Nia helps Simon come to terms with Kamina's death, and the rest of Team Dai-Gurren prompt him to take up the role as the team's leader, leading them and other humans, who captured other Gunmen and Gunmen fortresses, to Lordgenome's palace. As the palace itself turns out to be a gigantic Gunmen called the Lazengann and launches armies of other Gunmen, the human forces hold them off while Simon, Nia, and Rossiu pilot Gurren Lagann against Lordgenome, who fights them in a similar Gunmen. When both Gunmen are damaged, he himself fights Simon in Lagann with his bare hands. Lordgenome emerges victorious, until Simon uses his Core Drill to defeat him once and for all.

Over the next seven years, mankind prospers on the surface world with Simon and the members of Team Dai-Gurren serving as the world's government. As soon as the world's population reaches one million people, an alien race called the Anti-Spirals emerges and uses Nia to announce the Moon's collision with Earth, which will wipe out all life on the planet and prevent them from evolving to such an extent that they will risk destroying the universe in a cataclysmic event called the Spiral Nemesis. With guidance from Lordgenome resurrected as a bio-computer, who was once part of an intergalactic group of warriors who fought the Anti-Spirals and had hidden mankind underground to protect them from the Anti-Spirals, and with help from Viral, an old enemy of Simon who pilots Gurren, Simon, Gurren Lagann and Team Dai-Gurren prevent the Moon's collision, revealing it to be Lordgenome's flagship that was reprogrammed by the Anti-Spirals. Using it, they retrieve the real Moon from the pocket dimension where the Anti-Spirals had hidden it and go to the Anti-Spiral homeworld, where after significant loss, they rescue Nia, and after a battle that spans the universe, Simon in Lagann finally destroys the Anti-Spirals. This, however, causes Nia to fade away and die as her own existence is tied to that of the Anti-Spirals. Simon then spends the rest of his life wandering the planet as a nameless vagrant while his comrades set out to work with other races throughout the galaxy to help prevent the Spiral Nemesis and ensure the safety of the universe.

Main characters[edit]
Main article: List of Gurren Lagann characters
Simon (シモン Shimon?)
Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara (Japanese); Yuri Lowenthal (English)
Simon is the main protagonist of Gurren Lagann. He is introduced as a fourteen-year-old digger from Giha village who is looked down upon by many of his peers for his timid and weak character. He greatly admires Kamina, one of his few friends in the village, and refers to him as his brother despite them not being related by blood. Simon spends much of the first quarter of the series following after Kamina, but gradually acquires his own fighting spirit and determination over the course of the series, acting on his own more often until his personality mirrors that of Kamina. His discovery of the Core Drill and the Gunmen Lagann are what set the events of the series in motion. Throughout the series, Simon primarily pilots Lagann, which is capable of producing drills from any part of his body when he reacts to Simon's Spiral energy. He uses this ability to combine with Kamina's Gunmen, Gurren, to form Gurren Lagann. He can also take control of other Gunmen using this ability.

Team Dai-Gurren
Kamina (カミナ?)
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese); Kyle Hebert (English)
Kamina is a refractory youth from Giha village who dreams of leaving his underground home and going to the surface world, which he saw as a child. His extremely passionate and self-confident personality causes him to act as a foil for the more timid and weak-willed Simon, and serves to instill courage within Simon. His actions greatly influence the entire series, as he forms Team Dai-Gurren and acts as his leader to combat the threat of Lordgenome and the beastmen. Early in the series, Kamina hijacks a Gunmen he names Gurren, which he pilots while combined with Simon's Lagann to form Gurren Lagann.
Yoko Littner (ヨーコ・リットナー Yōko Rittonā?)
Voiced by: Marina Inoue (Japanese); Michelle Ruff (English)
Yoko is a young woman from Littner, a village neighboring Giha, and is introduced as a member of a small resistance against the beastmen. She helps introduce Simon and Kamina to the surface world, and becomes a member of Team Gurren soon after. She falls in love with Kamina early in the series, and thinks little of Simon until he begins showing signs of self-confidence. After Kamina's death, she tries to help Simon cope and forms a sisterly relationship with him. Instead of piloting a Gunmen, she wields a high-powered energy rifle and uses her superb marksmanship and wise counsel to help her teammates.
Nia Teppelin (ニア・テッペリン Nia Tepperin?)
Voiced by: Yukari Fukui (Japanese); Hynden Walch (young), Bridget Hoffman (English)
Nia is a major character introduced later on in the series. Having lived a sheltered life as the daughter of Lordgenome, the main antagonist of the first half of the series, she is ignorant of the war between the humans and Lordgenome until she is abandoned by her father and discovered by Simon. She is a very polite and naive girl who is curious about the world, and acts as a soothing influence for Simon following his depression caused by Kamina's death. The two fall in love and become engaged at the start of the second half of the series, after which she is discovered to be an agent of the Anti-Spirals. During this time, Nia is taken over by a cold and uncaring personality called "Messenger Nia" and forced to fight Simon against her will until Simon rescues her. Because her existence is tied with that of the Anti-Spirals, however, she fades away with them after they are defeated, but keeps herself alive long enough to marry Simon.
Production[edit]
Gurren Lagann was first announced in July 2006 with Aniplex and Konami assisting Gainax in its making. Konami director Koichi Natsume suggested possibilities of the series getting multiple sequels.[12] The series was directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi who was a fan of the mecha genre, having previously done animation work for Neon Genesis Evangelion, and ever since he started working he had wanted to work in a mecha series.[13] After working on Re: Cutey Honey with Kazuki Nakashima, Imaishi appointed him as the writer, believing him to be the best choice. Imaishi was surprised with how much material Nakashima could condense into 27 episodes. Imaishi had finished writing the main storyline long before the reaching the end which facilitated the staff in making the episodes.[13] According to Gainax president Hiroyuki Yamaga the series was in planning phases for a long time. Producer Yasuhiro Takeda used the time to research how would the characters live underground although this aspect is briefly used. Once the series started production, the team did not have much time to research materials.[14]

In contrast to other popular series, Imaishi decided to include drills as the robot's main weapons despite its impact on the suspension of disbelief.[13] Imaishi also wanted the series to only have robots. The robots were made organic so that they would be easier to animate.[14] Nevertheless, animating episode 15 was challenging to the staff due to the amount of shots it required. Its animator Sushio called himself the "super animator" for his work.[15] Deciding the design of the Gurren Lagann was complicated since it was the basis for the other mechas appearing in the story.[15]

In the making of the series, the team wanted to focus more on the underground life and Simon's imprisonment but their ideas could not be used.[15] In the eighth episode Kamina dies in order to provide Simon character development and make him become the main character.[13] Simon's development kept on going until the final arc when staff planned ideas to make him surpass Kamina. The ending was written to finalize Simon's growth and not leave signs of a sequel. The finale had the pre-planned tragic event of Nia's death which left several staff members saddened. While the staff acknowledged how people were not satisfied with the sad conclusion, they noted that there were still issues that made her survival difficult for the characters.[16] Once the series ended, Yamaga had the idea of releasing a film that retells the events of the series to expand the audience.[14]

Influences[edit]
In an interview, the writer Kazuki Nakashima cites Ken Ishikawa, co-creator of Getter Robo, as one of Gurren Lagann's influences.[17] Gurren Lagann occasionally pays homage to Ishikawa's Getter Robo, particularly towards the end of the series, where the scale becomes absurd, with the robots steadily becoming bigger and bigger, much like Getter Robo more specifically, the manga version of Getter Robo Go. The final enemy also bears a striking resemblance to La Gooth of Records of Nothingness, another work by Ishikawa.[18] Nakashima, however, wanted to conclude the story of Gurren Lagann in a more reasonable fashion than what Ishikawa usually does in his works.[17] According to Jason Green from Anime News Network, the anime was influenced by previous Gainax anime, particularly in the character development of the protagonist Simon, who goes through three stages in his character development during the three arcs of the series. Each of these stages in his development were influenced by protagonists from several previous Gainax anime: Shinji Ikari from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, Noriko Takaya from Gunbuster, and Ken Kubo from Otaku no Video.[19] The animation on the show pays special tribute to the animation and character designs of Yoshinori Kanada.

Conflicts[edit]
Takami Akai, the producer of the series and a co-founder of Gainax, announced that he would resign his position effective episode five, which aired on April 29, 2007, over comments that he made regarding posts on the Japanese textboard 2channel. Akai and another Gainax employee, Keiko Mimori, made disparaging remarks about comments criticizing the animation style of the fourth episode of Gurren Lagann, which was completely directed by guest and friend Osamu Kobayashi. With regard to reading the fan criticisms, Akai stated that it was "like putting [his] face next to an anus and breathing deeply." Fans later became aware of his comments, and he announced his departure from the company he helped found.[20]

As a result of the series airing at a child-friendly time slot, the staff members had problems with episode 6. Although that episode had a subplot involving peeking into the women's bath, the television stations believed it was suitable when reading the script. After seeing the finished episode, the station said that it could not be aired, and a revised version of the episode was produced.[15]

Media[edit]
Anime series[edit]
See also: List of Gurren Lagann episodes
Produced by the animation studio Gainax and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, Gurren Lagann aired in Japan on TXN stations between April 1 and September 30, 2007. The anime has 27 episodes plus two specials, the first being the uncensored version of the sixth episode, and the second is episode 5.5, a bonus that came with the Nintendo DS game.

The English version had been previously licensed by ADV Films, but was later acquired by Bandai Entertainment. A subtitle-only version was released in three volumes in July 2008, and an official English dub with the first two volumes released on November 18, 2008 called "Gurren Lagann Set 01".[citation needed] The show premiered on the Sci Fi Channel on July 28, 2008 as part of Sci Fi's Ani-Monday anime block, airing two episodes each week (and three the final week).[3] The European distribution branch of Bandai, Beez Entertainment, distributed the series in the UK and Europe but has gone out of print since January, 2012.[21] In 2013, Anime Limited announced that they have the distribution license for Gurren Lagann on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK. In 2014, they released a limited Blu-ray Ultimate Edition on October 20, 2014, featuring the entire series, both film adaptations and the complete Parallel Works series, as well as a hardcover artbook. A standard edition Blu-ray containing the complete series was also released on the same day with the DVD release following later that year.[22] The English version also aired on Animax across its English-language networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia starting on May 22, 2009. It was broadcast in Italy on Rai 4 between September 24, 2009 and April 1, 2010. Aniplex of America re-released the series in a limited edition DVD box set on May 9, 2013. A Blu-ray Disc box set, which includes both the television series and the two film adaptations, was released on June 26, 2013.[23] Adult Swim began airing the series in English as part of the Toonami block on August 16, 2014.

Music[edit]
Taku Iwasaki composed the show's main background music. Four theme songs are used for the episodes; one opening theme and three ending themes. The opening theme is "Sorairo Days" (空色デイズ Sorairo Deizu?, lit. "Sky-Blue Days") by Shoko Nakagawa. Starting from episode 17, the second verse and chorus was used, as compared to the first verse and chorus used in the previous episodes. For episodes 1 through 15 the ending theme is "Underground" by High Voltage. "Happily Ever After" by Shoko Nakagawa was used in episode 16. "Minna no Peace" (みんなのピース Minna no Pīsu?, "Everyone's Peace") by Afromania was used for episodes 17 to 27.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Character Song was released on July 25, 2007, by Aniplex, including image songs by the main voice cast, with songs sung by Tetsuya Kakihara (Simon), Katsuyuki Konishi (Kamina), and Marina Inoue (Yoko), the latter of which is a playable song in Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2. In addition, several music compilation albums have been released, most consisting of background music.

Manga[edit]
The Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann manga, illustrated by Kotaro Mori, started serialization in the June 2007 issue of MediaWorks' magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!. The manga ended serialization in Dengeki Comic Gao! with the April 2008 issue when the magazine was discontinued, but continued serialization in ASCII Media Works' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh with the June 2008 issue and continued until the July 2013 issue. Ten tankōbon volumes were published between September 27, 2007 and June 27, 2013 in Japan under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. Bandai Entertainment licensed the manga and released an English translation of the first six volumes in North America.[24] The manga follows the same basic story as the anime, although there are some changes to the order of events, and the addition of character backstories that had been cut from the anime, such as the relationship between Dayakka and Kiyoh.

A spin-off manga entitled Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Gurren Gakuen-hen (天元突破グレンラガン −紅蓮学園篇−?) was serialized in Comp Ace between August 26, 2008 and January 26, 2009; a single tankōbon volume was released on March 26, 2009. The manga takes the characters from the original story and puts them in a school in a parallel world. In the manga, Simon attends Dai-Gurren Academy (ダイグレン学園 Dai Guren Gakuen?) with his friend Kamina, and childhood friend Yoko. Simon, who lives in a run down apartment building, wishes for a normal life, and meets the mysterious Nia one day when she trips down the stairs. She immediately takes a liking to Simon and declares him her husband. Kamina finds another "aniki" in Nia, who shares his hot-blooded style. She enrolls in Dai-Gurren Academy, and all three must deal with the threat of students from Teppelin Academy, who wish to bring Nia back to her father, the principal. Another spin-off manga titled Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann 4-koma Kingdom: Yoko no Oheso-hen (天元突破グレンラガン4コマKINGDOM ヨーコのおヘソ編 Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann 4-panel Kingdom: Yoko's Belly Button Chapter?) was published by Futabasha in 2008 as a compilation of various short stories.

Video games[edit]
An online video game was developed by Konami called Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Chōzetsu Hakkutsu ONLINE (天元突破グレンラガン 超絶発掘ONLINE?, literally "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Superior Excavation Online"). Beta testing had ended on April 16, 2007. The player takes up the role of a driller and drills for treasures in first person view. There is a shop to purchase drills—the shopkeeper is an original character named Asaki. The player can also collect digital trading cards. The game was canceled at the closed beta stage, as installing the game crashed Windows indefinitely. Konami even had to send out 500GB external hard drives to beta users so that they could back up files while reinstalling their operating systems.[25][26]

A game for the Nintendo DS was released October 25, 2007, not only featuring the characters from the series, but also containing a special episode set in the early stages of the story as a pre-order bonus. In June 2010, Gainax re-acquired the video game rights to the series from Konami, which allowed Banpresto to include it in the latest installment of its storied Super Robot Wars franchise, 2nd Super Robot Wars Z: Destruction Chapter, released in April 2011.

A Pachislot game based on the anime teased by Konami was later released in February 2016.[27][28]

Anime films[edit]
An animated film entitled Gurren Lagann the Movie: Childhood's End (劇場版 天元突破グレンラガン 紅蓮篇 Gekijōban Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Gurren-hen?, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Crimson Lotus Chapter), once again directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, and written by Kazuki Nakashima, was produced by Gainax and released on September 6, 2008 in Japanese theaters and the DVD was released on April 22, 2009.[29][30][31] The film is a compilation of the events of the first arc of the series (episodes one through fifteen) with around 20 minutes of newly animated scenes. In conjunction with the release of the film, Gainax has released a series of music videos entitled Gurren Lagann Parallel Works, which contains alternative stories of Gurren Lagann set to songs from the original soundtrack.[32] The film had its first official English release at the Viz Pictures cinema in San Francisco, California on September 8, 2009.

A second film, Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars (劇場版 天元突破グレンラガン 螺巌篇 Gekijōban Tengen Toppa Guren Lagann Lagann-hen?, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann the Movie: The Spiral Stone Chapter) was released in Japanese theaters on April 25, 2009.[9] It focuses on the second half of the series, contributing more new animation than the first film. The Japanese DVD for The Lights in the Sky are Stars was released on January 27, 2010. For both films, Shoko Nakagawa sang the theme songs: "Tsuzuku Sekai" (続く世界?, "The World Goes On") for Childhood's End and "Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana" (涙の種、笑顔の花?, "Seed of Tears, Flower of Smiles") for The Lights in the Sky are Stars. Taku Iwasaki returned to compose the films' scores.

Aniplex of America distributed both films on DVD in regular and special editions. Childhood's End was released on July 1, 2010 while The Lights in the Sky are Stars was released on July 30, 2010.[33] Aniplex of America released the films on Blu-ray Disc as part of the Gurren Lagann Blu-ray box set on June 26, 2013.[23] Aniplex of America re-released the films in a separate Blu-ray Disc set on July 15, 2014.[34]

This is with out a doubt the worst fucking list i have ever seen like holy shit this is some next level garbage. I cant even believe this guy is still alive like what the fuck is he even doing??? probably sucking himself off that big fag

Gurren Lagann, known in Japan as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (天元突破グレンラガン Tengen Toppa Guren Ragan?, lit. "Pierce the Heavens, Gurren Lagann"), is a Japanese mecha anime television series animated by Gainax and co-produced by Aniplex and Konami. It ran for 27 episodes on Japan's TV Tokyo between April 1, 2007, and September 30, 2007. It was directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, written by veteran playwright Kazuki Nakashima, and had been in development since the participation of the famed animator in the Abenobashi mecha-themed episodes by the same studio. Gurren Lagann takes place in a fictional future where Earth is ruled by the Spiral King, Lordgenome, who forces mankind to live in isolated subterranean villages. The plot focuses on two teenagers living in a subterranean village, Simon and Kamina, who wish to go to the surface. Using a mecha known as Lagann, Simon and Kamina reach the surface and start fighting alongside other humans against Lordgenome's forces.

In North America, although initially announced to be licensed by ADV Films in 2007, the license was transferred to Bandai Entertainment in 2008[2] and then transferred to Aniplex of America in 2013. In the United Kingdom, it was licensed by Manga Entertainment in 2007, then transferred to Beez Entertainment in 2008, and then transferred to Anime Limited in 2013. The Sci Fi Channel acquired the broadcasting rights of Gurren Lagann and began airing the anime on July 28, 2008, as part of Sci Fi's Ani-Monday anime block.[3][4] The anime won several awards at the Tokyo International Anime Fair[5] and the Animation Kobe[6] and Japan Media Arts Festivals.[7]

A manga adaptation was published by ASCII Media Works between 2007 and 2013. Bandai Entertainment licensed the manga and released it in English in North America. A series of four light novels was published by Shogakukan between 2007 and 2008. A Nintendo DS video game was released in October 2007, bundled with a special episode of the anime series.[8] Two animated film versions were produced; the first premiered in Japanese theaters on September 6, 2008, and the second premiered on April 25, 2009.[9]

no u!