Their dueling ideologies will form the backbone of everything to come in Part 2. The conclusion of this fight sets up yet another long-lasting obstacle for Naruto to overcome, which is tragically Sasuke himself. Their spectacular fight is on full display starting at “The End of Tears”, but you can start earlier with “A Cry on Deaf Ears” to get the full picture, albeit with some flat animation. After a long and bloody journey, Naruto catches up to Sasuke and is dead set on bringing him home. Sasuke has just defected, essentially leaving his entire life behind, to acquire more forbidden power from Orochimaru, who we hate. It can be hard to truly enjoy Naruto’s fight with Sasuke at the Valley of the End toward the end of the first series because of how high the stakes are and how hard the ending hits. On Crunchyroll: Season 5, Episode 128 – Season 6, Episode 135 Naruto and company’s opposition to him ultimately sets up one of the greatest and worst betrayals in anime history. We are treated to a slew of impressive ninjutsu, like Orochimaru’s bringing people back from the dead and also a giant monkey king that the Third summons.Īs viscerally thrilling as the fight is, its end is a tragic blow to the village and cements Orochimaru as a big-bad villain for a long time to come. It’s one of the first high-level duels we see in the series, with the Third Hokage, an old-but-not-out leader of the Hidden Leaf village, facing off against Orochimaru, a nasty ninja who deserted the Hidden Leaf in search of forbidden power. As a result, you can actually skip two of the episodes (“Astonishing Truth! Gaara’s Identity Emerges” and “Sasuke’s Decision: Pushed to the Edge”) to reach this fight’s thrilling conclusion. Multiple fights take place simultaneously, with the episodes cutting back and forth. With the Orichimaru launching a terrorist attack durin the Chunin Exams and mounting a large-scale invasion of Naruto’s hometown, the series itself starts to become more complex. The season and episode order isn’t the only thing getting more confusing at this point. On Crunchyroll: Season 3, Episode 71 – Season 4, Episode 80 Those are always fun to root for! Lee’s crushing defeat is all the more tragic and sets up Gaara as a major force to be reckoned with. It’s not a very exciting sequence, but it does establish yet another character determined to succeed no matter their circumstances. There is a big dip in the action after the initial bout with a lengthy flashback to Lee’s start as an untalented ninja-in-training. Gaara commands a gourd full of sand, sending it flying through the air and packing it tightly over his own body. We get a nicely animated look at Rock Lee’s taijutsu, or straight physical attacks, as he pounds away at Gaara’s freakishly strong defense. There’s not much on the line for anyone except for pride and the want to succeed. GaaraĪnyhow, this fight from the middle of the Chunin Exam arc is notable for how simple and hard-hitting it is. But ultimately, this fight is most memorable for its tragic ending where Naruto learns that being strong isn’t always enough to win. It’s not an unfamiliar concept to Naruto or Sasuke, both defined by their own set of tragic circumstances, which makes this match up even harder to watch.īut what good would this fight be without some classic turnarounds? In the heat of battle we get not one, but two great awakenings, with Sasuke activating his Sharingan, his own inborn technique, and Naruto’s first taste of the demonic power sealed inside his own body. Haku’s childhood was violently destroyed by those afraid of his inborn power. We also learn that at the root of this tremendous power is a horrible burden. Naruto has always been about toeing the line between silly antics and monumentally important clashes, but you can point directly to this fight as the moment when shit started to get real.Įarly in the fight, Haku’s unique Ice Release ninjutsu serves as the introduction to Kekkei Genkai, or hereditary techniques passed down from generation to generation. The first iconic battle on this list belongs to Naruto and Sasuke’s life-or-death fight against Haku, a rival ninja about their own age who is outclassing them in every way possible. Hulu’s Season and Episode: Season 1, Episodes 13-18Ĭrunchyroll’s Season and Episode: Season 1, Episodes 13-18 Netflix’s Season and Episode: Season 1, Episodes 13-18
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