Naruto is a pretty big series. One of those titles that everyone thinks of as soon as they discover anime. It’s like DBZ, it’s an absolute pioneer to the genre. So it’s time to rank all of the openings to the original Naruto. Wait that opening picture isn’t from Naruto?? Eh lets keep it moving, we’ve got a decent amount of ground to cover although less than the complete openings from Shippuden. I’m not always the big fan of openings from the longer running titles for some reason so it’s time to see how Naruto fares here.

9. Opening 5 has a fairly somber intro although it kicks up after that. The singer isn’t quite able to handle the vocals for the most part which puts this one on the lower end. He doesn’t have quite as much music to back him up as in the other intros which puts him in a dicey position. I don’t think the opening really captures the show as well as the others so this one is rounding out the end of the pack.

8. Opening 6 definitely has a bit of a crazy vibe to it. A lot of yelling for sure although not much in the way of rhythm. We don’t get a ton of energy in terms of the animation either so that hurts this one. It doesn’t quite nail the action vibe without the fights and it’s a bit too loud for a slice of life opening so it ends up being caught in the middle there. It’s a step up from opening 5 but still isn’t in the higher tiers.

7. Opening 3’s definitely got a very different vibe to it than the first two openings that came out for the show. A lot more on the happier side than the first two. Not that they were dark or anything but this one’s more like a party. Less hype than the second intro but smoother as a listen. Maybe a tad too high pitched so you’d almost slow it down a bit but fun enough. It was the weakest of the first intros though.

6. Opening 2 has a lot of solid animation and looks good with the fights everywhere so I appreciated the foreshadowing. It was really introducing fans to what was going to be in store. My main issue is I don’t care for the music as much. While all the yelling and everything is getting the rock tone across, it doesn’t help the theme’s replay value. It doesn’t end up being quite as catchy as opening 1. The beat itself is really good, the singing just not as much. So it gets closer to the halfway point but doesn’t quite reach there.

5. Opening 4 is probably the one that I’ve heard the most often through the years. It’s definitely a fairly loud opening to go in with Naruto’s high energy spirit the whole time. The animation doesn’t get to show off all that much here with the cast just having fun. It’s okay but doesn’t leave a real big impact on you. The catchiness is what helps to get it higher up though, I can listen to this one pretty easily.

4. Opening 9 is one of those emotional openings but it’s catchy and works well. The animation is stylistic but in a bit of a low budget way. The silhouettes just don’t really work for me. Still, the song itself is very pleasant which helps a whole lot. I would definitely have this one on in the background from time to time and just enjoy the vibes.

3. Opening 8 is definitely a high tier opening. Good blend of fast paced music and solid animation. It is a very solid all around song that hits each of the areas fairly well. It’s impressive to have such a high end song near the end since this was likely for some of the filler sagas. Just goes to show that the series was not about to phone it in near the end.

2. Opening 1 definitely has a very retro vibe to it. It sounds a lot older than the show itself although at this point the anime could be considered retro which is kinda crazy. I like the animation and it’s nice to see the whole squad fighting together as a team. Not really much foreshadowing or anything but works as the first opening rather well. I’d say it’s pretty catchy and something you could show anyone to get the vibe of the show.

1. Opening 7 is a real surprise hit. I don’t remember the opening very well from back in the day but after listening to it again it hits the right balance on being emotional and fun. I felt a lot more energy on this one and the animation was also very stylistic. It works really well and is just a lot of fun overall. I would say it is ultimately the best out of all the openings so definitely give it a listen when you are able to. You won’t forget it.