Naruto ended a decade ago, but it is still considered one of the most popular Shonen series of all time. Naruto fans love the characters and action, but they also appreciate the story and how well it is written. Like most successful works of fiction, Naruto has its fair share of plot twists. Some of these plot twists are minor in terms of scope, but there are other twists that changed the story in meaningful ways.
Some plot twists involved events that had long-term implications, but most of the significant twists involved characters themselves. These character centric twists typically came with an earth-shattering revelation, and they usually dealt with past relationships or certain characters' identities and motivations. Either way, these plot twists had a significant impact on the story.
10: Kabuto Being Orochimaru's Spy
Naruto Episode 36, "Clone vs. Clone: Mine are Better Than Yours!"
Naruto and his friends met Kabuto prior to the first stage of the Chunin Exams. He warned the group that the exam can be difficult and at times very dangerous. During the second stage, Kabuto found Team 7 in the Forest of Death, and they helped each other. They fought some Rain Village genin together. This all happened after Team 7's encounter with Orochimaru.
Kabuto appeared to be a caring and friendly person, but it was all a lie. It turned out that he had been working with Orochimaru the entire time, and that he only approached Team 7 to gather intel on Sasuke. Kabuto's whole world revolved around Orochimaru - and it ultimately led to him altering his body and joining Madara during the war.
9: Orochimaru Was Once The 3rd Hokage's Student
Naruto Episode 68, "Zero Hour! The Konoha Crush Begins!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Third Hokage, and he led the Leaf Village like a protective grandfather. When the Leaf gets attacked by the Sand and Sound villages during the Chunin Exams, he is taken hostage by the Fourth Kazekage - who later refers to him as Sarutobi Sensei. It is then revealed that Orochimaru is impersonating the Kazekage.
No one thought that someone like the Third Hokage could have trained such an evil ninja. It explained why Orochimaru was so feared and skilled. Up until this point, every ninja had a seemingly parental relationship with their sensei, but the Orochimaru reveal proved the opposite.
8: Sasuke Leaving The Leaf Village
Naruto Episode 109, "Oto's Invitation"
The Sound Four infiltrated the Leaf Village in order to bring Sasuke to Orochimaru. He initially refused, but then he saw how strong Orochimaru's Curse Mark made them. Sasuke wanted similar power so he could kill his older brother, so he decided to leave the village with them.
Sasuke was Naruto's friend and teammate, and he served as the series' secondary protagonist, so no one thought he would willingly join a villain like Orochimaru - who had just tried to destroy the village. This decision eventually turned Sasuke into one of the ninja world's most wanted criminals.
7: The Existence Of Other "Demons"
Naruto Episode 74, "Astonishing Truth! Gaara's Identity Emerges!"
Naruto was shunned by the majority of the Leaf Village because the Nine-Tails was inside of him. He thought he was the only person who dealt with such loneliness and hatred, but that changed when he learned the truth about Gaara.
Gaara had a "demon" inside him as well, and it came in the form of Shukaku the Sand Spirit - otherwise known as the One-Tail. This revelation proved to Naruto and Gaara that they were not alone, and it allowed them to become friends, It also confirmed the existence of multiple Tailed Beasts. These beings ended up playing a huge role in the overall story.
6: Pain Being Jiraiya's Former Student
Naruto: Shippuden Episode 130, "The Man Who Became God"
When Jiraiya learned that the leader of the Akatsuki was in the Hidden Rain Village, he decided to infiltrate the village to gather intel. While doing so, he ran into Konan It was quickly revealed that Jiraiya trained Konan and two other Rain ninja many years ago, and he deduced that Pain was one of the other students.
After a quick fight with Konan, Pain appeared with his Animal Path body. He referred to Jiraiya as sensei, which confirmed Jiraiya's hypothesis. This meant that Jiraiya trained the hero of the story, and one of the world's strongest villains. It also signified that Naruto and Pain were permanently linked.
5: Naruto & Sasuke Being The Reincarnations Of Asura & Indra
Naruto: Shippuden Episode 421, "The Sage of Six Paths"
The Sage of Six Paths appeared before Naruto and Sasuke during the 4th Great Ninja War when they were both on the verge of death. He spoke to them separately, but he told them both that they were the latest reincarnations of his sons. Naruto was the reincarnation of Asura - the younger son who inherited the Sage's powerful life-force and physical energy.
Sasuke was Indra - the older brother who inherited the Sage's talent and visual prowess. Indra and Asura were at odds with each other over who would succeed their father, and this feud continued through their reincarnations -which included Madara and Hashirama. This proved that Naruto and Sasuke were destined to fight no matter what.
4. The 4th Hokage Being Naruto's Father
Naruto: Shippuden Episode 168, "The Fourth Hokage"
During his fight with Pain, Naruto loses control and gets consumed by the Nine-Tails' chakra. Just as Naruto is about to remove the final seal, the Fourth Hokage appears and stops him. Once Naruto was safe, the Fourth Hokage revealed that he is actually his father.
This was a huge shock to Naruto and fans. The Fourth Hokage died during the Nine-Tails' attack, so it partially explained why Naruto was orphaned. It also explained why Naruto was able to master high-level techniques so quickly. Naruto's dream was to become Hokage, but he never thought that he would be following in his father's footsteps.
3: The Truth Behind Itachi's Actions
Naruto: Shippuden Episode 141, "Truth"
When Itachi died, Sasuke believed he had finally avenged his clan, but his pain only deepened. Shortly after their fight, Sasuke learned the truth about Itachi's actions from Tobi. He learned that the Uchiha were planning a coup, and that Itachi was spying on their clan on the Leaf Village's behalf.
Itachi knew that a coup would lead to civil war and the village's overall destruction, so he agreed to wipe out their clan. He then became a rogue ninja in order to gather more intel for the village. This revelation turned Itachi into a hero instead of a villain, but it also caused Sasuke to go down an even darker path of vengeance.
2: The Obito Uchiha Reveal
Naruto: Shippuden Episode 343, "Who Are You?"
Tobi was a quirky character who felt like comic relief, so it was a real shock when he called himself Madara Uchiha. During the 4th Great Ninja War, Kabuto brought Madara back with the Reanimation Jutsu. This proved that the masked man was someone else.
When Naruto finally destroys the mask, everyone learns that the man is actually Obito Uchiha. Obito was Kakashi's friend and former teammate, and everyone believed he died during the 3rd Ninja War. When Obito finally realized that joining Madara was wrong, he helps Naruto and his friends. After sacrificing himself, Obito helped to beat Kaguya by temporarily giving Kakashi the power to use a Susanoo.
1. Kaguya Otsutsuki's Existence
Naruto: Shippuden Episode 421, "The Sage of Six Paths" & Episode 458, "Truth"
While Naruto and Sasuke were on the verge of death, they met with the Sage of Six Paths - who acknowledged Kaguya's existence. Kaguya was the Sage's mother, but she was also part of the Otsutsuki clan. The Otsutsuki are extraterrestrial beings who travel between dimensions to cultivate God Trees and harvest Chakra Fruits.
Up until that moment, no one knew who Kaguya was, and she became the final villain when she was resurrected by Black Zetsu. This was the first time Naruto and Sasuke had to fight a God-like being. It was also revealed that most of the major events in Naruto were orchestrated by Zetsu to bring her back.
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