Summary
Naruto’s influence is evident in various anime series, such as Black Clover, Seraph of the End, and Hell’s Paradise, which feature similar main characters and themes. Gurren Lagann shares the ideas of confidence and perseverance found in Naruto, despite differences in setting and story. My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba are inspired by Naruto, with similar characters and themes of strength and protection.
As one of the Big 3 of Shonen Jump, Naruto was one of the most popular titles of its heyday, enchanting fans with its well-developed characters, engaging world, and unique power-up system. So it’s no surprise that many authors have taken inspiration from the series and have ended up creating stories that are clearly reminiscent of the series in one way or another.
With the original manga beginning publication in 1999 and the anime adaptation releasing in 2002, Naruto is obviously not the first title to revolve around epic adventures following developing main characters. In fact, Naruto is said to have been inspired by Dragon Ball, and Kishimoto himself acknowledged this influence. In turn, the great story of the blonde ninja and his exploits has inspired many others, directly or indirectly, leading to countless shows that may feel familiar to fans of the title. belong.
10 Black Clover (2017)
Produced by Pierrot and based on the Manga by Yuki Tabata
Black Clover connects with Naruto thanks similarities between their main characters. Asta is a character with incredible depth, similar to Naruto himself, as he was also initially at a disadvantage compared to his peers, having to work harder to be acknowledged. Despite this, Asta, like the beloved shinobi, maintained his ambition and optimism, aiming for the title of Shaman King despite all odds. Furthermore, he also seeks to reach an understanding with Liebe, the devil in his grimoire, reminiscent of Naruto’s relationship with Kurama.
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9 The Last Seraph: Reign of the Vampires (2015)
Produced by Wit Studio and based on Manga by Takaya Kagami & Yamato Yamamoto
Although Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign may seem unrelated to Naruto, the similarities between the two lie just below the surface. Despite the differences between the ninja and vampire worlds, The characters are more comparable than one might expect. In particular, the relationship between Yuichiro and Mikaela resembles that of Naruto and Sasuke. The two are quite close at the beginning of the story, presented as either friends or rivals, but eventually become opposing sides in their ongoing conflicts. Furthermore, their feelings and opinions about each other also change over time.
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8 Hell’s Paradise (2023)
Produced by MAPPA and based on the Manga by Yuji Kaku
Hell’s Paradise revolves around Gabimaru “the Hollow”, a shinobi assassin born to kill and earns his title by destroying his targets without showing any emotion. As a ninja, he possesses skills reminiscent of those in Naruto, masters taijutsu, such as powerful kicks, and ninjutsu, such as creating flames, to deal with any situation. Another element that Naruto fans will find familiar is the fantasy setting, which adds to the mystery and intrigue of the world. However, Hell’s Paradise sets itself apart by telling a completely different story, blending fantasy adventures with survival horror.
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7 Gurren Lagann (2007)
Original anime produced by Gainax
The events of Gurren Lagann take place on a post-apocalyptic future Earth, where humans live underground, knowing almost nothing of the world above. However, some people, like Simon and Kamina, dream of going to the surface and seeing the sky that few people believe in anymore. One day, while excavating, they come across a mysterious robot that they use to defend their village from a sudden ambush, along with Yoko Littner, an unexpected ally. Although the setting and story can hardly be compared to Naruto, These two titles are connected by a surprising idea—that of confidence and perseverance, as illustrated by the iconic quote “Believe it!” and “Believe in me, I believe in you!”
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6 Mashle: Magic and Brawn (2023)
Produced by A-1 Pictures and based on the Manga by Hajime Komoto
Mashle: Magic and Muscles is quite different from most other titles that are influenced by or pay homage to Naruto, as it focuses on comedy and humor above all else. The story follows Mash Burnedead, a boy identified as having no magical abilities and not liking cake, living in a world where magic is normal. Despite his lack of magic, he can easily overpower most people with his pure strength alone, having devoted his life to strength training. Similar to Naruto’s Rock LeeMash wanted to prove (albeit unintentionally) that hard work can defeat natural talent and even change the world.
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5 Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)
Produced by MAPPA and based on Manga by Gege Akutami
As one of the more popular recent titles among the Shonen demographic, Jujutsu Kaisen is naturally influenced by its predecessors. In terms of similarities with Naruto, perhaps the most prominent one is Similarities between Gojo of Jujutsu Kaisen and Kakashi, who not only have extremely similar designs but also play similar roles in the story, acting as mentors to the teams they are guiding. Another popular idea is that of Sukuna, an evil creature that possesses a human host in the same way Kurama possessed Naruto. However, Sukuna makes no effort to understand or assist his host, instead causing nothing but unlimited chaos and destruction.
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4 Kings Ranking (2021)
Produced by Wit Studio and based on the Manga by Sosuke Toka
Rank of Kings revolves around Bojji, a prince who can neither speak nor hear, causing everyone in the kingdom to despise him. His life begins to change when he comes across Kage, a mysterious dark creature who becomes his first true friend and motivates him to overcome his weaknesses. Although not the same, Bojji’s story is reminiscent of Naruto’s, the blonde ninja was also shunned by the village, even though nothing could extinguish his dream. Furthermore, like Kage, Sasuke is also the last surviving member of his clan. However, while Sasuke sought revenge for this, Kage followed a different path.
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3 Fire Force (2019)
Produced by David Production and based on the Manga by Atsushi Ohkubo
Although Fire Force is more closely connected to Soul Eater than any other series, as both were created by Atsushi Ohkubo, certain aspects of the title may also bother Naruto fans. feels familiar. Perhaps the most striking similarity is religion, which plays an important role in both shows., although it is not always obvious. Some of Naruto’s ninjutsu techniques are inspired by religion, especially Shinto, while the world of Fire is defined by the Holy Sol Temple. Furthermore, Shinra is quite similar to Naruto, constantly striving to become a hero despite his tragic past.
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2 My Hero Academia (2016)
Produced by Bones and based on Manga by Kohei Horikoshi
It’s no secret that My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi has always been a huge fan of Naruto. The iconic ninja played an important role in his childhood and eventually inspired him to create a story of his own. Naturally, his work is not simply a clone of Naruto, as its originality and creativity are often cited as two of its notable strengths, helping it develop into one of the most popular titles in the world. The most famous shonen story of the new generation. However, one can certainly draw similarities when comparing the two. Special, certain characters seem to mirror those of other titleswhether in terms of personality or behavior.
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Demon Slayer No. 1: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019)
Produced by Ufotable and based on the Manga by Koyoharu Gotouge
As Gotouge himself admitted, Naruto is one of Demon Slayer’s main influences, along with titles like Bleach and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. From the martial arts-focused story to Tanjiro’s team dynamics as part of the Demon Slayer Corps, which can be compared to the iconic Team Seven, the similarities are hard to see. . Even on a broader level, Tanjiro’s journey is similar to Naruto’sas he is also training and fighting to become strong enough to protect his loved ones and stop any threats from disrupting the peace of the world he hopes to achieve.
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