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Naruto sprinkles a diverse range of situations and themes into its story, so there is a wealth of quotes for every occasion. Here, we’re putting our focus on its most inspirational moments: characters saying something that sticks with you and that you’ll inevitably carry forward. Whether it’s because of their sentiment, their infectious energy, or their outcomes, these are the Naruto quotes you have to keep in the back of your head.
10) A Genius of Hard Work (Naruto Episode 49)
Rock Lee’s fight with Gaara during the Chunin Exams arc is one of Naruto’s hypest, most iconic battles to this day. That was hard-won, too: Rock Lee, as everyone knows, has little natural affinity for chakra-based jutsu classes; meanwhile, Gaara is a jinchuriki with an innately massive chakra pool buffing his (arguably already overpowered) sand techniques. The match-up isn’t in Lee’s favor, to say the least, but during the battle, his leader, Might Guy, thinks back to an interaction they had long before, while Lee was feeling insecure about his potential to be a great ninja:
“It’s true that you’re different from Neji. You’re not a genius in ninjutsu nor genjutsu, not even taijutsu. But you know what, Lee? You’re a genius that has the strength and potential within himself to surpass Neji. Because you are… a genius of hard work!”
– Might Guy
What makes the quote even more effective is that, right after the flashback, we see Rock Lee starting to dodge Gaara’s attacks, and later in the same episode, he starts opening up the Eight Gates. We’ve said before that Rock Lee is Naruto’s only true underdog, and this quote exemplifies the spirit at the core of Naruto: determination, passion, and humility are the keys to greatness.
9) You Might Discover Something of Value (Naruto Episode 126)
Kimimaro led a patently horrible existence and found very little meaning in life (something Gaara was able to pick up on very quickly in their fight). As we see Kimimaro’s tragic background, we also get a glimpse into how Orochimaru discovered and courted him as a follower as he marvels at a flower in the forest. Even if Orochimaru’s intentions were spotty and manipulative, it doesn’t deprive the line of its kernel of truth.
“Maybe, just maybe, there is no purpose in life… but if you linger a while longer in this world, you might discover something of value in it. Like you found that flower. Like how I found you.”
– Orochimaru
Some quotes wither out of context; this one thrives. We’ll be honest, we understand that for many people who feel hopeless, the problem isn’t knowing something might be around the corner, but the desperation of always waiting for it. But whether for its empathy and its ability to relate to that feeling, or for its ability to inspire you to keep waiting a little longer, this is one to keep in the back of your head for those particularly hard days.
8) Rejection Makes a Man Stronger (Naruto Shippuden Episode 126)
You can’t be the best at everything, and even the things you can be the best at, you’ll never be the best right off the bat. Things aren’t always going to go perfectly for you, either, which is life’s little form of rejection in a way. And sometimes, people you love won’t love you back, or they can’t be with you for other reasons. A memorable conversation between Jiraiya and Tsunade drops a bit of wisdom about times when the thing you want just doesn’t come to pass.
“Rejection makes a man stronger. I believe that you can’t really call yourself a man unless you can laugh off all the bad stuff that happens to you, or at least use it as writing material.”
– Jiraiya
Although Jiraiya takes it in a weirder direction after the fact with some babble about how “the pursuit of happiness” isn’t for men, he has a very healthy relationship with rejection. Like the Shikaku lesson before, Naruto uses these moments to address problems that the boys and young men of its shonen demographic will inevitably run into. But gender here really makes little difference, since there’s one thing that’s absolutely true for everybody: rejection, like grief, can be whatever you make of it; sometimes it really is just a matter of approach that makes the difference.
7) What Binds Our Lives Together (Naruto Shippuden 364)
In the aftermath of Neji’s death during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Hinata plays a massive role in keeping Naruto from giving up and succumbing to immobilizing grief and emptiness. With Neji dead on the ground, having sacrificed his life to protect Naruto and Hinata from the Ten-Tails’ attacks, Obito tries to demoralize Naruto by convincing him that his words and ideals aren’t just meaningless, but leading to the deaths of his comrades. Hinata surgically, rapidly snaps Naruto out of his funk.
“Your words and desire to not let your comrades die… Neither of them are lies! […] We all hold those same words and feelings within our hearts. They’re what bind our lives together and make us comrades. If we all give up and discard those words and feelings now, Neji’s sacrifice will have been for nothing… And that is when your comrades truly die, for you are no longer comrades then.”
– Hinata
It’s touching, but there’s also more to it. It’s easy to remember that, often, you’re less alone than you feel in your convictions, desires, and dedication; it’s harder to remember that it’s our shared connections that let those convictions, desires, and dedication bloom and thrive in the first place. Things are worth fighting for because they’re not fought for alone.
6) Peace and Justice (Naruto Shippuden Episode 165)
Following up on the Konan quote earlier, this one isn’t necessarily inspirational without further context, but we missed it the first time around, and that’s criminal. Pain’s speech to Naruto is one of the only times somebody has stunned Naruto into silence, precisely because Nagato (via Pain’s Deva Path) levels with Naruto during his assault on Konoha. Naruto begins preaching his usual idealism, but Nagato counters it with his own.
“Oh, I see. That is noble of you. That would be justice. However, what about my family? My friends? My village? They suffered the same fate as this village at the hands of you Hidden Leaf ninja. How is it fair to let only you people preach about peace and justice?”
– Pain
The difference is that Naruto comes from the village that has done the pillaging, while Nagato is from a village that has been inadvertently pillaged. Both had seen comrades die in front of their eyes; both believed that peace was the destination; both differed massively in how peace and justice could be achieved. But Nagato remains the only person to shake Naruto’s faith in the shinobi system, the same way Jiraiya’s faith was shaken when he heard the Amegakure orphans had died many years before.
5) These Robes are Our Legacy (Naruto Shippuden Episode 252)
Love or hate their methods, Akatsuki still had a point about the shinobi world. Konan delivers a final poignant statement to Obito when he shows up to take the Rinnegan, and it’s a reminder of what Akatsuki was founded to be: self-defense and resistance in a cruel and unforgiving world where minor villages drown in their own blood as the site of proxy conflicts. Konan’s pride in Amegakure and the Akatsuki’s mission of protection never wavered and it’s inspirational in its grounded resolve, especially to international fans whose countries have been in similar situations.
“Yahiko founded the Akatsuki. The red clouds on these robes we wear represent the wars that rained blood upon Amegakure. You are just riding on our coattails. These robes are our legacy, not yours. The Rinnegan is something that Amegakure shinobi Nagato awakened on his own. That, too, does not belong to you. His eyes are this nation and village’s greatest treasure!”
– Konan
