I'm tired of saying this, but Naruto shouldn't be compared to Bleach when it comes to influencing other works

While any anime fan must know about fandom wars, the criteria for comparing two Big Three anime like Naruto and Bleach are far different from how other anime are compared. Other anime are often compared based on their production quality, story, and other elements. However, that is not the case for anime like Naruto and Bleach, as their comparisons go a step further.

While fans still make comparisons between stories and production, the biggest point of comparison between Big Three anime like Naruto and Bleach is their impact and influence on the anime-manga industry. While Bleach is known for being one of the most influential shounen anime, Naruto edges it out with its impact that goes beyond the borders of Japan.

Naruto's influence on other works far surpasses that of Bleach

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Recently, a Bleach fan on X @kanekeyss initiated another fandom war against Naruto and One Piece, claiming that the Tite Kubo manga inspired an entire generation of manga, while Kishimoto and Oda's manga inspired nothing. As part of this, the fan listed Black Clover, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and My Hero Academia as some of the anime that Bleach inspired.

However, this war declaration was weak, as a notable Naruto/Boruto fan on X @MRrex_Jn responded to the Bleach fan's claim with the anime Naruto inspired. Hilariously, all four anime mentioned by the Bleach fan were also inspired by Naruto.

Kenjaku as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen anime (Image via MAPPA)

When asked about their biggest inspiration behind creating their manga, several creators like Sui Ishida (Tokyo Ghoul), Koyoharu Gotouge (Demon Slayer), Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia), and Yuki Tabata (Black Clover) mentioned Naruto as one of the series that inspired their respective manga.

Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami previously explained how Megumi Fushiguro and Satoru Gojo were inspired by Sasuke Uchiha and Tonbo Tobitake, respectively. They also shared how Naruto's relationship with Kurama inspired Itadori and Sukuna's relationship. Similarly, Gege Akutami was also inspired by Orochimaru to create Kenjaku.

Monkey D. Luffy as seen in One Piece (Image via Toei Animation)

Marriage Toxin creator Joumyaku explained how he was inspired by the Kishimoto series' Aburame clan to make his protagonist Hikaru Gero a poison user.

Lastly, while shocking, the One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda previously shared how he was inspired by Kishimoto's idea for depicting invisibility. He was later also inspired by Choji Akimichi's Partial Expansion Jutsu to create Monkey D. Luffy's Giant Pistol.

Crunchyroll Hime as seen in Crunchyroll (Image via Crunchyroll)

However, that's not all, as Naruto has not only influenced anime and manga but has gone beyond. Invincible Fight Girl creator Juston Gordon-Montgomery once revealed how he was inspired by Naruto to create his series, but instead of ninjas, he switched his series' focus to wrestling.

Besides that, several international stars like basketball player Zion Williamson, football player Dominic Solanke, and American Actor Michael B. Jordan have all expressed their love for Naruto and its impact on their lives and work.

If that was not all, even the upper echelon of Crunchyroll has admitted that the design for their mascot, Crunchyroll Hime, was heavily inspired by one of the biggest series on their platform, Naruto. With so many people drawing inspiration from the Masashi Kishimoto series, there should be no reason for Naruto to be compared to any series when it comes to influencing other works.