Naruto to get four original anime episodes to celebrate its 20th anniversary

Naruto wearing his signature attire (Image via Studio Pierrot)
Naruto wearing his signature attire (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Four "brand-new" episodes of the Naruto television anime will begin airing in 2023, according to the franchise's official website, which made the announcement on Thursday. These episodes are set for a grand celebration to commemorate the anime's 20th anniversary, as the series made its anime debut in October 2002.

Based on this announcement, the episodes are expected to air in September 2023. There has not been any official announcement regarding the plot of these four episodes, whether it will follow the manga or tell an entirely different story altogether.

Disclaimer: This article will contain Naruto manga and anime spoilers.


The 4-episode short is set to celebrate Naruto's 20th anniversary along with a whole host of other events

The hype is real for the anime's 20th-anniversary celebration, and fans cannot wait to see the events planned for them. Beginning in July, certain early episodes of the anime will also be rebroadcast in Japan. This will enable original fans to re-experience the show as well as introduce new viewers to the world of ninjas.

In October, Studio Pierrot started streaming a movie that condenses 20 years of anime history into 10 minutes. New animated footage can be seen in the video. Along with these epic announcements, Naruto's 20th anniversary is also set to host an innovative Virtual Reality attraction at Divercity Tokyo Plaza.

If these weren't enough, a live event featuring a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the anime series and incredible artists has been announced. Kishimoto himself welcomed fans to the great commemoration of his magnum opus:

Anime's 20th anniversary!! Sending everyone a "Thank you!" through the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!!! It’s the Naruto anime’s 20th anniversary!

Kishimoto's manga features the heart-warming underdog story of an ostracized young ninja who becomes the leader of his village

Naruto Uzumaki, a teenage ninja who wants approval from his peers and aspires to become Hokage or head of his village, is the protagonist of the series. The narrative is divided into two parts: Naruto, which takes place in his preteen years, and Naruto Shippuden, which takes place in his adolescence.

The manga's long-lasting popularity is a testament to Kishimoto's brilliant storytelling style.

Over the course of his journey, the hero evolves as a person, forms bonds with his friends and former adversaries, and trains to become stronger. As he grows up, a conspiracy featuring the antagonists of the story in Orochimaru, Pain, Tobi, and Madara Uchiha gets bigger and bigger, forcing the main character to team up with his friends and his Nine-Tailed Fox Beast Kurama to defeat them once and for all.

Shippuden ended with the titular character accomplishing his dream, although his story does not end here. Instead, Boruto: Next Generations began from April 2017, telling the story of the Hokage's son and his friends, while also introducing higher stakes, new enemies, and interpersonal conflicts.


Fans can rewatch the original anime series on Netflix and Hulu, or if they want to avoid the infamous filler, catch up to the manga series on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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