Naruto is an epic shonen series that revolves around a young knucklehead ninja named Naruto Uzumaki. The story of Naruto is divided into two parts—Original (Part I) and Shippuden (Part II). Both of the parts are unique in their own ways, and the fans enjoy them a lot.

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However, there are some major differences between the Original Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. These contrasts come to light in the anime quite easily. While Naruto Shippuden does bring an end to Naruto's adventure, the Original anime series has its own perks, which makes it better than the subsequent part.

8 Better Story

Naruto headbutts Gaara

The Original Naruto anime focuses on Naruto as he begins his journey to become a ninja. The anime beautifully encapsulates Naruto's story without adding too much unimportant content. It covers Naruto's induction into Team 7, his new teammates, and how he grows up.

The story of Part I is definitely more focused on a younger audience, but that doesn't make it bad in any way. The anime still has gore and a few other mature themes, but it isn't as philosophical as Part II. Many viewers prefer Part I's story to Shippuden, and it is easy to see why.

7 Less Filler

Naruto and Sasuke with a bird

The biggest problem with Naruto anime has been the obnoxious amount of fillers. More than 50% of Naruto Shippuden is filled with fillers, and it does not paint a good picture. Many people stopped watching the anime altogether as sometimes the anime would go months without a canon episode.

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The original Naruto anime isn't devoid of fillers, but they're much easier to watch as they do not appear as often. The canon arcs are not swarmed with unnecessary filler episodes, and they do not interrupt any major fights. This makes the story overall more enjoyable.

6 More Time For Side Characters

Konoha 11 from Part I

One of the main problems with Shippuden has been its treatment of the side characters. Kishimoto paid a great deal of attention to the side characters in Part I, particularly to Konoha 11. They were given a good amount of screen time, and they were involved in some of the best fights that took place in the series.

In Shippuden, most of the side characters were driven out of the spotlight. They were barely involved in any major fights, and the entire focus was on Naruto and Sasuke. This was bad writing on Kishimoto's part as it seemed that he did not know what to do with the other characters that he had created.

5 Better Consistency

Naruto lifts his fist up

The original Naruto series is very consistent when it comes to quality. The story moved at a constant pace, and there aren't many instances where the quality of the series drops to an astoundingly low level.

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Naruto Shippuden definitely has higher highs, but on several occasions, the quality of the story dropped to very low points, and this made the story as a whole relatively underwhelming.

4 A Satisfying Conclusion

Jiraiya talking to Naruto

While this may seem like an outrageous take, there is actually some truth to this claim. The Original Naruto series ended with Naruto setting out on a journey with Jiraiya that would last for two and a half years. This was the perfect way to bring an end to Part I, especially after Sasuke and Naruto's intense fight at the Valley of End.

Naruto Shippuden ended with Naruto marrying Hinata, which is by no means a bad ending. However, Naruto's dream was to become the Hokage, so the anime should have ended with him being named the Hokage.

3 Fewer Retcons

Sasuke and Naruto fighting at the Valley of End

Naruto Shippuden is filled with a very high number of plot holes, and in an attempt to make the story better, Kishimoto often made retcons. Nobody is against retcons, but there are just an unhealthy number of them in Part II.

Part I does not have any such problems. The story is almost immaculate, and it can be relished without the fans constantly trying to understand the reason behind these retcons.

2 Better Representation of Naruto and Sasuke's Friendship

Sasuke carrying Naruto

From the very beginning of the series, Sasuke and Naruto have been labeled rivals, but their relationship wasn't as simple. The two of them understood each other's pain, and they wanted to be friends as they were lonely.

Naruto knew how to express his emotions, but Sasuke had a tough time doing so, which is why their relationship became quite odd. In Part I, the relationship between the two was good, and at times they even showed affection toward one another. In Naruto Shippuden, their relationship became extremely toxic as Sasuke was turned into a person, who was driven by rage.

1 Better Handling of fights

Rock Lee punches Gaara

Naruto Shippuden has some of the best-ever animated fights in anime history, but many of them have been handled in a poor manner. Kishimoto's flawed handling of fights is also evident in several fights in Naruto Shippuden. In the Hidan and Kakuzu fight, the ninjas from the Hidden Leaf had absolutely no chance of winning, so Kishimoto had to make Kakuzu look stupid.

In Part I, the fights are better because there wasn't a huge difference in the power of the characters. There was a much better balance, so Kishimoto did not have to go out of his way to nerf the characters in order to let the heroes win.

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