on Google Preferred Source Google News Link copied to clipboard By Ryan Epps Published Sep 10, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT What to Watch One of anime’s greatest classics is free to stream currently
Image: Shueisha/ Masashi Kishimoto Sign in to your Polygon.com account Add Us Add on Google Preferred Source Google News Summary Generate a summary of this story Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Some anime feel less like TV shows than cultural events woven into the fabric of our childhoods. Dragon Ball Z introduced generations of viewers to the idea that a fight could somehow last 12 episodes and still leave you breathless. Cowboy Bebop proved that anime could blend genres with effortless swagger, while Death Note turned a supernatural premise into a tense cat-and-mouse thriller. From Bleach and its stylish cast of Soul Reapers to One Piece and its story of pirates searching for long-lost treasure, these stories have endured because of their unforgettable characters and themes that resonate across generations.
One of the greatest among them and a major part of the “ Big Three ,” Naruto is the hardest to ignore. The original series, available to stream for free on Pluto TV right now, follows the young Naruto Uzumaki on his quest to become his village’s Hokage, its most respected ninja. His brash, reckless personality makes him prone to trouble, while the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him has made him an outcast among villagers who fear the creature’s power. It’s a volatile combination for a lead, yet it ultimately anchored what would become one of the biggest anime franchises in the world.
Image: Shueisha/ Masashi Kishimoto At first, Naruto presents itself as a show about ninjas hurling increasingly ridiculous techniques at each other. As the series progresses, it becomes a surprisingly earnest story about loneliness, friendship, perseverance, and the desire to be recognized. For Naruto, becoming Hokage was never really about political ambition or raw power. It was a lonely child's desperate blueprint for survival. For a kid raised on cold stares and averted eyes, that title was the only guaranteed way he could force a village that treated him like a curse to finally acknowledge his existence.
Like most anime of the early 2000s, Naruto takes its time reaching its destination. Depending on your taste, that leisurely pace can be either part of its charm or its most intimidating barrier to entry. The original series ran for 220 episodes, so it’s not quite a weekend binge, but the extra padding (often called “filler episodes”) also gives the characters plenty of room to grow organically. Naruto himself starts the series as a loud and reckless prankster surrounded by peers who have their own flaws and anxieties. Over time, that goofy troublemaker learns discipline, earns the hard-won respect of his village, and shifts from wanting to be saved to becoming the very person who can save those around him.
That’s especially true once Naruto is placed on Team 7 alongside Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, under the supervision of the perpetually mysterious Kakashi Hatake. The group dynamic gives the series its foundation, but Naruto quickly expands beyond its central trio. Rivalries become friendships. Side characters become fan favorites. Training exercises turn into genuinely tense battles. Se…