Naruto Uzumaki’s journey to achieving his lifelong dream of becoming Hokage was one fraught with hardship and peril. However, by the end of Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, he had grown to become arguably the most powerful shinobi of his generation, and perhaps even in recorded history. The path to attaining such immense strength was through a series of power-ups and transformations — as is the case with most battle shonen series — which represented different phases in his progression as a character.

Each of these forms was achieved in a time of need and signified a major step forward in Naruto’s narrative. From his initial uncontrolled Jinchuriki Transformations to the near-divine power he attained through Six Paths Sage Mode and Baryon Mode in Boruto, Naruto’s transformations are abundant and varied. All of these forms come with some constraints and benefits, and ranking them based on power, design, versatility, and narrative importance is one of the few ways to determine which of them can claim to be Naruto’s best transformation.

The Chaotic Potential Of The Many Jinchuriki Forms

By having Kurama’s Yang half sealed inside him, Naruto had access to the Nine-Tails’ chakra, which permitted him to undergo a series of transformations carrying the aura of the tailed beast. Over time, the seal confining Kurama’s chakra weakened, which culminated in more of it escaping and taking control of his body whenever Naruto gave in to his anger.

There are essentially two major categories of this transformation: the Version 1 form and the Version 2 forms. Naruto retained more self-awareness in Version 1, whereas his body was completely under Kurama’s control in Version 2. Both featured a shroud of Kurama’s chakra alongside massive boosts in strength, speed, and durability. The shroud would gradually appear more like Kurama as more of its tails manifested.

All of Naruto’s wounds healed instantly, but this also contributed to shortening his lifespan from repeated cell regeneration. Despite the many benefits of this form, the lack of control as well as the damage Naruto’s body accumulated in this form, made it less than ideal. That being said, the Version 2 cloak as well as the Version 1 form from the battle against Sasuke at the end of Part I, are nothing short of iconic.

Sage Mode Is Versatile And Iconic

From many angles, this is a highlight moment in Naruto’s journey, representing the time when he truly came into his own after the death of his mentor, Jiraiya. Sage Mode was instrumental in Naruto’s defeat of Pain, and he continued to reap its benefits by combining it with other transformations. It conferred superhuman strength, durability, stamina, increased chakra reserves, and sensory abilities. Using this form, Naruto performed taijutsu and ninjutsu feats on levels that were unseen prior, including the devastating Wind Release: Rasenshuriken technique.

It also provided a means for him to replenish his chakra by gathering natural energy. Conversely, the transformation could only be sustained for a limited time at first, and Naruto had to remain perfectly still or use Shadow Clones to amass natural energy. Considering its versatility and benefits, as well as how Naruto was able to overcome its drawbacks, Sage Mode checks off many of the boxes for a great transformation, with the only issue being its relatively lower power when pitted against later forms.

Nine-Tails Chakra Mode Was A Major Turning Point

Debuting during the Fourth Shinobi World War, Nine-Tails Chakra Mode was the next logical step after Sage Mode. At this point, Naruto had not fully partnered with Kurama, and he was taking the tailed beast’s chakra by force. The transformation’s appearance conveyed Naruto’s heightened power level fairly well, but its novelty was short-lived.

The power up granted by this form was quite sizable, as it made Naruto faster than even the Fourth Raikage and allowed him to sense negative emotions. In addition to its aesthetic purpose, the aura of chakra surrounding him reinforced his body. He was able to perform ninjutsu on a much larger scale and gained the use of several chakra arms. The major issue with this form lay in his inability to transform fully into Kurama, produce true Tailed Beast Balls, and its time limit . The design was also relatively uninteresting in relation to later transformations.

Kurama Mode Allows Naruto To Fully Sync With The Nine-Tails

Essentially, this was a mastered form of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, where Naruto and Kurama fully synchronized after he learned the fox’s true name. Once again, Naruto gained an increase in strength, speed, durability, and chakra. Moreover, he could now infuse his techniques with senjutsu chakra gathered by Kurama, or use it to replenish his reserves. He could also create Tailed Beast Balls and even materialize a massive chakra avatar in Kurama’s image.

In terms of design, this form is a step up, and Naruto could also sustain the transformation for much longer. With Kurama Mode, Naruto transferred massive amounts of chakra to his allies to boost their attacks and durability. Due to how this form improves upon the shortcomings of the earlier stage of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and features a slightly better design, it could be considered an upgrade of sorts.

Six Paths Sage Mode Is A Divine State

A radical step up from Kurama Mode, Six Paths Sage Mode was a divine state bestowed upon Naruto by Hagoromo Otsutsuki along with the Six Paths Yang Power. In this form, he was able to easily contend with Madara Uchiha as the Ten-Tails’ jinchuriki. Once again, his speed, strength, and durability reached new heights, and he could even kick away Truth-Seeking Balls.

Upon activating Nine-Tails Chakra Mode in this form, he was surrounded by the same fiery aura, and gained the ability to fly and manifest Truth-Seeking Balls. He was also able to sense invisible clones from the world of Limbo, and manipulate chakra on a fundamental level, as seen in how he restored Kakashi’s eye and saved Might Guy from the brink of death. Compared to earlier forms, this is perhaps the strongest and most multifaceted, which is no surprise considering that it is Naruto’s go-to form against challenging opponents.

Baryon Mode Grants Great Power With An Equal Degree of Risk

Embodying the very image of the Will of Fire, Baryon Mode saw Naruto and Kurama merge their chakra in a manner akin to nuclear fusion, releasing enough power to even dwarf that of an Otsutsuki. He was surrounded by a blazing red chakra cape with nine tails to signify Kurama’s influence.

Baryon Mode augmented Naruto’s base abilities beyond even Six Paths Sage Mode, where he could effortlessly parry and counter Isshiki Otsutsuki’s attacks. Any contact with him diminished an opponent’s lifespan due to how all chakra is linked. The caveat to this form lay in how Naruto had to be very careful in this state since unnecessary movements destabilized it. Finally, extended usage of the state posed a great risk to Kurama’s life.

Each transformation had its fair share of merits and demerits, as seen from how they impacted Naruto’s journey as a shinobi throughout the series. Undoubtedly, Sage Mode is one of the most memorable as it represents a coming-of-age moment for Naruto. Alternatively, Baryon Mode was certainly the most powerful form he had access to, although it was short-lived and had disastrous consequences once it wore off. Hence, the most balanced of Naruto’s transformations is likely Six Paths Sage Mode, due to its divine properties, adaptability, and memorable design.