Best Naruto Characters to Cosplay

The Best Naruto Cosplay Ideas

Naruto, the beloved Japanese anime/manga universe that has inspired legions of devoted fan cosplay. The brainchild of Masashi Kishimoto, the two-part series follows the quest of Naruto Uzumaki: a young man who grew up coexisting with the spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox and desires to become a ninja worthy of the title Hokage of Konohakakuri. During the manga and the subsequent anime, Naruto and his fellow symbiotes train to become elite warriors protecting humanity from the evil external forces that seek to destroy their alter egos.

For this reason, and in no small part due to the 250 million copies sold worldwide of the manga in 46 countries, cosplay of the main protagonist and antagonist characters has become quite prolific, in and outside of conventions and expositions. This article will break down some of the most common and the most innovative cosplay options from this iconic manga.

Naruto

Naruto Uzumaki, The main character of the manga is hands down one of the most cosplayed characters from the series. Because of his versatility and age progression throughout the series, cosplay participants can be as wildly creative within the character construct as they choose. Some commonly sourced materials that might serve as the basis for a Naruto cosplay would be orange jumpsuits with black silk scarf and golden ranking emblem. While Naruto is traditionally blonde in the manga, some of the cosplay image searches on the Internet featured alternative hair colors in a similar spiked pixie style.

Sasuke Uchiha

Naruto’s arch-rival and main antagonist, Sasuke’s distant and aloof nature, make him an appealing cosplay option for participants that thrive when portraying a villainous character with a backstory. Black hair and haunted eyes, accompanied by a palate of muted grey, blue, and black oversized shirts and pants, Sasuke holds extensive appeal to Naruto while mimicking his rival’s headpiece. Previous cosplay examples included the use of moving blankets and bleached muslin fabrics, as well as traditionally sourced Japanese obi and samurai bamboo armor.

Sakura Haruno

The first female character to develop a storyline within the manga creatively introduces the idea of the warrior woman, albeit assigning Sakura the stereotypical human frailties of falling in love with Sasuke as they train side by side. Her long pink hair and brightly hued Mandarin-inspired wardrobe invokes cosplayers the memory of iconic StreetFighter character Chun Li. Many cosplay examples reference silk brocade tops with monkey fist closures and red piping detail on the tunic accompanied by fitted silk breeches that fall slightly below the knee. Sakura wears the same headpiece as the two male characters, but hers is styled as a hairwrap, perhaps to offset the “masculine” nature of her status as warrior and emphasize her gender within the universe of the manga.

Kakashi Hatake

Perhaps no single cosplay was more suited to the pandemic than Kakashi Hatake, the leader of Team 7 responsible for training Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura in the art of elite ninjitsu. His snow-white hair is offset by a black turtleneck and mask over his pale face. Some cosplay features an eye patch to represent his lost sight, which he does at some point within the universe of the manga regain.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generation

Boruto Uzumaki

The star of the second part of the manga is Borutu, Naturo’s son with Hinata Hyuga. Inheriting his father’s blonde hair with his mother’s blue eyes, Boruto’s journey towards martial arts mastery included the study of his mother’s legacy, the Gentle Fist. Some sample cosplay features Boruto as his age progresses, with blue facial and upper arm body art alongside a red version of his father’s jumpsuit-styled wardrobe and headpiece.

Sarada Uchiha

The daughter of Sasuke and Sakura, Sarada becomes prominent as the central character in Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring. Cosplay participants favor her character for blending her parents’ signature styles: dark hair and eyes, vibrant red eyewear, and a Mandarin-inspired wardrobe. Compared to her mother’s long-sleeved uniform, Sarada favors a sleeveless top, and she provides cosplay enthusiasts with a unique option that offers less sultry and more scholarly.

Mitsuki

The artificial intelligence derived teammate of Boruto and Sarada is a highly popular cosplay for fans of the manga that love the dichotomy of cyber technology and warrior student. Created by scientist Orochimaru, the name Mitsuki translates from Japanese to “vessel for the snake to inhabit.” Deciding to exercise the free will that his creator had not intended for him to develop, Mitsuki’s use of chakra to extend his limbs has made for some incredible cosplay work. His blue-grey gi, hair, and traditional form-fitted black pants and sandals make him a unique but accessible cosplay. His amber eyes require colored contacts, and his pallid complexion allows cosplay participants to utilize a full-body makeup application.

Whatever character you select to cosplay, there is no end of options to choose from this groundbreaking, genre-defining manga. For more anime/manga-related content, be sure to subscribe to our blog and get some really cool Naruto wallpaper downloads!