Sorry Kurama & Sasuke, But Naruto’s Real Best Friend Is Another Fan Favorite Shinobi

cnnradionews staff

The story of Naruto goes into depressing territory frequently, with its protagonist often reflecting on his past, shunned by his village, no friends in sight, and scoffed at for his dreams of becoming Hokage. As the series progresses, Naruto Uzumaki builds up his abilities, defends his home and the world, and wins over even his harshest critics as he becomes Konoha’s beloved hero. But while Naruto amasses an incredible circle of friends throughout the series, his dedication to winning over Kurama and bringing Sasuke Uchiha back to the light pushes his true best friends, like Shikamaru Nara, behind Sasuke’s shadow.




Shikamaru is one of many characters in Naruto who repeatedly demonstrate their loyalty and admiration for the protagonist. Shikamaru’s contributions are possibly the most long-lasting and impactful, a sharp contrast to his original adolescent desire to lie low. In many ways, Naruto’s influence hugely benefited Shikamaru, and vice versa. While Naruto’s golden heart made it impossible to let Sasuke’s hate and rage isolate him, it does not excuse how poor of a friend Sasuke was to him, with Shikamaru, among others, bringing a fundamental connection even Kurama couldn’t match.


Shikamaru Nara Stepped Up as a Friend and Ally in Nearly Every Major Naruto Arc

A Dark Horse and Emerging Role Model


Shikamaru starts the series by being dismissed by Naruto as one of the laziest ninjas of his generation, yet he, among the rest of what’d become Naruto’s famous Konoha Eleven, was recommended to join the Chunin Exams. Alongside smaller moments like helping Ino protect Sakura in Naruto chapter #54, Shikamaru later begins to impress Naruto with his cleverness in his preliminary fight against Kin Tsuchi. By Naruto chapter #106, when it comes time for Shikamaru’s fight against Temari, where he’d impress everyone with his brilliant tactics, Naruto is the first to cheer Shikamaru on while excitedly pushing him into the ring.

Shikamaru’s brilliance lends to great potential as a team leader, especially in reducing mission casualties as a Chunin, albeit with some growing pains.


But Shikamaru truly steps up after becoming a Chunin, taking on the arduous task of stopping Sasuke from defecting and defeating the Sound Four. It’s a bold move, and even with help from the Sand Siblings, Naruto, Neji, Chōji, and Kiba, Sasuke gets away while many of the team are left in critical condition. Shikamaru is ironically the only one left with minor injuries, and his dedication to his friends, including Naruto, accelerates his survivor’s guilt. Still, after counsel from his father, he vows not to let it happen again in chapter #235.

Sasuke, meanwhile, only reflects on his positive experiences with Naruto by the series’ end, with the mildest glimpses of acknowledgment of Naruto as a rival, not a friend. As is made painfully clear in Naruto chapter #698, Naruto was a better friend than Sasuke deserved, with their bond being akin to Naruto rescuing his wayward surrogate brother from wandering a dark path. As for Kurama, whose presence with Naruto was tumultuous for much of the series, their friendship was born out of circumstance and a developed kinship, with Kurama at multiple points going on destructive rampages possessing Naruto’s body.


Shikamaru Was Always Bound to Be a Loyal Friend to Naruto

The Slacker and the Class Clown

Shikamaru’s bond with Naruto doesn’t end after the Sasuke Recovery Mission, with events in Part 2 often bringing them together on vital operations. Naruto is often at his most comfortable with Shikamaru, just as he is around Sakura when he returns to Konoha. The two had compatible personalities, each shirking responsibilities differently in their childhood, with Naruto being a prankster and Shikamaru being a slacker. However, as Naruto and Shikamaru matured as young adults, their friendship deepened as teammates and by how they shouldered horrific trauma in Naruto.


Shikamaru would be first to put this to the test when he assembles a joint effort between Team 10 and Team 7 to defeat Hidan and Kakuzu, avenging his mentor, Asuma Sarutobi. It’d be a direct case for fans to observe Shikamaru’s strict dedication to preventing a loss like the Sasuke Recovery Mission and a potent show of his leadership skills. He isolates Hidan from Kakuzu, creating one of the best fights in all of Naruto, and entrusting him to Naruto and his teammates is a significant show of trust, but that’s still a more subtle instance of Shikamaru’s friendship.

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The strongest case preceding the Fourth Great Ninja War Arc was easily when Shikamaru was the last character to pull Naruto out of his pit of despair after losing Jiraiya in Naruto chapter #406. Shikamaru appeals to the mutual loss of their masters, along with how Shikamaru learned he would be tasked as the teacher of Asuma’s child to remind Naruto that they’re growing up and need to prepare to usher in future generations. Shikamaru then says they each need to become cool shinobi like their mentors, which is a beautiful, understated moment in their friendship, finally making Naruto smile.

Sparing a Thought for Another of Naruto’s Best Friends

A Vital Mention of Another Key Ally to the Protagonist

Custom image by J.R. Waugh


While Shikamaru is a fascinating candidate for Naruto’s best friend, Sakura Haruno is one of the strongest alternate options many can reasonably stand by. To go without mentioning her growing admiration of Naruto is to overlook one of the most wholesome friendships in the series, with their bond being an important case of deep platonic love with ultimately no romantic entanglement. Sakura began to see Naruto as a worthy ally in the Chunin Exams Arc, begged and depended on him to bring Sasuke home in Part 2, and ceaselessly fought alongside him throughout the series.

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Sakura’s friendship with Naruto grows less prominent throughout the epilogue and Boruto. Still, her advocacy for her friend never goes away. She desperately calls for him to save Konoha in Pain’s Assault and emotionally embraces him when he succeeds. Boruto readers won’t see this dynamic as much; instead, they will mostly see how Naruto and Shikamaru continue cooperating closely through the present. However, Naruto fans will always know how indispensable Sakura is to Naruto.


Shikamaru Shared Naruto’s Responsibilities as Advisor to the Hokage

A Sense of Purpose Is Born

Considering Shikamaru’s one-time desire to live and die an unremarkable life devoid of serious responsibility in Naruto chapter #119, it’s clear that his friendship with Naruto caused a significant change. At the height of the Fourth Great Ninja War Arc, with Shikamaru on the brink of death, he recalls when he told his father, Shikaku, that Naruto had a bright future ahead of him. In chapter #659, Shikamaru even remarks that Naruto, unlike Hashirama Senju, “doesn’t have an adept brother like Lord Second to be his advisor.” He defines a lofty goal as being Naruto’s right-hand man.

When I’m with Naruto…he makes me want to walk with him, at his side.

-Shikamaru Nara


Shikamaru did just that, meaning the boy with cloud envy who wished to have the fewest responsibilities would soon strive to have one of the hardest jobs in his village because he believed nobody else was fit for it. At this moment, Shikamaru not only asserts himself as Naruto’s best ally outside of anybody in the village, but his friendship motivates him to rally instead of dying at this moment. In many ways, Shikamaru was the best friend Naruto could have because, despite his lazy origins, he’d put his best forward every moment when the cards were down in Naruto.


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