The Naruto series is known for having one of the most beloved and iconic cast of characters in the anime medium. Many of the characters from this hit shonen anime have interesting backgrounds and intriguing roles to play. Out of the many notable fan favorites, Minato Namikaze stood out as the victor of a poll held recently, and is set to receive his own short manga.
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Minato Namikaze, also known as the Fourth Hokage and the Yellow Flash, is the father of the blonde haired protagonist of the Naruto series. Although Minato's appearance in the series has been limited in the show, due to him being deceased very early on in the timeline, every instance with Minato in it has been a thrilling ride for the fans, nonetheless.
5 Minato Vs. His Team
Every fan remembers Kakashi' strange way of testing his new genin by asking them to try and snatch away the two bells that he had on him. In reality, this strange testing method was first used by Kakashi's own mentor, Minato. Minato was selected to teach a team of genin including Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. To test their ability and compatibility, he used the bells to see if the trio could work together to snatch it from him.
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In their face off, Minato quickly establishes his superiority with his teleportation technique, not letting the trio come close to him. This scene goes on to show how much stronger Minato's genin would have turned out under his tutelage, had he not died a brutal death.
4 Minato Unlocks Biju Mode
The reanimation of all the Hokage was one the most epic moments of the Fourth Great Ninja War, but fans were surprised even further by Minato's entry on the battlefield. After successfully teleporting away the tailed beast bomb from the Ten Tails, Minato appeared infront of the Naruto and the rest of the allied forces and quickly donned the Nine Tails Chakra Mode, similar to that of Naruto.
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This made sense as, before dying, Minato had actually sealed half of the Nine Tails within himself. With his new abilities, Minato turned the tides of the war in many meaningful ways, partnering up with Naruto against Obito, saving Naruto after the extraction of Nine Tails from within him, and even aiding Might Guy in his assault on Madara Uchiha.
3 Minato Vs. The Fourth Raikage
Feared as the Yellow Flash throughout the lands of the Naruto universe, Minato's speed is nothing to be taken lightly. The remarkable swiftness of Minato's iconic Flying Rajin technique is seen throughout many instances in the show, but one of the best displays came when Minato had to face off against the future Fourth Raikage, Ay, and Killer Bee, among many other shinobi from the rivaling Hidden Cloud Village.
The Raikage himself was known to be an extremely fast shinobi, but even he was no match for Minato's teleportation technique who quickly gained the upper hand in their clash with his kunai and tenacity.
2 Naruto Meets Minato
In Naruto's epic clash against the Six Paths of Pain, he was pushed to his limits both physically and mentally. Out of hatred for Pain for having hurt Hinata, Naruto went berserk by tapping into the Nine Tails' power. All seemed lost as Naruto's consciousness started to fade and the Nine Tails' started to take over, but just as Naruto was about to remove the seal that kept the monster at bay, Minato's spirit appeared to stop him. This marked a reunion fans didn't even know was possible, as Naruto finally got to meet his old man.
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The scene was powerful and heartbreaking at the same time, as Minato revealed to him what happened during the Nine Tails' assault on the village. Minato then proceeded to take away Naruto's hatred and calmed him down, which then turned him back to normal.
1 Minato Vs. Obito
The Fourth Hokage's death was one of the most intriguing mysteries of the Naruto series for a large portion of its run, and when fans finally got to see the final moments of Minato, they did not disappoint in the slightest. During the Nine Tails' assault on the Hidden Leaf Village, Minato quickly realized that there was someone controlling the beast. He then found and confronted the Masked Man who, at the time, posed as Madara Uchiha, and this clash resulted in one of the best scenes of the entire series.
Knowing that he was running out of time, Minato went straight for the Masked Man with his Rasengan while the latter appeared confident in his warping technique. However, Minato countered his warping with an epic display of Flying Thunder God Step 2, utilizing his kunai and teleportation to make Obito materialize himself and then hitting him with his powerful Rasengan. The entire sequence of events leading upto this clash contained many epic Minato moments, from him swiftly running to Kushina's aid, saving Naruto, and even teleporting a tailed beast bomb, but his tenacity against Obito stood out the most.
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