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In addition to allusions to Japanese folklore and mythology, Naruto also contains plenty of references to other works.
- The Hokage Mountain evokes Mt. Rushmore, with faces of the four Hokages carved on it, Tsunade's face is added during the Time Skip, and by the end of the series Kakashi's and Naruto's.
- Take a look at Kiba's Facial Markings, does anyone reminds you of San?
- The Third Hokage’s summon Monkey King Enma and his ability to become a Telescoping Staff refer to Journey to the West.
- "Ino Shika Cho" is a reference to a high-ranking hand in the card game Hanafuda.
- The Valley of the End is similar to the Argonath.
- The anime has used Star Wars stock sounds, such as the lightsaber humming and TIE Fighter laser sounds.
- In that aspect, the Shinigami the Third Hokage summons during his battle with Orochimaru uses the same sound effect as the Ringwraiths.
- And speaking of Star Wars, after receiving the powers of the Six paths, Naruto and Sasuke confront Madara, who starts his attack on them with a jutsu almost identical to Force Lightning.
- According to Word of God, Madara's lightning attack was actually based off Electro's electricity from the Japanese poster
of The Amazing Spiderman 2.
- According to Word of God, Madara's lightning attack was actually based off Electro's electricity from the Japanese poster
- In the High School AU OVA, Naruto uses "attack yo-yos" to beat up on a gangster. A technique used by "mutts..." Sakura even says "Haven't I seen this before?" It's worth noting that in all the urban fantasy and slice of life Jump series Shonen Jump itself exists. Therefore, it's quite reasonable that she would have read Yu-Gi-Oh in said AU.
- Kabutomaru wears a black hood with white eye-like markings similar to fellow snake-themed baddie Medusa.
- The arrival at and the look of the island where Killer Bee and Naruto meet is reminiscent of the island from King Kong. The giant gorilla that the team meets is called "King-chan", it doesn't get more obvious than that.
- Kushina's red hair and grey eyes may be a homage to Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables fame who also has the same eye and hair color. The books are part of the school curriculum and quite popular in Japan.
- Kisame, a ninja associated with sharks, summons a giant ninja shark thing. Guy defeats it by essentially setting off a pressurized air explosion in the mouth.
- Speaking of Kisame, does his Samehada Fusion reminds anyone of an Arrancar's Resurrección?
- The Sage of six paths and the form Naruto Takes after absorbing all of the Kyuubi's chakra is definitely similar looking to the oni warriors of Onimusha fame, Soki in particular
- When Naruto fails at turning into the Kyuubi after taming it, he actually transforms into the chibi-kyuubi design from the pilot, which was originally supposed to be his true form.
- The real names of the Kyuubi and the Four Tails: Kurama and Son Goku.
- The Five Tails is a gigantic horse named Kokuoh.
- The Four Tailed Beast is one big reference to Dragon Ball. Its design is partially based off of the Oozaru, the host's name is Roshi and its number of tails is the same as Goku's favorite Dragonball. Its horns are also apparently modeled after the diadem worn by Sun Wukong from Journey to the West, who is himself one of the original inspirations for Goku. And the four tailed beast's proper name is even Son Goku!
- Speaking of Dragon Ball, Naruto is trained by a Dirty Old Man (Jiraiya). Muten Roshi is also a Dirty Old Man.
- Sakura is a definitely a pink-haired Bulma.
- Let's see... Hinata is Badass Adorable princess with a Hime Cut who falls head over heels with an Idiot Hero in an orange jacket and ends up getting married, becoming a Housewife and having two children? Chi-Chi, is that you?
- Kiba is themed after canines (dogs in this case) and has an animal companion?
- Orochimaru has white skin and a Quirky Miniboss Squad (The Sound Five)?
- Let's see... the Big Bad (Nagato) is using multiple bodies (six or seven specifically), with one of them (Asura Path) having mechanical parts to do the fighting? Who is he, Meta-Cooler?
- Heck, he even pisses Naruto to push him into assuming Nine-Tails mode by beating up Hinata, just like how Cell pisses off Gohan to push him into going Super Saiyan 2 by killing Android 16.
- On top of that, he even thinks he's an omnipotent being (God in this case), just like Broly.
- Even Kisame does the "Kamehameha" pose in his Great Shark Bullet Technique. "Kisamehameha" perhaps?
- The 10-Tails' crossing of the Bishounen Line, its massive form being sucked inward into itself to take the size & shape of a human, brings to mind Janemba's transformation in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn.
- During the arc where Naruto first learns how to use the Rasengan, a Chiaotzu mask can be seen at a marketplace.
- Juugo, when he's not in Ax-Crazy mode, is a rather peaceful Gentle Giant with an affinity for birds. Just like Android 16.
- Personality-wise, the First Hokage, Hashirama, is very similar to an adult Goku: Both are idealistic, goofy manchildren, who are both also the World's Strongest Man.
- According to Kishimoto, the Teacher/Student dynamic of Boruto and Sasuke is a direct reference to Gohan and Piccolo.
- Ginkaku, Kinkaku, and the treasure tools they wield are actually a massive shoutout to Journey to the West, specifically the Gold and Silver demons who waylay Sun Wukong and the others on their journey.
- According to Kakashi, the Kyuubi's red chakra makes his techniques three times as powerful.
- When we finally see the flashback fight between Madara and Hashirama, Hasirama summons a giant Buddha with many arms, that can grow up to the size of the titanic Nine-tailed fox armed with Susanoo and managed to destroy the entire land and each other in a single clash, sounds familiar?
- Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 takes this to the obvious conclusion. Instead of just a clash it ends in a Pummel Duel similar to the one that Asura and Chakravartin have in said game.
- In the 3rd, 4th, and 5th entries of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (the PS2 games), one of Shikamaru's ultimate jutsu has him use his Shadow Possession Jutsu to force his opponent to do Jonathan Joestar's iconic pose, complete with sound effects. See for yourself.
- Mu wears bandages because he's The Invisible Man.
- The Mirror Universe in the sixth Shippuden movie is actually an almost blatant homage to Transformers: Shattered Glass.
- While based on Hindu Mythology, one can't help but feel that Kishimoto Played Asura's Wrath when concieving the characters of Asura and Indra. The former being Asura and the latter being Deus, who was based on Indra.
- The Infinite Tsukuyomi is actually a big freaking Matrix. But worse, it's like a matrix where Agent Smith turns everyone into his clones, in their physical bodies!
- Kaguya's icy mountain range with the castle near a summit is based on the location of Elsa's ice palace in Frozen.
- The Susanoo looks like a humanoid guardian spirit that looms over (well, more like around) its user and wields fearsome power—reminiscent of a Stand.
- The filler episode with Mecha-Naruto had a number of shout-outs to Iron Man.
- Shippuden's 16th Opening is a shout-out to Bleach's 13th Opening. If you pay attention, both Openings have a recap of the entire series up until that point played in fast-forward. Except that whereas Bleach had it at the near end of the opening, Shippuden's plays it at the beginning. For bonus points, both series were done by the same studio. It's safe to say that the studio is giving both of the series that carried them to fame a big hats-off!!
- Speaking of Shippuden's 16th opening, the segment of Madara and Sasuke's fight is a near shot-for-shot replica of the final battle between Spider-Man and Electro from The Amazing Spiderman 2.
- Sasuke's plan for world peace is really, really close to being the Zero Requiem. The primary difference is that he planned to live and continue being the great threat that united the world in fear while Lelouch got himself killed to unite the world in celebration of his death. The same parallel goes with Nagato and Schneizel's plan to put world to fear. Also Obito would be the equivalent of Charles while Madara is the equivalent of VV whom both would enact the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Naruto's counterpart of Ragnarok Connection. The only difference is that Charles outwitted VV while Madara outwitted Obito in the end.
- In the final page of the manga, a statue of Naruto has the jolly roger of the Straw Hat Pirates painted on it. Kishimoto and Oda are, by their own admission, friendly rivals and worthy opponents.
- In Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, at some point in the first trailer, Madara and Hashirama's battle as portrayed in the game has the two of them do hand to hand combat on a wood dragon missle in mid-air. This is very similar to a scene from Bayonetta in which Bayonetta and Jeanne do something similar during their final confrontation
- Han, the jinchuuriki of the Five Tails, uses similar clothing to Ermac, shares the same name with the second name of the first Sub-Zero, and his powers are similar to Smoke(gas manipulation), though the way they use it is completely different.
- Mifune, the leader of the samurai is a direct shout out to Toshiro Mifune
- The final plot of the villains, as well as the big three villains themselves, hold some similarities to the Instrumentality plot of Neon Genesis Evangelion, with Obito as Gendo (a man driven to darkness and cold madness by losing the woman he loved, ready to end the world with an Assimilation Plot to be with her again), Madara as Kihl Lohrenz (an old man manipulating the previous villain in his attempt to carry out the Assimilation Plot and make himself the god of the new world that would come to pass), and Kaguya as Lilith (the ethereal, ancient, ambiguously-alien feminine being of extraordinary power who is revealed to be at the heart of the Assimilation Plot that the previous two villains wish to bring about).
- The entire manga can be summarized as Ninja Harry Potter.
- More from Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4:
- When Guy performs his Night Guy attack in the manga, he takes on a glowing charcoal appearance as the massive discharge of chakra burns him up. In the game, however, he is strongly reminiscent of Berserker Asura, with glowing red skin and hair, Volcanic Veins, and a thoroughly rage-induced face to boot. Then the anime pretty much adapts that from the game.
- In the fight between Perfect Susanoo Sasuke and Perfect Susanoo Juubi Jinchuriki Madara, the overall atmosphere of the fight, plus having to destroy certain objects guarding the boss before you can damage it, is very similar to the first phase of the final fight between Dante and Mundus from the first Devil May Cry.
- Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura engaging in a Pummel Duel with Kaguya. Kurama, Sasuke's Susano'o, and Kaguya's Eighty Gods Vacuum (See Rapid Fire Punches above) doing the punching makes it look like a a stand battle is taking place. You could even say Sakura's using Hamon.
- The entire second part of Naruto vs. Sasuke devolves into a fistfight that's near-identical to Old Snake vs. Liquid Ocelot.
- The Land of Birds filler arc, episodes 162-167 of the original anime, bring more than a few Scooby-Doo references as it involves both the good and bad guest characters using a Cursed Warrior guise to further their goals. The most blatant would be the character Chishima, who is easily a male Velma with a big appetite akin to Shaggy.
- The Land of the Sea filler arc might as well be The Shadow Over Innsmouth with ninja. Two of the antagonists can turn into forms reminiscent of the Deep Ones, one of which turns out to be not so evil as much as she wants to be rid of the form, committing acts of villainy for the other aforementioned creature to do so.
- Yoroi, one of Kabuto's teammates from the chūnin exams, kind of looks like Batou without his mask doesn't he? There's also Isaribi who with her purple hair, general stoicness, and propensity for wearing little clothing brings to mind Major Motoko Kusanagi herself.
- Episode 177 of the original series is called "OH!? Please ♥ Mr. Postman".
- The villain's chakra liquid shooters in episode 194 of Shippuden is a homage to Spider-Man's web shooters.
- The name of the yakuza-like toad Gamabunta is derived from the famous Japanese actor Bunta Sugawara, who starred as a Yakuza member in the Battles Without Honour and Humanity film series. The director of those Yakuza films, Kinji Fukasaku, is also honored in Naruto as another elder ninja toad in the show named Fukasaku.
- The Edo Tensei/Tensho (Impure World Reincarnation) jutsu is a nod to Futaro Yamada's often-adapted novel Makai Tensho (Hell Reincarnation) and the eponymous ninpo spell from it.
- The character Benten is very similar to another character called Benten from Cyber City Oedo 808 who also had an androgynous appearance but a masculine voice.
- The filler character Ruka and her being a med-nin are likely a reference to Luke the Evangelist.
- Episode 228 of Shippuden:
- The Super-Deformed art-style during Rock Lee's dream is a reference to the spinoff Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth.
- Tobi attacks Rock Lee with a Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken, even performing the signature "ATATATATATATATATATA!" battle cry while doing so.
