How Old Is Naruto in Shippuden? Answered

We all know that Naruto Shippuden happens after a small time skip following Sasuke’s departure from the village, but how much time was it exactly? And most importantly, how old was Naruto in the Shippuden half of the series?

What’s Naruto’s Age in Shippuden?

Considering all the info that we got from the series and extra databooks, we can confirm that Naruto was 15 to 17 years old throughout Shippuden as a whole. And for a larger portion of the story, he was just 16. All of these ages can be explained and confirmed by details found throughout the series, which we’ll dive into. As an important note, Naruto’s birthday is on October 10th.

Naruto takes place over four years, even though many past events are extremely important to the story. During the very first episode of the Classic series, we learn that the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konoha 12 years ago, immediately confirming that Naruto is 12 years old. Classic takes place in a bit less than one year, so Naruto finishes the initial portion of the story at age 12 or 13.

According to the mini databook Shō no Sho released back in 2004, Naruto was 15 years old when he and Jiraiya returned to the village. Databooks are authorized by author Masashi Kishimoto, so they have Word of God-level accuracy. This is consistent with the previously established age, as it’s stated that two and a half years have passed since Naruto first left. But if you only want to consider anime/manga information. there are other moments that explicitly confirm how old Naruto is in Shippuden.

Related: One Unanswered Question in Naruto Shippuden Still Makes No Sense

During his fight with Sasuke, Itachi states that the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the village 16 years ago, immediately setting Naruto as a 16-year-old at this point. This is the age he retains for the rest of the series, excluding the last few episodes. This canonically happens a few months after Naruto returned, so it’s very feasible to believe that Naruto was 15 when he first returned.

However, at the very end of the series, we get another age confirmation for Naruto. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, he’s reminded by Obito that tomorrow is the day his parents died, which would make the next day his birthday. His father also wishes him a happy birthday in their final moments together, making for one of the most memorable scenes in the series’ ending.

With all that said, it’s explicitaly confirmed that Naruto is 17 years old at the end of Shippuden. And what a better way to spend his birthday other than fighting to death with his childhood friend? The epilogue moments of the series all get a bit messy regarding the timeline, so it’s hard to tell exactly when they happen. But in summary, Naruto starts out Shippuden at 15, turns 16 during the series and finally becomes 17 at the end of the War, making the end of the series as a whole. Until Boruto arrived, of course.

Naruto and Naruto Shippuden can both be streamed on Crunchyroll.