TheNarutoseries chronicles Naruto Uzumaki’s growth as he seeks to become a Hokage. With high-octane ninja battles forcingNarutoand his friends and enemies to unlock, train, and master new techniques, it makes sense for these characters to tout some awesome transformations and awakened forms in combat.
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For fans, seeing all these transformations in action inNaruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4is a delight. Called “Awakenings,” this mode allows players to tap into special forms to gain the upper hand in combat. However, with a huge cast of characters available for play, just whose Awakenings are the best in the game?
10Gaara
WhenGaarais introduced inNaruto, he carries with him a certain calmness that terrifies everyone around him. By the time it’s apparent that he’s the carrier of the One-Tails, it took Sakura and Sasuke almost dying andNaruto tapping into his own Tailed Beastin order to satiate Gaara’s bloodlust.
InUNS4, players can use Gaara’s Awakening to witness exactly what the future Kazekage can pull off with his Shukaku-enhanced mode. He unlocks two stronger long-distance attacks, further making an enemy’s advance useless. This is extremely helpful against strong melee fighters who often make the difference with counters.
9Pain
Unlike most Awakenings thatboast superb transformationsand ridiculous sizes,Painof the Akatsuki is quite straightforward in that his Awakening is more or less a power-up. When Pain takes the fight seriously, Pain boosts his overall attack and guard break damage. While this seems a bit underwhelming for the leader of the Akatsuki, this works well with Pain’s all-rounder skillset.
It helps to remember that a lot of Pain’s skills are precisely tailored to cut the opponent’s advance through isolation. A lot of Pain’s combos boast stellar range to halt enemy melee, while at the same time tear through guards easily through momentum. Improved attack and guard damage via his Awakening transform Pain into an offensive juggernaut capable of tearing through an enemy’s defenses.
8Naruto Uzumaki (Kurama Link Mode)
WhenNaruto finally makes peace with Kurama as a part of himself, they get full access to each other’s abilities, forming what fans fondly call the Kyubi Chakra Mode. InUNS4, this is calledNaruto Uzumaki (Kurama Link Mode), and this is arguably one of the strongest characters in the game.
Naruto’s newfound strength in this form isn’t simply because he’s the main character, either. Unlike his rather melee-focused arsenal, it’s his Tailed Beast Mode that takes the cake. Now tapping into a larger Nine Tails Form, this iteration of Naruto has new combos that also capitalize on his ranged potential. While his combos are limited, the unblockable nature of some of these moves makes KLM Naruto quite tricky to outmaneuver.
By the time Sasuke returns to the Hidden Leaf Village, he does so as the Sasaukage or the Supporting Shadow. BeingNaruto’s right-handwhen it comes to external affairs, it’sSasuke inRoad To Borutothat becomes the first to witness the evident threat that is Momoshiki Otsutsuki. And it’s through his tutelage of Boruto Uzumaki that the youngster begins to see his own potential beyond just being the Hokage’s son.
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As such, it’s a delight to see Sasuke once again don his trademark chakra armor inUNS4via his Awakening (Perfect Susano’o Mode). When donning this purple garb, Sasuke transforms into a hulking giant humanoid made out of charka, overhauling his attacks into fierce melee strikes. Not only is this a sight to behold, but a lot of his combos become unblockables as well. Added to this is Inferno Style: Flame Control, giving Perfect Susano’o an incredible ranged edge to close off an enemy’s advance.
6Minato Namikaze (Edo Tensei)
When Orochimaru revivedMinato Namikaze (Edo Tensei), he became an invaluable asset in the Great Ninja War for hisinstantaneous Flying Raijin techniques. And inUNS4, the Yellow Flash of Konoha is a force to reckon with. In combat alone, his combos allow Minato to quickly outmaneuver his opponents through multi-directional attacks. However, it’s his Awakening (Hokage Mode) that adds a whole level of terrifying to him.
While his Awakening Mode isn’t as spectacular as the other’s, this transformation does boost Minato’s overall attack damage. Not only that, he becomes immuneto ranged tools. As such, enemies have no choice but to dish out attacks at close range. And even then, Minato’s Flying Raijin: Level 2 makes for a mean punishment for players who even dare to get close.
5Hashirama Senju (Sage Mode)
There are very few characters in the series that have the visual representation of a title bestowed to them, andHashirama Senju (Sage Mode)holds such a distinction. Being the first person called “God of Shinobi,” Hashirama Senju in his Sage Mode upgrades his devastating wood-based toolkit with fierce ranged attacks. It is hisAwakening (Sage Art: True Thousand Hands)that takes the cake.
Summoning a statue with literally a thousand hands, Hashirama’s Awakening occupies an entire half of the screen, prompting opponents to face him in what seems to be a boss fight. This allows Hashirama to dish out devastating attacks in almost any direction, forcing the enemy to try their best to dodge. Despite the sheer size of this Awakening, it does hold the weakness of being a giant Awakening, so spamming ultimates can force Hashirama to exit this mode.
4Obito Uchiha (Ten Tails Jinchuriki)
When Obito absorbs the power of the Ten Tails and becomes its Jinchuriki, he becomes one of the most powerful beings in the world. Fondly calledJuubitoinUNS4, he is one of the best ranged powerhouses in the game. However, where Juubito really shines is in his Awakening (Sword Of Nunoboko), revealing that moment in the manga where he comes to possess the holy relic of the same name.
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Through this power-up, Obito adds an impressive array of melee attacks to his annoying long-ranged skill set. These new melee attacks are wide enough to dominate the mid-range, trapping enemies in a counter-loop where Obito can strike back whenever players try to run away.
3Danzo Shimura
At first glance,Danzo ShimuraofKonoha’s Inner Councilseems like a frail old man in bandages. In truth, his bandages conceal stolen Sharingan he can use in his favor, proving it quite difficult for a true Uchiha like Sasuke to even kill him in combat. Such is also the case for Danzo inUNS4, with his all-rounder nature making him quite the pesky opponent. However, Danzo becomes all the deadlier with his Awakening (Seal Unleash Mode).
This not only boosts Danzo’s basic damage, but also makes him a juggernaut in long-range combat. His Wind Style: Vacuum Store is arguably the strongest ranged attack in the game for its juggling potential. Not to mention, his access to the unreliable insta-kill Reverse Tetragram Seal makes him a threat to behold.
2Hashirama Senju (Edo Tensei)
Fans first get a glimpse of the power of the so-called God of Shinobi when Orochimaru summons his corpse to fight on his behalfagainst the Third Hokage. AndHashirama (Edo Tensei)is quick to reveal his powerset through his specialization in Wood Release and plethora of overwhelming attacks.
Much is the same with his appearance inUNS4,boasting the same wood-themed powerset of powerful close-to-mid-range attacks. However, Hashirama becomes a vicious all-rounder with his Awakening (Wood Golem) which transforms him into a wooden giant. This time around, his host of melee attacks automatically reach mid-range due to size, with a dragon-shaped chakra attack practically hitting all sides as they slither around the Wood Golem form.
1Madara Uchiha (Six Paths Sage Mode)
When Madara Uchiha taps into Hashirama Senju’s DNA, he gets access to the latent genes of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, transforming him into a Six Paths Sage. Called theSix Paths SageMode, this is arguably the most powerful form Madara possesses, harboring power as close to a true Otsutsuki as possible. As such, players who know how to tap into Madara’s enhanced all-rounder arsenal can become juggernauts in the game. However, those who know how to use his Awakening (Limbo: Border Jail Mode) can practically dominate any match.
At its core, this mode’s Sage Art: Thunder Cage Border Jail is a hard lockdown that keeps enemies down the longer they stay there. It doesn’t help that the rest of his Limbo combos spawn opponents to keep enemies at bay. With the right combo, Madara can spam his powerful Inferno Fireballs to knock down opponents and secure the kill.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4is available for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
