In a recent press release in France Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto revealed one of the ninja inspirations behind the iconic shown in anime to be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series according to ComicBook. Kishimoto cited other sources for his inspiration, however, TMNT was the only non-manga influence listed.
The long-running series was a hit in the shonen jump manga publication and its 2002 series is still one of the most renowned animes ever made- the series began in 1999 and ran for 15 years, but has continued with a second follow-up series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The story follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young outcast struggling to become a great ninja, with the help of his friends and sensei, he will undergo rigorous training to control the power inside him – the power that comes from a giant nine-tailed fox sealed inside that destroyed their entire city on the day he was born.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were created in 1984 and were at a peak during the early days of Naruto’s publication.
At the press release in France, Kishimoto stated to the audience, “Looking at literature, I think of The Kouga Ninja Scrolls by Futaro Yamada. I read it on the advice of my editor, it was very interesting…It’s quite popular but I also like the [Teenage Mutant] Ninja Turtles including theirs films. There are also excellent manga on the topic like Ninku by Koji Kiriyama and characters like Fusuke (from Ninku) and Ninja Hattori”, according to ComicBook.
This recent comment from Kishimoto has gained more popularity in recent weeks due to the announcement of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles X Naruto collaboration. With a launch set for the fall of 2025, Naruto‘s team seven will go on a mission in a new land inspired by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – the publication will also include the famed heroes a the half shell.