Just about every anime or manga fanatic would have heard about Naruto at some point, as it’s one of the most infamous titles to ever grace our eyes. Being one of ‘The Big Three’, many enthusiasts wonder just how much money the Naruto franchise has made in total, as well as Naruto’s net worth, earnings, and revenue in 2022.
The Naruto franchise is said to have brought in approximately $11 billion since its initial release, including the Naruto manga, anime, IP sales, merchandise, and media. However, this figure is expected to be higher than reported.
Since Naruto has been around for many years and has been successful from the very beginning, it’s really no surprise that this legendary anime title has amassed such an insane following with some impressive revenue reports to match. Stick around to find out everything you need to know about the Naruto franchise, its net worth and earnings so far in 2022, as well as how much money the Naruto franchise has made in total over the years.
Naruto Franchise
Naruto initially began its rise to fame in the form of a Japanese manga series, written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The story follows a young ninja named Naruto Uzumaki, seeking recognition from peers and aspiring to become the next Hokage – while taking down some insanely powerful and ruthless Naruto villains along the way.
The Naruto story is based on two one-shot manga by Kishimoto: Karakuri from 1995 and is split into a couple of parts, starting off with the first which follows Naruto’s early years, and the second which follows Naruto in his teens. The Naruto manga series was serialized in Shueisha’s magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1999 to 2014, shortly after its original debut – after which it was released in tankōbon (book) form in 72 volumes.
It didn’t take long for the original Naruto manga series to be transformed into a classic anime series. The manga was adapted into the Naruto anime television series, which was produced by Pierrot and Aniplex and broadcast in the form of 220 unique episodes from 2002 to 2007 in Japan.
The anime series was then released in English and aired on channels such as Cartoon Network and YTC between 2005 and 2009. This was followed by Naruto: Shippuden, a sequel to the original series, which premiered in Japan from 2007 to 2017 in the form of 500 exciting episodes.
Similar to the initial translations provided for the first Naruto part, the English version of Naruto: Shippuden was aired on Disney XD between 2009 and 2011. Only the first 98 episodes were aired, after which a switch was made to Adult Swim’s Toonami back in January 2014, starting over from the very first episode and continuing up until Naruto: Shippuden‘s conclusion.
However, the Naruto franchise definitely doesn’t end there, since Pierrot has developed 11 Naruto movies and 12 original video animations (also known as OVAs). There is also plenty of additional Naruto-inspired merchandise that has not necessarily been created by the anime or manga’s creators, including various light novels, Naruto video games, as well as trading cards developed by numerous independent companies.
The Naruto franchise also can’t be considered complete without factoring in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – which follows the children of the Naruto main characters and their own unique adventures. Contrary to popular belief, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is as canon as it gets, meaning it should definitely be factored in when assessing the true value of the Naruto franchise.
Naruto Net Worth, Earnings & Revenue
Naruto is one of the most successful anime and manga titles of all time, with approximately 250 million copies sold worldwide. They have been distributed and enjoyed by fans from about 46 different countries, translated into English and various other languages.
As of 2022, the annual quarterly reports by Toei Animation show that the official Naruto franchise has made around 19 million Japanese Yen or $23 million for the year – a jump up from the annual revenue of $21.4 million made in 2021. These figures have been shared thanks to a Twitter post, as seen below.
The Naruto franchise is said to have amassed some really impressive revenue, which amounts to approximately $11 billion since its initial release back in 1999. While this is some really impressive revenue, the Naruto anime series is pretty costly to produce – with each anime series episode costing the creators anywhere between $90,000 and $100,000 to make.
A large portion of this total figure stems from Hidden Leaf Village which brought in approximately 6 billion Japanese yen. Plus, Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of Naruto, is said to have a net worth of around $20 to $25 million – largely thanks to the Naruto franchise. However, it’s expected that the Naruto franchise has made more than this approximate figure when considering additional factors.
How Much is the Naruto Franchise Worth?
Although the Naruto franchise has technically made figures in the billions, it can’t go without being said that the franchise itself is far more valuable than these figures might suggest. The Naruto franchise is extremely popular amongst countless enthusiasts, making it far more valuable than one might expect worldwide.
Fans have been able to get their hands on some incredible merchandise in malls and stores for many, many years now – including action figures, costumes, posters, and much more. Although many of these items may not have been made by the same individuals who created the original Naruto manga and anime series, they are still attributed to the Naruto franchise – which definitely increases the brand’s value overall.
The IP sales sector of the Naruto franchise, which is often used in creating additional merchandise and products not created by the anime’s makers, has brought in over $801 million in total. Below is a summarised revenue chart of how much money Naruto IP sales have earned for the creators over the years:
| Year | Naruto Franchise IP Sales |
| 2017 | ¥8.9 billion |
| 2018 | ¥11.3 billion |
| 2019 | ¥15.8 billion |
| 2020 | ¥13 billion |
| 2021 | ¥21.4 billion |
| 2022 | ¥19.5 billion |
Below are some of the estimated revenue totals for various aspects of the Naruto franchise, according to reports on Wiki. Although these totals only account for a fraction of the Naruto franchise’s earnings amounting to only around $4.35 billion, it still gives good insight as to which aspects of the franchise were superior in terms of gross revenue.
| Naruto Franchise Sector | Estimated Revenue |
| Naruto Manga Volume Sales | $1.637 billion |
| Naruto Licensed Merchandise | $1.27 billion |
| Naruto Video Games | $484 million |
| Naruto Anime Box Office | $147.1 million |
| Naruto Home Entertainment | $14.4 million |
Similar to many other veteran anime and manga titles out there, the manga sector of the Naruto franchise seems to be the most influential in terms of sales and total net worth. The Naruto franchise sold around 140 million copies in Japan which amounted to around $684.29 million at a value of ¥390 per copy at the time of purchase, along with about 95 million copies sold overseas which amounted to $949.1 million at $9.99 per copy at the time.
In addition to considering other factors that could amount to a much higher total revenue, we also need to factor in the earnings brought in by Boruto: Naruto Next Generations as well. According to a Twitter post showing TV Tokyo‘s fiscal year 2021 rankings, Naruto still sat at the top of the charts followed by Boruto.
Despite the fact that the classic Naruto storyline came to an end years ago, this title still remains one of the best animes of all time. If you love Naruto and want more of the ninja action it flaunted so well, you might be interested in catching up on all the adventures Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has to offer.
