Naruto is a classic shonen manga/anime that will likely be remembered for years to come. When we first meet Naruto, he is an overzealous, obnoxious brat who could do little to back up the big game he always talked. It’s easy to dislike Naruto in the beginning, just as the inhabitants of the Hidden Leaf Village did. However, as the series goes on we see Naruto mature into an honorable loving man, and finally into a hero. His undying loyalty to his friends, his honesty, his passion, and his drive all make Naruto an incredible character enthralling reader to partake in his journey with him.
Along his journey, Naruto met quite the colorful cast of both allies and adversaries. What I enjoyed most about how many of these enemies were presented was how Kishimoto managed to avoid the “escalating danger” structure found in most shonen manga. In some shonens, the next enemy is always just slightly more powerful than the one before it. In Naruto, this was not the case, as each enemy presented their own challenge that didn’t necessarily correlate to their “strength.”
Now before I get into the list below, I want to set some ground rules. First, I am not including the tailed beasts in this list, but that does not disqualify their Jinchūrikis. Second, I am only including characters who actually lived throughout the beginning of the first series, to the end of Shippuden (If they only appeared as Edo Tensais they are disqualified). This is not a list of my favorites either as you will notice the omission of Zabuza (R.I.P). Keep in mind this list is not necessarily in order, so don’t hunt me down if you think number 10 should really be number 9.
Alright all you shinobi and kunoichi out there, grab yourself a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen and get ready to believe it!
20 Kakuzu
An S Rank Missing Ninja from the Hidden Waterfall Village, Kakuzu made up one-half of Akatsuki’s “Zombie Combo.” Kakuzu was a pragmatic man who seemed only interested in two things, money and immortality (I think we can relate somewhat, right?). Kauzu was famed for trying to assassinate the first Hokage, a mission that didn’t go so well for him. Kakuzu found his path to immortality by harvesting the hearts of his victims (notably his partners in Akatsuki) and grafting them into his own body. In this way, Kakuzu had to be killed several times before he finally bit the big one. Due to his heart stealing technique, or the “Earth Grudge Fear” technique, Kakuzu was able to access all five nature releases of chakra. Paired with his sharp intellect and years of experience, Kakuzu was one of the deadliest foes Naruto had to encounter.
19 Kabuto Yakushi
More proof this is not a list of my favorites because, man did I hate this guy. Kabuto came along way in the show from his humble beginnings of trying to impress some teenagers with his homemade “Ninja Info Cards.” Essentially, he was Orochimaru’s intern for the entirety of the first show, and three-quarters through Shippuden. I always wondered if he ever got jealous that Orochimaru clearly liked Sasuke better. While I can bash Kabuto plenty, I can’t deny his skill. His chakra scalpels in part 1 were brutal and managed to bring a legendary Sannin to her knees. Combine that with his activation of Sage Mode, a feat Orochimaru could never accomplish, and his perfection of the Edo Tensai, and you have one seriously dangerous ninja. Makes it all the more concerning that he simply gets pardoned at the end of the series…
18 Kimimaro
Perhaps a somewhat surprising entry to this list, I can’t help but feel Kimimaro is often overlooked by Naruto scholars. The sole survivor of the Kaguya clan descended from the Mother of Chakra herself, Kimimaro had the unique Kekkei Genkai “Shikotsumyaku.” In layman’s terms, Kimimaro could use his bones as offensive and defensive weaponry such as ripping his spine out to make a whip, shooting his finger bones like bullets, or turning his forearm into a massive bone drill. Kimimaro was able to defeat Rock Lee with ease and almost managed to beat Gaara. Kabuto also commented that had Kimimaro been healthy, the Konoha Crush may have ended in victory. If it were not for his illness, Kimimaro could have been one of the most powerful ninjas to ever live.
17 Hiruzen Sarutobi
The third Hokage was the leader of Konoha in the beginning of the series up until his tragic death. Hiruzen had to retake the position after the death of the fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Already an old man past his prime, Hiruzen still displayed incredible power. He was able to simultaneously fight Orochimaru and the reanimated bodies of the First and Second Hokage. He was the sensei of Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya who would go on to become the “Legendary Sannin.” Hiruzen was also a master of all five nature releases and yin release jutsu. He was also able to use the “Dead Demon Consuming Seal” which eventually cost him his life. Throughout his career, he was given the nickname “The Professor” for his mastery of all forms of ninja combat. If that doesn’t boost his resume enough, I don’t know what will.
16 Mei Terumi
The fifth Mizukage had a remarkably unique ability. She could utilize not one, but two Kekkei Genkai techniques in her ninja arsenal. The first, her Lava Release combines earth and fire to create a caustic mud that can destroy almost anything in its path, even strong chakra constructs such as an Uchiha’s Susanoo. Her second Kekkei Genkai, boil release, creates a smoke screen similar to the signature Hidden Mist Jutsu of her village. The difference however, is this mist literally melts the victims within it. If it hadn’t been for interference, one particularly annoying Uchiha would have been nothing more than a puddle at Mei’s feet. Mei’s strength of character allowed to rise to power in the Hidden Mist Village, despite their prejudice to bloodline techniques, and end many of the brutal customs instilled by her predecessors.
15 Hidan
Okay, hear me out on this one. Hidan had one of the most powerful jutsus in the entire series, the only reason he was defeated was he was too insane and cocky to use it properly. As a devotee of the Jashin Religion (err, cult) Hidan was granted immortality through experimentation. This made him the other half of Akatsuki’s Zombie Combo. All Hidan had to do was get a small taste of his victim’s blood, and the fight was basically over. By standing in the symbol of his religion drawn in his own blood, Hidan became a living voodoo doll. Any pain he inflicted onto himself would be transferred to his victim. Due to Hidan’s immortality he could rapidly heal his self-inflicted fatal wounds. His victims however, would not be so lucky. If this jutsu was in more capable hands, it would be nearly unbeatable. Sadly, Hidan got in his own way and was easily outsmarted by Shikamaru (though who wouldn’t be.) It kills me because I loved Hidan, if this dummy could have just gotten his sh*t together, he’d be unstoppable! Instead he’s sitting headless in a hole starving to death.
14 Might Guy
Ladies and Gentleman, it’s time to enter the SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH. Might Guy was a failure in terms of ninjutsu and genjutsu, but did he let that stop him? Hell no, he didn’t. Guy would spend his life devoting his to the study of taijutsu aka beating the snot out of people. You have to appreciate his mentality, if you can’t beat em, literally beat em, like into the ground, with your fists. On top of his mastery of taijutsu, Guy learned the forbidden technique of opening the 8 chakra gates. When he does so, his speed and strength are nearly unstoppable. Though opening the 8th gate should have killed him, he was able to survive via Naruto’s Plot Line no Jutsu, I mean, his super sage Kyuubi healing technique thing. Despite this guy was one of the strongest Jonin Konoha ever produced, and was always known to make a DYNAMIC ENTRY!
13 Itachi Uchiha
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the day I sat down to read my weekly chapter of Naruto, and my world got turned upside down. “So… Itachi was a good guy?” I questioned to myself as I stared into the mirror trying to piece together my shattered reality. Was I in a genjutsu? Am I still in a genjutsu!? Anyway, there is no question the leading cause of death amongst the Uchiha clan should make his way onto this list. He mastered almost every eye technique in the book, had the ability to kill his entire family, and could torture you for 72 hours with one glance. It seemed Itachi’s death only came because Itachi felt like letting it happen. Ignoring his impressive skills for a moment, Itachi’s strength of character alone is enough to make it onto this list. Having to bear the weight of killing your entire family, and having the loyalty to your country to make yourself into a public enemy takes an incredible amount of strength. I can’t even lie to my mom without feeling bad, and cry when I get called into jury duty.
12 Gaara
Gaara, the Sand Castle Building Champion of the ninja world, came a very long way throughout the pages of Naruto. One could argue his character evolution was even more drastic than the titular character. When we first meet Gaara, he looked like he just got back from an Avenged Sevenfold concert and had the attitude to match. He was a savage killer who had to prove his existence by ending others. Eventually Gaara fell victim to the strongest technique in the show, the “Naruto Talk No-Jutsu” and ended up being a strong ally to the leaf ninja. Whether you like emotionless psycho Gaara, or the more chill leader of an entire country Gaara, no one can deny the one tails Jinchūriki was not to be messed with.
11 Tsunade
Translating from English to Japanese is difficult. I know a lot of nuances and jokes kind of get lost when we watch an English dub, or even read a sub. That being said, I would have been more than fine with them taking some liberties and not calling Tsunade the “Legendary Sucker.” She was famed as the world’s strongest Kunoichi and begrudgingly took the position of Fifth Hokage. Her medical jutsu was unmatched, until she passed her techniques onto Sakura. Though she was the best doctor of the ninja world, she could do just as much DPS as she could heal. Tsunade possessed incredible physical strength and could easily crush boulders with one punch. She loved to drink, gamble, have fun, and had all around great waifu qualities. Uhh, forget I said that last part.
10 Orochimaru
The innovator of the infamous “Slippery Snake No Jutsu” Orochimaru was the antagonist for most of part one and about half way of part two. Much like Kakuzu and Hidan, Orochimaru really wanted to be immortal. He felt the best way to do it was to be a body snatcher and insert himself into young boys who tickled his fancy. There was probably a better way to write that but whatever, moving on. He wanted Itachi to be his host, but Itachi was too cool for that; he wanted Kimimaro to be his host, but then he got sick; he wanted Sasuke to be his host, but that didn’t work out too well for him either. When Orochimaru wasn’t on the hunt for his next young boy, he was a very formidable ninja and one-third of the Legendary Sannin. When Sasuke brought him back, I couldn’t believe it. This guy must have used the Contra Code for the amount of extra lives he had. He did pull his weight in the Fourth Shinobi War so I guess I understand why he too was pardoned for his shenanigans.
9 Jiraiya
The third and final member of the Legendary Sannin was Jiraiya the Gallant. Jiraiya was a perverted old hermit who spent most of his time “researching” his erotic novels on unsuspecting women. When Naruto caught his eye, he seemingly came out of retirement and rejoined the ninja fold. He trained both Naruto and his father Minato. Minato had great respect for Jiraiya, going as far to name his son after the main character in Jiraiya’s novels, and appoint Jiraiya as Naruto’s godfather. Despite his power and overwhelming skill as a shinobi, in the end Jiraya viewed his life as a failure. He could not protect Kushina or Minato, he could not stop Orochimaru on his path to darkness, and he could never get Tsunade to fall in love with him. Despite this, as he bleeds out and sinks to the bottom of a lake, Jiraiya dies with a smile on his face, entrusting the future to his final student Naruto. I swear I’m not crying.
8 Kakashi Hatake
The man of 100 jutsus was a constant powerhouse throughout the series. From his first battle with Zabuza we clearly see that he was on a completely different level than the whiny kids who got assigned to his team. Kakashi was always a cool customer and a fan favorite. Even without his Sharingan, Kakashi is a dangerous foe with his all-around prowess in taijutsu ninjutsu and genjutsu. His analytical mind is second to none, as he was able to finally put together the winning combo to stop Kaguya at the end of the series (we’re not even gonna get into his ghost Sharingan eyes for that fight because that was just downright silly). No one was more deserving of the title of Sixth Hokage than Kakashi. Though if it were up to him, I’m sure he’d rather just cuddle up with a nice wholesome hentai novel and get lost on the path of life.
7 Killer Bee
Ay Yo, this next entry is Killer Bee, he’s the 8 tails Jinchūriki. Straight from the Village Hidden in the clouds, his rhymes are tight and his beats are loud. His partner is an octopus with horns, his lariat-oo will knock yah airborne. He’s got 8 swords that look like needles, he’ll stab yah so fast it’ll leave yah feeble. You know he’s boys with Nar-o-to, the only one who likes his tempo. If you mess with him you’re gonna feel the pain, end up just another link in his victim chain. He’s got enough lightning to make party lit, cause you know this cloud ninja is freakin’ legit. Now I gotta stop these rhymes cause I’m getting tired, I hope this verse doesn’t get me fired. So if you thought Killer Bee was bad at rap, now you see I’m even worse at this crap!
6 Pain
Nagato, aka Pain, or “God” as he so modestly called himself was a wielder of the Rinnegan. That along makes you OP enough to be close to end of any of these lists. Though it wasn’t technically his Rinnegan, being an Uzumaki allowed him to use its power without being held back. He was able to split his power into six different bodies, and create a hive mind network between them. Essentially, his opponents would have to fight six extremely powerful ninja all at once, who had their brains connected through Nagato. He was able to kill his master Jiraiya and almost defeated Sage mode Naruto as well. The man had control over life and death itself, having the ability to pull souls out of people or revive them. You gotta ask yourself, if you can do that why the hell do you even need any other powers?
5 Obito Uchiha
Obito really jumped the gun and caused a lot of problems for everyone. Look dude, I get it, I wouldn’t be too happy if I saw the girl I loved getting violated by my best friend’s lighting hand either, but you don’t gotta go destroying the world over it. Thankfully, Obito could not resist the Naruto Talk No Jutsu and eventually became a good guy as well or the world would be completely screwed. His Sharingan gave him a really cheeky get out of jail free card that allowed him to phase through objects and banish things to his pocket dimension with just a look. He was strong enough to become the ten tail’s Jinchūriki and masterfully wield its power. Though he died a hero, he was still responsible for the death of countless people. If I were the ghost of Neji I’d be pretty pissed watching Naruto get all buddy-buddy with him in the end, but that’s just me.
4 Madara Uchiha
Now if this was a list of the top 20 jerks of the Naruto Universe, Madara Uchiha would probably take the cake. He finds a boy half crushed beneath a boulder and his first thought is, “oh, I know, I’ll get his friend to kill his beloved in front of him, then he’ll totally hate everything and want to follow my plan.” That plan of course, was to put everyone in a Matrix-like dream where they get all their desires fulfilled. You may be thinking, wait, that doesn’t sound so bad? Well you’re wrong, ‘cause it is. While you’re dreaming, your body is getting sucked dry and turned into a gross white Zetsu. Not to mention, it’s all a lie! Madara brings up an interesting philosophical argument, is the dream better than reality? What cannot be argued is his strength as a ninja. Even without being the 10 Tails Jinchūriki, Madara was in a league of his own during the war. Now you may also be saying to yourself. “Hey! I thought this was a list of people who weren’t revived with Edo Tensai!” Well, number one, calm down and don’t assault me like that. Number two, he was perfectly revived by his own Rinnegan so technically he was really alive. My list, my rules. No-Jutsu, baby.
3 Sasuke Uchiha
Ugh, I GUESS I have to put Sasuke on this list. This kid was a tall glass of water from start to finish. “I dislike everything, I don’t like anything, and I don’t have a dream cause imma make it real when I kill the guy blah blah blah.” This kid needs some therapy and an ice cream cone. He only grows more and more insufferable as the show goes on, and right at the end when you think you got a happy ending, nope, Sasuke has to turn heel AGAIN. He might be an over dramatic brat, but he is still a badass as much as it pains me to admit. Sharingan, Rinnegan, Susanoo, Amaterasu, that teleport thing he can do, lightning swords and fire balls are just the bare bones of why Sasuke is one of the strongest people on earth by the end of the show. Being Indra’s reincarnation helps a bunch too. Maybe in a different world I could have liked you Sasuke, but certainly not this one.
2 Naruto Uzumaki
I know this is completely unbelievable. The main character of a shonen manga ending up being one of the most powerful characters? Unheard of. What makes Naruto so special is not many shonen characters “earn” their ascent into legend as Naruto does. When we first meet him, he is essentially useless, but he has heart. Over the next series we see him slowly mature, and realize what’s important to him. Then in Shippuden, we follow Naruto as he becomes a man, and follows his dreams. Those dreams eventually come true, but it was almost as if he outgrew them by the time they did. I grew up with Naruto, and began reading his story at the same age as he was in part one. He grew as I grew and I can’t recall having a connection to a character quite like that before. Now I’m not saying I’d chase him through a forest screaming his name for 15 episodes before fighting him in front of a waterfall but you get the idea. I think Naruto speaks for himself as an entry on this list, dattebayo!
1 Kaguya Ōtsutsuki
Finally, we get to the granddaddy, or grandmommy of ’em all: Kaguya. She was the first person to ever have chakra after consuming the fruit of the God Tree. She passed her chakra onto her sons, who would then pass it onto the rest of the shinobi world. At first, Kaguya was a nice rabbit themed goddess, but she decided it would be better for the plot if she was evil, and did so. She was sealed away by her two sons, until she was accidentally revived by Madara. Once again, she was sealed by descendants of her two sons and left to rot in a giant meteor in the center of her own pocket dimension. Kaguya could pass through and rewrite reality on a whim, and launch bones out of her hands that were an instant kill if they touched you. If it wasn’t for friendship, bonds, loyalty, love, a little plot line, and all those other things that make shonens so wonderful, she probably would have succeeded in sucking the world dry through the infinite Tsukuyomi.
There you have it, dattebayo! 20 of the most powerful characters in Naruto, and Naruto Shippuden. Some honorable mentions include Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara, and of course, Zabuza Momochi. Okay, fine, Zabuza shouldn’t be anywhere near this list, I can accept that. Remember folks, always follow your Ninja Way!
