Naruto: 10 Most Powerful Leave Ninja Strong Enough to Be Hokage, Ranked

Throughout the series, Naruto always dreamed of becoming Hokage, but he discovered it was much harder than he thought. The Hokage is the strongest ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village and also its leader, with a huge number of duties. While strength is important, it’s not the only thing that makes a good Hokage. A Hokage needs the trust of the entire village and must be a strong leader, capable of making smart decisions, especially during difficult times. If a candidate meets all these requirements—which go beyond just physical power—the village council decides if they are worthy of the title.

Since its founding, the Hidden Leaf Village has had seven Hokage, all of whom were well-loved and admired. Over time, many other incredibly skilled ninja emerged – strong enough to rival the Hokage – but they never had the chance to become leaders themselves.

10) Danzo Shimura

Even though Danzo wasn’t as strong as Hiruzen – despite having the Sharingan and Hashirama’s cells – he was still powerful enough to contend for the position of Hokage. He desperately wanted to be Hokage his whole life, but never succeeded. But simply being strong didn’t make him the right person to lead the village.

Danzo was a truly villainous character, becoming incredibly powerful by any means necessary. He even resorted to using dangerous and forbidden techniques, such as Izanagi and Izanami, to achieve his goals.

9) Sakura Haruno

From the start, Sakura showed a natural gift for controlling her chakra, and she developed this talent through rigorous training with Tsunade. She mastered medical ninjutsu and grew into a powerful and skilled fighter, becoming one of the strongest in the village.

Similar to Tsunade, she can store a huge amount of chakra on her forehead using the Strength of a Hundred Seal. Releasing this seal greatly increases her abilities. By the series’ end, she surpasses even her teacher, the Fifth Hokage, in power.

8) Shisui Uchiha

Shisui was an incredibly gifted ninja, even among the already powerful Uchiha clan. Danzo, however, coveted his special skills and used underhanded tactics to steal them. At the time of his death, Shisui was actually more powerful than both Danzo and Itachi, and he only sacrificed himself to protect the village.

Shisui Uchiha’s special genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, let him secretly control what people thought. Because it was such a powerful and subtle ability, he didn’t use it often, preferring to rely on his other skills as a member of the Anbu Black Ops.

7) Jiraiya

You know, after the Third Hokage passed away, everyone thought Jiraiya was the obvious choice to take over. He was incredibly powerful! But he actually turned it down, which surprised a lot of people. He felt like he’d messed up too much in the past, especially with not being able to stop Orochimaru. Honestly, he just preferred being a wandering ninja – traveling and doing his own thing. It was a real shock, but it made sense considering how much he blamed himself.

Jiraiya was considered one of the three greatest ninja – the Sannin – alongside Orochimaru and Tsunade. This recognition came from Hanzo, a highly respected shinobi. While skilled in many ninja techniques, Jiraiya was particularly famous for his abilities involving toads, his powerful sealing jutsu, and the incredibly strong Sage Mode.

6) Orochimaru

Orochimaru was once a highly esteemed ninja in the Leaf Village, but he left to pursue immortality and master forbidden techniques without limits. His power stems from years of dedicated research and experimentation focused on achieving eternal life.

Orochimaru’s extensive knowledge of ninja techniques came from years of dedicated research, making him a formidable opponent. His attack on the Leaf Village during the Chunin Exams caused immense destruction, and even the Third Hokage couldn’t defeat him without making the ultimate sacrifice. Though he never sought the position, the village would have never accepted Orochimaru as their leader.

5) Might Guy

Might Guy is considered the most skilled taijutsu master in the series, but his power wasn’t a natural talent. He achieved his incredible abilities through relentless training. This dedication allowed him to open the Eight Inner Gates, temporarily boosting his strength to a point where he could fight evenly with someone as powerful as Madara Uchiha.

This technique is incredibly dangerous and always fatal, causing massive damage to the user’s body and resulting in immediate death. Might Guy was the exception; he only survived because Naruto arrived just in time and used a powerful, miraculous ability to save him.

4) Itachi Uchiha

Itachi was an incredibly gifted ninja with a bright future, but Danzo Shimura manipulated him and used his abilities for his own purposes. Itachi possessed a remarkably strong illusion technique that let him alter how others experienced time and control what they perceived.

Itachi had the ability to trap opponents in incredibly realistic illusions, making them believe they were being tortured for days when only seconds actually passed. Even while suffering from a deadly illness, he could perform powerful, legendary techniques like Susanoo and Amaterasu. If he hadn’t been weakened by sickness, Itachi likely would have become even stronger.

3) Obito Uchiha

You know, it’s amazing how much Obito and Naruto had in common when they were kids – they both wanted the same thing! But only Naruto actually got to achieve it. Obito, being from the Uchiha clan, always had this incredible potential inside him, but it didn’t really come out until he almost died – seriously, he was crushed by a rock! That near-death experience unlocked something within him.

His unique ability, Kamui, which lets him manipulate space and time, is considered one of the strongest in the series, making him a formidable opponent. During the war, he briefly awakened the Rinnegan, gaining immense power – enough to even revive Madara.

2) Madara Uchiha

Madara was a co-founder of the village and deeply desired to become Hokage, a wish even shared by Hashirama. Unfortunately, Tobirama’s opinions about the Uchiha clan prevented him from achieving this goal, and he fell under the control of Black Zetsu. Even long after people believed he was gone, Madara’s name struck fear into everyone, and the Fourth Great Shinobi War demonstrated just how powerful and dangerous he truly was.

After Madara awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, his incredible chakra and mastery of all types of jutsu made him nearly invincible. He was a formidable opponent, able to fight off thousands of shinobi from the Allied Forces and defeat them all with his overwhelming strength.

1) Sasuke Uchiha

From the start, Sasuke demonstrated incredible talent as a ninja. Although he grew much stronger while training with Orochimaru, he truly came into his own during the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

Sasuke received a special power from the Sage of the Six Paths, allowing him to develop the Rinnegan in one eye while still being able to use his Mangekyō Sharingan. He became one of the most powerful ninjas, rivaling Naruto Uzumaki, but after the war, he chose to watch over the village secretly from a distance.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/anime/list/naruto-all-great-ninja-war-explained/embed/#

2026-02-10 02:41