Naruto: All Hokage Ranked Worst to Best

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Throughout the series Naruto, the main character always dreamed of becoming Hokage, but he quickly learned it wasn’t easy. The Hokage is the strongest ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village and acts as its leader, working to improve the lives of its citizens. However, being powerful isn’t enough. A Hokage must also earn the complete trust of the village and demonstrate strong leadership skills, making smart choices even during difficult times. The village council chooses the Hokage, ensuring they have more than just powerful abilities – they need to meet all the necessary qualifications.

The Hidden Leaf Village has had seven Hokage, each a powerful and beloved leader. While they were all incredibly skilled, they each led the village in their own unique way. Here’s a look at how they rank, based on their accomplishments and actions during their time as Hokage.

7) Hiruzen Sarutobi

Hiruzen served as Hokage for longer than anyone else in Konoha’s history and was widely considered a legendary ninja. He stepped back into leadership after Minato died and ultimately gave his life to defend the village from Orochimaru. Despite his heroism, his choices are still questionable, particularly his tolerance of Danzo’s secretive and harmful activities, which caused immense suffering.

Hiruzen allowed Danzo to operate without restraint, which led to widespread suffering within the village. While Hiruzen understood Danzo’s methods were questionable, he convinced himself that Danzo’s harsh tactics were unfortunately needed to keep the village safe.

6) Minato Namikaze

Minato had the potential to be an exceptional Hokage, but his life was tragically cut short when Obito attacked the village. He bravely sacrificed himself to protect everyone from the Nine-Tailed Beast. Because he was Hokage for only a year, he didn’t have much time to fully implement his vision for the village.

If he had lived instead of Hiruzen, he might have handled the Uchiha Clan’s growing discontent better. Instead, Danzo manipulated events leading to the clan’s massacre, and the Third Hokage didn’t intervene to stop it.

5) Naruto Uzumaki

Before the events of Boruto, Naruto Uzumaki had achieved his lifelong dream of becoming Hokage, leading the village into a time of unprecedented peace. He’d earned the villagers’ respect long before becoming leader, so they enthusiastically welcomed him as the Seventh Hokage. His very presence was enough to deter attacks, as everyone knew facing him – and Sasuke, who secretly protected the village – meant certain defeat.

While Naruto needed more help from others than most Hokage – particularly from his friend and advisor Shikamaru – this doesn’t make him a bad leader. In fact, it’s admirable that he recognizes his weaknesses and isn’t afraid to depend on his allies.

4) Kakashi Hatake

After the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kakashi became Hokage and led the village for over ten years during a very challenging time. With Tsunade retiring and the village in disarray after the war, a new leader was urgently needed. While Naruto would have been a great choice eventually, he lacked the experience and maturity to handle the role at that moment.

Kakashi, who used to be a highly skilled operative in the Anbu Black Ops, became the temporary leader until Naruto was prepared to take over. He played a key role in maintaining peace and stability in the village during a time when the ninja world was finally finding calm. Sadly, the story didn’t share many details about his time as leader.

3) Hashirama Senju

Hashirama, as a founder of the village and its first leader, established everything it would become. His dedication continues to inspire those who followed, who all shared his strong belief in protecting their home. He wasn’t just incredibly powerful; people loved and respected him for his personality and leadership.

Hashirama prioritized the village’s well-being above all else, even to the point of killing his close friend Madara when he posed a threat. He passed away during the First Great Shinobi War, but the exact circumstances of his death remain a mystery.

2) Tsunade

Taking over as Hokage after Hiruzen’s death was difficult for Tsunade, not due to a lack of skill, but because the established elders were accustomed to exerting their authority – something Hiruzen had allowed. However, as the First Hokage’s granddaughter, Tsunade was strong-willed and wouldn’t let anyone dismiss her principles. She remained steadfast in her beliefs and made sensible choices, even when facing tough circumstances.

A highly skilled medical ninja, she dedicated herself to training more medical ninjas, fulfilling a lifelong dream. She bravely led the village through the incredibly challenging Fourth Great Shinobi War, and ultimately retired due to the immense physical and emotional toll it took on her.

1) Tobirama Senju

After Hashirama’s passing, Tobirama, his lifelong partner, became leader and immediately began improving the village. He arguably did more than anyone else to shape its future, notably founding the Ninja Academy to train new generations of shinobi. Beyond inventing a huge number of jutsu still used today, Tobirama also created the Chunin Exams, designed to help young ninja fully develop their abilities.

He thoughtfully decided which groups were best suited for different jobs and chose the Uchiha clan to head the Konoha Military Police, which improved the village’s safety. However, this decision was misinterpreted; the clan felt isolated because they were required to live away from the center of the village.

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2026-02-12 06:42