The anime and manga-verse of Naruto is vast, with hundreds of powerful characters – while some become main focuses of the narrative, others come and go. What’s more is that Masashi Kishimoto’s magnum opus series is ranked as one of the “Big 3” of shonen anime, making the characters not only highly iconic, but also sit very high up on the shonen powerscaling ladder.

By this point, we have a feeling that we’ve piqued your interest to know which Naruto character is the strongest. So without further ado, here you are with an analytical list of all the strongest characters from the series, ranked by their abilities, strength, and powerscaling prowess.

TITLENarutoCREATORMasashi KishimotoRELEASE DATEOctober 3, 2002IMDb RATING (As of April 19, 2026)8.4/10WHERE TO WATCHCrunchyroll, Hulu

30. Danzo Shimura

Danzo Shimura | Credits: Studio Pierrot

The placement of Danzo Shimura at number 30 on this list not only shows just how powerful other characters are on this list, but also shows that, despite having broken abilities, many others are easily outclassing him on the power scaling ladder. Danzo’s broken ability actually comes from his body modifications – his right arm originally belonged to Shin Uchiha and was implanted with ten Sharingans.

Furthermore, Danzo had Shisui’s Sharingan implanted in his right eye, granting him the latter’s Mangekyo Sharingan abilities. While he was definitely a formidable enemy Sasuke fought in the series, he was just the bottom of the barrel.

29. Shisui Uchiha

Shisui Uchiha | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Shisui Uchiha was an Anbu from the Hidden Leaf Village, popularly known as “Shisui of the Body Flicker” because of his innate technique. Using the Body Flicker Technique, he could fade out of sight, leaving no trace of either his presence or indication of his destination.

Additionally, he had access to one of the strongest Mangekyo Sharingan abilities in the series; after his death, his right eye was collected by Danzo, and his left eye entrusted to Itachi. Even if we set aside his immense powers, he was one of the most narratively important characters, especially during the early Shippuden narrative.

28. Konan

Konan | Credits: Studio Pierrot

As a part of the Akatsuki, Konan is on par with many other antagonists and Shinobi from the series. When it comes to her powers, she can perform water, wind, earth, and Yang release, and has proven herself as one of the most proficient sensory-type Shinobi in the anime series.

What makes her special is her proficiency with Origami and turning her art into her primary means of attack. With paper manipulation, Konan turned her entire body into sheets of paper that absorb most attacks and can also transform into shikigamis and weapons for offensive use.

27. Kakuzu

Kakuzu | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Kakuzu is the oldest member of the Akatsuki, having fought the “God of Shinobi” Hashirama Senju himself. What makes Kakuzu stronger than Shishui or Konan is his unique ability that grants a pseudo-form of immortality. Thanks to his innate Earth Grudge Fear ability, Kakuzu’s body is mostly stitched together with strings that let him extend and repair parts whenever needed.

Furthermore, using the same technique, Kakuzu can store up to five hearts (including his own) in his body, making him almost unkillable and tough to defeat. Each stolen heart is housed in a mask that can detach as a thread-creature capable of elemental attacks: fire, lightning, wind, and earth. The only way to defeat him is by destroying all five hearts first.

26. Sasori

Sasori | Credits: Studio Pierrot

The infamous puppeteer in the Naruto anime and manga series, Sasori, is one of the strongest members of the Akatsuki. Not only does he have the ability to transform and re-create strong Shinobi as puppets he can control, but he also turned his own body into a puppet, granting him near-immortality in active combat.

On top of that, the puppets made by Sasori can manifest Chakra and even perform Kekkei Genkais, while being equipped with multiple offensive devices. While he transformed himself completely into a puppet, Sasori still retained his heart in a container, which is the only way to truly defeat him.

25. Deidara

Deidara | Credits: Studio Pierrot

As his iconic saying goes, “Art is an explosion!” his technique is literally that. A very powerful S-rank missing-nin from Iwagakure, Deidara’s nature transformation and explosive clay technique – a mixture of earth and lightning release Chakra natures – earned him praises among the Akatsuki.

Furthermore, his eye enhancement and physical prowess set him above the rest of the members, second only to a few notable others, such as Kisame and Nagato. Honestly, even in the anime, it was Deidara who defeated himself by detonating as a human bomb, raising his aura to the very end.

24. Kisame Hoshigaki

Kisame | Credits: Studio Pierrot

When it comes to powerful and monstrous fighters from the Akatsuki, Kisame Hoshigaki is one of the characters you’ll think of almost instantly. He was ruthless, powerful, and a proficient user of water release Chakra nature – backed by an enormous pool of Chakra.

Apart from being an absolute killing machine, what makes Kisame even more terrifying is his chakra-absorbing sword, Samehada. Not only is Samehada a strong weapon that can neutralize most Shinobi, but Kisame can also temporarily fuse with it to heal injuries and replenish his chakra.

23. Tsunade

Tsunade | Credits: Studio Pierrot

The Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village and one of the legendary Sanin, Tsunade, is probably ranked on the weaker side among other elite Shinobi. Don’t get us wrong, she is really strong and exceptionally talented in medical ninjutsu, especially with The Hundred Healings, but the limitations are too glaring to push her up the list.

To start, she is very indecisive and emotionally driven in combat at times, which significantly blurs her strategic thinking. Yes, she can land a devastating punch and walk out as if nothing happened, but she is also one of the easiest targets to be caught off guard in battle.

22. Sakura Haruno

Sakura Haruno | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Sakura’s story is the classic case of “when the student surpasses the teacher”. Training under Tsunade and learning medical ninjutsu and combat technique, Sakura eventually surpassed her Sensei in battle prowess and healing techniques, becoming the new-gen representation of her.

Everything Tsunade could do, Sakura Haruno does a lot better – she perfected the Hundred Healing technique and is on par, if not stronger, in strength than Tsunade. Furthermore, she demonstrates her immense medical skills as a Kunoichi by performing surgical ninjutsu with utmost precision. She’s the go-to medical ninja you’d want on your team every day of the week.

21. Gaara

Gaara | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Gaara is one of the most popular characters in the Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden anime series, outside of the Hidden Leaf Village. Although he initially was presented as an antagonist during the Chunin Exam Arc, he gradually became a very close and reliable ally of Naruto, especially because of their shared childhood trauma as Jinchuriki.

When it comes to powers, Gaara’s sand manipulation is one of the most versatile innate techniques, offering both offense and defense in active combat. Furthermore, he also uses the sand as a means of transportation and even as a sealing device, as seen during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

20. Onoki

Onoki | Credits: Studio Pierrot

As the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki was easily one of the strongest shinobi Iwagakure ever produced. While others prided themselves on their Kekkei Genkai abilities, Onoki used Kekkei Tota – the ability of fusing three Chakra natures – earth, fire, and wind chakra to create Dust Release, popularly known as Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu.

His technique was so powerful that it could easily obliterate islands and forests to the very atomic level. But why is he doing so down the list despite having such a powerful technique? The only reason for his low ranking on this list was his old age and bad back, which hindered the output and intensity of the attacks.

19. A – The Fourth Raikage

A – The Fourth Raikage | Credits: Studio Pierrot

When it comes to physical combat, extraordinary speed and strength, the Fourth Raikage, A, is one of the most elite shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Clouds. What makes him even more iconic is that A is one of the very few Shinobi out there who survived against the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, during the Third Shinobi World War.

A is a beast when it comes to physical combat; infusing his wrestling-style punches, powerbombs, backhanded chops, take-downs, leg drops, and tackles with Chakra to exert maximum damage. A can easily take down almost any Shinobi in a battle of pure strength.

18. Killer Bee

Killer Bee | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Following the footsteps of his partner A, Killer Bee is one of the strongest Shinobi to come from the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Apart from getting the obvious massive power surge from the Eight-Tails and gaining access to the Tailed Beast Bombs, Bee has a proficient and enigmatic fighting style that many struggled against. To top that, after defeating Kisame, Samehada – a sentient mystical sword utilized by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist – joins Bee and becomes a major weapon in his arsenal.

17. Jiraiya

Jiraiya | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Whether you call him the Toad Sage or the Pervy Sage, there is no denying that Jiraiya easily secures a spot in the top 20 of this list because of his innate powers and techniques. He is also an exceptional teacher in the Naruto series, teaching three of the most important and strongest characters – Nagato, Minato, and Naruto.

Diving into his powers, Jiraiya is a master of Chakra fundamentals and controlling Chakra natures; he can utilize fire, earth, wind, water, Yin, and Yang Releases. Apart from that, he is a master in utilizing Senjutsu (Sage Mode), and passed it on to Naruto, along with one of the protagonist’s most iconic attacks – the Rasengan.

16. Orochimaru

Orochimaru | Credits: Studio Pierrot

The third member of the legendary Sanin trio, Orochimaru, is mainly an antagonist of the series. However, he is more than a typical villain introduced by Masashi Kishimoto; he’s a mad scientist with only one goal in mind throughout the series: attaining immortality.

When it comes to his powers, Orochimaru gathered jutsu and innate techniques from several Shinobi and clans to add to his repertoire. From body modifications to Chakra releases, Orochimaru can do it all, including the Summoning Jutsu of the most powerful kind – the Edo Tensei: Reanimation Jutsu.

15. Hiruzen Sarutobi (Prime)

Hiruzen Sarutobi | Credits: Studio Pierrot

With the three legendary Sanin on this list, it is only natural to add the person who trained them to become “legendary”. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is one of the most knowledgeable and versatile fighters in the Naruto-verse, especially during his prime.

In his prime, Hiruzen was hailed as one of the strongest Shinobi of his time. Even in his later years, old Hiruzen sealed away Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju and destroyed Orochimaru’s arms during the Konoha Crush Arc; Orochimaru even admitted that Hiruzen would have killed him if he were in his prime.

14. Kabuto Yakushi

Kabuto Yakushi | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Kabuto was an exceptionally talented Shinobi in Kishimoto’s anime and manga verse, which is why he caught the eye of none other than Orochimaru, who took him under his training wing. However, it was soon clear that Kabuto had more potential than Orochimaru, and the apprentice eventually surpassed his teacher.

Kabuto shares the same powers and abilities Orochimaru possesses, but what makes him exceptional is his mastery of the Snake Sage Mode. Furthermore, Kabuto had made so many modifications to his body and gained so much power that he was able to stack up well against the Uchiha brothers – Sasuke and Itachi.

13. Itachi Uchiha

When it comes to iconic characters from the Naruto anime and manga series, Kishimoto’s golden child, Itachi Uchiha, is probably at the top. There are several crucial moments in the series that have Itachi involved in them, which makes him vastly recognizable among anime fans – from the Uchiha Clan massacre to involvement with Sasuke’s early character arc.

When it comes to his powers, Itachi is known for his almost unbeatable and highly powerful Genjutsu, thanks to his Mangekyo Sharingan. Additionally, his other abilities, such as Amaterasu and Susanoo, are techniques only high-tier shinobi can perform; all the more reason why he is a crucial name in the powerscaling ladder.

12. Tobirama Senju

Tobirama Senju | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village and Hashirama’s brother, is what we can call a “complete Shinobi”. Not only does Tobirama defeat several major antagonists in his time, like Izuna Uchiha (Madara’s brother), but he is also known to create strong Jutsu techniques, many of which became forbidden later.

Iconic techniques like the Shadow Clone Jutsu, the Flying Raijin Jutsu, and the Reanimation Jutsu were all invented by Tobirama, and he used them to their full potential as well. Furthermore, he was very proficient in swordsmanship and chakra release, making him one of the most powerful, strict, and feared names in Shinobi history.

11. Nagato (Pain)

Nagato (Pain) | Credits: Studio Pierrot

We are essentially entering the SSS+ tier of techniques, and Chakra releases with Nagato at number 11 on this powerscaling list. An old student of Jiraiya, Nagato, was one of the strongest Akatsuki members, the only one to possess the Rinnegan, the most powerful dojutsu (Obito was masked as Tobi at that time).

With his Uzumaki bloodline and the power of the Six-Paths Chakra with his Rinnegan, Nagato led the Six-Paths of Pain (an army of six elite shinobi with unique Chakra releases) to destroy Konoha. If it weren’t for Naruto and his “talk no jutsu”, Konoha would have been toasted that day, judging by the magnitude of his attacks.

10. Minato Namikaze

Minato Namikaze | Credits: Studio Pierrot

The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was one of the most feared and respected among the Shinobi during his time. Famously known as the “Yellow Flash” of the Hidden Leaf Village, Minato was a master of speed and agility, utilizing and advancing Tobirama’s Flying Raijin Jutsu by combining it with his own variation through tagged kunai.

Furthermore, he also became a partial Jinchuriki during the Nine-Tails attack on Hidden Leaf, by sealing half of Kurama’s Chakra within himself before dying. Minato’s list of feats can go on and on, so we should stop for now; he defeated over 100s of Iwagakure ninjas and even forced A and Killer Bee to retreat.

9. Might Guy

Might Guy | Credits: Studio Pierrot

The funny and happy-go-lucky Team Guy instructor from the Hidden Leaf Village turns into an absolute fighting machine when he starts opening the Eight Inner Gate. And by the time Might Guy opens all Eight Gates, he unlocks the Night Guy, a forbidden taijutsu technique that allows him to move so fast that he distorts space-time.

The devastation and power of his Night Guy technique were shown during the Fourth Shinobi World War, breaking Madara Uchiha’s Six Paths Susanoo. The “one-hit kill” kick was so powerful that it shattered the truth-seeking ball shield and broke the body of the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki Madara Uchiha.

8. Kakashi Hatake (Double Mangekyo Sharingan)

Kakashi Hatake | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Kakashi Hatake was a strong Hidden Leaf Shinobi to begin with, but after unlocking the Mangekyo Sharingan in both his eyes, he did something not many Uchiha could achieve – manifesting a perfect full-body Susanoo.

Furthermore, his Susanoo can also control a Kamui Shuriken – unlike normal shuriken, the Kamui Shuriken can cut through enemies and teleport them into a different dimension. If it weren’t for plot and timelines, Kakashi could have ended the Shinobi War a long time ago by teleporting Madara.

7. Hashirama Senju

Hashirama Senju | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Known as the “God of Shinobi”, the First Hokage Hashirama Senju is one of the strongest characters in the series to have ever existed, without hax and absurd powerups. Hashirama had enormous chakra reserves that backed his innate and powerful Wood Release Chakra nature, as well as attaining Sage mode with perfection.

When Hashirama saw Naruto share the Nine-Tails Chakra among the Allied Shinobi forces, he commented that the distributed chakra “almost” rivalled his own reserves. Even when he was a reanimation, he made major contributions towards the Fourth Shinobi World War; now, imagine what he did when he was alive and in his prime years.

6. Obito Uchiha (Ten-Tails Jinchuriki)

Obito Uchiha | Credits: Studio Pierrot

The main instigator of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Obito Uchiha, was a master strategist, and we saw him achieve his peak after becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki near the climax. Becoming the Jinchuriki meant receiving every major power-up that came with the Six-Paths Chakra.

Combining his Sharingan’s intangibility with the Ten-Tails Chakra, we saw a monstrous villain at our hands that took out most of the Allied Shinobi Forces like they were literal NPCs. If that wasn’t enough, the Truth Seeking Orbs floating around him were enough to take out most of the powerful Shinobi on the battlefield.

5. Sasuke Uchiha

Sasuke Uchiha | Credits: Studio Pierrot

The deuteragonist of the Naruto anime series, Sasuke Uchiha, was one of the most broken characters in the series – thanks to all the “donated” powers he received along his journey. While he did achieve a lot of feats on his own volition, his broken power-ups, like the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and Cursed Mark powers, all came thanks to Itachi and Orochimaru.

Nevertheless, after receiving the Six Paths Chakra, Sasuke moved to a completely different powerscaling ladder. With abilities like Susanoo and Amaterasu under his belt, and being Indra Otsutsuki’s reincarnation, he became the strongest, second only to a handful of others. Who knows, maybe he could have been a better Jinchuriki than Naruto?

4. Naruto Uzumaki

Naruto Uzumaki – the name that binds everything together in the series. Naruto is one of the strongest characters, and what makes him special is that he earned every bit of it, apart from the Six Paths handout. Other than that, Naruto went through grueling training under several Shinobi and finally became the Seventh Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village.

When it comes to his arsenal, Naruto has some of the most powerful jutsu in his repertoire – the Rasengan and its variants, the Tailed Beast Bomb, Sage Mode, Kurama Chakra Mode, and last but definitely not least, the Six Paths Kurama Chakra Mode. He even achieved a more powerful Baryon Mode transformation in the Boruto anime series.

3. Madara Uchiha (Ten-Tails Jinchuriki)

Madara Uchiha | Credits: Studio Pierrot

If you are a Harry Potter fan, Madara Uchiha is equivalent to Lord Voldemort in the Naruto anime and manga series. Throughout the series, he is mentioned as one of the most antagonistic powerhouses in the series, and his reputation truly precedes him when we finally see his reanimation in the Fourth Shinobi World War.

To make him into an even more broken villain, Kishimoto shifted Obito’s powers as the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki to him and added even more absurdly broken techniques and attacks. But the same Kishimoto also decided to stab the god-like Shinobi with plot armor and sealed him. If Madara were to continue playing the part, we would have had a completely different endgame scenario.

2. Hagoromo Otsutsuki

Hagoromo Otsutsuki | Credits: Studio Pierrot

With Naruto and Sasuke becoming god-tier fighters thanks to the Six Paths Chakra, it is only natural that the Sage of Six Paths himself sits at a high position on the powerscaling ladder. Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the son of Kaguya Otsutsuki, is one of the most powerful entities in the Naruto-verse who existed at the beginning of Chakra and Shinobi.

Hagoromo has an almost endless Chakra pool and even created the Tailed Beasts himself. From the ability to use the Sharingan and the Rinnegan, to the ability to use the pinancle of Senjutsu, Hagoromo and his powers were the sole reason why Naruto and Sasuke even had a fighting chance against Kaguya Otsutsuki.

1. Kaguya Otsutsuki

Kaguya Otsutsuki | Credits: Studio Pierrot

We rarely see an antagonist sit at the top of any shonen powerscaling ladder, which serves to prove just how absurdly broken Kaguya Otsutsuki was in the Naruto narrative. While her reveal raised a lot of eyebrows among the fandom, it is undeniable that she is the strongest entity to exist in the story.

After sealing Madara Uchiha, Kaguya took his place as the final villain of the series, a cosmic entity capable of hopping through dimensions and possessing an endless Chakra reserve. To make it even more obvious that she was a broken character, Kaguya cannot be killed, but only sealed; even that took the joint efforts of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to do.

RANKINGCHARACTERS30Danzo Shimura29Shisui Uchiha28Konan27Kakuzu26Sasori25Deidara24Kisame Hoshigaki23Tsunade22Sakura Haruno21Gaara20Onoki19A – The Fourth Raikage18Killer Bee17Jiraiya16Orochimaru15Hiruzen Sarutobi (Prime)14Kabuto Yakushi13Itachi Uchiha12Tobirama Senju11Nagato (Pain)10Minato Namikaze9Might Guy8Kakashi Hatake (Double Mangekyo Sharingan)7Hashirama Senju6Obito Uchiha (Ten-Tails Jinchuriki)5Sasuke Uchiha4Naruto Uzumaki3Madara Uchiha (Ten-Tails Jinchuriki)2Hagoromo Otsutsuki1Kaguya Otsutsuki

What are your thoughts on our ranking of the strongest Naruto characters? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.

Who is the strongest Naruto character?

When it comes to powers and abilities, Kaguya Otsutsuki is the strongest Naruto character.

Who were Naruto and Sasuke reincarnations of?

While Sasuke was the reincarnation of Indra Otsutsuki, Naruto was the reincarnation of Asura Otsutsuki.

Why was Hiruzen Sarutobi called “The Professor”?

Because of his vast knowledge of jutsu fundamentals and the ability to perform every natural Chakra release form, Hiruzen Sarutobi earned the title “The Professor”.

All Episodes of Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden are available to watch on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire