But given that Naruto has been around since the release of its manga in 1997, fans already have a ton of material to gauge the power level of its many, many characters. I know that rankings like this will always be rife with disagreements. So let it be known that this will have a tinge of subjectivity (given that “best” and even “strongest” can mean different things). But with that out of the way, here are the most formidable, cunning, and perhaps most recognizable figures in the Naruto franchise.
30. Sasori
I remember watching Naruto Shippuden many years ago and loving the Akatsuki. I was actually a bit creeped out by Sasori, not knowing that his identity was not Hiruko (his 11th puppet) but a red-haired dude. The S-rank Sasori of the Red Sand starts my list because of impeccable skills in manipulating and creating puppets. I mean, he’s responsible for the death of the Third Kazekage, widely known as the strongest in Sunagakure. Some of his victims never even saw his face, only succumbing to his dangerous puppets like Sanshouo, Kuroari, and Karasu (and he had at least 290 human puppets at one point). Plus, he could control up to 100 puppets at the same time. His puppets aren’t ordinary ones either. Sasori was the only one who knew how to make puppets out of living human bodies. That’s terrifying, especially since these puppets can still utilize chakra and perform techniques they could do when they were living human beings.
29. Danzo
Danzo is the so-called Darkness of the Shinobi, a man who will act beyond legal boundaries to achieve his goals — all driven by his belief of what’s best for Konoha Village. He’s the leader of Root, a group you can describe as a death squad pseudo-police force, ready to do things in the shadows. But in terms of sheer power, he has authoritative figures that look up to him: Both Homura and Koharu believe that he was one of Konoha’s most powerful ninjas, even in his elderly state. Also, Danzo was a contender for the title of the Sixth Hokage. Furthermore, he had an impressive fight against Sasuke, even though he was old and couldn’t deploy the Mangekyo Sharingan. Also, because his right eye was the Sharingan of Shisui Uchiha, he was superb at sensing enemies — and his dojutsu Kotoamatsukami (while he didn’t use it often) meant he could manipulate thoughts. Then he has his right arm containing ten Sharingan and the DNA of Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi and the First Hokage, allowing him to use the forbidden Izanagi to become invincible and heal almost all wounds with ease.
28. Kisame Hoshigaki
I informally refer to him as Mr. Shark, which I think he wouldn’t be angry about. Kisame Hoshigaki, like Sasori, is an S-rank member of Akatsuki. But that’s not all: He’s also one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. His weapon is the group’s strongest blade, the Samehada, a sentient sword he got after killing Fuguki Suikazan. Kisame, otherwise known as the Tailed Beast without a Tail, is terrifying during melee combat. He’s tall, strong, and his chakra reserves were unusually high, even among fellow Akatsuki members. I sometimes think of the Yu-Gi-Oh! battlefields when I see Kisame. Why? Kisame can change an entire field, filling it with water, which is advantageous for him since he’s excellent at water techniques. He can breathe underwater, drown his enemies, and he’s exceptionally good at staying alive, surviving not only Killer B’s Lightning Release: Lariat but also Might Guy’s Daytime Tiger, which should kill after a single blow.
27. Urashiki Ōtsutsuki
Of course, I had to include someone who’s literally from a primordial clan of celestial entities who travel the universe, looking for planets with tons of chakra for them to deplete and to become more powerful, killing all life. Urashiki Otsutsuki, who first made his presence in Boruto, is a seemingly chill and cheerful dude who is still sadistic, picking a fight with Gojo and Isago, two ordinary people who have nothing to do with him. Anyway, Urashiki is a big threat, so much so that Kaguya herself had to seriously prepare against him and the rest of his clan members. He’s either as strong or probably even stronger than Jiraiya. Furthermore, he had no trouble fighting not just against one, but two Kage (Gaara and Chojuro). With his chakra fishing rod, Urashiki could block powerful attacks. He can detect people by their chakra from a far distance, and he could transform to become stronger, someone who can stop a Rasengan with his hand. Lastly, he had Space-Time Ninjutsu to flee to other dimensions and he can copy the skills of other chakra users. He could use everything from sand manipulation and Byakugan to puppet control and fast healing.
26. Orochimaru
Arguably the most popular villain in Naruto, Orochimaru is a menacing entity whose life-long goal is to be immortal. He’s also one of the Sannin (along with Tsunade and Jiraiya), believed to be the best ninjas of their generation. So what makes him powerful? In his case, I’d argue it’s more about how he can outsmart his opponents — even Hashirama Senju praised him. Akatsuki is a strong group (and Orochimaru was once part of it), but even its members know they can’t take him lightly in battle. Orochimaru can summon Manda, a huge snake with jaws large enough to eat Gamabunta whole. He can copy the techniques of other people, and also gain their knowledge through absorbing their chakra — and that’s just by physical contact. Orochimaru is skilled in taijutsu, and he can heal in a variety of ways because of his knowledge of body modification. It’s creepy, but he can shed his skin to get a new body. He can even modify his shape and improve his durability, surviving hits from the Sword of Totsuka and the powerful punches of Tsunade. Plus this guy can swallow another person to extend his life, and he only has to do this every three years. Crazy. If those feats weren’t enough, Orochimaru is scary with his transformation techniques, space-time ninjutsu, fuinjutsu, and his Eight Branches Technique, which turns him into an eight-headed serpent bigger than Manda. Finally, he wields the Sword of Kusanagi and he can resurrect the dead — including the First and Second Hokage.
25. Jiraiya
No, he’s not here because he’s adept at “researching” for his erotic books that Kakashi likes to read all the time. Jiraiya is here, right next to his fellow Sannin Orochimaru, because of his extreme durability and variety of skills. Jiraiya has no issues getting a kick from Might Guy, and only against Naruto in his four-tailed form and Tsunade did he come close to dying. He could take on Hanzo and Ibuse during the Second Shinobi World War. Even Akatsuki members knew his prowess: Pain (Nagato) said that he would’ve been defeated by him if Jiraiya knew about his Six Paths technique. Similarly, Kisame Hoshigaki said Jiraiya was way stronger than him. If Orochimaru can summon a giant snake, Jiraiya can summon Gamabunta and use toad-related skills. And his hair isn’t just for style: He can make it even bigger and more dangerous to come into contact with. Furthermore, Jiraiya can enter Sage Mode (albeit, in an imperfect form), use the Big Ball Rasengan, and is well-versed in nature transformation (including Yin and Yang Release).
24. Hiruzen Sarutobi
As the Third Hokage (and the strongest of all Kage during his time), Hiruzen has a lot to be proud of. He was already old when people saw him in Naruto, but there’s no denying he was a force to be reckoned with — he wasn’t called the God of Shinobi for no reason. Hiruzen was the teacher of the Sannin, and he helped Konoha survive two Shino World Wars. Even at his old age, Hiruzen capably battled Orochimaru and the first two Hokage he summoned when they attacked the Konoha. He could create a thousand shurikens, barriers strong enough to withstand Kage-rank ninjas, and he’s adept at all five nature transformations (and the Yin and Yang Release). Moreover, he was highly efficient in his use of chakra. So he could still wield his powerful techniques when his chakra levels were low. Similarly, he offset his reduced strength and agility by maintaining his outstanding response time and sensory skills. Hiruzen was masterful in ninjutsu and knew all things shinobi arts. He developed a lot of techniques, and he required just a short time to understand the nature and limits of previously unknown skills.
23. Onoki
Right after Hiruzen is Onoki, the Third Kage of Iwagakure. Don’t let his old age and short stature fool you. Onoki wasn’t like Hiruzen because he couldn’t master all five nature transformations, but his prowess in Earth, Fire, Lightning, Wind (and Yang Release) gave him both Lava Release and the deadly Dust Release. To illustrate, a single Dust Release can ravage an island or entire forest. Onoki could change its form, and he can use it for defensive purposes as well by blocking any incoming threats with it. Onoki also had Earth Release, giving him the ability to craft golems and rock clones. What’s even better is that he could manipulate gravity itself to change the weight of other things and entities. Onoki could fly and carry something as big as Genbu through this skill. Sure, he wasn’t physically powerful. But Onoki could modify his strength by covering his hands with rock. More importantly, Onoki at his prime could defeat 25 of Madara’s wood clones, all with Susanoo avatars (remember that a Susanoo is as powerful as a tailed beast).
22. A (Third Raikage)
The Fourth Raikage, A’s son, is also named A. So I have to clarify that this is the Third Raikage I’m talking about. Touted as the best Raikage in the history of Kumogakure, the tall and wise A is a god in terms of taijutsu. His Hell Stab technique, his killer move, gives a crazy amount of lightning chakra into his fingertips in one hand. A can take on ten thousand shinobi by himself, and he has no qualms fighting a tailed beast. He’s speedy enough to evade Naruto’s Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. He has enough chakra to seal the Eight-Tails — and he has an impossible amount of stamina. A could go into battle for three whole days straight. Best of all, A is tough. Even Wind Release techniques can’t cause serious injury, and only him, Tsundere, and his son A have survived the Heavenly Transfer Technique. Also, he only has a scar on his chest due to his own attack.
21. Kabuto Yakushi
It’s probably strange for some to see Kabuto Yakushi well above Orochimare himself. Especially since he was merely his assistant in the early days of the anime. But make no mistake, Kabuto is incredible. Once he decided to stop being Orochimaru’s assistant, his power level started increasing significantly. He modified his body (with the help of Orochimaru’s remains), which turned his true appearance into more like a snake. He could shed his ordinary outer skin (i.e. his disguise) and summon white snakes. Due to his time with Orochimaru, he knew how to copy other techniques through body modification. He can turn his body into a liquid to retreat, heal quickly, and use kekkei genkai to use Sage Mode with ease. Once he’s in Sage Mode, Kabuto can copy all the skills of anyone he has DNA samples of. He knows Earth Release and Water Release (apart from Earth, Wind, and Yin and Yang Release). Kabuto claimed he was the closest living being to Hagoromo Otsutsuki. Admittedly, he was the key figure in the Fourth Shinobi World War. He became powerful enough to conquer Sasuke and the reincarnation of Itachi — multiple times. Finally, his reincarnation skills are incredible (he even did it to Madara Uchiha). Kabuto can reincarnate many people at the same time — and give them the power level they had when they were still alive. Neither Tobirama nor Orochimaru could do both these things.
20. Shisui Uchiha
Shisui Uchiha was easily better than Itachi during his lifetime. Likewise, he was considered the strongest Uchiha by Danzo, and even my previous pick Kabuto wanted him for the war, but he didn’t have enough genetic samples. He’s a master of Fire, Lightning, Wind, and Yin Release — and his Great Fireball Technique was colossal. Furthermore, Shisui’s Body Flicker Technique is unparalleled. No wonder he’s called Shisui of the Body Flicker. He could leave without sensor shinobi sensing where he originally was or where he went to. Thanks to his Mangekyo Sharingan, he had a green humanoid Susanoo. Of course, his most powerful technique was the Kotoamatsukami, which he had in both eyes. This top-tier genjutsu meant he could manipulate the thoughts of other people, effectively making them do (or not do) things and believe it was all due to their free will — and Shisui doesn’t even need to have eye contact with his target.
19. Tobirama Senju
Sure, Kabuto mastered Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation, but Tobirama was its creator. Even if he couldn’t summon dozens at the same time, he still made them deadly with his Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags. Tobirama is also the Second Hokage and defeated Izuna Uchiha, who was pretty much as formidable as Madara. He was the swiftest shinobi in his time: Tobirama could set explosives and use Space-Time Ninjutsu without his target detecting him. He was decent enough in taijutsu to go head-to-head with Hiruzen, and he was swift underwater. As a sensor ninja, he can pinpoint his targets by simply touching the ground — and he can determine their ancestry just by checking their chakra signature. Also, he can still sense enemies while blinded. Tobirama didn’t succumb to the Gold and Silver Brothers, he could teleport Tailed Beast Mode users at the same time, and he had the Sword of the Thunder God. He was adept at all the basic nature transformations and the Yin and Yang Release, but he was most fearsome with his top-level Water Release skills. He could literally fill a large swath of land with water and then modify the shape of the water to drown his targets.
18. Itachi Uchiha
Itachi Uchiha massacred his own clan and left only Sasuke alive, and he became part of Akatsuki, but fans know he did all these things with the welfare of Konoha in mind. Itachi was efficient in chakra use, enabling him to fight with just one-hand seals — and his hand seals are exceptionally quick. Speaking of seals, he could seal anyone with ease using his fuinjutsu. If he wanted to distract his target, he could summon crows and clones that explode. Itachi could use Tsukuyomi with his Mangekyo Sharingan. This type of illusion technique is terrifying: It subjugates the target into an illusory world (i.e. ruining their sense of time and place). Moreover, he can set anything on fire using Amaterasu. His Susanoo, meanwhile, is overpowered and quite invincible: It had the Sword of Totsuka that could seal individuals, and the Yata Mirror that could always counter any attack by modifying its chakra nature accordingly.
17. Nagato
Nagato, who took on the name of Pain when his worldview changed, is a founder of Akatsuki and was its strongest member. Pain not only defeated Hanzo but also Jiraiya, although he thinks the hermit may have beaten him if his real identity was revealed. Thanks to his Rinnegan and Outer Path, he could use the Six Paths of Pain (six powerful corpses that he revived, with each focusing on one of the Six Paths Techniques) to single-handedly ravage Konoha. Nagato could use demanding techniques because of him being a descendant of the Uzumaki clan — he had a ton of chakra. Likewise, he mastered the five basic nature transformations and Yang Release. Even when his legs were badly injured, Nagato was still viewed by Kabuto as the second strongest person he brought back to life. Once he got to recover by taking in Tailed Beast chakra, he effortlessly dealt with Killer B and Naruto, the jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, respectively. Nagato could’ve killed them if Itachi didn’t help.
16. Minato Namikaze
As the Fourth Hokage and Naruto’s father who offered his own life to save Konoha and his son, Minato is a true hero. He’s one of the strongest shinobi ever: Enemies were told to run away upon seeing him. Likewise, Minato defeated a thousand shinobi on his own, leading Onoki to endorse a peace treaty. He excelled in all five basic nature transformations, and Yin and Yang Release. He can summon toads like his mentor Jiraiya, and he developed (and mastered) the Rasengan. With his Flying Thunder God Technique, which he became more superior in than Tobirama, Minato could teleport himself and others — including projectiles and tailed beasts, for defensive purposes. He was proficient in his Body Flicker Technique and space-time ninjutsu, earning him the title “Konoha’s Yellow Flash”. Lastly, he’s the jinchuriki of the Yin-half of Nine-Tails, allowing him to use Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
15. Hashirama Senju
Like Hiruzen, Hashirama Senju was also known as the God of Shinobi — and he’s the First Hokage. How can I not place him at the upper half of my list when he caught eight of the tailed beasts by himself? Second, Hashirama was born with a distinct advantage since he’s part of the Senju Clan and is Asura Otsutsuki’s reincarnation. His chakra is unbelievably powerful, and his control of it allows him to use advanced techniques with no (or just a few) hand seals. The First Hokage is proficient in medical ninjutsu, fuinjutsu (he keeps so many weapons), bukijutsu, all basic nature transformations, Yin and Yang Release, resist Impure World Reincarnation, use Rashomon gates, and has enough stamina to fight for an entire day without pause. Yet Hashirama’s most defining power is Wood Release. He can create wood clones of himself, trees with pollen that negatively affect enemies, a defensive structure against Tailed Beast Balls, wooden hands the size of a tailed beast, and a colossal humanoid entity that can compete against Madara’s Susanoo. And once he enters Sage Mode, he can use Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands.
14. Obito Uchiha
When he was young, he dominated Yagura Karatachi, making him a major cause of concern for the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Then he defeated both Torune Aburame and Fu Yamanaka of Root. He was good in taijutsu, and thanks to Madara, had the White Zetsu to develop his chakra reserves and (unnaturally) gain access to Wood Release. Yes, he’s part of Akatsuki. But viewers never really got to see his full potential until he finally switched from Tobi to his real identity. Obito Uchiha is simply overpowered once he becomes the Ten-Tails’ jinchuriki. Remember: The Ten-Tails is where all the nine tailed beasts came from, and it’s literally the Kaguya Otsutsuki and the God Tree in one entity. In this form, Obito was much more powerful than Hashirama Senju. Even three Hokage (Tobirama, Minato, Hiruzen) couldn’t stand a chance against him, and Naruto and Sasuke were trounced more than a few times.
13. Toneri Otsutsuki
Well, Toneri Otsutsuki cut the moon in half using his Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion. If that isn’t impressive, I don’t know what is. Toneri was blind for most of his life, but he was highly intelligent. He can perform medical procedures. Also, he can reach the dreams of others to communicate with them. If he wanted, he could read minds, and his sensory skills (without his vision) are so great that he could observe what’s happening on Earth — while staying on the moon. Toneri could use space-time ninjutsu and an army of puppets using the Energy Vessel. But he reached his peak power level when he used Hanabi’s Byakugan, which gave way to Tenseigan due to its interaction with his Otsutsuki chakra. His Tenseigan eyes gave him exceptional strength, agility, and resilience, and enabled him to use rocks on the moon as projectiles — and drag the Moon toward the Earth. Sure, Naruto defeated Toneri. But that Naruto was already in Kyuubi Chakra Mode 2.
12. Indra Otsutsuki
As the first-born son of Hagoromo, Indra was who many people saw as his successor. That didn’t come true, but his significant contributions to Naruto won’t go unnoticed. Indra was exceptional in taijutsu, had a lot of powerful chakra, used this chakra efficiently, and could detect Black Zetsu. The man also knew Fire, Lightning, and Yin Release. He was well-versed in Ninshu (Hagoromo’s teachings), but he did more: Indra created a combat style with it as its foundation — and so ninjutsu was born. Shinobi wouldn’t even know about hand seals if it weren’t for him. He was the first entity to use Clone and Body Replacement Techniques, and he made the early iteration of the kunai, thereby being influential in shurikenjutsu as well. Furthermore, the Uchiha Clan wouldn’t be around without him: It was Indra who first had the Sharingan and the Mangekyo Sharingan. The latter allowed him to use Complete Body — Susanoo and the Hinokagutsuchi, a skill similar to Amaterasu.
11. Asura Otsutsuki
Asura is right above Indra because he defeated him in their last fight. Plus, I honestly find his story one worth telling for its messages of perseverance and resilience. He wasn’t a prodigy like his older brother. But he worked hard and learned. Hagoromo eventually saw that he was finally fit to become the successor to his Ninshu, so he gave him his power (e.g. his life-force and physical energy). As time went on, Asura honed his taijutsu, Mystical Palm Technique, Amenomihashira, Genjutsu, and his knowledge of the five basic elements. Given that he was the forefather of the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan, he was personally exceptional at Wind Release. But he can also utilize Earth, Water, and Wood Release. Combined with his Six Paths Senjutsu, Asura can overwhelm his foes with Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, Top Transformed Buddha, and Six Paths: Kunitsukami, rivaling Indra’s Susanoo.
10. Kinshiki Otsutsuki
At this point, you probably have a clear understanding of the sheer power level of the Otsutsuki Clan. If Kinshiki teamed up with Urashiki and Momoshiki, the three would be a deadlier foe than Kaguya herself. This man could fly, use Space-Time Ninjutsu, detect chakra, absorb ninjutsu, turn chakra into red glowing weapons, and surround himself with electricity. Kinshiki was powerful enough to dominate Killer B (the Eight-Tails jinchuriki) and not be overwhelmed by two Kage-level shinobi attacking him at once. Likewise, Sasuke Uchiha reached a standstill against him because they had different yet equally amazing strengths and abilities. He can bring down a God Tree in his weakened state, and his melee combat skills are scary good — and he has Byakugan.
9. Might Guy
No, I’m not kidding. This funny guy with the thick eyebrows who people first saw in the early episodes of Naruto is dangerously powerful once he removes all restrictions. Think of him as someone like Son Goku from Dragon Ball. Might Guy knew he wasn’t exceptional in ninjutsu and genjutsu during his childhood. But that motivated him to train at taijutsu. Once he was an adult, Guy was known for his Strong Fist style, how he could fight without weapons for most of the time. High-level shinobi like Kakashi, Madara, and Itachi all know his raw strength, stamina, recovery rate, and speed are superb. Lastly, Guy had the Eight Gates. The Eight Gates gave him the power to single-handedly take on the Six-Tails — and he nearly defeated Madara Uchiha who became the Ten-Tails jinchuriki. It enhanced his strengths (in exchange for extreme pain and damage), allowing him to use Front Lotus, Reverse Lotus, Morning Peacock, Daytime Tiger, Evening Elephant, and Night Guy — a move so fast it distorts space and almost killed Madara.
8. Hamura Otsutsuki
Might Guy stopped the continuous domination of the Otsutsuki Clan on my list, but Hamura is now here, the son of Kaguya and the fraternal twin of Hagoromo. He and his brother were the very first people to wield chakra. Hamura is also the forefather of the Hyuga Clan — he naturally has not only byakugan but Tenseigan to have a 360-degree vision and a way to check chakra pathways. Having Tenseigan is impressive enough (and he was the first to use it), but Hamura also has the power to destroy his own Tenseigan, referred to as the Energy Vessel. Like his brother, Hamura had the Six Paths Senjutsu to unlock more abilities. More importantly, he and Hagoromo honed their fuinjutsu techniques, and combined his Six Paths Yin Power with Hagoromo’s Six Paths Yang Power to create Six Paths — Chibaku Tensei, and effectively seal the godlike monster Ten-Tails.
7. Kakashi Hatake
Kakashi Hatake isn’t just a skilled and seemingly disinterested teacher (and pervert). No, he’s so much more. Once he got a dual Mangekyou Sharingan with the help of Obito, he could use both the long-range and short-range forms of Kamui, and it gave him access to Complete Body — Susanoo. He put Kisame and Kakuzu into a stalemate, and Itachi couldn’t outflank him when he couldn’t use his Mangekyou Sharingan. Furthermore, he’s exceptional with his Purple Electricity. And he can control four uses of Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall for more than a day. Thanks to his time with Anbu and Might Guy, he’s fast and tough in close combat. Kakashi also has some Six Paths Chakra, can access one of the Eight Gates, has learned more than one thousand jutsu, and is a master of Lightning Release (although he can use others like Yin, Yang, Water, Fire, and Earth Release). Without Kakashi’s leadership and skills, the good guys wouldn’t have defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki (his Kamui Lightning Cutter injured her). Also, Kakashi is Sixth Hokage and deserved that spot for all his contributions to Konoha.
6. Madara Uchiha
It’s insane when you think about Madara, from his early beginning to his life and death (and fake death). This was someone who killed many Senju shinobi when he was a kid, and he was the only one who could go head-to-head with Hashirama Senju during the latter’s lifetime. Madara excelled in juinjutsu, genjutsu, Shadow Clone Technique, a variety of weapons (especially the gunbai), Yin-Yang Release, and all basic nature transformations — and his Fire Release Techniques were highly destructive. He was terrifying during his first life (he inherited some of Indra’s chakra), but when he was resurrected (and modified, thanks to Kabuto), he became more powerful. Madara could kill hundreds of people using only taijutsu, and he can summon 25 wood clones, all strong enough to take on the Five Kage. With Wood Release, he gained access to Wood Clone Technique, Wood Dragon Technique, Advent of a World of Flowering Trees, and he could create roots to command the Ten-Tails. Naruto in Sage Mode is formidable. But Madara could still attack him once he also entered Sage Mode, which he got even if he didn’t have prior experience in senjutsu. He could defend himself against nine tailed beasts. Lastly, Madara has the Complete Body — Susanoo, Truth-Seeking Balls, Six Paths Technique, and he got his Rinne Sharingan after becoming the Ten-Tails’ jinchuriki. With it, he could use Infinite Tsukuyomi to achieve an illusion of world peace.
5. Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke is the reincarnation of Indra Otsutsuki. So his chakra level is innately high. He’s great in taijutsu, with his agility and response time being his noteworthy attributes. And while he could only summon snakes and crows in his early years, Sasuke as an adult could now make eight shadow clones at the same time. And while he’ll never be bad with using kunai and shuriken, fans know he’s a delight to watch when he wields the Sword of Kusanagi. Like most of my entries here, Sasuke can use all basic nature transformations and Yin Release. But while he was first known for Fire Release, he eventually mastered Lightning Release. Sasuke can use Chidori Sharp Spear, Chidori Current, and Chidori Senbon, and he can use Lightning Release to become as quick as Kinshiki. Other powerful abilities he has include Genjutsu: Sharingan, Amaterasu, Kagutsuchi, and Complete Body — Susanoo. Still, Sasuke’s most impressive characteristic today is his Rinnegan, giving him the Six Paths Techniques, the ability to withstand Infinite Tsukuyomi, and Space-Time Ninjutsu, which he has mastered to a point where he can travel dimensions with others. This guy is quite a character.
4. Naruto Uzumaki
The titular character of the franchise gets the fourth spot, which isn’t so bad when you see the top three entries. At this point, he’s the strongest human in the series — the rest are celestial beings. If Sasuke is the reincarnation of Indra, Naruto is the reincarnation of Asura Otsutsuki, giving him a ton of chakra reserves. He’s been the only person to fend off Shikamaru’s Shadow Imitation Technique, and his taijutsu has improved so that he no longer has to always use shadow clones to beat multiple enemies. Naruto’s resilience, stamina, speed, and chakra volumes have allowed him to overwhelm Delta and reach the fleeing Kawaki. Once he was the Seventh Hokage, he could create the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan with a single hand. He’s the jinchuriki of Kurama, but Naruto knew he had to cooperate with the beast instead of avoiding it to maximize its power. Thankfully he succeeded and gained access to the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, which also made him resistant to genjutsu. Likewise, fans must remember that the other tailed beasts gave their chakra to Naruto during the Fourth Shinobi World War. This granted him their distinct abilities and further enhanced his own. Naruto has the Six Paths Senjutsu and he utilized Sage Mode with the nine-tails’ chakra to stop Nagato’s control and defend himself from Truth-Seeking Balls. Finally, he can compete against Sasuke’s Susanoo with the Tailed beast Mode avatar of Kurama (he can even combine three avatars).
3. Momoshiki Otsutsuki
Naruto and Momosihiki are next to each other in my rankings, but the difference in power level is still huge. Kaguya herself saw Momoshiki, Urashiki, and Kinshiki as major threats. To be fair, I don’t believe that Momoshiki could’ve defeated her on his own even if he claimed he could. Yet Momoshiki was a mighty force to anyone else. He has the power to annihilate an entire planet and all life there, and he dominated the jinchuriki Killer B. Momoshiki has all the ridiculous abilities of the Otsutsuki Clan, and he has both Byakugan and Rinnegan, granting exceptional vision (including x-ray and telescopic vision). But his Rinnegan is different — it’s literally in his palms instead of his eyes. He can even use the one in his right palm to transform a target into small pills for consumption, which then gives him their chakra and abilities. When he absorbed Kinshiki, Momoshiki was victorious over four Kage and defeated the likes of Gaara and Darui with just one hit. Naruto (in his Six Paths Sage Mode) and Sasuke (with his Rinnegan, Sword of Kusanagi, and Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan) had a hard time against him, who at times only used his bare hands.
2. Hagoromo Otsutsuki
Indra may have been the creator of Ninjutsu, but the foundation of Ninjutsu that is Ninshu was made by his father, Hagoromo Otstutsuki.
Hagoromo is one of the sons of Kaguya. And he’s considered to be the very first shinobi. Without him, people would have no ninja techniques or ninja clans.
Hamura admitted that Hagoromo was stronger than him, and it’s easy to see why. Due to his Ninshu, he gained a ton of followers around the world, pretty much turning him into a god to be worshipped.
Even after Hagoromo died, he was powerful enough to exist beyond death, communicating with people who came about after his life period.
Hagoomo didn’t need hand seals to perform his techniques. He was innately powerful and intelligent — and his chakra already had the Yin-Yang Release. The celestial being also had the Rinnegan and was the first entity to master the five basic nature transformations.
He had the Six Paths Senjutsu and the Mangekyo Sharingan to summon Complete Body — Susanoo. With the senjutsu, he could create ten Truth-Seeking Balls.
While powerful enemies often used Impure World Reincarnation, Hagoromo could revoke the technique and put the souls back to the Pure Land. He can also call forth souls from there.
Consequently, he had the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths such as Bashosen and Shichiseiken.
Of course, Hagoromo gets the No. 2 spot because he (along with his twin brother) defeated the Ten-Tails, which was the combination of their mother and the God Tree.
Not only that: Hagoromo sealed the beast within himself. Thus, he’s the very first jinchuriki in Naruto — and he created the moon itself just to contain the body of Juubi.
1. Kaguya Otsutsuki
Was there ever any doubt who could be the most powerful character in Naruto? I’ve already mentioned her name several times, and now she gets her spotlight. For one, Kaguya Otsutsuki is more powerful than the already powerful Hagoromo. That’s like a god who worships another god. Kaguya was already a god-like entity before she ate the fruit of the God Tree: She could put people into sleep, perform hypnosis, conduct interstellar travel, cause shockwaves just with her eyes, and wipe memories. Once Kaguya had the fruit, she became too powerful — so much so that everyone in the world stopped having wars in fear of angering her. She could read minds and emotions, fly, master her environments, absorb techniques, stop enemy movement, and she has godlike agility and response time. She can gain further power by consuming the chakra of those under the spell of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. If Kaguya ever gets severely injured, she can regenerate any body part. Likewise, Hagoromo and Hamura didn’t seal Kaguya as the Ten-Tails in a single day or two. The brothers literally had to spend many months before they successfully sealed the god monster. And similarly, Naruto’s Sage Art: Super Tailed Beast Rasenshuriken barely damaged her. Kaguya has mastery of all five nature transformations and the Yin-Yang Release. She can turn her hair into a weapon, create life to fight for her, or use the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack to immediately defeat a Complete Body — Susanoo. Aside from her hair, Kaguya can turn her bones into projectiles that disintegrate the target. She has the Byakugan and Rinne Sharingan to use Infinite Tsukuyomi. But best of all, this god-tier celestial being has the Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball, which uses all the chakra of the people contained by the God: Nativity of a World of Trees Technique. Simply put, this ultimate technique of Kaguya reshapes an entire world, annihilating everything in it to have literally nothing, essentially allowing her to start the entire world again from scratch. Truly, Kaguya is a god.
