40 Most Powerful Naruto Characters, Ranked

June 26, 2017, 12:01 a.m.

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40 Most Powerful Naruto Characters, Ranked

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Summary Naruto Shippuden features the return of allies, such as Sakura and Jiraiya, as Naruto strives to become the best ninja and bring Sasuke back.

The 500-episode series showcases Naruto's attempts to redeem his former friend Sasuke while battling the villainous Akatsuki organization.

With action, adventure, and martial arts, Naruto Shippuden, set after a two-year gap, continues the epic story of Naruto Uzumaki's journey.

Since 1999, the most powerful Naruto characters featured in over 70 manga volumes and 700+ animated television episodes. Over the course of two decades, creator Masashi Kishimoto introduced fans to many memorable characters. Some of these characters were goofy and endearing, while others were incredibly threatening – and they all had various levels of powers and abilities. Discerning a Naruto power ranking is no easy task. With a range of abilities and different strengths, it is hard to determine precisely whether one character was more capable in battle than another.

The most powerful characters in the Naruto franchise are those who can stand alone against a sea of enemies. Training, natural talent, and inherited skills from specific bloodlines all made for some seriously formidable fighters, including the titular Naruto himself. Of course, just because the franchise features his story doesn't necessarily mean Naruto is the most powerful character.

Related "They represent human weaknesses" - Naruto's Creator Delivered a Major Insult to Two Main Characters In a surprising response to an interview question, Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto trashes the normality of two of the most beloved characters.

40 Hyūga Neji the Silent Fist

Debuted Chapter #36 of the Manga & Episode #21 of Naruto

Neji was regarded as Konoha's strongest student when he was first introduced. His Byakugan eyes allowed him to see nearly everything around him within 800 meters, enemy weak points, and even through walls. Neji's mastery of the Byakugan, combined with his incredible Taijutsu skills, enabled the Hyuga shinobi to perform brutally precise strikes with his Gentle Fist fighting style. With Gentle Fist and his eyes, Neji could potentially shut down any ninja's chakra pathways and deal fatal damage to internal organs with his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms within seconds

Each of his abilities saw significant improvement during the Naruto series time skip. Neji was able to create effective air blasts by forcing chakra through his hands. This upgrade also improved his Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation shield technique, which has Neji expelling chakra while spinning at an incredible speed, able to deflect many attacks and deal chakra-disrupting damage to any opponent who gets too close.

39 Kimimaro, Sole Survivor of the Kaguya Clan

Debuted Chapter #199 of the Manga & Episode #118 of Naruto

Kimimaro’s unique abilities, which involved bone protruding from his skin to use as weapons, made him extremely strong in a fight. He’s got incredible hand-to-hand combat skills as well. Unfortunately, the bulk of the time that the Naruto audience knew Kimimaro was when he was afflicted by an unknown illness that made it nearly impossible for him to last in a fight.

Kimimaro was able, even while sick, to battle a young Naruto, then Rock Lee, and then Gaara. At the time, the three of them weren’t nearly as powerful as they would become - or as experienced in a fight. He died in the middle of battle though as his illness has weakened him so much that prior to the confrontation he was mostly bedridden.

38 Sasori of the Red Sand

Debuted chapter #246 of the Manga & Episode #2 of Shippuden

Puppetry was one of the strangest specialties in the Naruto franchise. It involved literally controlling puppets to battle enemies. Sasori was, quite possibly, the most powerful puppet master in Naruto. He’s so effective against his enemies that he has the nickname “Sasori of the Red Sand” for the blood his puppets have spilled. He didn’t just use puppets of his own creation either. Sasori turned some of his victims into puppets, like the Third Kazekage.

Of course, he’s not the strongest fighter in the franchise as he did lose to Konan in a fight, which is how he ended up a member of the Akatsuki in the first place. His abilities seemed largely uneven throughout his appearances. Still though, even one of Akatsuki's weakest members is enough to be a major threat that requires a powerful team to take down.

37 Hidan The Immortal Butcher

Debuted Chapter #312 of the Manga & Episode #71 of Shippuden

Hidan is one of the Naruto series' most broken characters because he has literally achieved what so many villains strive to gain: immortality. The Akatsuki member can survive being impaled, exploded, and even beheaded. Though Hidan attributes this to the worship of his god, Jashin, it seems the truth is actually that he was experimented on. Regardless of his immortality's source though, Hidan's endurance makes him a potent threat.

He uses a huge triple-bladed scythe with a large chain attached to it, which makes it easy to make opponents bleed, a pivotal component to Hidan's secret curse technique: Death Possession Blood. The attack essentially turns Hidan's body into a Voodoo doll that shares damage with his opponent, a brutal trick when the caster is immortal.

36 Nara Shikamaru, Konoha's Greatest Tactician

Debuted Chapter #34 of the Manga & Episode #1 of Naruto

When Naruto first began, Shikamaru Nara was, by his own admission, the laziest student at the shinobi academy. He found school boring as he picked up skills quickly, and he very quickly mastered his family's specialty - controlling shadows. Shikamaru used his own shadow to quite literally reach out to his opponents and control them. It's a feat he's able to control for long periods of time despite not having the immense chakra reserves of others. That isn't, however, why he's so powerful. Instead, it's how he used his abilities.

Related Boruto's Timeskip Finally Confirms It Hasn't Ruined Shikamaru The incredible intellect of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex's Eighth Hokage Shikamaru has been less beneficial than fans hoped, and readers now know why.

Shikamaru was one of the most strategic shinobi. His intelligence was legendary. Always several steps ahead of everyone else, Shikamaru knew exactly when to pull his punches, conserve his energy, and how to use the surrounding environment to his advantage. That's why he's able to take on Hidan by himself when no one else could. He became so adept that he's eventually advisor to the Hokage, though Shikamaru would make a great Hokage himself.

35 Yamato is a Fitting Replacement for Kakashi

Debuted Chapter #284 of the Manga & Episode #4 of Shippuden

When Kakashi was away from his students for an extended mission, Yamato took over as a mentor for Naruto and Sakura (and the added Sai). He might not have had all of Kakashi's skills, but he's chosen for one very big reason. Yamato had the skills to actually tame the nine-tailed beast inside of Naruto.

When Naruto started to lose control during training, Yamato was the only one able to reign him in. That, along with his ability to use Wood Release, something very few shinobi ever do, made him an incredibly powerful character in Naruto. Though he was mostly overshadowed by Kakashi, he was still an important member of Team 7 and a powerful substitute for Kakashi. If he was subbing in for anyone else, Yamato would have been a big upgrade, which just speaks to how incredibly strong Kakashi truly is.

34 Kakuzu, Akatsuki's Master of threads

Debuted chapter #312 of the Manga & Episode #71 of Shippuden

Half of Akatsuki's "Zombie Combo," Kakuzu was one of the organization's most robust and oldest members who'd found a way to live forever. The rogue ninja from the rarely mentioned Takigakure (Village Hidden in the Waterfall) manipulated strange black threads that could be used for excellent mobility and deadly combinations in combat. Kakuzu's threads could pierce enemies and even steal their organs for the ancient mercenaries' use.

By stealing a strong shinobi's heart, he could use their techniques from multiple chakra natures. He easily overpowered Kakashi and even survived a battle against the First Hokage. Brilliant strategy and Naruto's Rasenshuriken technique eventually brought Kakuzu and his multiple hearts down though. It's a testament to the organization that, among the Akatsuki's most powerful shinobi, Kakuzu isn't near the top as he'd be in most other power rankings.

33 Akimichi Choji, Team 10's Secret Powerhouse

Debuted Chapter #34 of the Manga & Episode #1 of Naruto

Choji is a Hidden Leaf ninja who was consistently played as comic relief and often portrayed as a cowardly, oversensitive soul. However, in two pivotal arcs, pre and post-time skip, his loyalty for his comrades shined through overwhelming odds with stunning displays of power. Choji develops significantly throughout the series and effectively emerges from his self-confidence cocoon during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Using his clan's Expansion Jutsu, Choji can increase the size of his entire body or specific parts to deliver huge and powerful attacks. His powers can even be multiplied by using his clan's secret Food Pills. However, his ultimate power-up saw the often timid shinobi access the benefits of the Food Pill power multiplier without their drawbacks to manifest massive butterfly wings of pure chakra. During the war arc, Choji used newfound confidence and those overwhelming powers to defeat the reanimations of his former sensei Asuma, Akatsuki's Kakuzu, and even hold the rampaging Gedo statue back.

Related Naruto Shippuden's 10 Most Emotional Episodes The story of Naruto Shippuden is filled with humor & incredible fight scenes, but its ten most emotional episodes can create many feelings & tears.

32 Fifth Mizukage Terumī Mei

Debuted Chapter #454 of the Manga & Episode #199 of Shippuden

When Mei Terumi became the Mizukage of the Village Hidden in the Mist, she inherited its very bloody history. While she didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the leaders that came before her, she was still one tough shinobi in a position of power. Mei also inherited some pretty powerful abilities thanks to having ancestry from two different prominent clans.

Her bloodline meant she not only used Vapor Style, but also Lava Style. Either of those skills would be powerful on its own. An acidic mist that can melt through anything in its path and the ability to expel actual lava are already impressive. Add to that the fact that she mastered lightning, fire, earth, and water chakra natures, and she's a seriously powerful opponent in Naruto.

31 Shimura Danzō, The Shinobi of Darkness

Debuted Chapter #281 of the Manga & Episode #32 of Shippuden

While many of the villains in the Naruto story find a path toward redemption that helps their characters become more likable to audiences, Danzo is not one of those characters. As a close confidant of the Third Hokage, Danzo operated in the shadows and often dealt with the dirtiest tasks that he felt were in Konoha's best interests. One of these tasks directly led to the slaughter of Uchiha Sasuke's entire clan.

Danzo had been an incredibly active shinobi since the First Great Ninja War, so over the years, he'd collected a wide variety of techniques and, in one of the series' darkest twists, a collection of Uchiha Sharingan eyes. Besides being capable of using every type of chakra nature (with a specialty towards wind), Danzo was capable of using the forbidden Uchiha art called Izanagi. As displayed in his brutal battle against Sasuke, Danzo used the ultimate genjutsu to rewrite active events to the user's will, as long as they had advanced Sharingans to sacrifice.

Related Sasuke Not Using His Rinnegan In Boruto Actually Has A Great Explanation Sasuke has shown fans what he and his Rinnegan eye are capable of in the Naruto series, but there are good reasons why he used it less in Boruto.

30 Haruno Sakura is Physically Konoha's Strongest Ninja

Debuted chapter #3 of the Manga & Episode #1 of Naruto

As a member of Kakashi’s Team 7, Sakura Haruno has become the subject of many memes and received a lot of flack from the fan community for being weak in comparison to her two super-powered teammates. By the end of the series, Naruto and Sasuke were built up to be two of the strongest ninjas ever to walk the Earth. Unfortunately, Sakura’s teammates’ immense power only made her look weak by comparison, but this strong female should not be taken lightly.

After being trained under Lady Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin and the Hidden Leaf Village’s fifth Hokage, Sakura became a force to be reckoned with and a respected medical ninja. Sakura was successful in bringing down puppet master Sasori. All in all, Sakura is not only one of the more underrated forces in the Naruto universe, but she also stands tall among some of the strongest characters from the entire series.

29 Hoshigaki Kisame Monster of the Hidden Mist

Debuted Chapter #139 of the Manga & Episode #80 of Naruto

As a member of both the Seven Ninja Swordsmen Of The Mist and the Akatsuki, it’s clear that Kisame was a strong villain in the Naruto franchise. He started his time as a shinobi as a guard, but was forced to kill the very people he was guarding to prevent any intelligence from leaking to enemies - only to discover that the person who encouraged him to do just that lied to him and sold information the entire time.

Kisame’s rage at the world not being a truthful place was largely what fueled him. He mastered swordplay in addition to the more typical shinobi abilities, giving him an edge over some of the more skilled hand-to-hand combatants in the series. He might not be the most powerful Naruto fighter in the franchise, but his fight scenes were certainly fun to watch.

28 Fifth Kazekage Gaara of the Sand

Debuted Chapter #35 of the Manga & Episode #20 of Naruto

Gaara of the Sand had arguably the most heart-breaking backstory of any character in the anime. Like Naruto, Gaara was a jinchūriki — someone with a tailed beast spirit sealed within them. However, he wa not nearly as upbeat as the titular, knucklehead ninja. It was not until after an incredible battle with the series’ protagonist, as well as some wise words from Naruto himself, that Gaara realized his duty to protect his own village. After a change of heart, the sand ninja quickly became Suna’s Fifth Kazekage at an incredibly young age.

Cased in an armor of sand, Gaara was nearly impenetrable. While he began his journey as a villain sent to attack the Village Hidden in the Leaves, he quickly became a valued ally, saving the day on more than one occasion. Even without drawing on the tailed beast's power inside him, his control of sand made him a hugely powerful Naruto character.

27 Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu

Debuted Chapter #525 of the Manga & Episode #267 of Shippuden

The Fourth Great Ninja War saw many of the Naruto history's greatest warriors resurrected from the dead with an infinite amount of chakra, including previous Kage's who were legends of their time. One of the most dramatic threats was the Second Mizukage, former leader of The Village Hidden in the Mist, Hōzuki Gengetsu. During his time battling the Shinobi Alliance, he fought Gaara, Ōnoki, and many legions with devastating ease.

Gengetsu's wide range of abilities proved to be a lot of trouble to deal with, thanks to his mastery of genjutsu and water chakra nature. He seemed unable to be hit due to his clam summoning, which could create mirages throughout the battlefield. His control of water allowed him to shoot bullets strong enough to go through Ōnoki and create terrifying clones that could heat up and explode, leaving water vapor hot enough to burn foes.

26 Second Tsuchikage, Mu

Debuted Chapter #515 of the Manga & Episode #256 of Shippuden

Another powerful Reanimation that gave the Shinobi Alliance a lot of trouble was the former leader of The Village Hidden in the Stones, the Second Tsuchikage, Mu. He was a former master of Ōnoki, the village's current leader, who taught him many of his most impressive abilities. Techniques such as flight and Dust Release, which combine several chakra elements to obliterate foes trapped in its range at an atomic level, were only a few of the scary things Mu could do.

Mu's combination of abilities and mastery of multiple chakra elements made him a genuinely terrible foe to have. Besides flight and the ability to disintegrate his enemies, Mu could split his body into two to escape deadly blows and completely erase his presence by controlling water vapor to reflect light to make him invisible. By effectively combining his abilities, Mu could fly to any location while being invisible and reduce someone to atoms without anyone knowing what happened.

Related 10 Best Fights in Naruto Shippuden That Inspired A Generation Many battles in Naruto Shippuden are filled with poetic drama, while others are just flat-out epic and cool, but only ten can be ranked as the best.

25 Fifth Hokage Tsunade, Legendary Sannin

Debuted Chapter #139 of the Manga & Episode #83 of Naruto

Tsunade was widely regarded as the world's strongest female ninja — as well as one of the greatest medical ninja of all time, despite her crippling fear of blood (a fear that she later overcomes). Her monstrous strength and medical talents proved vital in Konoha's success during the Second Shinobi World War. After losing her loved ones, she spent years of aimless wandering and gambling until Naruto and her former teammate Jiraiya persuaded Tsunade to return to the Hidden Leaf and become the village's Fifth Hokage.

As the granddaughter to the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, Tsunade's talents come from a talented bloodline with vast chakra. She uses those immense reserves of power with a level of control that allows her to create craters with her strikes with minimal amounts of chakra. Her advanced medical skills allow her to regenerate wounds immediately and survive being bisected while healing allies around her. After unleashing her Reserve Seal: The Hundred Healings Mark, she can access even larger pools of chakra she's hoarded over time, which she used to heal the Shinobi Alliance during the War.

24 A, The Fourth Raikage

Debuted Chapter #416 of the Manga & Episode #152 of Shippuden

During Shippuden, A was the leader of The Village Hidden in the Clouds and tag-team partner to Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer B and regarded as one of Naruto's fastest and most powerful characters. A's battle against Sasuke during the Five Kage Summit was an impressive display of durability and brute strength, but it was only a preview of the devastation he was capable of delivering and receiving.

The Fourth Hokage was the fastest human being in the Naruto universe, but after his death, that title went to A. His incredible speed, combined with his precise Lightning Style Armour, allowed him to deliver overwhelming damage in the blink of an eye. Naruto was able to outpace A after unlocking his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, but after blocking a hit from the Raikage, even he suggested that it felt like being hit with a mountain. A's incredible durability and strength proved to be a vital asset during the Fourth Shinobi War in many gigantic battles.

23 Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki

Debuted Chapter #454 of the Manga & Episode #199 of Shippuden

It’s an unwritten rule that if a shinobi became a village leader, they must have been a powerful Naruto character. Onoki was the leader of the Village Hidden In The Stones, and he excelled in Earth Style ninjutsu. Of course, he also excelled in Particle Style, or Dust Release, ninjutsu, which was what allowed him to rank among the most powerful Naruto characters.

Someone as adept at Dust Release as Onoki could actually destroy objects (or enemies) at a molecular level. He could also make himself light enough to fly or even cause his enemies to become heavy enough to sink. His unique skills made it hard for anyone who didn’t have the same nature type to fight him. Of course, Onoki was entirely too reliant on Dust Release and didn’t have many other combat skills.

22 Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Killer Bee

Debuted Chapter #408 of the Manga & Episode #142 of Shippuden

Killer B is another jinchūriki. Harnessing the power of the Eight-Tailed beast, B did not see himself as cursed like the other shinobi with demons sealed within them. After years of struggling, B eventually befriended his demon. In fact, it was B who taught Naruto how to utilize the power of his own demon in order to become stronger.

Despite his immense power, B’s dream was not to become a great shinobi like Naruto’s, but rather, he wished to become the world’s greatest rapper. Rhymes and rhythms can be heard during his countless battles as well as his everyday conversation. While he was strong enough on his own, B later gained the power of Kisame Hoshigaki’s sharkskin blade, Samehada — a sword that sucks chakra from its victims.

21 Deidara, The Akatsuki's Explosives Expert

Debuted Chapter #247 of the Manga & Episode #2 of Shippuden

The deadly Akatsuki organization contained some mentally unstable characters, but few were as eccentric as the explosive artist Deidara. He makes a dramatic entrance when he appears early in Naruto Shippuden and single-handedly defeats Gaara in the Sand Village. By using the disturbing mouths on his hands, Deidara creates what he passionately describes as art: clay creatures of varying sizes that can disguise themselves, fight, fly, and explode at will.

Deidara's ultimate attacks saw Akasuki's youngest member creating explosive clay bombs at the microscopic level that could kill someone from the inside. He could also blow himself up with his largest CO bomb that delivers a blast radius of over 12 miles. Deidara's explosive power was almost enough to take out Sasuke, though some incredibly fast thinking and summoning jutsu saved the younger ninja. Still, Deidara certainly left an impact on Sasuke and the franchise as a whole.