All the Hokage in Naruto (Ranked, Worst to Best)

The Hokage is the most skilled Shinobis in the lands of Konoha (the Hidden Leaf Village), tasked with leading and protecting the village. Though we were introduced to many other Kage, including Raikage and Kazekage, in Naruto, we have closely seen remarkable individuals fill the Hokage position in the anime and manga. There have been a total of 8 Hokages in Konoha’s history, starting with Hashirama Senju to Shikamaru now. Each Hokage contributed to the Leaf Village’s progress and played an important role in the Fourth Shinobi War. But, who is the strongest Hokage of all time? That’s a never-ending debate, but we are here to put an end to it. Here are all the Hokage in Naruto, ranked from worst to best.

Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers about the characters in Naruto. We suggest you watch the anime or read the manga to avoid ruining your experience.

8. Shikamaru Nara – The Eighth Hokage

Keyboard warriors, please don’t get ready to attack me for ranking Shikamaru in the last position. We all thought we would never see another Hokage in the near future as Naruto became one and was leading Konoha. But things are getting up heated in the all-new Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga (see where to read Boruto Chapter 1 here). Shikamaru has now become the Eighth Hokage of Konoha after a series of events. And this led to the fandom already calling him out as the weakest Hokage to date. Yes! when compared to the other Hokages in history, Shikamaru topples down to the bottom. But there are other things that make him a great leader, hear me out!

Shikamaru may not be equal to the gods in terms of battle prowess. But he is a highly intellectual character who can overthrow his hurdles with a mighty mind. His smartness is totally underrated among the fandom and that is what exactly needed along with combat skills to lead the village as a Hokage. Shikamaru has been a war general and later becoming an advisor to the Hokage is a testament. While his overall strength puts him below, he still shines with his smartness and is therefore ranked at the last position as of now.

7. Kakashi Hatake – The Sixth Hokage

Let’s be honest here! The characters below easily top Kakashi in many aspects. The hardest thing for me was to choose between Tsunade and Kakashi, as they were both extraordinary ninjas in their own right. But Lady Tsunade has a slight edge over him. That said, Kakashi will always be my favorite character after Naruto, who is feared by many nations just like his sensei to this day.

From Itachi to Pain, every single powerful character in the show revered Kakashi of the Sharingan, which speaks volumes about his powers. Being the son of the Whitefang and the student of the Yellow Flash, Kakashi Hatake was a brilliant prodigy right from the start. Anyone and everyone predicted that he will become the Hokage one day, and well, that did turn out to be true.

Kakashi is an all-rounder as he possessed all the versatile abilities the strongest Shinobi requires, and at the same time, was equipped with a Sharingan eye that greatly increased his prowess. Thus, Kakashi will always be one of the best Hokage, but not the strongest.

6. Tsunade – The Fifth Hokage

Tsunade, who is considered the greatest medical-nin in history, became the fifth Hokage of Konoha. She was the first female character in Naruto to ever ascend to the position of Hokage. She was the most powerful Kunoichi in the entire globe, and don’t forget that she was a descendant of the strong Senju and Uzumaki clans in Naruto.

Being one of the three Legendary Sannins, Tsunade was renowned for her might and strength. Her “Creation Rebirth” method was a game-changer, and she was invincible with her Strength of a Hundred Seal. She was recognized as the world’s greatest nin for a reason and was evenly matched with some of the most powerful characters in terms of strength. She was able to fight against Madara without holding back, something which Hashirama would be proud of. Therefore, Tsunade is one of the finest Hokage we have ever seen.

5. Hiruzen Sarutobi – The Third Hokage

Hiruzen Sarutobi was the first ever Hokage we were introduced to in the Naruto anime and manga. He took over the leadership of the Leaf Village after the Hashirama brothers and is the only Shinobi after Hashirama to be referred to as the “God of Shinobi“. He was the main teacher of not just one but all three Legendary Sannins (all of whom became one of the most powerful Shinobis in the world). Hiruzen was the wise figure and backbone of Konoha for years, inspiring many young Shinobis to become the best version of themselves.

Hiruzen was handpicked for the Hokage position by Tobirama, the second Hokage. Before our current-gen Shinobi, Hiruzen was regarded as the prodigy of the Sarutobi clan, and he rightfully lived up to it. Hiruzen was eerily strong not just in his prime, but even when he was an old man. We saw him fight Orochi alongside two reincarnated Hokage. Even Orochimaru acknowledged that if Hiruzen was about 10 years younger, he would have killed him. Hiruzen was a strong pillar of the Konoha as a Hokage and is one of the strongest Hokage we have ever seen in the series.

4. Tobirama Senju – The Second Hokage

Tobirama Senju rose to the position of Hokage after his brother Hashirama in the Naruto series. He was the second Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. Tobirama was no less than his brother in terms of morals and strength and was lauded as one of the greatest Hokage ever. Tobirama was the one who fixed the entire political infrastructure of Konoha. The Hidden Leaf evolved into an advanced village and is well-respected in the world, and all credit goes to him for improving on the foundation built by his brother.

That’s enough about his Hokage achievements, let’s dig deeper into his powers. Tobirama was undoubtedly one of the fierce and intelligent Shinobi from Konoha. He was the creator of powerful jutsu like the Shadow Clone Technique, Flying Thunder God Technique, and Impure World Reincarnation. Tobirama was known for his mastery of the Water style as well as space-time ninjutsu.

Tobirama was exceptionally knowledgeable, and that made his ninjutsu more powerful. He was easily one of the best Hokage in Naruto if we rank him solely based on his achievements. Since the anime explores little about his true powers, he is ranked slightly lower on our list. We would love to see a spin-off arc of his character, but it’s the next Hokage who’s getting a spin-off manga.

3. Minato Namikaze – The Fourth Hokage

Minato Namikaze was famed as the Yellow Flash of Konoha due to his incredible powers. He became the Fourth Hokage but sacrificed his life for the better of his kid and village. Another prodigy from the lands of Konoha, he was feared by many nations. Believe it or not, during the Third Great Ninja War, the enemies were given flee-on-sight orders when they just see him. That’s how insanely powerful Naruto’s dad was, and we wish he had more screen time to witness his peak character. At least, we know that Minato’s spin-off manga is coming out.

Minato honed his skills to the tee, especially the Space-Time Ninjutsu, which earned him his nickname Yellow Flash. He was well-versed in Ninjutsu, Shurikenjutsu, Fūinjutsu, Senjutsu, and other techniques. He was also the creator of Naruto’s famous Rasengan technique. Since he also served as a Jinchūriki of the Nine-tailed fox before his death, he can also perform the Jinchūriki Transformations. Overall, Minato was one of the strongest Hokage in Naruto, and he could have been the strongest of all all-time if he got to live more.

2. Hashirama Senju – The First Hokage

Hashirama Senju is a name everyone brings up when there is a power-scaling debate among Naruto fans. That’s how this powerful man was during his time, setting a benchmark for other Shinobis. Now, you know why he was rightfully known as the God of Shinobi. Being the first reincarnation of Ashura, the power levels of this man were off the charts. He single-handedly captured the eight and nine-tailed beasts and fought against Madara with Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Later, he even fought with the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Hashirama Senju was the most renowned Wood Release user and this was his strongest core strength. He was also incredibly skilled in Senjutsu. When combined he was able to create giant humanoid creatures, the True Several Thousand Hands techniques, etc. With these techniques, he fought against the powerful Susanoo and tailed beasts. Hashirama is a role model for all the Shinobi and was the strongest Hokage of his era.

1. Naruto Uzumaki – The Seventh Hokage

Naruto Uzumaki easily surpasses anyone in any power list since he is the most powerful shinobi to ever exist. Naruto’s resilience in the face of adversity and unwavering tenacity enabled him to become the Seventh Hokage of Konoha (Hidden Leaf Village). Being dubbed “the strongest shinobi ever” reveals a lot about Naruto’s legendary capabilities and abilities. Even all the Hokage would accept that Naruto is the greatest Hokage and, being the main character, he is the one without any doubt.

He is a master of Ninjutsu and has an enormous, potent chakra reserve that considerably aids him in using his many Rasengan techniques. His Jinchriki Transformations too are superior and don’t forget that Asura’s chakra was passed on to Naruto. The peak of Naruto’s abilities is his numerous modes, including the Sage Mode Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, the Tailed Beast Mode, and the current ultimate Baryon Mode in Boruto (see Boruto filler list here). Hence, Naruto is the most powerful Hokage to be born in the lands of Konoha.

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