The 10 Strongest Characters of 'Naruto: Shippuden,' Ranked (2024)

Even about a decade after the main story ended, Naruto has continued to be a cultural juggernaut in the anime community. The story not only remains popular, but has even led to the existence of the sequel series in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The original storyline had many aspects that made a lasting impact on audiences, including the worldbulidng, the character relationships, and, of course, the power-scaling system in the world of ninjutsu. In the aftermath of the first fateful battle between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, the sky was the limit as to how powerful Naruto and others would become after the time skip. Fast-forward to the end of Naruto: Shippuden, characters like Naruto and Sasuke have obtained near god level strength and power the likes that few could have predicted at the start of the series.

The increasing threat of the Akatsuki forced the shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village to grow in strength, honing their skills to be able to compete with a group with many Kage level members. In addition, the War Arc upped the scales tenfold, with even the likes of Madara Uchiha being just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to strength. It's safe to say that the world of stealth and shurikens is in the rearview mirror by the end of the series. While controversial whether this was for better or worse, Naruto: Shippuden has changed the fabric of the Narutoverse, giving us many unique abilities and power feats that are iconic in their own right.

Naruto: Shippuden

TV-PG

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

October 28, 2009

See Also

Boruto: Will The Legacy Of Naruto Uzumaki Be Surpassed?Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4: Road to Boruto (Code-in-a-box) - Nintendo... | bolNaruto's Uchiha Family Tree, ExplainedNaruto: Every Great Ninja War, Explained

Cast

Alexandre Crepet , Junko Takeuchi , Maile Flanagan , Kate Higgins , Chie Nakamura , Dave Wittenberg

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

21

10 Minato Namikaze

Voiced by Tony Oliver

Known as the Yellow Flash of the Leaf Village, Minato Namikaze when he was alive was already a force to be reckoned with. When someone is so strong that they have a "flee on sight" warning, their strength is undeniable. He was the student of the legendary sanin Jiraiya, and a child genius who became a jonin at the age of 15 and Hokage in his early 20s. With his incredible speed combined with his battle intelligence and large chakra reserves, Minato was arguably one of the strongest characters in the world when he was alive.

Now consider all these feats of strength and add the power of Kurama (the Nine Tails) to the mix. After being revived by Orochimaru using the Reanimation Jutsu in order to help defeat Madara and Obito Uchiha, Minato proved to be crucial to defeating Obito and saving the rest of the Allied Shinobi Forces multiple times. His speed and power were only further amplified with Kurama's help, with him even being able to rival the likes of Hashirama Senju in this mode. Even on a battlefield where the Ten Tails was present, he still manages to make his presence felt.

9 Hashirama Senju

Voiced by Peter Lurie

Since the end of Part 1 of Naruto, Madara Uchiha has been foreshadowed as an insanely strong person. His name alone caused so much fear that the Five Kage approved a war against Obito, who was pretending to be Madara at this time, and his forces. His power seemed almost insurmountable, except for the person who always won against him. Hashirama Senju was hailed as the God of Shinobi on account of his exceptional strength and power. For the longest time, he was considered to be the only person who could defeat Madara in a one on one fight. Even when facing Madara and a Kurama that was under his control, who is by far the strongest of the tailed beasts, Hashirama was still able to win.

He is a master of Wood Style, which has been shown to restrain even the strongest of tailed beasts. In addition, he has incredible regenerative abilities, being able to heal himself consistently without even weaving hand signs. If that wasn't enough, when he was revived by the Reanimation Jutsu, he was able to beat a version of Madara that was enhanced by Hashirama's own cells. There is a reason that he became the first hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village and is the strongest hokage to not have the power of a tailed beast by far.

8 Might Guy

Voiced by Skip Stellrecht

One of the main messages of Naruto is that hard work can go a long way and defy the odds one faces. While Naruto definitely works hard to get the power that he has, the revelation that he is the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Path's son Asura Otsutsuki hurts the idea of Naruto being the symbol of hard work. However, Might Guy, throughout the course of the entire series, is the true embodiment of hard work and perseverance. As a kid, he did not have much talent for ninjutsu, as he initially failed the academy entrance exam. Rather than quit, Guy worked to master his taijutsu skills instead, gradually becoming not just a capable shinobi but one of the strongest in the Land of Fire.

Might Guy's signature move is the Eight Inner Gates technique, which allows him to achieve enhanced physical strength with each chakra gate in the body that he opens. It is a truly powerful technique, as the seventh gate was able to fairly easily beat Kisame, one of the strongest members of the Akatsuki. However, the eight gates take a massive toll on the body, with opening the 8th gate (usually) resulting in the user's death. When Guy opened this gate, he achieved a level of power ten times as great as a kage, as he was almost able to kill a Ten Tails version of Madara. Guy wasn't blessed with any special dojutsu or inherent ability, and yet, he was able to become one of the most powerful in the series. The Noble Blue Beast of the Leaf surely embodies the will of fire.

7 Obito Uchiha

Voiced by Michael Yurchak

Much like Naruto, Obito Uchiha did not have any natural talent or ability in his childhood, despite being born into a clan known for the sharingan. In fact, Obito is like a version of Naruto if he had chosen a path of revenge and darkness. Following his noble sacrifice of saving Kakashi during the Battle of Kanabi Bridge, he was miraculously saved thanks to the help of an older Madara Uchiha. He was soon after manipulated by Madara in order to help him fulfill his goal of bringing about the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Under Madara's guidance, he became a formidable shinobi, strong enough to control the Nine Tails and give Minato a run for his money. And this was just in his teenage years.

As an adult, Obito mastered one of the most powerful mangekyo sharingan abilities, kamui. With his right eye, he is able to transport any person or object into a different dimension as well as parts of his own body. This is not even getting into his rinnegan abilities or his massive chakra reserves. Had it not been for Kakashi having one of his eyes, Obito and Madara likely would have won the Fourth Great Ninja War. Obito, with his rinnegan and sharingan, reached an incredible amount of power that arguably was more powerful than when he became the Ten Tails jinchuriki. One thing's for sure: he would have made for a strong hokage.

6 Sasuke Uchiha

Voiced by Yuri Lowenthal

From the start of the series, it was clear that Sasuke had a lot of talent and the potential to be a strong shinobi. He seemed to be good at nearly anything he tried, constantly learning new techniques in order to get stronger. Even with just his base sharingan, he was able to kill a weakened Orochimaru as well as defeat enemies like Deidara and Itachi. Though the last two fights are more complicated than they seem, Sasuke being able to hold his own with Kage-level threats is no small feat. Once he unlocks his mangekyo sharingan, his power doubles as he is not only able to hold his own against the Fourth Raikage, whose speed is comparable to Minato, but manages to defeat Danzo in a (mostly) one on one fight.

Once the war arc begins, his strength is heightened thanks to the eternal magekyo sharingan that he awakens, as well as the power he receives from Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths. With his abilities like Amaterasu and the Susanoo combined with his many rinnegan abilities, he reaches an amount of power that surpasses even that of Hashirama. Kurama even admits during his battle with Naruto that he has obtained a level of power that was almost on par with Hagoromo.

5 Naruto Uzumaki

Maile Flanagan

It makes sense that a show named after its main character would have him be one of the strongest by the end of the story. What makes Naruto's strength special, though, is his journey towards becoming the powerhouse that he is by the end of the series. He was basically the polar opposite of Sasuke as he struggled to learn any kind of jutsu, failing the academy graduation exam three times. However, he was able to eventually hone his skills with the help of his teachers and friends to become a capable ninja. From holding his own against the One Tails to learning his father's jutsu, the Rasengan, in a week, fans were eager to see what was in store for the number one hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja.

Fast-forward three years, and he was not only able to create an S-rank jutsu on his own, but had also learned and mastered Sage mode, being able to fight against the likes of Pain. Once he learns to control and befriend Kurama, his strength skyrockets, becoming an integral player in the Fourth Great Ninja War. Hagoromo's Six Paths power-up that he gave to Naruto made even the likes of Minato and Hashirama seem like they were the genin. If that wasn't enough, he was finally able to beat Sasuke in a one on one fight, becoming the strongest shinobi alive at the series' end. And one can't forget about his signature Talk-no-Jutsu, an ability even the Sage of Six Paths can't counter.

4 Kakashi Hatake (DMS)

Voiced by Dave Wittenberg

This may seem like a bit of a surprise to fans, but so was Kakashi's huge power boost. From as young as five years old, Kakashi had immense skills, as he became a jonin at the age of 12. He was also fortunate enough to have a future Hokage, Minato, as a sensei. However, once he was given a sharingan by Obito, he managed to turn a chakra drainer into a valuable asset that earned him the nickname, the copy ninja. He was not an Uchiha, yet Kakashi managed to use his left eye very effectively against many high-ranking enemies.

With his improved use of kamui, he was easily one of the strongest assets of the Allied Shinobi Forces, as if it was not for him, they would have had virtually no counter to Obito. However, it is at the tail end of the war arc that Kakashi peaks in power, as he is given both of Obito's eyes for a limited time. He did not only gain the sharingan abilities that Obito had, but his power was greatly enhanced. Not to mention his kamui-infused perfect susanoo, granting him incredible power as well as the ultimate defense. Naruto and Sasuke, with all their newfound strength, would have a very tough time against Kakashi with his dual mangekyo sharingan, as he would be nearly impossible to hit.

3 Madara Uchiha (Ten Tails Jinchuriki)

Voiced by Neil Kaplan

When Madara made his jaw-dropping debut in the war arc, it seemed as though he was unstoppable. He had faced off against thousands of Allied Shinobi Forces soldiers with ease, and then proceeded to toy with the Five Kage. Once he was able to free himself from the Reanimation Jutsu, it seemed nearly impossible for any of the heroes to stop him. He was even fairly confident that he could have beat a Ten Tails Jinchuriki version of Obito. Whether this would have happened or not is hard to say, but given his sharingan and rinnegan abilities along with having Hashirama's cells infused in him, it wouldn't come as that much of a surprise.

However, it is when Madara becomes the Ten Tails Jinchuriki himself that he reaches an insurmountable amount of power. With just one rinnegan, he was able to withstand the full brunt of the 8th gate of death. With both of his rinnegan, he was able to put the entire world under the Infinite Tsukuyomi. In fact, even with Naruto and Sasuke's newfound powers given to them by the Sage of Six Paths, it would have been hard to see a scenario where they came out on top. If it wasn't for the out of nowhere twist of Black Zetzu using Madara to revive Kaguya, Madara would likely be alive.

2 Hagoromo Otsutsuki

Voiced by Michael McConnohie

While Madara, as the Ten Tails Jinchuriki, possessed the power of a newly awakened Naruto and Sasuke combined, he was still not on the level of Hagoromo Otsutsuki. As the first person to be born with chakra, he had many of the same abilities as his mother Kaguya. He had developed a love for nature in his youth as well as the people around him. However, his mother thought differently as she sought to gain all the chakra in the world for herself. Realizing this, Hagoromo enlisted the help of his brother Hamura in order to defeat their mother before it was too late. The resulting battle lasted for months, until the brothers were able to seal her away, with Hagoromo becoming the new Ten Tails Jinchuriki.

With his newfound power, he became known as the Sage of Six Paths. He sought to use his incredible power to deter any future conflicts. He had so much power that he was able to split the Ten Tails into nine-tailed beasts and still survive. His power transcended typical ninjutsu, as he was even able to appear before Naruto and Sasuke and give them his power, many years after he died. With him being half Otsutsuki, he literally has strength that surpasses that of humans.

1 Kaguya Otsutsuki

Voiced by Cissy Jones

Kaguya Otsutsuki is a very controversial figure in the Narutoverse. There had been little foreshadowing about her up until her revival, and she had replaced a fan-favorite character (Madara) as the final villain of the series. Regardless of one's thoughts about her or her role in the story as a whole, her strength is undeniable. About a millennium before the events of Naruto: Shippuden, Kaguya came down to Earth with Isshiki in order to plant a God Tree and harvest its chakra fruit. However, Kaguya wanted the fruit for herself and betrayed Isshiki, leaving him critically injured. She would later become the ruler of the world after she ate the chakra fruit in order to have the power to end all human conflict.

However, her seemingly noble goal soon became a quest for all the chakra in the world, which included the chakra of her children Hagoromo and Hamura. She proceeded to fight her children in a battle that lasted months before she was sealed away. Despite her defeat at the hands of her children, she managed to have the entire world under her fingertips. She had all the power of the tailed beasts along with the skills of the Otsutsuki clan. Even in defeat, she had to be sealed away, as her children did not have the power to kill her outright. If she possessed the battle intelligence necessary to effectively use her power, she would have continued to be the Rabbit Goddess of Earth.

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