NARUTO Strongest Character Ranking TOP 20: From Legendary Shinobi to Otsutsuki Gods

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更新日:2026/4/10 公開日:2025/4/28

Countless shinobi have burned through their very life force to fight their way through the world of "NARUTO."

Today, I’m tackling the ultimate debate that keeps the fandom awake at night: the strongest character ranking.

To keep things pure, I’m strictly excluding anything from the Boroto era.

We are focusing entirely on the original series, judging every character based on their absolute peak form at the end of the manga's run.

I’ve stripped away any duplicate entries to focus only on the "Ultimate Form" where each character truly shined.

Taking into account Jutsu compatibility, on-screen Feats, and the deep Lore of the series, this is the definitive list.

Let’s see where your favorite ninja landed in the grand hierarchy of OP characters.

NARUTO Strongest Character Ranking (Prime Forms Only)

No. 20: Chiyo

The legendary puppeteer and advisor of the Hidden Sand, Lady Chiyo, kicks off our list.

Watching her deploy the "Secret White Move: Chakushamatsu Ten Puppets" and control ten dolls with just ten fingers is the absolute pinnacle of shinobi craftsmanship.

She’s also a master of Medical Ninjutsu.

Her tactical genius during the death match with Sasori—neutralizing poison while sealing enemy movements—showed she was still sharper than most active ninja despite her age.

However, she struggles against "brute force" types like Kisame at No. 19.

If Kisame floods the battlefield with his "Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave," the water resistance would slow her chakra threads to a crawl, and Kisame’s massive chakra reserves would eventually crush her.

Chiyo is a master of technique, but Kisame’s ability to dominate the environment with pure violence puts him a step ahead.

No. 19: Kisame Hoshigaki

Known as the "Monster of the Hidden Mist," Kisame boasted an absurd amount of chakra even by Akatsuki standards.

His fused form with his sentient sword, Samehada, makes him essentially invincible in underwater combat.

His ability to steal chakra to heal his own wounds means that the longer a fight drags on, the more "Goated" he becomes.

He has the environmental control to overwhelm Chiyo, but he hits a wall against Killer Bee at No. 18.

Bee has perfect control over the Eight-Tails' chakra, allowing for explosive power plays that exceed Kisame’s absorption speed.

While Kisame once held an advantage due to Samehada's betrayal, if we look at the raw destructive power of a Tailed Beast Bomb and a Jinchuriki’s true bottomless strength, Bee takes the win.

No. 18: Killer Bee

The Hidden Cloud ninja who reached the ideal Jinchuriki state through a perfect partnership with Gyuki, the Eight-Tails.

His Taijutsu style using seven blades and his ability to spam Tailed Beast Bombs in his "Full Tailed Beast Mode" provides a level of speed and destruction that most ninja can't even perceive.

While he can overpower Kisame, his matchup against Mu (the Second Tsuchikage) at No. 17 is a nightmare.

Mu’s "Particle Style" can dismantle even the most massive Tailed Beast Bomb at a molecular level.

Plus, Mu can completely erase his physical presence and chakra signature, giving him the potential to erase Bee from existence without ever getting into a fistfight.

Even with Bee's massive energy, the logic of Particle Style is just too broken.

No. 17: Mu

The Second Tsuchikage and the master of "Particle Style," a Kekkei Tota combining Wind, Earth, and Fire.

He is a terrifying shinobi capable of erasing a Jinchuriki’s violence with a single invisible strike.

However, in a showdown against Orochimaru at No. 16, pure resilience becomes the deciding factor.

Orochimaru possesses an inhuman regenerative ability through the power of the White Snake—even if his body is shredded, he simply "molts" and reappears.

Furthermore, Orochimaru can use "Edo Tensei" to summon the dead, sealing off the battlefield and cornering Mu even if he’s invisible.

Mu has the power to erase a "point," but Orochimaru represents the concept of "Immortality." Because of his survival hax and vast knowledge, the Sannin takes the lead.

No. 16: Orochimaru

One of the Legendary Sannin and a seeker who wished to master every Jutsu in existence.

By incorporating the power of the White Snake, his prime self boasts a survival rate that borders on the supernatural.

He has the potential to outlast Mu’s Particle Style, but he’s at a disadvantage against Tobirama Senju at No. 15.

Tobirama is the literal creator of Orochimaru’s trump card, "Edo Tensei," and knows its weaknesses better than anyone.

Additionally, Tobirama’s god-tier mobility via "Flying Raijin Jutsu" means he could decapitate Orochimaru before a single seal is even woven.

Facing the Second Hokage—a man who understands the roots of all Jutsu—Orochimaru’s cunning simply isn't enough.

No. 15: Tobirama Senju

The Second Hokage and a rare genius who created the foundations for modern Ninjutsu, including the Shadow Clone Jutsu and Flying Raijin.

While he overwhelms Orochimaru with speed and knowledge, he falls slightly behind Minato Namikaze at No. 14 in terms of "purity."

Minato took Tobirama’s invention and evolved it into something even more practical and high-speed, earning him the title of "The Yellow Flash."

Minato also possesses the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, giving him a massive edge in raw chakra volume and burst damage.

Tobirama himself admitted that Minato was superior in the Body Flicker Technique, which is the deciding factor for this rank.

No. 14: Minato Namikaze

The Fourth Hokage in his god-speed form, cloaked in Nine-Tails chakra.

His speed surpasses Tobirama’s, and his tactical combo of Flying Raijin and the Rasengan brings despair to anyone he faces.

However, against the "Power of God" wielded by Pain (Nagato) at No. 13, speed isn't a guaranteed win.

The Six Paths of Pain share their field of vision, making a surprise attack from a blind spot nearly impossible.

Moreover, "Almighty Push" creates an omnidirectional barrier that makes it incredibly difficult for a close-quarters fighter like Minato to even get near.

Minato is the peak of individual combat, but Pain’s wide-range destruction—capable of leveling an entire village with "Planetary Devastation"—is just on another level.

No. 13: Pain (Nagato)

The wielder of the Rinnegan who sought to carve "Pain" into the world as a self-proclaimed god.

The Shared Vision and Absolute Defense of the Six Paths are enough to shut down Minato’s god-speed.

However, when compared to Itachi Uchiha at No. 12, the "Totsuka Blade" becomes an insurmountable wall.

Itachi has shown the ability to instantly analyze the weakness of Pain’s Jutsu, destroy the core of Chibaku Tensei, and seal Nagato himself.

Pain’s multi-angled attacks also struggle to penetrate Itachi’s Susanoo, which is equipped with the "Yata Mirror"—a shield that reflects all attacks.

Itachi’s mastery of ocular powers and his battlefield IQ simply outclass the "Power of God."

No. 12: Itachi Uchiha

A prodigy who mastered the Mangekyo Sharingan and armed his Susanoo with divine weapons: the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror.

While he can seal Pain, he falls behind Kabuto Yakushi (Sage Mode) at No. 11 due to "sustainability."

Kabuto’s Snake Sage Mode allows him to fight without relying on sight, effectively neutralizing Itachi’s greatest weapon: Genjutsu.

Furthermore, Kabuto can command an army of legendary warriors via Edo Tensei, forcing a battle of attrition that far exceeds Itachi’s chakra capacity.

For a man burdened by illness like Itachi, Kabuto’s environmental manipulation and immortal army make him a terrible matchup.

No. 11: Kabuto Yakushi

Surpassing Orochimaru to become a Snake Sage, Kabuto is the "Director" of the battlefield.

He can shut down Itachi’s ocular Jutsu while using Sage Art to corner his enemies with the environment itself.

However, he is completely outclassed by Hashirama Senju at No. 10.

Known as the "God of Shinobi," Hashirama uses Sage Mode on a completely different level, rewriting the map with massive Wood Style constructs.

Kabuto’s Edo Tensei army is literally like dust compared to the overwhelming power of Hashirama’s "Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands."

Hashirama’s raw life energy and scale of power are simply in a different dimension.

No. 10: Hashirama Senju

The First Hokage, master of Wood Style and Sage Mode.

No matter what tricks Kabuto tries, Hashirama’s strikes can level mountains and split the earth.

But even the "God of Shinobi" might lose to the "Brilliance of Life" shown by Might Guy (Eight Gates) at No. 9.

The speed Guy achieves when opening the Gate of Death is high enough to warp space itself. He has the mobility to pulverize Hashirama’s body before a single Wood Style seal can be made.

Even Hashirama’s insane regeneration wouldn't survive Guy’s final move, "Night Guy," which was powerful enough to blow away half of Madara’s body.

In that one moment of transcendence at the cost of his life, Guy entered a realm beyond even the God of Shinobi.

No. 9: Might Guy

The Blue Beast of the Leaf who reached the realm of gods through nothing but hard work.

Eight Gates Guy is the ultimate point of physical attack, capable of tearing through Hashirama’s defense like paper.

However, against Toneri Otsutsuki at No. 8, the scale of Otsutsuki ocular powers becomes a wall.

Toneri’s "Tenseigan" allows for attacks that can literally slice the Moon in half, creating a risk that the entire battlefield vanishes before Guy can even get close.

Guy’s Gate of Death has a strict time limit. If Toneri retreats into space or uses gravity-based attacks that shift planets, Guy's options become limited.

Against Guy’s physical peak, Toneri’s galactic-scale destruction takes the higher rank.

No. 8: Toneri Otsutsuki

A descendant of the Moon's people who awakened the Tenseigan to crash the Moon into Earth.

His "Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion" is a galactic-scale move that far exceeds Guy’s output.

But Kakashi Hatake (DMS - Dual Mangekyo Sharingan) at No. 7 is his absolute worst nightmare.

DMS Kakashi has perfect "Kamui" intangibility. No matter how massive Toneri’s light beam is, it simply passes through him.

Furthermore, Kakashi’s "Kamui Shuriken" ignores all defense, forcibly warping whatever they touch to another dimension.

Against Kakashi’s "Infinite Intangibility + Defense-Ignore" hax, even a moon-slayer like Toneri has to take the "L."

No. 7: Kakashi Hatake

Armed with Obito’s soul, dual Mangekyo Sharingan, and Six Paths chakra, this is Kakashi’s ultimate form.

In this state, he was literally invincible, even managing to wound Kaguya Otsutsuki.

He has the potential to phase through Toneri’s strikes and pierce his vitals with Kamui Lightning Blade.

However, there is a fundamental difference in "tier" when compared to Obito Uchiha (Ten-Tails Jinchuriki) at No. 6.

Obito, as the Ten-Tails' vessel, possesses the power to nullify Ninjutsu itself. While Kakashi’s Kamui is powerful, Obito is a Jinchuriki who has stepped into the realm of gods with near-infinite chakra and Truth-Seeker Orbs.

Since Kakashi’s form is temporary while Obito has the power to rewrite the world's logic, Obito wins on total combat capacity.

No. 6: Obito Uchiha

In his White Six Paths form as the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Obito is a monster.

He can shut down even the god-tier ocular powers of No. 7 Kakashi with his Ten-Tails chakra defense and Jutsu nullification.

But even Obito was pushed into the depths of despair by No. 5, Madara Uchiha (Ten-Tails Jinchuriki).

Madara utilized the Ten-Tails more perfectly than Obito ever could and eventually awakened the "Rinne Sharingan" on his forehead.

Madara lacked the mental hesitation that Obito had, and his "Limbo: Border Jail"—four invisible shadows—is something even Obito would struggle to counter.

As the true peak of the Uchiha, Madara surpassed Obito to become the ninja closest to God.

No. 5: Madara Uchiha

The final, ultimate form of Madara Uchiha after absorbing the Ten-Tails and the Divine Tree.

No matter how much power Obito wields, there is no way to stop Madara’s "Infinite Tsukuyomi."

However, even Madara doesn't reach the level of Hamura Otsutsuki at No. 4.

Hamura is the younger brother of the Sage of the Six Paths and a mythic-tier warrior who fought his mother, Kaguya, for months to seal her.

The power Madara obtained is just a fraction of Kaguya, whereas Hamura possessed the raw power to go toe-to-toe with Kaguya herself.

The Otsutsuki bloodline’s pure ocular power and chakra refinement simply outclass the ninja of later generations.

No. 4: Hamura Otsutsuki

The ancestor of the Moon's people and a legendary hero who built the world's logic alongside Hagoromo.

Madara’s Sharingan tricks would fall before Hamura’s Six Paths Sealing Jutsu and Tenseigan power.

Yet, the one person Hamura looked up to his whole life as "stronger" was his older brother, Hagoromo Otsutsuki at No. 3.

Hagoromo, as the "Sage of the Six Paths," performed the ultimate feat of "Creation of All Things" by splitting the Ten-Tails into nine. While Hamura was a combat specialist, Hagoromo constructed the very principles of the world. Even after death, his divinity was so far beyond his brother that he could watch over the world as a chakra ghost.

No. 3: Hagoromo Otsutsuki

Literally worshipped as a "God" in the shinobi world.

When he sealed Kaguya with Hamura, he was the central figure who carved out the fate of the world.

But even Hagoromo could not defeat Kaguya Otsutsuki (No. 2) alone.

Kaguya is the origin of all chakra. Even facing both Hagoromo and Hamura at the same time, she was so overwhelming that sealing her was the only option.

With "Amenominaka," she can rewrite the battlefield into lava or ice instantly, and her "Expansive Truth-Seeker Orb" can return the world to nothingness. She is an omnipotent entity from before the concept of "ninja" even existed.

No. 2: Kaguya Otsutsuki

The "Rabbit Goddess" and the mother of all Ninjutsu.

Even the highest-level Jutsu of No. 3 Hagoromo are just fragments of her own power. Her infinite chakra makes any strategy feel meaningless.

She walks through time and space and fires "All-Killing Ash Bones" that cause instant death upon contact. She is the literal embodiment of the apocalypse.

However, standing above this goddess at No. 1 is our protagonist's ultimate peak: Naruto (with his Bond with Sasuke).

The moment Naruto and Sasuke received power from the Sage of the Six Paths and resonated with all the Tailed Beasts' chakra to seal Kaguya—that is the absolute peak of the story's Power scaling.

While an individual can't match Kaguya, the fusion of "Bonds," "Strategy," and Six Paths power created a miracle that surpassed a God.

No. 1: Naruto Uzumaki (Six Paths / Ultimate Bond)

The Savior of the Shinobi World who bonded with all Tailed Beasts and perfectly harmonized with Sasuke’s "Yin" power.

Naruto cornered the absolute god Kaguya using a variety of Rasengans imbued with different nature transformations and high-IQ surprise attacks using Sasuke’s "Amenotejikara."

This wasn't just raw power; it was the "Cooperation" and "Understanding" that the story has preached for years becoming a force stronger than a God.

With the "Yang" power from the Sage, the ability to revitalize all life, and the capacity to absorb infinite natural energy with Kurama, he is undeniably the strongest.

Surpassing myth and changing the world's fate as a single ninja, this form of Naruto is the glorious No. 1 in all of NARUTO history.

Reflecting on the Strongest Ranking Written in Ninja Souls

What did you think?

Looking back at the prime forms of these legendary warriors was quite the ride.

From Lady Chiyo at No. 20 to Naruto’s god-tier bond at No. 1, every ninja on this list fought with their own unique convictions.

It reminds us that "strength" isn't just about destructive power; it’s about the desire to protect someone and the power found in holding hands with your comrades.

Did your favorite character make the cut? Were you shocked by a certain placement?

Let's keep the discussion alive in the comments! Even though the main story is over, their legends live on in our hearts.

Thank you so much for reading until the end!