Naruto: The Strongest Character In Every Arc, Ranked

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The first Naruto anime told a truly great story, with arcs like the Chunin Exams helping to establish it as one of the most popular and influential shonen anime of all time. Memorable moments, such as Naruto’s ability to connect with and redeem Gaara, and his first summoning of Gamabunta, are still beloved by fans. Beyond the major plot points, Naruto viewers are always eager to debate and determine who the most powerful character was in each story arc.

During the first parts of the original Naruto anime, many characters were still developing their skills. This means that popular, powerful characters like Naruto and Sasuke weren’t actually the strongest fighters at the beginning of the series. Instead, more experienced ninja – like jonin, Kage, and those hosting powerful tailed beasts (jinchuriki) – usually took that title. Some of these early powerhouses remained strong throughout the entire series, but others were eventually surpassed as the story went on.

Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc: Kimimaro Kaguya

Kimimaro Fought Naruto, Rock Lee, and Gaara Without Losing to Any of Them

Image via Pierrot.

Wow, the Sasuke Recovery Arc was a turning point! Everything just got so much more intense, and it really pushed everyone to prove who was the strongest. Naruto was seriously powerful with his Nine-Tails Chakra and perfected Rasengan, and Sasuke was right there with him, fueled by the Cursed Seal and his evolving Sharingan – that Chidori was terrifying! Gaara had grown a lot too, but honestly, Kimimaro Kaguya was on another level. He was the one who really stood out as the most formidable ninja during that arc, in my opinion.

Kimimaro was incredibly powerful, selected by Orochimaru as his next host – a testament to his abilities. He had complete control over his unique bone-based powers and the Cursed Seal. His battles proved his strength; he effortlessly defeated Naruto’s shadow clones without sustaining major injuries. He also held his own against formidable opponents like Rock Lee and Gaara, ultimately losing only because his debilitating illness worsened. Fans vividly remember his near-fatal attack on Gaara, where his bone drill almost hit Gaara’s eye, before Kimimaro succumbed to his disease.

Land of Waves Arc: Kakashi Hatake

Kakashi Turned the Tables on Zabuza on Tazuna’s Bridge

Image via Pierrot.

Many shonen anime, like Naruto, often start with a strong mentor figure as the most powerful character. When the series began, before Naruto and Sasuke became truly powerful, Kakashi Hatake was the top fighter. While Zabuza was the main villain, Kakashi was the one consistently winning battles thanks to his unique abilities.

Early in the Naruto series, Kakashi hadn’t unlocked his Mangekyo Sharingan, so he couldn’t use abilities like Susanoo or Kamui. However, he was still a formidable opponent thanks to his intelligence, regular Sharingan, and extensive combat experience. He quickly demonstrated why he was known as the ‘Copy Ninja,’ even using his famous Lightning Blade during the fight against Zabuza on Tazuna’s bridge. Even Naruto, powered up by the Nine-Tails, struggled to match Kakashi’s wide range of skills.

Konoha Crush Arc: Gaara

The One-Tailed Shukaku Dominated the Battlefield

Image via Pierrot.

During the shift from the Chunin Exams to the attack on Konoha, Gaara briefly became the strongest ninja shown in the series, surpassing Orochimaru. This was largely due to him finally unleashing the full power of his one-tailed beast during the Konoha Crush Arc. While already a formidable fighter with sand manipulation, Gaara became a truly overwhelming force as Orochimaru’s ultimate weapon. Only another powerful tailed beast or a being like Gamabunta, the king of toads, stood a chance against him.

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During the battle with Gaara, Naruto, with the help of Gamabunta, was nearly his equal, but Gaara likely had the edge since he was more experienced with his abilities. Even Orochimaru, a powerful ninja, couldn’t defeat a fully powered tailed beast in a fight. Furthermore, Orochimaru was significantly weakened during his battle with Hiruzen, who crippled his arms. This allowed Gaara to definitively become the strongest fighter of the Konoha Crush Arc, despite Naruto eventually talking Gaara into stopping the fight.

Chunin Exam Arc: Orochimaru

Orochimaru Granted Sasuke the Cursed Seal

Image via Pierrot.

The Chunin Exam Arc in Naruto really raised the stakes, with much tougher battles to see who the most powerful ninja was. Naruto and Sasuke were both improving, but experienced adults still proved to be the strongest fighters. Even Gaara wasn’t strong enough to defeat Orochimaru, the arc’s unexpected and formidable villain.

Orochimaru appeared in disguise and gave Sasuke the Cursed Seal before causing more trouble for Team 7, then left the rest to his Sound Genin. This made him the first of the legendary Sannin introduced in Naruto, and he was clearly more powerful than everyone else at the Chunin Exams – even Kakashi and Hiruzen Sarutobi. Although he didn’t fully demonstrate these abilities until later, Orochimaru was already capable of impressive jutsu like summoning Manda, shedding his skin for protection, and even using the powerful Edo Tensei to revive three different Hokage during the Chunin Exam Arc.

Search For Tsunade Arc: Itachi Uchiha

Itachi Wanted Naruto Captured No Matter What

During the quest to find Tsunade, all three Legendary Sannin made an appearance. Jiraiya successfully persuaded Tsunade to help him and Naruto battle Orochimaru. Together, these three were incredibly powerful – capable of defeating anyone at that point in the Naruto series. However, each Sannin on their own wasn’t quite as strong as Itachi Uchiha. While many characters were still developing their abilities, Itachi had already reached his peak. Kisame Hoshigaki was also at full power, but most Naruto fans consider Itachi to be the more formidable fighter.

In the beginning of the Search for Tsunade Arc, Itachi easily handled several Leaf ninja without getting hurt. Considering how he fought strong opponents like Kakashi, Kurenai, Naruto, and Jiraiya, it’s clear how powerful he was. He already possessed the full capabilities of his Mangekyo Sharingan, including the ability to summon Susanoo, but he chose not to use his full strength. Because of this, many Naruto fans believe Itachi could have beaten anyone else during that arc, and likely could have defeated anyone in the original Naruto series in a one-on-one fight.

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2026-02-15 20:35