Naruto: The Strongest Characters Pain Can Defeat, Ranked

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Although later villains in Naruto became more powerful, Pain remains a truly memorable and impressive antagonist. While characters like Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki surpassed him in strength, Pain is still widely loved by fans, and his diverse abilities are remarkable. In the series, he famously defeated Jiraiya and even managed to capture Naruto Uzumaki, before ultimately being overcome by Naruto’s ability to connect with and understand others.

Let’s consider who else could have beaten Pain in the Naruto story. While characters like Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake became incredibly strong later on and might have had a chance, many other powerful shinobi would likely fall short, even if they put up a good fight against Pain’s Six Paths technique.

7. Tsunade Could Not Avenge Jiraiya When Fighting Pain

No Sannin Stands a Chance Against the Six Paths of Pain

Image via Pierrot.

Jiraiya fought bravely against the Six Paths of Pain in their own territory, the Hidden Rain Village. He used all his power, including his strongest techniques and the help of the toads Fukasaku and Shima, while in Sage Mode. Despite his efforts, he only managed to defeat one of the Pains before being overwhelmed. Tsunade was devastated by the news, but she couldnā€™t risk going to avenge him herself.

Tsunade is incredibly strong, being one of the Legendary Sannin and the Fifth Hokage, but she wouldn’t be able to defeat Pain on her own. In Naruto Shippuden, she actually fought him, and if Naruto hadn’t intervened when he did, the Hidden Leaf Village would have lost another Hokage. While Tsunade is a powerful close-combat fighter with excellent medical ninjutsu and the aid of Katsuyu, Painā€™s multiple bodies would overwhelm her. She wouldnā€™t be able to heal fast enough to keep up with all of his attacks.

6. Orochimaru Can’t Defeat Pain, Even With His Varied Jutsu

Pain’s Arsenal of Jutsu is Even Deeper Than Orochimaru’s

Image via Pierrot.

Considering their power and Jiraiya’s defeat by Pain, it’s unlikely any of the Legendary Sannin could win against Pain’s Six Paths. Orochimaru has the best chance, though, because his fighting style and overall plans are somewhat similar to Pain’s. While he doesn’t have the Rinnegan, Orochimaru’s research has given him a huge variety of techniques, and his ability to revive people with Edo Tensei ā€“ even past Hokage ā€“ makes him a bit like the Six Paths himself.

Orochimaru is strong enough to put up a fight against Pain, but he would ultimately be defeated. While his summons and ability to regenerate are useful, they aren’t enough to overcome Pain’s unique powers. Pain’s Preta Path can nullify Orochimaru’s chakra-based attacks, and even Manda can’t withstand the combined force of Pain’s Asura and Deva Paths.

5. Gaara’s Sand Dominated the Chunin Exam But Won’t Overcome Pain

Gaara Needs Far More Than Sandy Attacks to Break Through Pain’s Techniques

Image via Pierrot.

Certain Kage, like adult Naruto, Minato, and Kakashi, could potentially defeat Pain in a fight. Others, such as Gaara, could put up a good fight but likely wouldn’t win. While Gaara has improved greatly since his early days, he still isn’t strong enough to definitively beat Pain.

I’ve noticed Gaara’s control over sand is incredible, even without the One-Tailed Beast’s power. Those sand defenses could definitely be useful against Pain’s Asura Path. However, Pain has other abilities that sand just can’t counter. The Human Path, for example, can rip information directly from someone’s mind, killing them in the process. Honestly, there aren’t many ways to survive that in the world of Naruto, and Gaara wouldn’t be able to take on all six Pains simultaneously to avoid it.

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4. Hiruzen Sarutobi Can Give Pain a Good Fight, But Won’t Win

The Professor of Jutsu Would Learn a Lesson in Pain

Image via Pierrot.

When it comes to the Kage, the Third Hokage was the most powerful one who couldn’t beat the Six Paths of Pain. His predecessor, Hashirama Senju, would have easily won, and Minatoā€™s incredible speed and intelligence would likely have given him the victory as well. However, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn’t up to the task. While known as the ā€œProfessorā€ for his mastery of many techniques, simply having a large skillset wasnā€™t enough to overcome Pain.

Watching the battle, it’s clear the Preta Path is a huge problem for Hiruzen. It just seems to swallow up his chakra, meaning all his powerful techniques are hitting, but not doing any real damage to the Pains. Honestly, I think that single ability could be the deciding factor. Hiruzen doesnā€™t have a lot of other options if his jutsu arenā€™t working. He’s strong, definitely stronger in his prime, but thatā€™s not enough against the combined power of the Deva and Asura Paths. Theyā€™re just too much for him to overcome with brute force.

3. Danzo Shimura’s Izanagi May Buy Him Time, But He Still Can’t Prevail

Pain’s Dojutsu Surpasses Any Stolen Sharingan on Danzo’s Arm

Image via Pierrot.

Danzo Shimura was a highly influential and powerful figure in the Hidden Leaf Village, once leading a secret organization called Root and nearly becoming the Sixth Hokage. He possessed the skills to challenge even Sasuke Uchiha, almost winning, but was ultimately defeated by Sasukeā€™s clever use of illusions. While Danzo could hold his own against a formidable opponent like the Six Paths of Pain, he wouldnā€™t be able to sustain the fight for long.

Danzo’s greatest strength is hidden in his right arm, which holds many stolen Sharingan eyes. These allow him to use the powerful Izanagi technique, letting him warp reality and even survive deadly attacks. While Pain would likely be fascinated, it wouldn’t be enough to win. Izanagi has a limited number of uses, and during a fight with Pain, Danzo lacks the power to defeat him using his own attacks or weapons.

2. Kisame Hoshigaki Relies Too Much on Offensive Jutsu to Defeat Pain

Not Even Kisame’s Extreme Durability Will Prevent His Defeat

Image via Pierrot.

Kisame Hoshigaki is a powerhouse in the world of Naruto, relying more on raw strength than clever tactics. While the series often favors creative jutsu, characters as strong as Kisame can win simply by overpowering opponents. He’s known as a ‘tail-less biju’ because his chakra levels are comparable to those of incredibly powerful individuals like Naruto, Gaara, and Killer B. This immense power allows him to perform massive water-based attacks and easily defeat almost anyone in close combat.

Despite his incredible strength, Kisame would likely lose a fight to the Six Paths of Pain. Pain’s Preta Path can absorb all of Kisame’s water-based attacks, and the Almighty Push would prevent him from landing any physical blows. Furthermore, Kisame wouldn’t be able to defend against the Human Path’s mind control, making his power and healing abilities useless. While Kisame can absorb chakra with Samehada, it wouldn’t be enough to secure a victory.

1. Itachi Uchiha’s Tricks Are Formidable, But Pain Can Handle It

Pain Also Boasts Superior Staying Power Compared to Itachi

Itachi Uchiha is incredibly powerful, arguably the most skilled ninja in Naruto, but he wouldn’t be guaranteed to win a straight-up fight against the Six Paths of Pain. While his intelligence and cunning could let him defeat a couple of Pain’s bodies with surprise attacks, Itachi doesn’t have the endurance to take them all down. He typically aims for quick victories, using the powerful abilities of his Mangekyo Sharingan to overwhelm opponents before having to withdraw due to his limited stamina.

Sasuke eventually surpassed Pain in strength and stamina. Itachi, while skilled at quickly defeating ordinary ninja with techniques like Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu, would struggle against Pain. Painā€™s ability to absorb any attack would render Itachiā€™s jutsu useless, and like many others, Itachi wouldn’t have a way to avoid Pain’s relentless assault.

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2026-02-06 21:39