Ranking & Grading Each Hokage

The First Hokage – Hashirama Senju

A.K.A. = The God of Shinobi

Advisor: Tobirama Senju

Tenure: 4 Years

Chakra Natures: Wood (Primarily), Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning; Yin/Yang Release

Hashirama is top three strongest individuals to ever walk that planet, easily. He may not have been Might Guy, but he was lethal as a melee fighter. As a master of sage mode, his strength and stamina were boundless; his already-huge reserves of chakra were made practically infinite. It has been said that he possessed more than 100x the amount of chakra that the average Shinobi has. I’d argue that his chakra reserves rivaled that of Hokage Naruto – which makes him truly a god amongst ninja.

While not the most book-smart individual, his battle instincts and experience were steep. This is largely due to having been at constant war growing up, and his heavy involvement in the First Shinobi War. He founded the Leaf Village, consistently beat the most dangerous Uchiha ever, and he possessed arguably the most dominant Kekkei Genkai in Konoha. The wood release allowed him to do things no one else in history could have done. Hashirama’s feats and combat ability are legendary.

That being said, one cannot ignore some of the larger mistakes on Hashirama’s part. His decision to equip each village with a tailed-beast, while noble and idealist, was horrendous. He was the strongest man on the planet at the time. Why equip all five of the great nations with weapons of mass destruction? How did that decision aid the Hidden Leaf? You could argue that his decision to conquer and then hand out the powerful tailed beasts destabilized the nations and made smaller villages irrelevant. Not to mention his terrible choices when it came to Madara Uchiha. The Third Hokage may have folded by allowing evil unrest in his constituents (Orochimaru, Danzo), but at least there were other ninja who could have challenged their malice. The only person capable of engaging Madara and winning is Hashirama – yet he spared him and tried to work things out with him. Madara’s survival eventually led to countless lives in the leaf perishing, and it could have been prevented had Hashirama done what his little brother wouldn’t have hesitated to do. It’s very evident that the First Hokage did little to consider how things might go once he was no longer around to guide the rest of the Shinobi world. 

The Second Hokage – Tobirama Senju

A.K.A. = Lord Second

Advisor: He Didn’t Need One.

Tenure: 12 Years

Summoning: Edo Tensei

Chakra Natures: Water (Primarily), Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning; Yin/Yang Release

Tobirama was a strict, focused, and talented individual; a natural leader. His intelligence was coveted across the verse and he was considered one of the brightest shinobi of all time. While he might not have been the best tai jutsu user, he could hold his own against many powerful enemies. The speed he possessed (enhanced with his teleportation technique), coupled with his mastery of water ninjutsu, kept him relatively untouchable in any fair fight.

The Second Hokage is widely considered one of the best strategists to have lived, and he single-handedly created a bulk of the forbidden jutsu. The Shadow Clone, Flying Thunder God, and Edo Tensei summoning were all powerful jutsu that he used to dominate his opponents. Some try to blame him for the abuse of the reanimation jutsu after his death, but I digress. He was simply a military genius that saw the immediate benefit of undead soldiers – and he did declare it forbidden and attempt to seal it away. In my opinion, Orochimaru (and subsequently, Kabuto) learning it is more of Hiruzen’s fault than the Second’s.

Tobirama is also credited for founding the Anbu, the Ninja Academy, and the Chunin Exams. His impact on the development of the village cannot be stressed enough. By facilitating the creation of the Ninja Academy and Chunin Exams, he gave Leaf Shinobi a pipeline and program to culture and develop young, talented ninja. This could easily be the best innovative contribution a Hokage has made to the village.

He also established the Konoha Military Police Force, although most would say this decision backfired. His obvious distaste for the Uchiha clan and their culture definitely didn’t help the rising tensions in the Leaf Village. Whereas Naruto & Kakashi invited in a period of peace and prosperity, the disdain Tobirama possessed for his former enemies in the Uchiha had a lasting impact on what would eventually boil over during Hiruzen’s tenure. Ultimately, he loses some points for his handling of the Uchiha clan, but his stout leadership and his ability to quickly deduce Hiruzen as a better Hokage choice than Danzo would ultimately save the Hidden Leaf’s future. 

The Third Hokage – Hiruzen Sarutobi

A.K.A. = The Professor

Advisor: Shikaku Nara

Shadow Kage: Danzo Shimura / Itachi Uchiha

Tenure: 40 Years

Summoning: Monkey King Enma 

Chakra Natures: Fire (Primarily), Earth, Water, Lightning, Wind, Yin/Yang Release

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Let’s go ahead and be honest. Hiruzen, as much as I don’t like him, was an excellent Shinobi. At an early age, he was declared the strongest in the Sarutobi clan and taken under the wing of both Tobirama and Hashirama. It has been said that he surpassed the combative talent of Tobirama as a young man. Some referred to him as another God of Shinobi, and his nickname was given due to him learning every jutsu in Konoha. Armed with Monkey King Enma, vast chakra reserves, a compelling intellect, the Will of Fire, and a Ninjutsu arsenal that could rival a small nation – there aren’t many who could have battled him 1v1 in his prime. Acknowledging his strength feats, there is truly no wonder that he was able to do the job well for so long.

The problem is that he did the job too long – and he ignored way too many pressing issues as Hokage. While I can admit that Hokage is one of the toughest jobs in that world, and that he did the job for over forty years, I can’t make excuses for that old man. Hiruzen is easily the worst Hokage of all time. Easily – and there really five main reasons why. Click here to read more about those five reasons.

The Fourth Hokage – Minato Namikaze

A.K.A. = The Yellow Flash of the Leaf

Advisor: Hiruzen Sarutobi

Tenure: 1 1/2 Years

Summoning: Chief Toad Gamabunta

Chakra Natures: Wind (Primarily), Fire, Lightning; Yin/Yang Release

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Minato’s feats can be talked about for pages. All enemy ninja were instructed to flee if they ever encountered him. His physical strength was off the charts due to his mastery of sage mode. The Fourth Hokage’s speed was unrivaled; in his prime, he was faster than the speed of light, and his Flying Rajin technique allowed him to dominate virtually any battlefield. The Yellow Flash was also intellectually gifted. He achieved the highest scores at the Ninja Academy ever. He was an important general in the 3rd Shinobi War, dispatching many enemies and enemy squads while simultaneously teaching pivotal parts of the next generation in Kakashi & Obito.

With the shortest tenure ever (unless you count Danzo), we didn’t get to see how he would have developed as a Hokage and leader as time passed. This is largely due to his sacrifice the day the nine-tails attacked. There are some mixed views on how he handled that crisis, but he saved the future of the Hidden Leaf – on a gamble, no less! When faced against Obito Uchiha and The Nine Tailed Fox – in the same moments that his kid was born and his wife was essentially murdered (by the removal of her tailed beast) – he made a perfect set of choices. He strategically kept the tailed beast in the Leaf’s possession, defeated the masked invader, stopped and teleported the ninetails away from the village, found and chose a new jinjuriki, and entrusted the future of the leaf in his son – a boy who would grow up to save the entire world.

He has to lose points due to his short tenure; he wasn’t able to address Danzo or bring any lasting peace to the village. Another thing that we must mention is that, despite his speed, he ended up being too late to save most of his students. Obito almost died and fell into the hands of the enemy. Rin was compromised and eventually killed. Kakashi lost an eye and had to witness the death of his comrades – which would lead to him suffering immensely. Lord Fourth was also too late to save his wife.

Overall, Minato was a genius, a pure-hearted individual, and he could match up with anyone in that verse and stand a chance. In my opinion, his abilities and instinct are so overwhelming that he could be a force in almost every verse.  He wasn’t a Kage for long, but if his legacy is Naruto – then he has the greatest legacy of all.

The Fifth Hokage – Tsunade Senju

A.K.A. = The Slug Queen

Advisor: Shizune Kato

Shadow Hokage: Jariaya The Gallant

Tenure: 4 1/2 Years

Summoning: Katsuya of Shikkotsu Forest

Chakra Natures: Earth (Primarily), Fire, Water, Lightning, Yang Release

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Tsunade is easily strongest Kunoichi in Konoha and the most dominant medical ninja of her time (and arguably all time). What she lacks in technique and speed, she makes up for in strength and chakra control. Her chakra reserves are insanely deep and, due to her Strength of a Hundred Seal Jutsu, she can store much of her chakra for later usage.

As a Hokage, Tsunade was extremely knowledgeable and wasn’t afraid to go against the grain for the Will of Fire. She butted heads with Danzo and the village elders because she saw through their outdated views and believed in the Child of Prophecy. She gets a lot of bad rep for what Pain did to the Leaf Village, but I don’t think it’s necessarily fair. Realistically, no Hokage aside from Hashirama, Minato, or (obviously) Naruto would’ve stood the smallest of chances against Pain. Rather than engage in a fight she couldn’t win, she used Katsuya to transfer information instantaneously and protect/heal the villagers. Tsunade prioritized the lives of the people over the materialistic buildings – something she deserves credit for.

We must also give her credit for being the Hokage during the Akatski’s rising. Her decision making, her delegation skills, and her leadership and resolve were elite. Most wouldn’t have been able to deal with a crisis like that one. She is also credited with teaching Shizune, Ino, and Sakura (who would later become even more adept at Medical Ninjutsu & Chakra Control). Tsunade stepped in during a very troubling time for the village, and she did great job at playing her role. As a politician, she was respected and revered for her contributions to the Third Ninja War. Without her experience, chakra storage, and her slug summoning, it’s arguable that there would have been countless more casualties in both the Pain arc and the 4th Great Ninja War. 

The Sixth Hokage – Kakashi Hatake

A.K.A. = The Copy Ninja 

Advisor: Shikamaru Nara

Shadow Hokage: Sasuke Uchiha

Tenure: 10 Years

Summoning: Pack of Ninja Hounds

Chakra Natures: Lightning (Primarily), Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Yin/Yang Release

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Kakashi was on track to be one of the greatest ninjas in history – prior to ever receiving his sharingan. As a child, he was already a jonin level ninja and had some of the highest academy scores ever. As the son of the white fang, he faced a lot of adversity early on. This helped mold him into the shinobi we get to witness during Naruto’s journey.

This isn’t detailing how strong Kakashi was during his peak in the war, but how strong he is as Hokage. His tenure as Hokage was one without the very sharingan that helped make him famous – and many might be foolish enough to believe that makes him a weak Shinobi. That simply isn’t the case. Kakashi has always possessed elite speed and reflexes. The gift from Obito may have enhanced those reflexes and hand sign speed significantly, but it came at a cost: his chakra. Without the Sharingan and its abilities constantly draining his Chakra, Kakashi is able to rely on his 1000 jutsu without worrying about running out of fuel so quickly.

Post-Shippuden, he is arguably the most experienced warrior in the Land of Fire. He learns to enhance his abilities, facilitates the rebuild of the Leaf Village, develops new jutsu (Purple Lightning, Fire Style: Water Mist), and becomes a much needed bridge between the old Shinobi world and the upcoming one we witness in Boruto.

Personally, I don’t think we can credit him with the upcoming peace and stability that the Leaf experiences. It wasn’t solely due to his leadership; he inherited that peace from the actions of Naruto and the Shinobi/Samurai who fought in the 4th Shinobi War. I also personally feel that of all the Hokage, Kakashi ruled during the easiest time-period to rule. Each war happened prior to his tenure. Not to mention that he (in an attempt to help groom them for their future roles) often leaned on Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Shikamaru to handle opposition and important missions.

He had a very forward way of thinking – which led to faster progression of technology and cohesiveness. One of the first things he did as Hokage was pardon Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke. While I wholeheartedly disagreed with pardoning the first two, these decisions would end up benefiting Konoha in the long run. He established the Shinobi Union, which gave representation to five main villages as well as the smaller ones. Of the next generation of Kage, four of the five would rise as former reps of this Union. Overall, while not facing the sheer force of anomalies and crises as previous Hokage, Lord Sixth completed his tenure as one of the best to take up the position. 

The Seventh Hokage – Naruto Uzumaki

A.K.A. = The Hero of the Leaf

Advisor: Shikamaru Nara

Shadow Hokage: Sasuke Uchiha

Tenure: 7 1/2 Years

Summoning: Chief Toad Gamakichi

Chakra Natures: Wind (Primarily), Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Yin/Yang Release, Lava Release, Magnet Release, Boil Release

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Finally, we have our beloved 7th Hokage. Naruto Uzumaki, by the end of his Shippuden journey, had already surpassed every living being on his planet. By that point, his tai jutsu is deadly – largely due to his mastery of sage mode. While he never had a niche for gen jutsu, he can defend against it. Naruto eventually becomes the fastest shinobi ever; reacting to and dodging the light-speed Raikage and Madara’s attacks. He displayed having tremendous chakra reserves throughout his story, and this was prior to becoming best friends with Kurama. After absorbing the tailed beasts and the power offered by the Hagaromo, he even gains access to unique abilities that were previously considered kekkei genkai (Magnet Release, Lava Release, and Vapor Release). While he isn’t the model Shinobi when it comes to intelligence, his battle instinct and creativity are second-to-few.

Naruto took on the mantle of most of the antagonists from his verse and defeated them using either his ability as a ninja or his talk-no jutsu (equally as impressive, if not moreso). While he wasn’t the most gifted student as a boy, he still managed to master sage mode at just sixteen years old and the Rasengan at thirteen. As the true Child of Prophecy, he carried the torch and legacy that originated with Jariaya and was passed down from the Fourth Hokage to Naruto. He accomplished something no ninja before him could ever do, and that’s instilling peace (or the closest thing to it) into the Shinobi world.

During the first few years of his tenure we see him the way we expect to: he resides as the best of all time. He uses his shadow clones to be almost everywhere he is needed inside the Leaf – or in another land altogether. He has a good bond with the other great villages, and he fulfills his promise to fix many of the errors he saw in the Shinobi world as a Genin. However, that is not to say that he had a perfect run as Hokage.

Due to a nasty combination of power creeping, extra terrestrials, the loss of MC-ness, and (in my opinion) bad writing; Naruto loses a lot of what makes him an overwhelming Hokage. Some would chock this up to him being a dynamic character and changing/maturing, but I’m not so sure. Regardless, this leads to him making a few crucial mistakes that would lead to the end of his reign. His overly idealistic nature and view led to him mishandling Kawaki and Boruto. While the Ottsotsuki are a unique threat that no other Hokage would sufficiently combat either, some would say that he should have better equipped the village to handle it. By failing to properly delegate and force the ninjas from his class to continue to increase their abilities, it appears that many of them became weak with the times; thus, weakening the Leaf Village as a whole. By stretching himself thin to accomplish and do everything, did Naruto indirectly lead Konoha to rely on him too much? Lastly, although necessary, his decision to utilize Baryon Mode ultimately would lead to his defeat and the loss of his ability to protect the village long-term. Still, I think that he handles the new crises better than any other ninja could’ve. 

The Eighth Hokage – Shikamaru Nara

A.K.A. = The Strategist 

Advisor: Konohamaru Sarutobi

Shadow Kage: Boruto Uzumaki*

Tenure: 3 Years & Counting

Chakra Natures: Yin Release (Primarily), Fire, Earth

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A lot of things can be said about the Eighth Hokage of Konoha – but it is probably best for those words to be reserved for the end of his tenure. When his tale is complete, then I can accurately analyze how he performed relative to his peers.

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