Summary
TheNarutostory began in 1999, and over the course of fifteen years, it managed to become one of the most popular and successful anime franchises in history. The series follows a young ninja, Naruto, who was ostracized by his village because the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed inside his body. He wanted people to acknowledge him, which is why he wanted to become Hokage.
The Hokage is one of the Five Kage, who tend to be the strongest ninjas from the Leaf, Stone, Sand, Mist, and Cloud villages. Since these villages were established, only 27 ninjas have been strong enough and skilled enough to rise to the rank of Kage, but some of these proved to be much stronger than others.
Updated July 27, 2025 by George Voutiritsas:Naruto fans met a number of powerful and highly skilled ninja throughout the series, but only a handful of them possessed the Kage title. It is incredibly difficult to become a Kage, as they are generally the strongest ninja of their respective villages, but they also need to be good leaders.
The ninja world has existed for centuries, and in all that time, just over two dozen ninja have had the honor of being recognized as Kage-level. This article has already identified some of thestrongest Kage in Naruto, but now, more detail has been added to discuss just what makes them so powerful.
28The 3rd Mizukage
Served As The First Mizukage’s Bodyguard
The Third Mizukage assumed the role after his predecessor died in battle. He attended the first Five Kage Summit as the First Mizukage’s bodyguard, and he was able to remain calm during the meeting even when things got tense.
He was the only bodyguard at the summit who did not become the second Kage of his village. This proves that he was not the strongestMist Villageninja at the time, but he was still incredibly powerful since he eventually held the title. When Hagoromo summoned the souls of all the previous Kage, he was considerably older, which implies that he led the village for a long time, but the cause of his death is still a mystery.
27A, The First Raikage
Founded The Cloud Village & Was Not Intimidated By His Fellow Kage
The First Raikage was not as muscular as some of his successors, but he was still one of the strongest ninja of his generation. He was able to bring all the ninja in the Land of Lightning together, and the infamous Gold & Silver Brothers had no issue following his orders. He is the one who ordered them to capturethe Nine-Tails.
A was a very proud man, and he lectured Hashirama when he bowed his head during the first Five Kage Summit. He died while fighting in the First Great Ninja War, but it is unclear which battle he fell in, or who landed the finishing blow. Before dying, A successfully passed his will to protect the Cloud Village onto his main bodyguard and future successor. A’s spirit was also summoned by the Sage of Six Paths and returned to the Pure Land after assisting in bringing Team 7 and the Tailed Beasts back to Earth.
26Reto, The 1st Kazekage
Stood Up To The Other Kage During The First Five Kage Summit
Reto was named the First Kazekage shortly after he founded the Sand Village, and he was known for his overwhelming power. He was so strong that he was able to gather all the desert-dwelling ninja under his control with minimal difficulty. Reto was a business-minded individual, but he cared for his people deeply.
During the 5-Kage Summit, he made it clear that the Sand already possessed their ownTailed Beast, and that he would only agree to a treaty if the Sand were given fertile land from the Leaf and financial compensation from the other villages. Reto did not mind offending the other Kage, which implies that he was very confident in his skills He got what he wanted, but was assassinated several years later.
25Ishikawa, The 1st Tsuchikage
A Highly Skilled Earth Release & Insect User
Ishikawa is the man who founded the Hidden Stone Village. At the time, he was the strongest ninja in the village. He is Onoki’s grandfather and Kurotsuchi’s great-great-grandfather, meaning his family has led the Stone Village for most of its existence. He taught Onoki that ninja from the Hidden Stone require a tough and immovable will in order to succeed and that a weak-willed person will be filled with hatred and excuses.
Dust Release is one ofthe deadliest jutsuin the series. Ishikawa could not use it, but he could fly. He was part of the Kamizuru Clan, a once-revered clan that specialized in using bees during combat, and he possessed a secret scroll filled with forbidden techniques. It is unclear how Ishikawa died, but it seems to have occurred before the Second Great Ninja War. His spirit also helped to bring Team 7 and the Tailed Beasts back from Kahuya’s dimension.
24Shamon, The 2nd Kazekage
A Strong Puppet User Who Protected The First Kazekage
Shamon was named the Sand Village’s Second Kazekage following his predecessor’s assassination. He was present during the first 5-Kage Summit, where he served as the First Kazekage’s bodyguard. The village saw major advancements during his reign, and its military power expanded exponentially.
Shamon used the Puppet Technique in battle and encouraged others to do the same so that puppets could be used on the front lines instead of ninja. It is thanks to him that ninja learned to fight with multiple puppets at once. Unfortunately, he was assassinated, and his death gave birth to the Kazekage curse.
23A, The 2nd Raikage
A Skilled Politician Who Fought The Gold and Silver Brothers
For a time,the Raikage Clanled the Hidden Cloud, but the Second Raikage was not part of this impressive family. A accompanied his predecessor to the first 5-Kage Summit, which is an indication of his skills. He possessed a strong will and he was quite intelligent. That being said, A was renowned for his political pedigree.
A worked hard to establish peace between the Cloud Village and the other major villages. Thanks to him, the Cloud entered into an alliance with the Hidden Leaf, but he and the Second Hokage were attacked by the Gold and Silver Brothers during the ceremony. This attempted coup nearly cost the Hokage his life, but it is unknown whether A was killed during the ambush. His spirit aided the Sage of Six Paths during the climax of the Fourth Ninja War.
22Byakuren, The 1st Mizukage
A Very Experienced Ninja Who Allegedly Mastered All Of The Mist’s Seven Legendary Swords
Byakuren founded the Hidden Mist Village duringthe Warring States Period. As a result, he was named the village’s First Mizukage. Despite his age, he worked tirelessly to make the Mist one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. He was able to do so without much interaction with the other nations.
The legendary ninja was known for his wisdom and would speak bluntly. He was the one who suggested that the Cloud, Leaf, Stone, and Mist join forces to destroy the Sand Village during the first 5-Kage Summit. It has been suggested that Byakuren mastered all seven of the Mist’s legendary swords. If this is true, it means that Byakuren possessed powerful chakra. Samehada is a sentient sword that chooses its user, and it typically chooses ninja with a lot of chakra. It is unclear whether Byakuren died of old age or if he died during the First Ninja War.
21Shikamaru, The 8th Hokage
Arguably The Smartest Kage In History
Shikamaru Nara is one ofNaruto’s best friends, and he was named the Leaf Village’s 8th Hokage when Naruto was presumed dead just beforeBoruto’s time skip. That said, he has not officially accepted the title. As a member of the Nara clan, Shikamaru can manipulate shadows. He primarily uses his shadow to restrain others, but he can also choke or stab enemies with it.
InShikamaru Shinden,the Five Kage met to discuss a potential war, and when things got tense, he captured all the Five Kage and their guards at the same time. Shikamaru’s taijutsu skills are lacking, and his chakra reserves are quite low, but he is a dangerous ninja because of his mind. His IQ is over 200 - making him one of the smartest ninja in history. When it comes to overall strategy, he is stronger than any of the other current Kage.
20Mei, The 5th Mizukage
Fought Against The Legendary Madara Uchiha & Possessed Two Strong Kekkei Genkai
From the moment she became the 5th Mizukage, Mei Terumi did her best to reform the Mist Village’s bloody policies and rebuild diplomatic relations with other countries. She is proficient in Water Release, to the point that she could counter Madara’s widespread and destructive Fire Release with a single jutsu.
She possesses two kekkei genkai, including Lava Release, which allows her to spit out acidic mud that can restrict and burn her opponent. She could use Boil Release as well, which gave her the ability to produce a corrosive mist that can melt through anything. Both of these kekkei genkai can melt through a Susanoo’s armor. She retired some time after the Fourth Great Ninja War, but she continues to help the Mist Village in wahtever ways she can.
19Yagura, The 4th Mizukage
A Perfect Jinchuriki Who Could Reflect Attacks
Obito wasone of the Akatsuki’s strongest members, which is why he was able to control Yagura with his Sharingan. Yagura was named the 4th Mizukage at a young age because he was the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki. He managed to gain full control of his Tailed Beast - making him one of only three confirmed perfect Jinchuriki. He could use all of the Tailed Beast’s chakra, which means he could wipe out a village with a single attack.
The Mist Village suffered greatly during his reign, but no one can deny his strength. Yagura was a naturally gifted ninja, and he possessed a unique jutsu that allowed him to create water mirrors that could reflect attacks. The Three-Tails also gave him access to immense chakra reserves and destructive power. Yagura died shortly after Obito’s hold on him was broken. It is unclear whether he died of natural causes, battle, or assassination.
