In Naruto, the role of the hokage in the Hidden Leaf village carries immense responsibilities in terms of leadership and legacy. Over the years, the hokage position has been tasked with protecting the village from external threats and guiding it through any challenges, while also ensuring peace in the village.
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In light of this, while some hokage in Naruto built the foundation of the village, others faced unimaginable pressure and challenges to preserve them. In addition, the choices made by each hokage shaped not only the future of the Hidden Leaf but also the fate ofthe shinobi worlditself.
This ranking of all hokage of the Hidden Leaf in Naruto will follow how powerful they are and, most especially, their role and contribution to the future and structure of the village.
8Hashirama Senju (The First Hokage)
The Founder Of The Hidden Leaf Village
Hashirama achieved a historic feat by uniting the warring clans, including Senju and Uchiha, to form the Hidden Leaf village and ensure there is peace. While his attempts at peace were not perfect and eventually gave rise to new conflicts, his foundation for unity is an ideal that continues to shape the village.
In terms of power, Hashirama is one of the most powerful characters in the series, known as the God of Shinobi. His wood-style jutsu is unique, rare, and powerful, and evenMadara, his lifelong rival, cannot defeat him.
Even his cell was sought after for its power. Apart from being a legendary shinobi due to his immense power, he ranks first because of his role as the founder of the Hidden Leaf village, with the ultimate goal of creating a place where future generations could live in peace.
7Tobirama Senju (The Second Hokage)
The Architect Of The Village’s Key Institutions
Just like his brother, Hashirama, Tobirama was a powerful shinobi who mastered the water-style jutsu and pioneered powerful jutsu like the Reanimation Jutsu (Edo Tensei).The edo tensei is so dangerousand powerful that it later became a pivotal part of the Fourth Great Ninja War in the series.
While his brother was responsible for the founding of the village and setting its ideals of peace, Tobirama built the infrastructure that allowed the village to survive and thrive. He established the Ninja Academy and Anbu Black Ops, thus ensuring that the village has the necessary institutions to train future shinobi and defend itself in times of war.
He also emphasized village loyalty over clan loyalty, which helped ensure that there was no internal civil war breakout in the village. He ranks second Naruto hokage because without his contributions, the Hidden Leaf village would not have had the stability to continue Hashirama’s vision.
6Naruto Uzumaki (The Seventh Hokage)
A Leader Who Inspired The Shinobi World
What makesNaruto stand out as a hokageis how he impacted the Hidden Leaf and the entire shinobi world during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Before Naruto became a hokage, the shinobi villages were constantly embroiled in war, but he showed the world that change was possible by uniting the shinobi villages against a common enemy.
Additionally, he altered the perception of villains, including Obito Uchiha, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and his rival, Sasuke Uchiha. In other words, the world saw new hope in Naruto, hence why Jiraiya tagged him the child of prophecy in the series.
As a hokage, Naruto mastered the power of the ten tails, attained the abilities of the sage of six paths, and many other great abilities that were pivotal in his growth. However, while Naruto shaped the future of the village and united the shinobi world in ways no other hokage could, without the groundwork of Hashirama and Tobirama, Naruto’s vision could never have become a reality.
5Minato Namikaze (The Fourth Hokage)
The Selfless Sacrifice Of A Leader
The yellow flash of Konoha’s abilities was unmatched during his time with his Flying Thunder God technique and the mastery of rasengan, a technique he created. Minato’s impact and role in the Hidden Leaf village had a bittersweet ending.
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He was instrumental in the defense of the Hidden Leaf during the Third Ninja War, and his greatest act as a hokage came during the event of the nine-tails rampage.He sacrificed his lifeto save the village from destruction and sealed the tailed beasts inside his newborn son, Naruto.
As a hokage, Minato is a symbol of selflessness and duty because of his willingness to sacrifice everything to ensure the village’s safety. His tenure was impactful, though cut short, and his power and sacrifice were pivotal to the village’s survival.
4Hiruzen Sarutobi (The Third Hokage)
A Master Of Multiple Jutsu
Hiruzen has great mastery over a wide range of jutsu, such as the fire-style technique, shadow clones, and many others. His ability to perform the Reaper Death Seal, which was instrumental in his fight against Orochimaru, is a feared technique in the Shinobi world.
Hiruzen passed the hokage mantle to Minato, but due to Minato’s untimely death, he took over again as a hokage in Naruto. However, Hiruzen was no longer at his peak during his second tenure as hokage, so he could not act with the same speed and power that defined his younger years due to his advancing age.
He was a leader who loved his village, but his reluctance to make difficult decisions, particularly regarding Danzo, and the treatment of the Uchiha clan, ultimately hindered his effectiveness as a leader. Hence, his inability to manage the complex political landscape and the unchecked power of figures such as Danzo left gaps in his leadership and legacy in the village.
3Tsunade (The Fifth Hokage)
The Great Medical Nin
Tsunade is the granddaughter of Hashirama and her strength as a medical ninja, especially with her Creation Rebirth jutsu, which can heal severe injuries, and was crucial for the village during Pain’s assault arc. Her impact as a hokage was significant, especially with how she led the village during times of great turmoil.
She became a hokage after the death of the third hokage and helped the village recover from thedestructive events of Akatsuki. She was also a mentor and mother figure to Naruto, and her relationship with Sakura was crucial for her growth in the series.
Her time as a hokage was defined by the challenges of rebuilding after war and managing conflicts within the village, but she did not create a lasting system of vision such as Tobirama, Hashirama, or even Naruto.
2Hatake Kakashi (The Sixth Hokage)
A Quiet Leadership In A Time of Peace
Kakashi was respected in the Hidden Leaf village as a former child prodigy and elite warrior. He is one of the most skilled and versatile fighters of the Naruto series.
Kakashi became hokage during the transitional period of the village. The Fourth Great Ninja War had just been won, so his leadership was more about stabilizing the village and ensuring that it remained united in the aftermath of the war.
Kakashi helped maintain the peace that Naruto fought for and guided the new era of shinobi. In this vein, Kakashi’s role was pivotal in maintaining peace and managing the legacy left behind by his predecessors.
1Danzo Shimura (An Unofficial Sixth Hokage)
The Great Manipulator
Danzo’s tenure was brief and unofficial, but he played a role in shaping the Hidden Leaf village in many ways. He was bad for the village because he played a sinister role in its leadership by making morally corrupt decisions, such as the Uchiha clan massacre, in the name of protecting the village.
He was a master of manipulation, pulling strings behind the scenes, and had great political influence in the village. All of his ploys and tactics were fueled by the desire for absolute control.
He harvested the deadUchihas sharinganall over his body, and this shows that every decision he made for the village stemmed from his own selfish desires. Even with all of his power, his role as a leader was characterized by fear rather than respect.
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