Spoiler warning: this ranking covers the whole of Naruto Shippuden, including the Fourth Great Ninja War and the final battle.
Every Naruto fan has had this argument at least once. Could Itachi take Minato? Is Might Guy's Night Guy the single greatest punch in anime? Does anyone actually beat Kaguya one-on-one?
The short answer: by the end of Naruto Shippuden, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha sit in a tier above everyone else, with Madara and Obito as Ten-Tails jinchūriki just below them. Everything after that is where the real debates live.
This ranking is built on what characters actually did on screen in Shippuden, not on databook stats or "what if" scenarios. We've left the Boruto era out (that's a whole different power scale) and focused on the series that most fans grew up with.
How we ranked them
We judged every character on three things:
- Feats: what they did in a real fight, on screen.
- Who they beat or held off: a win against a top-tier opponent counts for more than a win against fodder.
- Peak form: we rank each character at their strongest point in Shippuden, so Naruto is ranked in Six Paths Sage Mode, not as a Genin.
10. Kakashi Hatake
Kakashi spends most of Shippuden as the reliable teacher who's always one chakra bar away from passing out. Then the final battle happens.
When Obito lends him the power of both Mangekyō Sharingan eyes during the fight against Kaguya, Kakashi manifests a Perfect Susanoo and uses Kamui at a level he never reached on his own. It's a temporary power-up, which is why he's at number ten rather than higher, but for a few minutes Kakashi fought at the very top of the series.
Even before that, his Lightning Blade, Kamui and tactical brain made him one of the most dangerous Jōnin in the Hidden Leaf.
9. Might Guy
Might Guy has no ninjutsu to speak of, and he still nearly killed the strongest villain in the series.
By opening all Eight Inner Gates, Guy turned his body into pure power at the cost of his life. His final technique, Night Guy, left Madara Uchiha (already a Ten-Tails jinchūriki at that point) badly damaged, and Madara openly praised him as the best fighter he'd faced. Only Naruto's last-second intervention with Six Paths power saved Guy from dying.
On peak output alone, Guy could arguably sit higher. But the Eight Gates is a one-time move, and that keeps him at nine.
8. Itachi Uchiha
Itachi's reputation was built on mystery, and Shippuden backed it up.
He carries the Totsuka Blade (which seals whatever it pierces) and the Yata Mirror (which can reflect any attack) inside his Susanoo, a combination that gives him a sword that can't be blocked and a shield that can't be broken. Reanimated during the war, he shut down Kabuto's Sage Mode and ended the Reanimation Jutsu with Izanami, a genjutsu that traps its victim in a loop until they accept their fate.
Itachi was also ill for most of his life. He's the clearest example in the series of a character whose skill outran his body.
7. Minato Namikaze
The Fourth Hokage earned the name "Yellow Flash" for a reason. His Flying Thunder God Technique lets him teleport to any marked location instantly, which makes him almost impossible to land a hit on.
Back in the Kyūbi attack, Minato beat a masked Obito and sealed half of Kurama in his own son. Reanimated in the Fourth Great Ninja War, he fought alongside Naruto in Kurama Chakra Mode with his own half of the Nine-Tails, and teleported entire armies out of the way of a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Speed like that wins most fights before they start.
6. Hashirama Senju
Hashirama is the First Hokage and the man the series calls the "God of Shinobi". He's the only person in the original timeline who fought Madara again and again and came out on top.
His Wood Release let him capture and control Tailed Beasts, and his Sage Mode technique, True Several Thousand Hands, summons a colossal statue covered in arms that can trade blows with the Nine-Tails itself. Even reanimated (and so not at full strength), he held off a Ten-Tails-enhanced Obito alongside the other former Hokage.
Hashirama would rank higher if he'd had a fully powered fight in the present day. He never quite gets one.
5. Obito Uchiha (Ten-Tails Jinchūriki)
Most of Shippuden's mysteries trace back to Obito. As the masked man, his Kamui made him intangible, letting attacks phase straight through him.
Then he became the first jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails, gaining Six Paths-level chakra, Truth-Seeking Balls and a Rinnegan. In that form, he shrugged off attacks from Naruto, Sasuke, Minato and the reanimated Hokage, and it took the whole Allied Shinobi Forces combining their chakra through Naruto to finally pull the Tailed Beasts out of him.
Obito's ranking also comes with one of the series' great redemption arcs, which is why so many fans still argue over him.
4. Madara Uchiha
Madara is the villain the whole war was built around, and he lived up to it.
Revived with the Rinnegan, Madara took on all five Kage at once and won without breaking a sweat. Once he became the Ten-Tails jinchūriki and awakened the Rinne Sharingan, he cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi over the entire world and used Limbo: Border Jail, invisible shadow clones that only the Rinnegan can see.
He sits below the top three for one reason: Madara was betrayed by Black Zetsu at his peak and became the vessel for Kaguya's return. So, technically, the next entry is Madara's final form.
3. Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke's journey ends with power to match his ambition. After receiving Six Paths Yin chakra from Hagoromo, he awakened a Rinnegan in his left eye alongside his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
That combination gave him Amenotejikara (instant position swapping), a Perfect Susanoo, and in the final fight with Naruto, Indra's Arrow, a Susanoo arrow powered by all nine Tailed Beasts' chakra. Together with Naruto, he sealed Kaguya.
Sasuke and Naruto's final battle at the Valley of the End ended in a draw that cost each of them an arm. Naruto edges ahead on our list only because of what came next: Sasuke admitted defeat.
2. Naruto Uzumaki
The boy who was told he'd never amount to anything finishes Shippuden as the strongest shinobi alive.
At his peak, Naruto had Six Paths Sage Mode, the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts, Truth-Seeking Balls, and the ability to sense negative emotions. He fought Madara and Kaguya head-on, and his partnership with Kurama gave him a reservoir of chakra nobody else could match.
What sets Naruto apart is how he got there. He didn't inherit a Kekkei Genkai. He earned every level through training, failure and refusing to quit. (That's the story we wrote about in Anime Heroes Who Taught Us to Never Give Up.)
1. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki
Kaguya is the origin of chakra itself, and nobody beat her alone.
The Rabbit Goddess could open portals between entire dimensions, from lava worlds to deserts to oceans of acid, and her All-Killing Ash Bones could disintegrate anyone they touched. She also cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi on the world long before Madara did.
It took Team 7 working together, with Naruto and Sasuke using their Six Paths powers at the same moment, to seal her. That's why she takes number one: Naruto and Sasuke were stronger together, but on her own, Kaguya is the ceiling of the Naruto world.
Honourable mentions
- Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki (Sage of Six Paths): the founder of ninjutsu, but he only appears as a spirit, so we can't rank him on feats.
- Nagato (Pain): single-handedly levelled the Hidden Leaf with Almighty Push.
- Jiraiya: his fight against Pain is one of the series' most heartbreaking, and his teaching shaped Naruto.
- Kurama: the Nine-Tails deserves a spot as Naruto's other half.
What about Boruto?
The Boruto era raises the power ceiling with the Ōtsutsuki clan, Kāma and new forms such as Naruto's Baryon Mode, so it needs a ranking of its own. If you're catching up, the original Naruto anime ran for 220 episodes and Shippuden finished in March 2017. There's also more coming: in September 2026, Viz Media announced a new limited Naruto TV anime, with more details due at New York Comic Con in October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the strongest character in Naruto Shippuden?
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki is the strongest single character in Naruto Shippuden. Only Naruto and Sasuke working together, using Six Paths power, were able to seal her.
Is Naruto stronger than Sasuke?
By the end of Shippuden, they're close to equal. Their final battle ended in a draw, but Sasuke conceded afterwards, which is why most fans give Naruto a slight edge.
Is Itachi stronger than Minato?
It depends on the fight. Itachi's Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror counter most attacks, while Minato's Flying Thunder God speed means he can end a fight before it starts. On feats, we place Minato slightly ahead.
How strong is Might Guy with all Eight Gates open?
Strong enough to badly injure Ten-Tails jinchūriki Madara with Night Guy. The catch is that opening the eighth gate normally kills the user.
How many episodes does Naruto Shippuden have?
Naruto Shippuden has 500 episodes. It aired on TV Tokyo from February 2007 to March 2017, following the original 220-episode Naruto series.
Wear the Will of Fire
Whether you're team Naruto, team Sasuke or still defending Might Guy in the group chat, you can carry the Hidden Leaf with you. Browse the Naruto collection, including the Naruto Hidden Leaf Ninja Shoes, or explore the full Official Collection across all our shows.
Then tell us: who's in your top three?
Featured image: Naruto Uzumaki, NARUTO official site art © Masashi Kishimoto / Shueisha, via the NARUTO official site.