25 Most Powerful Naruto Characters Ranked Worst To Best

Since 1999, the "Naruto" franchise has gifted the world more than 70 volumes of manga, two long-running anime series, 11 animated films, and dozens of video game adaptations. It's an incredibly popular series in both its original manga form and on television. The original manga — circulated from 1999 to 2014 — remains one of the best-selling manga series of all time, having sold 250 million copies worldwide. Additionally, the anime adaptation of "Naruto" has regularly appeared on several publications' lists as one of the best animes ever made, with the NPD Group reporting in 2020 that "Naruto" was also the third most-watched children's show on Netflix.

"Naruto" has been praised for its approach to the coming-of-age story, as well as its exploration of Japanese mythology. It's also acclaimed for its cast of memorable characters, from disillusioned war veterans like Obito Uchiha to aspiring young shinobi Naruto Uzumaki himself.

Given the emphasis "Naruto" places on fighting and combat — with each character possessing their own distinct fighting styles — it's natural to assume that some "Naruto" characters are far more powerful than others. Here are the 25 strongest "Naruto" characters ranked from least to most powerful.

The junior member of Team Kakashi, Sakura Haruno is commonly seen as the weakest in Kakashi's lineup of fighters. Ill-prepared and inexperienced when it comes to battle, Sakura struggles at first to accept the responsibility that comes with being a shinobi, especially compared to her superior teammates like Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke. Hot-headed and naive throughout most of "Naruto" — frequently letting her resentment of Naruto and her romantic feelings for Sasuke dictate her actions — Sakura eventually grows into a strong fighter after training with Lady Tsunade.

As a result of this training, Sakura gains newfound abilities as a medical-nin and becomes a powerful asset to Team Kakashi. In one particularly defining moment, she manages to best Sasori of the Red Sand, a powerful and dangerous member of the Akatsuki, with critical help from Chiyo, Sasori's grandmother. As impressive a shinobi as Sakura eventually becomes, she is still not nearly as powerful as any of the other fighters on Team 7.

A former ninja of Sunagakure, member of the Akatsuki, and mentor to his teammate Deidara, Sasori of the Red Sand is the deadliest ninja in "Naruto" to wield puppetry as his primary weapon. As a child, Sasori was orphaned when his parents were killed by Sakumo Hatake. Raised by his grandmother in the village hidden in sand, Sasori grew up into a skilled puppet master under the guidance of grandma Chiyo. 

When he masters his craft, Sasori kills the village's leader and converts the corpse into a puppet he can manipulate. Through puppetry, Sasori can absorb the knowledge of anyone who comes under his control, gaining their unique fighting skillset for himself. As Sasori becomes completely obsessed with his abilities, he abandons his body and becomes a puppet himself — with his heart remaining as his only human feature — gaining the ability to control hundreds of puppets at any given moment.

Despite being undisputedly the most capable puppet master in "Naruto," Sasori meets his end through the combined efforts of Sakura and Chiyo, the woman who taught him everything he knows.

There's far more to Team 10's Shikamaru Nara than meets the eye. First introduced in "Naruto" as the self-professed laziest student studying to be a shinobi at the Academy, Shikamaru is naturally gifted at learning and retaining information at his own pace. What he lacks in a formal education, he more than makes up for with his genius-level thought process. Shikamaru relies on his high intelligence more than his physical fighting skills. In fact, he's able to beat his master and Team 10's leader, Asuma Sarutobi, at any game they play.

Aside from his adept intelligence, Shikamaru's fighting style relies on using shadows as a weapon. This fighting technique — known as Shadow Possession jutsu — allows Shikamaru to lock his chakra onto an enemy's shadow and control their bodies. This power was effective by itself, but the manner in which Shikamaru wields it is what makes him such an incredibly formidable opponent. Able to think ten steps ahead of his enemies in the heat of battle, he can outthink fighters that are significantly more powerful than he is. If his laziness weren't holding him back, Shikamaru might be the greatest strategist in all of "Naruto."

Yamato's storied life and difficult upbringing help make him one of the most capable fighters in all of "Naruto." When he was very young, Yamato was kidnapped and experimented on by the nefarious Orochimaru, along with many other children. Yamato was the only victim of Orochimaru to survive this ordeal, and the experience left him with the unique ability to generate and manipulate nature — a rare fighting technique known as Wood Style used by only a handful of masters.

Not long after he was freed from Orochimaru, Yamato was once again abducted — this time by ANBU's top-secret military group, Root, who believed Yamato's abilities would make him a gifted operative and assassin. Under the guidance of Root founder Danzo Shimura, Yamato honed his abilities and became an even more powerful wielder of Wood Style, able to create entire forests and control the mythical tailed beasts.

It's primarily for this reason that Yamato is introduced to Naruto and Team Kakashi. When Kakashi steps away for a lengthy mission, Yamato appears as the team's substitute teacher. In actuality, Yamato is there to try and tame the tailed beast inside of Naruto, as Yamato is one of the very select few who hold any power over the folkloric creatures.

One of the most diverse fighters in all of "Naruto," Mei Terumī has two separate kekkei genkai (genetic abilities) — Vapor Style and Lava Style. With Vapor Style, she is able to breathe large clouds of acidic mist that can melt through virtually anything. In a particularly memorable scene where this comes in handy, Mei protects an entire village from meteorites by breathing such an intense cloud of mist that the meteors end up melting in midair before they touch down on land. If that wasn't enough, Mei's Lava Style also grants her the ability to spew long streams of lava from her mouth, while controlling the temperature, density, and length of these streams.

The Fifth Mizukage — meaning, fifth leader — of the village hidden in the mist, Mei is a master of multiple chakra types, seamlessly able to utilize lightning, fire, earth, and water chakra whenever she wishes. For all these reasons and more, Mei places on this list.

Gaara of the Sand is one of the most complicated characters in "Naruto," and one of the most popular. Like Naruto, Gaara was born as jinchūriki — someone with a tailed beast living inside them. In Gaara's case, he is inhabited by Shukaku the One-Tail. As a result, Gaara has the ability to control sand. Growing up, he developed the habit of unconsciously using sand as a defensive weapon against anyone who drew too close to him. Because no villagers were able to get within socializing distance, Gaara essentially grew up alone. The isolation and Shukaku's continuous violent whispers slowly drove Gaara insane.

With Shukaku's assistance, Gaara became incredibly proficient in controlling sand, and uses it as a primary weapon against any opponent he squares off against. One of the deadliest moves in his repertoire involves encasing his enemies into a large coffin of sand and applying enough pressure to crush them. Gaara may have drawn much of his abilities from Shukaku, but even after Shukaku has been removed from his body, the young shinobi still displays enough strength to become Suna's Fifth Kazekage while still a teenager.

A member of the Sound Five, Kimimaro is one of Orochimaru's elite bodyguards. Though all individual members of the Sound Five are powerful on their own, the group's leader, Kimimaro, is easily the strongest and most noteworthy of the five, having beaten the entire group to claim the title of leader for himself. The last surviving member of the exceptionally barbaric Kaguya Clan, Kimimaro is also the last person alive to possess his family's kekkei genkai. Known as the Shikotsumyaku, Kimimaro's kekkei genkai allows him to manipulate the calcium in his body, essentially weaponizing his bone structure.

With the Shikotsumyaku, Kimimaro uses his bones in unexpectedly lethal ways, from shooting hardened calcium bullets to wielding his own spine as a sword. One of Orochimaru's most trusted allies, Kimimaro utilizes his abnormal abilities to help Orochimaru murder Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure. Kimimaro abruptly meets his end in the middle of a fight against Naruto, Gaara, and Rock Lee, but he almost certainly would've ended up beating the three young ninjas if it weren't for his unknown illness.

Tsunade comes from a long line of powerful ninjas. The granddaughter of First Hokage Hashirama Senju, one of the most powerful ninjas in the history of "Naruto," her pedigree is undoubtedly a lot to live up to. But like her grandfather, Tsunade is a trailblazer in her own right. Despite her high-born lineage, Tsunade opts for a simple lifestyle that distances her from her royal bloodline. Venturing into the world, she invests much of her time and money into gambling, although she is eventually convinced to take up the mantle of Fifth Hokage by Naruto and her former teammate Jiraiya.

Plagued by a fierce aversion to blood early in the series, Tsunade manages to overcome this fear. Eventually, she becomes one of the strongest kunoichi — which means female shinobi — in "Naruto," as well one of the most remarkable medical-nins to ever live. Tsunade may possess a somewhat odd, eccentric personality, but her knowledge and background as a medical ninja make her a surprisingly strong and resilient fighter. At one point, she uses her Creation Rebirth Jutsu to tap into the forbidden Strength of a Hundred Technique, rendering her virtually unkillable in the midst of a battle.

The Kumogakure ninja Killer Bee is memorable for a number of reasons. Like Naruto and Gaara, he is unique in that he is a jinchūriki with a tailed beast living inside of him. However, rather than being at odds with his tailed beast — whose name is Gyūki the Eight-Tails — Killer Bee has managed to tame his tailed beast over time, even becoming friends with it. When he meets Naruto, Bee even advises the young shinobi on how best to control his inner tailed beast, teaching him to use his beast as a means to derive strength. With Gyūki's assistance, Killer Bee becomes his village's chief guardian, with dreams of one day becoming the world's greatest rapper.

Possessing superhuman strength and proficient swordsmanship, Killer Bee's fighting is smashmouth and in-your-face, relying extensively on a blend of professional wrestling moves. He becomes an even more formidable fighter after getting his hands on Samehada, a sentient sword that can absorb large amounts of chakra from an opponent's body. Though skilled on his own, Killer Bee is arguably at his best when he's paired with his adoptive brother, A. Together they form a renowned tag team — the A-B Combo — that can take down the deadliest adversaries.

Kabuto Yakushi originally appears as a helpful ally to Team 7. In reality, he is a cunning spy and an apprentice of Orochimaru, having been raised to participate in covert espionage and intelligence gathering for years. Kabuto has no memory of his past, so after Orochimaru agrees to supply Kabuto with an identity, he becomes Orochimaru's chief spy.

Kabuto isn't nearly as powerful as Orochimaru, but having spent years learning under the legendary Sannin, he's honed his skills and become a fierce fighter. Kabuto uses his chakra to metamorphosize his arms into sharpened, sword-like weapons. But he doesn't become a truly dangerous antagonist until after his master's supposed death. Using Orochimaru's cells, Kabuto turns himself into an expert in new techniques that make him a force to be reckoned with, including the Impure World Resurrection Technique that summons entire armies of undead ninjas to do his bidding. Kabuto also modifies himself with DNA samples from the Sound Five, increasing his already impressive fighting abilities.

It's fair to assume that the person who trained someone as powerful as Orochimaru would be incredibly powerful themselves. While Orochimaru eventually defeats his old master in combat, that doesn't necessarily mean that Hiruzen Sarutobi is weak — far from it, in fact. Rather, Hiruzen's defeat at his pupil's hands is based on how well Orochimaru predicted Hiruzen's every move in their battle together. In terms of pure ability and strength, the battle demonstrates that Orochimaru's abilities are largely equal to Hiruzen's own.

Hiruzen is a Kage — the leader of a hidden village — considered to be the most powerful ninja within their land. He keeps his village safe from outside forces for generations until his retirement, and eventually agrees to return to the role after his successor's unexpected death. This only further proves his bona fides as a warrior and shows how respected he is in the eyes of the villagers.

Hiruzen studied a wide range of jutsu techniques, including a number of forbidden ones. Though considered the best shinobi in the world before the events of "Naruto," by the time the series officially begins, Hiruzen's abilities are hindered by his elderly age. His decline culminates in his defeat at Orochimaru's hands. Still, Hiruzen put up quite a fight against his former pupil, summoning the Monkey King: Enma to fight by his side. After that doesn't work, Hiruzen even conjures Shinigami — the personification of Death — to claim both his and Orochimaru's souls by using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal technique as a last-ditch effort.

The leader of Team Kakashi, Kakashi Hatake was born to be the next great shinobi of his generation, having mastered a handful of chakra elements at an early age. Kakashi came into his own after receiving his Sharingan eye which allows him to analyze and replicate the attacks of other ninjas. Using the Sharingan, Kakashi became known as the "Copy Ninja" — a proficient shinobi who could memorize the jutsu of other combatants and mimic them right away.

Kakashi may appear laid-back and relaxed on the surface — he even shows up late to his training sessions — but his cool, calm demeanor masks the gifted opponent he truly is. In addition to his membership on Team Kakashi and Team 7, Kakashi is also a veteran member of the ANBU Black Ops, an elite ninja fighting force. His Sharingan may be his most useful tool, but Kakashi also utilizes his own innovative combat moves, such the Chidori — a technique Kakashi created himself that uses concentrated lightning strikes. He is so skilled in combat, Kakashi has been known to read books in the middle of a fight.

One of the most powerful shinobi in all of "Naruto" and one of the series' greatest teachers, Jiraiya was one of the three Sannin alongside Tsunade and Orochimaru, the legendary team of ninjas that were last active during the Second Shinobi World War. After the war, Jiraiya became a knowledgeable master who instructed many of the world's most remarkable students — including Naruto, Nagato, and Minato, among others — in the ways of ninjutsu.

In terms of fighting abilities, Jiraiya has an extensive skillset that relies heavily on the use of sage chakra and ninjutsu, leading him to earn the moniker of the "Toad Sage." As a result, Jiraiya's powers are nearly boundless, ranging from Fire Style techniques that allow him to generate oil for offensive fire attacks, to Raging Lion's Mane Jutsu, which allows him to grow out his hair and use it as a weapon. His ultimate fighting move is a technique he learned from his former student, Minato — the Rasengan, a favored move by both Jiraiya and Naruto. With this move, Jiraiya can generate a spiraling wave of pure chakra able to cut through wood and human matter. Despite his great powers, Jiraiya eventually meets his end upon facing his old pupil Nagato, who utilizes the decisive Six Paths of Pain to defeat his former mentor.

It's easy to look at Might Guy and not take him seriously. But beneath his over-the-top persona lies an undisputed master of taijutsu. Unlike other fighting techniques in "Naruto," taijutsu emphasizes physical fighting and martial arts, and Might Guy is one of the best hand-to-hand combatants there is in the fictional world of "Naruto." If his fighting form weren't enough on its own, Might Guy can become an even more formidable opponent by opening the Eight Inner Gates, giving him advanced speed and strength by essentially supercharging his chakra and kicking it into overdrive.

After unlocking the Gates, Might Guy wields far more decisive offensive moves. These include the Morning Peacock, which is a series of punches that generate fireballs from his fists; the Evening Elephant, which sends powerful bursts of air at opponents, blasting them backwards; and the forbidden and incredibly unstable taijutsu move, the Night Guy — a kick so powerful it shatters every bone in the user's striking leg.

With all of the Gates unlocked, Might Guy becomes a nearly unstoppable taijutsu machine. Unfortunately, given how unstable his physical form becomes after the Eight Inner Gates have been unlocked, Might Guy frequently pushes himself dangerously close to his own destruction.

The greatest and most powerful of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru is the main antagonist throughout much of the first half of "Naruto." Established as one of the most feared ninjas in "Naruto" lore, Orochimaru is obsessed with obtaining immortality and learning every jutsu in existence. This leads him down a dark path as a criminal, killing and experimenting on his fellow shinobi.

Over the years, Orochimaru learned a few tricks when it comes to escaping death. Using the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique, an immortality jutsu that he invented, he's able to transfer his soul into another person's body. He also likes to use the Reanimation Summoning jutsu — a forbidden technique that revives the dead.

Orochimaru's altered his physical form so many times over the years that his body more closely resembles that of a snake, and he possesses the ability to regenerate and heal from even the most debilitating injuries. A master of ninjutsu who has access to five chakras, he can conjure shadowy snakes and giant serpents, as well as expertly wield his grass longsword — a blade able to extend to impressive lengths, and sharp enough to pierce any surface. It's plain to see that this fallen ninja more than deserves his title as the principal antagonist of "Naruto" Part I.

Minato is the father of Naruto Uzumaki, and it's abundantly clear that Naruto's advanced fighting skills run in the family. In a number of ways, Minato greatly resembles his son. Both are expert shinobi known for their prowess in battle, with each living long, storied, adventurous lives, developing reputations that precede them wherever they go. More commonly known as the Yellow Flash of the Leaf, Minato's training was overseen by Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin. Minato's easily-recognized moniker stems from his use of the Flying Thunder God jutsu — a technique that transports incoming enemies' attacks to new locations.

Minato exited the Great Ninja War with a high status in the eyes of his peers, having established himself as a calm, cool, and collected warrior who displays admirable leadership skills. The fact that Minato taught Jiraiya, his old teacher, one of his most decisive attacks — the Rasengan — speaks volumes about his power and effectiveness. Remembered for being one of the fastest shinobi in all of "Naruto," Minato ultimately sacrifices himself to defeat the near-unbeatable Nine-Tailed Fox.

Itachi is sort of the opposite of someone like Kabuto Yakushi or Obito Uchiha. Itachi begins the series as a villain but is eventually revealed to be a sympathetic character whose actions, while extreme, have noble intentions behind them. As a child, Itachi expresses unrivaled abilities for a boy his age, and is seen as a wunderkind of the Uchiha clan. At age 11, he is recruited into the ANBU Black Ops, unlocking his Mangekyō Sharingan while still a teenager.

As an adult, Itachi displays a seemingly infinite number of powers and abilities. Not only is he one of the strongest offensive Fire Style users, but he can also cast a variety of illusions and convert his body into a flock of crows. He uses his Mangekyō Sharingan to utilize three decisive combat moves: Tsukuyomi, which traps his enemies in illusions; Amaterasu, which conjures black flames that are impossible to extinguish; and Susanoo, which summons a large avatar made of chakra to fight on his behalf.

Uniquely, Itachi is one of the few characters who never actually gets defeated in "Naruto." He deliberately loses to his brother, Sasuke, and reveals the benign truth behind his ostensibly villainous actions during his last few moments alive.

One of the founding members of the Akatsuki, Nagato — more commonly known as Pain — is arguably the group's most powerful member with the exception of Obito. He is well remembered for attacking the Hidden Leaf Village on his own and killing famous shinobi like Kakashi and Jiraiya, his old mentor who taught him the ways of ninjutsu. 

Nagato is an exceptional opponent due to his proficiency in all five chakra natures. Once plagued by a debilitating injury that confined him to a mechanical chair, Nagato began using chakra receivers placed in the corpses of fallen warriors, which resurrected them and allowed Nagato to control their movements. When he's brandishing these avatars, known as the Six Paths of Pain, Nagato has untold power at his disposal. He is able to astral project, conjure gigantic animals, absorb chakra from others, and control other people's souls. In an ultimate illustration of his power, he can even interact with the King of Hell himself when wielding the Rinnegan eye. Through the Rinnegan, Nagato also has access to the shared knowledge of the Six Paths, able to see what they're seeing any time he desires to.

After battling Naruto, Nagato realizes the error of his ways and agrees to return the souls of those he's murdered — included Kakashi and Jiraiya — at the cost of his own life. Even in his dying moments, Nagato displays how powerful he is.

One of the main antagonists in the second half of "Naruto," Obito is nothing short of a criminal mastermind. Serving on Team Minato as a young man, Obito is nearly killed after the right side of his body is crushed in a landslide. After he's saved by Madara and rebuilt with Zetsu's prosthetics, he abandons his noble ways after witnessing the death of Rin, a fellow member of Team Minato he had romantic feelings for.

Later, Obito assumes the persona of Madara, ultimately forming the current iteration of the Akatsuki. Controlling his criminal empire from afar, Obito is directly responsible for some of the most heinous events in "Naruto," including Yahiko's death — the primary catalyst for Nagato joining the Akatsuki — and Kurama's attack on the Hidden Leaf Village.

In addition to his Sharingan — which allows him teleport over far distances — Obito is proficient in Wood Style and Fire Style, plus he becomes a master of the Six Paths Technique after gaining possession of the Rinnegan. When Obito becomes the jinchūriki to the Ten Tails, his most powerful form, his abilities range from flight and generation of additional limbs to the ability to wield Truth-Seeking Balls.

Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, founders of the Hidden Leaf Village, were essentially the original Naruto and Sasuke. Serving as reincarnations of their clans' ancestral founders, Indra and Asura, Madara and Hashirama began the series as childhood friends. However, the festering feud between their respective clans ends with Madara holding a vindictive grudge against all Senju clan members, most notably Hashirama.

Madara is killed in battle by Hashirama, but doesn't let that slow him down too much. He uses Obito as his chief agent and preserves his Rinnegan in Nagato to ensure his resurrection in the future. When Madara is finally brought back to life through the Reanimation jutsu, he shows heightened physical abilities and quickly defeats all five Kages, regaining one of his Rinnegan and becoming the jinchūriki to the Ten Tails. He is adept at using his Sharingan and Rinnegan in battle, as well as Storm Release and Wood Release, and is at his strongest when he becomes the vessel of the Ten Tails. Unfortunately for Madara, he soon finds himself betrayed by Zetsu, who converts Madara's body into the host for Kaguya's spirit.

You better believe anyone known as the "God of Shinobi" would rank highly on a list of strongest "Naruto" characters. The best friend turned bitter archenemy of Madara, Hashirama's achievements are almost too great in number to list. He is the co-founder of the Hidden Leaf Village, the incarnation of Asura Ōtsutsuki, a rare shinobi born with the natural ability to use Wood Style, the former leader of the Senju clan, the First Hokage of Konohagakure, and the person who originally defeated Madara before his reincarnation.

Hashirama has the talent to back up every one of his accolades. As he's the reincarnation of Asura, Hashirama's chakra is abnormally strong, so much so that can perform complicated techniques without any hand gestures whatsoever. Skilled in Wood Release and in ninjutsu, he is rightfully considered one of the most powerful shinobi in the history of "Naruto." His chief rival, Madara, even admitted his own inferiority to Hashirama on a number of occasions, even after obtaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and becoming the jinchūriki to the Nine-Tails. Through his service in the Fourth Shinobi World War and after he'd captured eight of the nine-tailed beasts on his own, Hashirama took on an almost mythical reputation, similar to the legends about the Sage of Six Paths.

The legendary Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki and his twin brother Hamura are the humanoid sons of Kaguya, each gaining large supplies of chakra as infant children. Upon their mother's transformation into the Ten Tails, Hagoromo and Hamura defeated Kaguya, and Hagoromo sealed the Ten Tails' remaining husk-like corpse — the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path — into the moon and absorbed the Ten Tails within himself, becoming the first jinchūriki. Hagoromo then used his mother's remaining chakra to found Ninshū, a religion that originally advocated for peace and harmony and later, much to his chagrin, served as the basis for ninjutsu.

As the consequential founder of ninjutsu, Hagoromo is frequently seen more as a deity than anything else. Though mythologized and remembered for his Sage-like wisdom and kind nature, his god-like abilities and battles with Kaguya became the stuff of legend.

The father of Asura and Indra, Hagoromo is a constant observer of his sons' actions over multiple generations, overseeing their conflict when they are reincarnated as Madara and Hashirama, and later as Naruto and Sasuke. Even beyond death, the Sage of Six Paths displays immense power, critically aiding Naruto and Sasuke in defeating Kaguya and helping return Team 7 from Kaguya's dimension.

It takes an incredibly powerful character to rival the likes of series protagonist Naruto Uzumaki, but Sasuke more than manages to do so. A cool, calculating, methodical young man, Sasuke was a bitter and cynical member of Team 7. After his clan's murder at the hands of his older brother, Itachi, Sasuke grew up motivated solely by revenge. Withdrawn and contemplative, he constantly tries to use others to his advantage, with an ultimate goal of facing his older brother in mortal combat... Although, he eventually warms up to his teammates and chills out a bit.

Sasuke could definitely claim to be the strongest member of the Uchiha clan. Dedicating his entire life to training in order to defeat Itachi, Sasuke becomes one of the most powerful ninjas on Team 7, relying on lessons taught to him by Kakashi and Orochimaru. Having bested Orochimaru, Itachi, Danzo, Izanagi, and even multiple Kages, Sasuke is easily one of the strongest characters in "Naruto" lore. He favors using the Chidori technique taught to him by Kakashi, as well as Indra's Arrow, a technique that shoots a chakra-infused lightning bolt and is as decisive as Naruto's own Six Paths Big Ball Rasenshuriken technique.

Sasuke becomes even more powerful during the Fourth Great Ninja War after the Sage of Six Paths gifts him Six Paths chakra. This allows Sasuke to access the Six Paths and the Amenotejikara — a rare space-time ninjutsu that allows him to swap places with an enemy mid-fight.

Despite being the title character of the series, Naruto Uzumaki doesn't come across as the most powerful shinobi alive. It's only over time and under the tutelage of some of the world's greatest teachers that he slowly hones his skills and becomes the greatest ninja there is, channeling his substantial inner chakra and learning to harness the power of Kurama, the nine-tailed fox that dwells within him. Along with his wide array of abnormally strong abilities and techniques, Naruto also possesses a firm commitment to his ideals, displaying a never-say-die attitude when it comes to his goals.

While Naruto becomes skilled in numerous techniques, his go-to move is the Shadow Clone jutsu, which allows him to create multiple clone versions of himself. He also deftly utilizes the Rasengan, a unique move that manifests a spiraling ball of chakra and is made all the more powerful when Naruto is in his Sage mode. In that state, the Rasengan evolves into the far deadlier Rasenshuriken, which Naruto can hurl at enemies. When entering his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Naruto becomes pure flaming chakra, and is able to generate additional limbs, move at super speed, and use the insanely destructive Tailed-Beast Bomb.

It may have taken time for him to get there, but there's no question that by the end of the series, Naruto is far and away the most powerful human character in all of "Naruto."

The big bad of the entirety of "Naruto," Kaguya is the matriarch of the Ōtsutsuki clan, essentially an all-powerful deity, and the first individual to ever wield chakra in the world after consuming the fruit of the God Tree. Originally a benevolent celestial being known as the Rabbit Goddess among her followers, Kaguya became corrupted by her divine power, later attempting to assimilate the chakra inherited by her sons, Hagoromo and Haruma, before merging with the God Tree and becoming the nightmarish Ten Tails. 

Unfortunately for her, the might of her sons was too much even for the Ten Tails. The conflict ended with Kaguya's defeat and imprisonment in the husk-like Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

When she does finally return with Madara as her vessel, Kaguya proves herself to be the most dangerous threat Naruto and company has ever faced. Recognizing that Naruto and Sasuke are the reincarnations of her grandsons, she immediately tries to kill them both and transports them, Obito, and the rest of Team 7 to her dimension to eliminate them. Only through Hagoromo's intervention were the protagonists able to survive and defeat Kaguya.

As the "Mother of Chakra," there is literally no one within the world of "Naruto" that could beat Kaguya in single combat. The only way she's defeated is by several extremely powerful ninjas banding together and combining their efforts. Given her deity-like status, she has access to powers no other being in "Naruto" could even imagine, such as the ability to alter time and space, read minds, fly, generate and change her environmental surroundings, absorb chakra, regenerate her body, create life, and use her hair as a weapon. She can also transform into the demonic Ten Tails whenever she likes, and even has the power to trigger the Infinite Tsukuyomi — a genjutsu with the potential to enslave the entire world.