In Naruto's universe, there is arguably no higher honor than becoming your village's Kage. Only the strongest and most capable leaders tend to achieve this status, and they need to be equipped to handle the responsibility of guiding their followers through peace, tension, and war. While most of these characters have had a positive influence on the world, or are God-level shinobi like Naruto, a select few Kage left behind complex histories defined by tragedy and regret.
Naruto: 8 Characters Who Ended Up Being Surprisingly Strong
One mustn't judge certain Naruto characters by their appearance. Here are some unlikely examples who turned out to be surprisingly strong.
The strongest Kage are not always the best Kage, as there is a lot more that goes into being a great leader than just raw power. Therefore, let's highlight a few Kage who caused their fair share of damage, be it intentionally or through their terrible decisions.
5 Darui
It's Hard To Imagine Him In The Role Of The Raikage
- The Fifth Raikage
Darui is one of A's right-hand men, who is pretty strong and competent in his own right. This can be seen in his battle against Kinkaku and Ginkaku, where he pulled his weight and ensured that these major threats would be taken out for good. However, regardless of how competent he was, the position of the Raikage is no joke and requires someone with serious strength.
This is why it's odd to see him ascend to the position of the Fifth Raikage, since most people would argue that he was too weak and undeserving of this title. Given the disdain most people have towards Boruto in general, it's easy to see why fans had a hard time accepting this warrior as the new Raikage.
4 Rasa
A Horrible Father Who Allied With The Wrong Person As The Kazekage
- The Fourth Kazekage
While Rasa may have had the interests of the village at heart, he made a string of poor decisions that turned him into one of the most hated characters in the series. His mistreatment of Gaara highlights the same, turning his youngest child into an experiment by implanting Shukaku into him. The fact that he forced Gaara to endure a ton of trauma as a kid and labeled him a failure after his mind eventually cracked is a testament to Rasa's poor decision-making.
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To make things worse, he decided to ally with Orochimaru in a bid to make the Sand Village stronger, not realizing the twisted morality of his bedfellow. As a result, he was easily killed off by this rogue Sannin, who managed to fool everyone long enough to unleash a hellish assault on Konoha.
3 Yagura Karatachi
Manipulated By Obito And Turned Kirigakure Into The Bloody Mist
- The Fourth Mizukage
The fact that the Fourth Mizukage ended up becoming Obito's toy is a testament to how weak this character was. Sure, the de facto leader of the Akatsuki was not an easy foe, but Yagura was defeated in humiliating fashion and ended up being mind-controlled by this heinous villain.
His tyrannical reign caused Kirigakure to attain a horrible reputation as the Bloody Mist, forcing young ninja into death battles in a primitive graduation exam to figure out who's the best of the lot. It may be unfair to blame Yagura for all of this, given the circumstances surrounding his reign as the Fourth Mizukage, but fans can't deny that his weakness was what ultimately led to Kirigakure's downfall.
2 Hiruzen Sarutobi (Especially Toward The End Of His Reign)
A Great War-time Kage, But Far Less Effective During Peace
- The Third Hokage
Out of all leaders, Hiruzen Sarutobi is arguably the hardest to judge, as he served as the Hidden Leaf Village's Kage for over 40 years. Unlike his peers, whose time also predates the story's starting point, the audience does not bear witness to only Hiruzen's most triumphant moments; instead, we see firsthand how some of his decisions led to catastrophic results. If it were not for Hiruzen's poor handling and history of inaction, Danzo's reign of terror and near-successful attempt to become the Sixth Hokage would have never materialized. He should have also taken down Orochimaru long before he became such a big threat. He also did very little to stop the Uchiha clan's fall. Finally, Hiruzen played a pivotal role in isolating Naruto from the rest of the village, and the latter's inspirational journey happened in spite of his Hokage's treatment.
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Now, it should be said that Hiruzen led the Hidden Leaf Village through three wars, all of which they won without much issue. For better or worse, he was a dependable wartime leader, and the village was stronger than ever under his rule. As he became older, and his past mistakes began to haunt him and the entire village, Hiruzen grew more fearful and prone to indecisiveness, resulting in a murky legacy that has, arguably, more bad than good.
1 Special Mention: Danzo Shimura
A Power-Hungry Individual Who Had No Business Being In Contention To Become The Hokage
- The Sixth Hokage Candidate
Danzo is one of the most hated characters in the entire series, with his love for Konoha becoming twisted as he ordered the ANBU to carry out numerous atrocities, including Itachi's culling of the Uchiha clan. Given how power-hungry this character was, fans can't help but laugh at his sheer incompetence as the Hokage.
He was in line to become the Sixth Hokage, and things could've flown smoothly had he not tried to manipulate and control the debate during the Five Kage Summit. His treachery was unveiled in no time, forcing him to beat a hasty retreat before Sasuke eventually hunted him down. The fact that he lost his battle, even with the game-changing power of Izanagi, showed just how weak and incompetent he really was, much to the delight of his haters.
- Release Date
- 2002 - 2007-00-00
- Showrunner
- Masashi Kishimoto
- Directors
- Hayato Date
Cast
-
Junko Takeuchi -
Noriaki Sugiyama
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Pierrot
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Masashi Kishimoto
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix, Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, The Roku Channel, Amazon Freevee, Hulu, Hoopla, Pluto TV, Tubi
