Every Kage’s Greatest Opponent, Ranked

The Kage are generally considered to be among the most powerful ninjas in Naruto. They all possess unique abilities, including a few Kekkei Genkai, and several Kage were strong enough to take on a Tailed Beast. Kage are expected to fight powerful opponents to protect their villages, and most have fought at least one enemy who stands out as their greatest opponent.

Several Kage share the same greatest opponent because they all fought them at the same time. Others fought the same opponent multiple times until one, or both, eventually died in battle. A Kage’s greatest opponent is often Kage-level themselves, but a few have had to deal with Tailed Beasts and God-level threats.

11

Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, Darui, the Fifth Raikage, Kurotsuchi, the Fourth Tsuchikage, and Chojiro, the Sixth Mizukage, All Fought and Were Overwhelmed by Momoshiki Otsutsuki

Gaara was still the Sand Village’s Fifth Kazekage during Boruto‘s New Era, while Darui became the Cloud Village’s Fifth Raikage. Kurotsuchi succeeded her grandfather as the Stone Village’s Fourth Tsuchikage, and Chojiro became the Sixth Mizukage. These four Kage banded together to rescue Naruto from Kinshiki and Momoshiki Otsutsuki.

When Momoshiki devoured Kinshiki, he gained a new form and godlike power. They attempted to fight this empowered Momoshiki, but he one-shot all of them. Gaara was the only Kage to land a jutsu on him, but he easily broke free of those sand restraints. This fight might have lasted only a few seconds, but up until that point, Momoshiki was the greatest threat that these Kage had ever faced.

10

Mu, the Second Tsuchikage, and Gengetsu Hozuki, the Second Mizukage, Died While Fighting Each Other

The Hidden Stone and Mist villages are located on opposite sides of the map, but that did not stop Mu and Gengetsu from becoming rivals. Mu was the Second Tsuchikage, while Gengetsu reigned as the Second Mizukage. They fought each other multiple times over the years and ultimately killed each other in their final battle.

Mu could split himself in two and erase his entire presence, and could also disintegrate objects with Dust Release. Gengetsu could use the Hydrification Technique to liquefy his body. He could also summon a clam that produced life-like mirages and a constantly exploding clone. Their final battle was never shown, but given their abilities, it must have been an epic showdown.

9

A, the Third Raikage, Battled Gyuki the Eight-Tails to a Stalemate

The Third Raikage died many years ago, but he is still considered the most powerful Raikage in the Cloud Village’s history. He possessed enhanced physical abilities, which he could augment to near-superhuman levels with his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. While in this state, the Third Raikage was immune to most forms of physical damage, and he could perform high-speed piercing melee attacks.

The Third Raikage is one of Naruto‘s most legendary Kage because he died while fighting 10,000 enemy ninjas for three straight days, but he could also fight a fully released Eight-Tails on his own. Whenever the Eight-Tails rampaged, the Third Raikage led the charge to stop him. Not only could the Third Raikage cut off all of Gyuki’s tails at once, but they would often fight to a stalemate. Gyuki was the second strongest Tailed Beast and could destroy an entire village, which means the Third Raikage was extremely powerful.

8

Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, Stopped Shukaku’s Tailed Beast Rampages Multiple Times

Rasa is Gaara’s father and served as the Sand Village’s Fourth Kazekage until he was betrayed and killed by Orochimaru. He only agreed to help Orochimaru with the destruction of the Leaf Village because he thought it would stop the Sand Village’s decline. That said, Orochimaru was not his greatest opponent. That honor goes to Shukaku the One-Tail.

Shukaku was sealed inside Gaara when he was still in the womb, and he went on several rampages because Gaara was too young and emotional to control him. Rasa stopped each rampage himself by using Goldust and Magnet Release to counter Shukaku’s sand-based abilities. Shukaku might be the weakest of the Tailed Beasts, but he can still destroy a ninja village, making Rasa’s victories truly impressive.

7

The Third Kazekage Was Ultimately Defeated by Sasori of the Akatsuki

The Third Kazekage died roughly a decade before the start of the series and is still regarded by many to be the strongest Kazekage in history. By studying Shukaku’s sand abilities, he was able to develop the Iron Sand, which is considered the village’s most powerful weapon. With it, the Third Kazekage could create offensive and defensive constructs that could block powerful attacks and overwhelm opponents.

Not much is known about the Third Kazekage’s battle history, but he was defeated, kidnapped, and killed by Sasori. This happened when Sasori was already part of the Akatsuki. It is not known how Sasori defeated him, but given his skills, it likely involved puppets and poison. Sasori might be the Ninja World’s greatest puppet master, and he turned the Third Kazekage into his strongest human puppet.

6

A, Onoki, Mei Terumi, and Tsunade Had to Fight Madara Uchiha During the Fourth Great Ninja War

Madara Uchiha is a legendary ninja who battled the Five Kage during the Fourth Great Ninja War. At the time, Tsunade was the Fifth Hokage, A was the Fourth Raikage, Onoki was the Third Tsuchikage, and Mei Terumi was the Fifth Mizukage. Madara is one of the few mortals in Naruto who possessed God-level power, and he had unlimited chakra and regeneration during their fight thanks to the Reanimation Jutsu.

Onoki inherited Dust Release from Mu, while A was the fastest ninja because of Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Mei could use powerful Water, Lava, and Boil Release techniques, and Tsunade had superhuman strength and insane healing capabilities. Madara fought these Kage at the same time and easily overpowered them. In fact, he toyed with them for most of the fight. When he finally got serious, he nearly killed them all with his complete Susanoo.

5

Kakashi Hatake, the Sixth Hokage, and Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, Fought Obito Uchiha at Different Points

Kakashi became the Leaf Village’s Sixth Hokage after Tsunade retired shortly after the Fourth Great Ninja War. His greatest opponent was Obito, who was a childhood friend and former squad member. Their fight in the Kamui Dimension during the war is one of the best fights in the franchise because of its choreography and raw emotion. Obito became a Kage-level ninja after training with Madara, but the fight ended after Kakashi successfully hit him in the chest with a Chidori.

Minato was the Fourth Hokage and was forced to fight Obito, who was pretending to be Madara at the time. Obito was in control of the Nine-Tails, which was destroying the Leaf Village. Minato was the fastest ninja in the world and ultimately defeated Obito with a Flying Thunder God-Rasengan combo. Minato fought him to save the village, while Kakashi fought for the sake of the entire world.

4

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, Battled Orochimaru to the Death

Hiruzen was named the Third Hokage during the First Great Ninja War when Tobirama sacrificed himself to save his team from the Kinkaku Squad. Cumulatively, he held the Hokage title for more than four decades and became known throughout the Ninja World as a “God of Shinobi.” Hiruzen personally trained the Leaf’s Legendary Sannin, but he had to fight Orochimaru, who wished to destroy the village.

Orochimaru mastered over 1,000 jutsu and is considered one of the strongest ninjas in history. It was a bit of an unfair fight because Orochimaru resurrected the First and Second Hokage with the Reanimation Jutsu, but Hiruzen still held his own despite being in his late 60s. Hiruzen sacrificed himself by using the Reaper Death Seal, and although Orochimaru survived, he briefly lost the use of his arms.

3

Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, Clashed With Izuna Uchiha Many Times Until Their Final Battle

Tobirama became the Leaf Village’s Second Hokage after his brother’s death, but his reign lasted only a few years because he was killed by Kinkaku. During the Warring States Period, Tobirama battled Izuna Uchiha multiple times, to the point that they developed fighting styles to directly counter each other. Izuna was Madara’s younger brother.

Izuna might not get as much recognition as his brother, but in terms of skill and power, he was regarded as Madara’s equal. That changed when Madara acquired the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. In their final encounter, Tobirama caught Izuna off guard by attaching the Flying Thunder God’s justu formula to a kunai, and teleported in front of him to deliver a fatal slash.

2

Hashirama, the First Hokage, Battled Madara Uchiha Multiple Times Over the Years

After years of fighting each other during the Warring States Period, Hashirama made peace with Madara and co-founded the Hidden Leaf Village together. Hashirama wanted Madara to be named the First Hokage, but he was chosen instead. Both were ninja prodigies with incredibly powerful chakra, but their battles either ended in a draw or with Hashirama’s victory.

Their final battle took place at the Valley of the End, and it ended with Hashirama landing a perceived fatal stab wound. Madara had control of the Nine-Tails and combined it with his Susanoo, while Hashirama used Sage Mode and a titanic wooden Buddha. Their clash reshaped the entire region. Hashirama is still the only person to ever beat Madara in combat.