The Worst and Best Hokage in Naruto

The position of a Hokage is not to be taken lightly. Given how powerful the Hidden Leaf Village is, it's the job of a Hokage to help things flow smoothly while also protecting the village from outside threats.

This is why every Hokage must do a great job of justifying this title instead of just resting on their laurels. Thankfully, every shinobi who was selected for this honor has shown how worthy they are, even if it came at a great personal cost.

7 Kakashi Hatake

A Lot Of His Achievements As Hokage Happened Offscreen And Are Hard To Gauge

• The Sixth Hokage

As a ninja, Kakashi is easily one of the most competent and powerful characters in all of Naruto. It's a shame that fans don't get to witness how he operates as the Hokage, since the time-skip after the Fourth Shinobi World War sees Naruto achieve this honor instead.

There's no doubt in anyone's minds that Kakashi was worthy of being the Sixth Hokage. He might've enjoyed a way higher ranking had fans seen his accomplishments firsthand, but this is one ninja that fans can always count on to do a great job, no matter what he sets his mind to.

6 Tsunade Senju

A Worthy Hokage Who Led The Village With A Strong Hand

• The Fifth Hokage

Tsunade scoffed at the idea of being Hokage when Jiraiya and Naruto approached her with this offer. Her dismissal of this post infuriated Naruto, who proved his worth to this gifted kunoichi by mastering the Rasengan in record time and giving Tsunade the motivation she needed to get over her hemophobia.

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By  George Voutiritsas

She eventually rose up to the challenge, working hand-in-hand with Shizune to lead the Leaf Village after the Third Hokage passed away. Despite some of the missteps she made as Hokage, Tsunade is a leader celebrated by Konoha for steering them during a tough period.

5 Naruto Uzumaki

A Bad Father, But A Great Leader Up Until He Disappeared

• The Seventh Hokage

It's a shame that Naruto didn't prioritize his family after growing up without a father, but this was the price he had to pay to become the Hokage. He worked tirelessly for the village and barely slept, impressing everyone who remembered how he was in the past.

It helped that he had a smart assistant in the form of Shikamaru to help pick up the slack for him. While he saved the Hidden Leaf Village from numerous threats several times, he was ultimately captured and disappeared from the village, causing many to believe that he had died.

4 Tobirama Senju

A Master Of Jutsu, Although His Compassion As Hokage Was Slightly Lacking

• The Second Hokage

Tobirama is one of the most gifted shinobi of all time, there's no denying that. He played a major role in developing some of the most powerful jutsu in the series, including the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Reaper Death Seal.

It's almost hilarious how he rightfully takes credit for most of the jutsu in the series when he makes an appearance in the Fourth Shinobi World War. While he may have lacked compassion as a Hokage, his brother was there to remedy any damage he caused with his harsh words.

3 Minato Namikaze

Died Young, But Proved His Worth By Giving Up His Life To Save The Village

• The Fourth Hokage

Being a Hokage is no mean feat, and Minato proved to everyone that he was worthy of ascending to this mantle as one of the youngest Hokage of all time. It's a shame that his reign didn't last long, since he had to sacrifice himself to save the Leaf Village and Naruto from Kurama's rampage.

Despite being long gone by the time Naruto's events begin, Minato's presence can be felt multiple times throughout the show. In the short time he was active, he helped the village reach new heights and earned the respect of his students and peers.

2 Hiruzen Sarutobi

The Third Hokage Was A Valiant Leader And Sacrificed Himself To Stop Orochimaru's Assault

• The Third Hokage

Hiruzen Sarutobi may be very old by the time Naruto starts, but that should take nothing away from his competency as the Third Hokage. He ruled the village with an iron fist, navigated its politics as best he could, and gave his life to save Konoha from Orochimaru's senseless rampage.

While the Uchiha Massacre was a blight on his reign, Hiruzen did his best to prevent unnecessary casualties and preserve peace in the village. He was a hero until his dying breath and left everyone in awe with his sheer aura as Hokage.

1 Hashirama Senju

The First Hokage Who Was More Than Up To The Task

• The First Hokage

After being stuck in an endless cycle of war, Hashirama decided that enough was enough. He wanted to stop this violence and managed to convince the very people he was fighting to join hands and form the Hidden Leaf Village.

Even when the discussion of who should become the Hokage came up, Madara realized that Hashirama was more suited to lead the village. He was like a father to everyone in the village and used his incredible ninjutsu powers to save the village time and time again.

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  Naruto

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  Release Date

  2002 - 2007-00-00

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  Hayato Date

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  Masashi Kishimoto

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    Junko Takeuchi
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