Best Characters In Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

As Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 boasts more than 100 characters, it makes players feel a bit overwhelmed. After all, these Naruto fighters not only dish out awesome techniques but also have assigned roles that make them more viable as vanguards, damage dealers, or support characters.

Related

Naruto: 22 Best Games Every Ninja Fan Should Try

The anime Naruto has spawned many games based on the series. Here are some great ninja games fans should try.

Posts

And with Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 delivering a fan’s dream of allowing their favorite characters to duke it out against each other, just who should be a part of their dream team? What do some of the game’s best characters have that make them a cut above the rest?

Updated October 9, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With the events of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex spicing things up with the revelation of Sapient Beings - fission beings that are God Trees who gained consciousness after using a chakra template. While fans await just what Jura and his crew of Sapient Beings are planning to do to attain their respective targets, they may want to play classic Naruto games.

Players who want to take their Naruto experience to the next level may want to give games like Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 a shot - especially with its selection of powerful characters who can easily dominate matches when used correctly. Among must-tries in the Naruto game include Naruto’s most recent version outside his son’s story, Gaara’s father and his younger version, as well as the red-haired Mizukage.

23 Nagato Uzumaki

Manipulate How Space Affects Opponents

The hidden leader of the Akatsuki and the mastermind behind the Six Paths of Pain is Nagato Uzumaki, one of the last few members of the Uzumaki Clan and Jiraiya’s former student. As the Akatsuki’s leader, Nagato is determined to bring a peaceful world even by force, a quality that his control over the mystical Rinnegan demonstrates.

Related

Best Horror Anime

Horror and anime do not go together often, but when they do, we get some of the scariest stories ever.

Posts

In UNS4, Nagato’s combos often deal with the push and pull of opponents, with options such as the Almighty Push (Ninjutsu) or a pulling Planetary Devastation (Secret Technique) that may lead to a hard knockdown Shura Attack. When using his God Mode, he can tap into abilities such as Seal Jutsu Absorption that can drain Chakra and damage nearby opponents.

22 Naruto: The Last

An Easy Insert Into Most Setups

Before Naruto and Hinata’s marriage, the gang goes back for one final showdown with a villain in The Last: Naruto the Movie, where Toneri Otsutsuki plans on marrying Hinata and punishing mankind for using chakra as a weapon. Interestingly enough, Naruto: The Last is a wholly separate character among Naruto variants in Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, with his gameplay emphasizing short combos, juggling, and constantly applying pressure to his opponents - making him easy to include in most teams. This variant of Naruto has easy access to combo cancels but is big on timing, so players need to be careful how they perform his specials.

The Up Combo is cancellable on the 7th to 9th hits, wherein players can put a Defense-Breaking Tag on opponents before pushing for another Up Combo. Doing a full Up Combo can even lead to a Rasengan or Rasengan Super Barrage. Meanwhile, his Neutral is cancellable on the 3rd to 5th and 7th hits, whereas canceling on the 5th or ending with a Strike Back can lead into his Ultimate (Naruto 5K Uzumaki Barrage).

21 Fourth Kazekage

A Change Of Pace With A Defensive Playstyle

Before his death at the hands of Orochimaru, Rasa the Fourth Kazekage was known for his use of Gold Dust and being able to tame the constant rampages of One-Tailed Shukaku. He carries the same tenacity in his Edo Tensei form in Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, this time around with a sand theme similar to Gaara’s but radically different in terms of playstyle. Positioned as a defensive character, the Fourth Kazekage has noticeably slower moves but a lot of variety when it comes to punishing opponents. Rasa’s Down Combo has a wind-up cutscene of a large sand cube falling on opponents, while the knock-up from his Up Combo gives him an opening to unleash an Air Combo. The latter is particularly interesting, as timing the Air Combo will end with two leftover sand spikes that can hit opponents if they sub mid-hit.

Meanwhile, Rasa’s Gold Dust Waterfall Flow inflicts knockdowns at close range, staggers in mid, and releases projectiles to hit from afar - practically becoming a decent anti-melee shield. While players can use this to fulfill emergency substitutions, it’s much faster as a support jutsu when using another character. Meanwhile, his Ultimate (Magnet Style: Giant Gold Dust Burial Sending) can be canceled into quickly via his basic combos - particularly the first two strikes, or by dashing into the enemy’s position after knocking them up via the Up Combo.

20 Mizukage: Mei Terumi

Fluidity With A Lot Of Combo, Zoning Potential

Introduced as the Fifth Mizukage in Naruto Shippuden, Mizukage: Mei Terumi has become an instrumental part in brokering peace among the Villages. Mei’s Lava and Boil Release have become her best assets in the fight against Madara Uchiha, and she brings the same prowess in Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 as a zoning powerhouse. Although her grab isn’t as efficient and much of her kit rather position-dependent, players who master Mei can become a menace on the battlefield.

For starters, her Vapor Style: Solid Fog Jutsu down-combo exhales a mist that forces a knockdown, the timing of which can be used to technically proc infinite combos and even get into her ultimate, Lava Style: Acid Explosion. Outside combos, her Water Style: Showers can become a pesky mid-range attack that is position-dependent. However, where players should hold interest in Mei’s capabilities would be her input combos - the second hit creates a frontal shield that can deter rushing foes, and the third hit creates small water bubbles that homes into enemies regardless if they Chakra Dash or Ninja Move.

19 First Hokage: Hashirama Senju (Sage Mode)

Combines Edo Hashirama With Sage Mode

Being one of the few to bear the title God of Shinobi, First Hokage: Hashirama Senju (Sage Mode) shows the pinnacle of the Konoha co-founder’s combat prowess. On top of his mastery of all five Chakra Natures, his Sage Mode’s access to Nature Chakra gives him unprecedented strength - a quality he demonstrates in this Storm 4 form that combines his Reanimation Form with the aforementioned power-up.

Compared to his base form, Edo Hashirama Sage Mode boasts a faster-based combo system that makes use of wood-style techniques for launches and knockbacks. At this distance, he can use Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu (Ninjutsu) for a long-range attack continuation, or even summon the devastating Sage Art: Wood Style: Shinsu Senju Veritable 1000-Armed Kan’on as a Secret Technique on contact.

18 Mifune

A Samura In A World Of Ninjas

Serving as one of the new Naruto characters that isn’t a shinobi, Mifune is instead the Land of Iron’s Samurai General, boasting incredible swordsmanship. A master of Iai, Mifune is known for extremely quick sheathing and unsheathing slashes, striking opponents who barely notice him moving his sword. This is seen in his gameplay in Storm 4, where his more straightforward melee-reliant juggling moveset is a breath of fresh air versus other characters.

Among his notable techniques include Dancing Blade Hazard (Ninjutsu) which causes a hard knockdown after a decisive slash, as well as Resident Decapitation (Secret Technique) which takes the form of a rushing cinematic slash. In his Samurai Mode, he has a looping Dancing Blade Hazard that can cause a hard knockdown or a long-ranged Flying Death.

17 Neji Hyuga

Great For Stringing Together Combos

Despite being of low status, Neji Hyuga remains one of the most talented shinobi to exist in Naruto’s era. Gifted with immense combat talent and mastery of the Byakugan, such was Neji’s skill that he’s the only member of the Sasuke Retrieval Team to defeat a member of the Cursed Mark-enhanced Sound Four without requiring assistance. In Storm 4, much of Neji’s attacks focus on using Gentle Fist to juggle opponents, emphasizing combo stringing.

When Neji uses his special attacks, he can use Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation (Ninjutsu) to create a 12-to-14-hit combo via a chakra sphere or a long-distance Eight Trigrams Air Palm. Players who want a fiercer combo should opt for his signature Eight Trigrams 64 Palms (Secret Technique). His Awakened Byakugan Form’s main advantage is decreasing the enemy’s Maximum Chakra with each hit, putting them in a war of attrition.

16 Fourth Hokage: Minato Namikaze

Teleportation Dominates Opponents

Naruto being a capable and compassionate Hokage seems to run in his genes, especially considering his father is Fourth Hokage: Minato Namikaze. Before his death at the hands of the Kyuubi, Minato as Konoha’s Yellow Flash is feared to such an extent that all troops encountering him in the Third Great Ninja War are ordered to retreat at all costs. Minato shows exactly why this is the case in Storm 4, with both his Normal and Reanimated versions boasting strong kits. However, in terms of overall efficiency, Normal Minato has more potential for combo mix-ups compared to his spammable Edo Tensei Counterpart.

Related

Naruto: 7 Jutsu With The Most Complex Hand Signs

The following Jutsu in Naruto require their users to execute some rather complex hand signs.

Posts

By  Ritwik Mitra

Combos-wise, Normal Minato excels in juggling the opponents in different directions which works well with his Transportation Techniques (Normal, Divine Speed) that let him teleport to his opponents. Players who have a flair for showmanship will appreciate his Secret Techniques, both of which are flashy teleportation attacks (Yellow Flash of the Leaf, Flying Raijin: Combo Level). When Awakened, he can either opt for the more aggressive Kurama Link Mode or the attack-buffing Hokage Mode that comes with an accessible Flying Raijin: Level 2.

15 Gaara

The Ultimate Anti-Melee Crusher

Gaara is one of Naruto's most terrifying characters. Before his fateful confrontation with Naruto, Gaara is a quiet shinobi from the Hidden Sand Village with a bloodlust rooted in his possession of Shukaku, the One-Tails. In UNS4, Gaara returns with the same vigor, this time as a long-distance specialist who stops melee lovers in their tracks with his Sand Attacks (Tsunami, Shower), and debilitating Secret Techniques that hinder effective movement.

As a Support unit, he’s a Charge Guard capable of dishing out the assist while players are charging their chakra reserves. And when he unleashes his Awakening, his Tailed-Beast Mode packs a mean punch that transforms Gaara into a long-ranged behemoth with extra-strong attacks.

14 Pain

Control Offense And Defense With Paths

Serving as the main antagonist of the Pain’s Assault Arc, the leader of the Akatsuki proves his worthiness of the title by being an actual powerhouse of a shinobi. Unlike other ninja, Pain relies on summoning his Paths to dominate the close range and isolate opponents in various areas. It’s due to this that Pain can control both offense and defense, especially when his combos are used properly.

For instance, his ever-reliable Down Combo has the longest button input and the longest range that can break guards. Meanwhile, his Up Combo is arguably a fast-paced knock-up to set up more combo strings. Where Pain shines is in his stuns, as both his Chakra Shuriken and Tilt boast incredible stuns. These all work well with Pain’s Ultimate, which gives the character the space to move while it’s traveling, paving the way for devastating combos.