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The Shinobi that inhabit Naruto’s world must be strong to survive the cruel and unforgiving world they live in. Due to this, each person must try their best to excel and prove their worth or face death in case of failure.
While there is no denying that most characters in the series are worthy of the praise they receive, some fans have taken this too far. Many characters are regarded as the strongest in the show, even when the facts point entirely to the contrary.
In this list, we will talk about 10 Naruto characters fans love to think of as the strongest, while in reality, they are not that powerful.
Disclaimer: This list reflects the author’s opinion. Sportskeeda does not claim ownership of any media used in the article unless otherwise specified.
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Neji and 9 other characters from Naruto who are not as powerful as fans believe
1) Shisui Uchiha
Every Naruto fan knows that the might of the Uchiha clan was nothing to joke about during their time as Konoha’s strongest family. As one of the prodigies of this famed clan, it is obvious that Shisui more than had the skills to be amongst the best ninjas of his generation. But even with all his skills, he is not the unbeatable god some fans make him out to be.
Fans like to point out the fact that Shisui’s Kotoamatsukami would be able to defeat any opponent with just a glance. What they do not consider is that said power took a long time to recharge and was not instantaneous. Regardless, Shisui was still a young man when he died, meaning he lacked the experience most older ninjas in the village had.
2) Itachi Uchiha
Like Shisui, Itachi is extremely beloved by the community, to the point that he is praised as the strongest and best anime character in existence. While he was a strong opponent that should never have been underestimated, Itachi was far from being the strongest.
His most powerful techniques all involved the usage of the Mangekyo Sharingan, an ocular power that was slowly stripping of his ability to see. He was also extremely sick by the end of his life, which reduced his power even further. Itachi is an outstanding character, and there is nothing wrong with loving him, but he is not the most powerful by a long shot.
3) Neji Hyuga
Once considered the best Genin in his class, Neji grew up as one of the best fighters in the Konoha 11. He was incredibly skilled in his family’s Taijutsu style and a proficient user of the Byakugan. Nonetheless, Neji lacked the powers to be considered amongst the strongest Shinobi in Naruto’s world.
Neji was undoubtedly one of the strongest Genin in the series as a child, with a power that only counted individuals could rival. Sadly, his power did not increase enough after the time skip for him to still be considered one of the best.
4) Hiruzen Sarutobi
Hiruzen never received praise for his lackluster performance as a Hokage, but he was recognized for his massive power. He was one of the only two people ever to obtain the title of God of Shinobi, thanks to his mastery over the five Elemental Natures and Konoha’s entire Jutsu list.
Yet, he never used this fabled power to defeat an opponent. Before his death, Orochimaru proved how easy it was to trick him and take advantage of his weaknesses. Later in the series, when he was revived with the Edo Tensei, Hiruzen tried to help defeat the 10-tails, only to fail again.
5) Kakuzu
As one of the only two people with some semblance in the entire series, fans expected Kakuzu to be a formidable opponent that would be almost impossible to kill. His ability to consume and replace hearts did help him be more resilient than most ninjas. Still, he was sorely lacking in power and awareness, which caused his demise quicker than most expected.
Kakuzu was by no means a weak enemy when compared to the Shippuden power-level Naruto who fought against him. Despite this, when set side by side with most other villains in the show, you realize how weak Kakuzu truly was.
6) Orochimaru
The Three Legendary Sanin were considered the most powerful ninjas in the world for a long time. Each of them was undoubtedly amongst the top Shinobi of their time, with Orochimaru being arguably the strongest. Tragically for the snake Sanin, as Naruto progressed, his contributions to the series and his power started diminishing slowly.
By the end of the series, Orochimaru went from being an imposing threat to a simple side character who did not have the power to fight against the strongest villains. When you take the time to look back, you realize that Orochimaru was never that strong to begin with. He was just overhyped.
7) Kabuto Yakushi
Unlike his master, Kabuto did not start the series by being one of the top ninjas in the world. He had absurd control over his Chakra, to the point that his medic skills rivaled Tsunade's. After the death of his mentor, Kabuto wanted to find power for himself, willing to go to any lengths to obtain it.
He implanted himself with Orochimaru's cells, became a sage, and even amassed an army of undead warriors to help him achieve his goals. Even then, Kabuto was defeated astoundingly fast, without even giving him a proper final fight.
8) Hidan
Similar to what happened to his partner Kakuzu, Hidan's hype mainly came from the fact that he was immortal. A being as skilled as him, with the power to kill his victims without having to fight, seemed incredibly broken.
Despite this, Hidan managed to be tricked and buried alive by one of the smartest but laziest ninjas in the world. No one can deny how incredible, and intriguing Hidan's powers are, but we can all agree that he was not as powerful as the series made him to be.
9) Obito Uchiha
Despite being one of the final villains in Naruto, Obito was sorely lacking in both strength and power. Besides his Kamui, most of Obito's strength came from the Rinnegan given to him by Madara and the fact that he absorbed the 10-tails.
Without those two factors on his side, Obito would have been little more than an average villain with delusions of grandeur. His Kamui was easy to avoid for those who were fast enough, like Naruto or Sasuke, and his overall fighting ability was not as good as the show wanted fans to believe.
10) Nagato
Another case of a villain gaining power thanks to Madara's broken Dojutsu. Before receiving the Rinnegan, Nagato was an average child who was not interested in fighting. He became stronger thanks to Jiraiya's training, but he was nothing out of the ordinary.
All the powers that made Nagato the powerful villain he was came from Madara's gift, from his Six Paths of Pain to his Shinra Tensei. Without his eyes, Nagato would have stayed as a regular Shinobi for most of his life.
Final thoughts
Liking a character and wanting to prove to others that the reason you love them is valid is something common for most fans. There is nothing wrong with wanting to convince others to spread the love for your favorite character.
Regrettably, that same love often causes fans to overestimate their favorite characters to the point where they no longer accept their favorites have flaws or weaknesses. This is sadly the case for many Naruto characters, like the ones listed above.
This can become counterproductive in the long run, as many people can start avoiding the show because of the obsessive love some fans feel for a certain character.
