5 anime characters who can beat Sasuke & Naruto without effort (& 5 who never will)

Naruto and Sasuke, circa Boruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)
Naruto and Sasuke, circa Boruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Naruto and Sasuke from Naruto have become legends in their own right over their series' history. The remarkable exploits and feats of these two ninjas have captivated fans worldwide and have naturally led to some debate over who can and cannot defeat them.

There are obvious candidates for those who can defeat them, but there are even new-age heroes who won't be able to touch them no matter how hard they try. This list will document five anime characters from each category.

Note: This article will contain spoilers for the various anime discussed. It also reflects only the author's opinions.


Five anime characters that trounce Naruto and Sasuke

1) Goku and Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z)

Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta (Image via Twitter)
Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta (Image via Twitter)

This iconic duo from Dragon Ball Z is way out of Naruto and Sasuke's leagues. Besides being the dream match that most shonen fans would love, it's not even a contest.

Goku and Vegeta have not only triumphed against people with the power to destroy entire planets but have trained under people who can destroy universes with nary a thought.

Add in their speed, Saiyan endurance, super forms that can make them faster than light, very powerful super moves that can break planets, and penchant for fighting harder and quicker as fights continue, and Naruto and Sasuke would lose.

It'd be more fun to watch Naruto vs. Goku in an eating competition while Sasuke and Vegeta talk about their families or just snark at each other.


2) Rimuru Tempest (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)

Fanmade image of Rimiru Tempest: Demon Lord form (Image via Reddit user Spiritual-Function)
Fanmade image of Rimiru Tempest: Demon Lord form (Image via Reddit user Spiritual-Function)

Rimuru Tempest, from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, is quite the character, having gone from a hapless slime to an all-powerful god of creation in his isekai universe. While the question of whether or not his powers would transfer or translate over to Naruto well or vice versa is valid, if they do, then Naruto and Sasuke don't stand a chance.

Rimuru has gone through overpowered opponents before and come out on top. He's impervious to pain, can nullify physical attacks, and is highly resistant to elemental attacks.

Throw in Rimiru's absorbing abilities and adaptation time being faster than most humans can think, and Naruto and Sasuke don't stand a chance.


3) Entire Straw Hat crew (One Piece)

Straw Hats of One Piece (Image via Toei Animation)
Straw Hats of One Piece (Image via Toei Animation)

Frankly, the entire Straw Hat crew from One Piece are already several leagues ahead of Naruto and Sasuke. It may seem hyperbolic but consider their varied abilities. For instance:

  • Luffy is a rubber band in human form, with only water able to truly damage him. He also has his body amplifying Gear system, Gear 5 especially not taking any kind of effort to summon and allows him to alter reality.
  • Zoro's sword skills are second only to some of the greatest sworders in One Piece. Plus, his version of the spiritual Haki energy allows him to harden his blades to cut down dragons, in particular, giving Wano Arc villain Kaidou a permanent scar. His strength is enough to lift a collapsing building.
  • Sanji's genetic modifications have him moving faster than humans can perceive. His fiery kicking fighting style is hot enough to burn opponents severely even when attacks miss.
  • Usopp is an expert marksman and possesses a tactical sense that can defeat even other Devil Fruit users.

With their varied abilities, the Straw Hat crew will surely be more than a match for Naruto and Sasuke. If all else fails, they can always rely on Luffy's Gear system, particularly Gear 5, which makes everything go cartoon physics and allows him unlimited control of reality, provided he can sustain the form and can go into it at any time.


4) Koro Sensei (Assassination Classroom)

Official poster of Assassination Classroom (Image credits: Yusei Matsui/ Brian's Base/ Shueisha/ Viz Media)
Official poster of Assassination Classroom (Image credits: Yusei Matsui/ Brian's Base/ Shueisha/ Viz Media)

This may sound particularly silly, but this grinning octopus man was once the deadliest assassin in the shonen anime Assassination Classroom. It was before antimatter experimentation gave him a nearly invulnerable body, resulting in Koro Sensei being almost impervious to pain, among other things like poison immunity and Mach 20 speed.

To put this simply, Koro Sensei cannot be killed, save for Anti-Sensei weapons unique to his universe. It means all of Naruto and Sasuke's abilities would be nearly useless against him.

At least the two ninjas will get a valuable learning experience out of it!


5) The Anti-Spiral (Gurren Lagann)

The Anti-Spiral (Image via wallpapers.com)
The Anti-Spiral (Image via wallpapers.com)

The Anti-Spiral is the perfect combination of god, alien, and universal destroyer all in one. This massive being is the combination of all Anti-Spirals, who seek the complete eradication of all life to stop Spiral Nemesis from coming to fruition.

It took Team Dai-Gurren forming a universe-sized drill to destroy that thing.

Since Naruto and Sasuke have neither a giant robot nor universal power like that, it's doubtful they'd be able to stand against the Anti-Spiral. Their most significant feats were cracking the moon and destroying meteorites from it. Likewise, tons of super-powerful opponents.

However, these pale compared to the Anti-Spiral whacking Dai-Gurren around in space with planets and using a Big Bang as an attack.


Five anime characters who can only dream of besting Sasuke and Naruto

1) The Elric Brothers (Fullmetal Alchemist)

The Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse (Image via Richard/Pinterest)
The Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse (Image via Richard/Pinterest)

Though this first entry may be controversial, neither Elric possesses the speed to keep up with Naruto or Sasuke. Conversely, the latter two have dealt with people who use traps, summoning circles, and whatnot to attack. Not to mention, they have battled and broken harder metals than automail.

However, again, this wouldn't be an all-out fight. Well, not for Sasuke or Al, at least. Ed and Naruto being blonde and somewhat hot-blooded, would probably be the first to start fighting. But again, there's nothing the Elrics have that can reasonably stand against either a Tailed Beast Bomb or any of Sasuke's visual abilities.


2) The League of Villains (My Hero Academia)

League of Villains fanmade image (Image via TheCalendork/Reddit)
League of Villains fanmade image (Image via TheCalendork/Reddit)

The League is such a massive threat in My Hero Academia because, barring All Might or Endeavor, no one is powerful or cunning enough to truly challenge them or stay on their heels. It often takes all the heroes to come and aid people, especially if Nomu are involved, and Class 1-A's multiple clashes with them usually end in the villains retreating.

Now, what if Naruto and Sasuke were involved with the Pro Heroes? The League wouldn't stand a chance.

Sasuke's Amaterasu would cancel or overwhelm Dabi's flames. At the same time, Uzumaki would have more than enough shadow clones to overcome Twice. The list goes on.

The only ones the two ninjas would have trouble with are All for One, who has a ton of quirks, Tomura Shigaraki, whose quirk is an instant kill, and Nomu, who are all ultra-strong.


3) Killua Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter)

Killua is the most liked character in Hunter x Hunter (Image via Madhouse)
Killua is the most liked character in Hunter x Hunter (Image via Madhouse)

The lightning-fast assassin of Hunter X Hunter would've been a threat against early Naruto and Sasuke, especially with his speed and lightning-based attacks. Late-stage Shippuden or Boruto level, however? It's an entirely different story.

Both ninjas in the late Shippuden and Boruto have graduated to speed that can best or match Killua. Not to mention Sasuke's handy space-time teleport and the plethora of genjutsu that can help since Killua doesn't have experience with that level of illusion.

Readers can think of this one as a training match because it's doubtful they'd seriously kill the kid.


4) Jotaro Kujo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventures)

Jotaro Kujo  (Image via David Productions).
Jotaro Kujo (Image via David Productions).

Much as Jotaro Kujo is a powerhouse and can stop time for a certain number of seconds, he's only human. Jotaro does possess plenty of destructive power and is crafty and adaptable. The only problem is that Naruto Uzumaki's healing factor is great enough to stop any of Star Platinum's blows from doing significant damage.

Sasuke's speed and a general plethora of techniques would also confuse Jotaro, as he's been caught and stopped by illusions before. Alone, either ninja could do severe damage, and together, Jotaro wouldn't stand a chance without backup.

Even with the element of surprise, Star Platinum wouldn't be able to keep up with the two.


5) The Titans (Attack on Titan)

Attack on Titan season 4 Finale (Image via MAPPA)
Attack on Titan season 4 Finale (Image via MAPPA)

The Attack on Titan universe is notable because of the Titans themselves and people who can morph into these creatures. They all have their own class of abilities and power sets that make them formidable, even for stronger anime characters.

The fact that they can only be killed via nape destruction, and for shifters, complete annihilation also makes them a big deal.

It won't be easy, especially with the Armored, Beast, and Eren's Titan form, but Naruto and Sasuke have their kaiju summons (toads and snakes) plus Kurama's massive Tailed Beast form and Sasuke's completed Susanoo. With these transformations, they can pull off any number of devastating moves to stop the Titans from advancing cold.

Naruto can also boost the Scouts with Tailed Beast cloaks, and multiple Rasenshurikens have been proven to slice through formidable and massive foes before, like the God tree. Sasuke's Indra's Arrow and other long-range techniques have also proven effective against giant opponents.


In summation

Throughout their adventures, Sasuke and Naruto encounter many difficulties and adversaries, and as a result, their strength has significantly increased. However, there are characters in the wide universe of anime that have skills and strength levels that could either easily defeat them or have no chance against their might. There are always going to be characters that can both challenge and be challenged by our favourite ninja duo since the anime universe is so dynamic.


As Naruto celebrates its 20th year of release since its debut with four new episodes coming in September 2023, be sure to follow us for Naruto-related updates and news.

This article was modified on Thursday, September 07, at 02:30 am.

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Edited by Ravi Iyer
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