Naruto has introduced some of the strongest characters that have an impressive move set and chakra levels. One of the most important aspects of this show is the prevalence of Tailed Beasts. These Tailed Beasts boast an incredible amount of power and chakra levels.
The show features nine individual Tailed Beasts that were derived from the chakra of the Ten Tailed Beast. These giants have been sealed inside humans called Jinchurikis who were able to access their chakra and use their power. While the Nine Tailed Beast aka Kurama is the strongest among the lot, there are some that can defeat him.
Characters that can beat Kurama in Naruto
1) Madara Uchiha
Madara Uchiha was able to force the nine tail beast into carrying out his orders. Madara’s strength in his ten tail Jinchuriki form was even higher since he was able to take on all the tailed beasts at once.
He can also link up with ten tails in his ten tail Jinchuriki form and immediately take down Kurama without struggling too much. Despite Kurama being the strongest among the nine tailed beasts in the Naruto series, he doesn’t stand a chance against Madara.
2) Hashirama Senju
Hashirama Senju was able to take on Madara and 'Kyuubi' cloaked in a Susanoo. His wood release is extremely powerful and he also has the ability to enter Sage Mode.
Since Hashirama was able to beat Madara and Kurama cloaked in a Susanoo, he would be able to take on the nine tailed beast by himself.
3) Kaguya Otsutsuki
Kaguya Otsutsuki wields a level of power that is unfathomable. She is a celestial being who gained her powers after consuming fruit from the God Tree. She has Rinne Sharingan, which is arguably the most powerful dojutsu in the Naruto series.
It took the combined efforts of Naruto, Obito, Sakura, Kakashi and Sasuke to beat this celestial being. Even then, she was way more powerful than the rest and fans believe that she died due to the protagonist and his friends having plot armor.
4) Obito Uchiha
Obito Uchiha is another strong character who possesses immense strength and chakra levels. He eventually became the ten tail Jinchuriki and was able to cause massive destruction. He also has Kamui, which fans believe to be one of the most broken moves in the Naruto series.
However, he can also link up with his ten tail and launch a Bijuu Dama which would cause a lot of damage. He can also enslave Kurama using his Mangekyo Sharingan.
5) Might Guy (Eight Gates)
Might Guy’s strength skyrockets after releasing all Eight Gates. He was so strong that he drove Madara into a corner and landed some heavy blows. Madara also went on to call Might Guy the strongest fighter that he ever faced. All of this happened when Madara was a ten tail Jinchuriki and not in his base form.
Given Might Guy’s power levels after opening all the Gates, he would be able to beat Kurama.
Characters that cannot beat Kurama
1) Neji
Neji is undoubtedly a strong and able shinobi in Naruto. His specialty lies in his use of the Byakugan and fighting at close range.
However, the sheer difference in the chakra reserves and abilities of the two characters is quite high. No matter how hard he tried, he would not be able to beat the Nine Tailed Beast in the Naruto series.
2) Sakura
Sakura’s raw strength can rival some of the strongest characters in the Naruto series. However, she isn't a shinobi that specializes in combat. Her abilities as a medical ninja are unmatched. Even if she uses the Strength of a Hundred Seal, it would only allow her to keep up with the Nine Tailed Beast for a few minutes. However Kurama’s chakra reserves are so high that he can produce lethal attacks effortlessly, which would overwhelm Sakura.
3) Tsunade
Tsunade is yet another strong shinobi in Naruto who is capable of breaking the ribs of a Susanoo with her bare fists. However, that wouldn’t do much against a creature like Kurama. The latter has Bijuu Dama and has the potential to overwhelm five Tailed Beasts simultaneously. While Tsunade too has the Strength of a Hundred Seal, she wouldn’t be able to beat Kurama.
4) Gaara
Gaara too is a tailed beast Jinchuriki who boasts massive chakra levels. He is extremely strong and has proven his strength numerous times during the course of the series.
Despite being extremely versatile with his use of Sand, Gaara from Naruto cannot beat the likes of Kurama. This is simply because of Kurama’s overflowing chakra and his ability to perform destructive jutsus from long range.
5) Hinata
Hinata is another shinobi that relies on her use of Byakugan and close-range fights. However, Kurama would be an extremely bad matchup since he can use long-range attacks. The sheer difference in size could cause problems for Hinata.
Kurama would be able to overwhelm the Hyuga clan member with ease. There is nothing that she can do to counter his attacks such as the Tailed Beast Bomb.
Note: The list is in no particular order and it reflects the author's opinions.