The moment is unforgettable. Team 7 is waiting for their sensei, and suddenly a man with a mask over his mouth appears. This character is Kakashi Hatake, and he would quickly take the fandom by storm. From his early arc as a jonin leader to the protagonist to his time as Hokage, Kakashi never stopped impressing viewers. His sleek design and impressive catalog of jutsu made him a favorite quickly.
With that favoritism came a pedestal. Kakashi is considered one of the strongest shinobi in the entire Naruto series by fans and critics alike. His notoriety as the copycat ninja and Chidori creator bulked up the legends of his strength. Many fans cannot imagine him being beaten. Kakashi is a master of the Sharingan and wins most of the battles he is involved in over the series. However, all of this strength does not mean other shinobi are not stronger.
To be clear this list is about 20 characters that are stronger than Kakashi, but stronger does not mean overwhelmingly stronger. To gain entry on this list a character only needs to be able to stalemate with Kakashi. Also, some of these shinobi may just be notably stronger in one form of jutsu. Kakashi defeats some of the characters on this list, but if he struggles significantly, then that character can be included. No entry is meant to assert that the character is more powerful; instead, these entries are opinions that speak towards a character that may possibly overcome Kakashi in a one on one battle. Obviously, Kakashi is one of the strongest characters in the series, but that does not mean some characters have enough strength to match the Hero of the Sharingan.
With all this overhead out of the way, it’s time to jump into Naruto: 20 Characters That Are Stronger Than Kakashi.
Itachi
Itachi is one of the strongest of the Uchiha clan. He is one of the youngest graduates of the ninja academy in Konoha. On top of this, he mastered the Mangekyo Sharingan and knows how to utilize the Susanoo fully. Ultimately, Itachi is an overwhelming opponent with all the combat skills necessary to match up with any character in the show.
Kakashi does battle Itachi early in the series. Itachi ends up trapping him in a genjutsu and draining Kakashi. The contest basically ends up in a loss for Kakashi, but that is somewhat debatable. Still, Itachi shows more control over his Sharingan and the ability to match Kakashi.
Gaara
Gaara is one of the youngest kage ever. Gaara is known for his ability to manipulate sand and his dominant defense. He lacks taijutsu, but his talents usually make up for that. Having these two kage square off would be worth the view.
Kakashi can penetrate most of Gaara’s defensives jutsu, but the two have not faced off. Gaara’s sand coffin is nearly impossible to escape, and Gaara has displayed the ability to square off against Sasuke with a semi-developed Susanoo. However, Kakashi is a skilled tactician and would likely be able to defeat Gaara. Still, Gaara is a worthy opponent and is stronger in some areas.
Jiraiya
A legendary Sannin is always worth considering for a list like this. Jiraiya is the toad sage and shows consistent ability throughout the series. His fight with Pain highlighted the totality of his ability. That being said, it is hard to say Jiraiya is definitely stronger.
On the one hand, Jiraiya seems to have the durability and ninjutsu to match Kakashi. On the other hand, Jiraiya does not seem capable of matching the Sharingan. The two both have incredible strength, and Jiraiya’s sage mode may give him a distinct advantage. His toad jutsu give him astonishing range and the durability will allow him to hold up to Kakashi’s early barrage.
Killer B
Killer B is one of the most talented jinchuuriki. His skill with swords is nearly unmatched in the series. He is capable of controlling the eight-tailed chakra to its full potential. This strength means Killer B has speed and chakra reserves roughly unmatched in the entire manga.
Kakashi is familiar with dealing with the strength of a tailed beast. He is assigned to Naruto’s team to monitor Naruto’s development as a jinchuuriki. Ultimately, this aspect of Kakashi’s skill set means he can likely match up to Killer B well. However, Killer B’s talent with swords is a distinct variable. This ability may give him an upper-hand to at least stalemate Kakashi.
Kabuto
In the early moments of the series, Kabuto is said to match Kakashi in strength. Kabuto is a talented medical-nin with a distinct knowledge of the human body. His inability to match a shinobi in one on one is a notable weakness, but Kabuto makes up for it with his intellect.
Kabuto has the reanimation jutsu that gives him a numbers advantage, and he is connected with Orochimaru’s strength by the end of the show. If Kabuto is on the same plane as Kakashi early on in the series, then it is safe to say that does not change by the end of the manga/show. Kabuto is not the strongest shinobi, but he is never an easy opponent. This entry would give Kakashi a lot of trouble.
Kakuzu
This Akatsuki member actually battles Kakashi in the series. Kakuzu is difficult to eliminate and shows an ability to capture jinchuuriki with ease. He cannot away easily because he has multiple hearts. The unique ability gives Kakashi trouble in their battle.
Kakuzu is incredibly fast and even catches Kakashi’s Lightning Cutter at one point. He shows the strength to overwhelm Kakashi in pure combat, but the tactical ability is not the same. Kakashi holds the intellectual advantage, and that advantage is how he gains leverage over Kakuzu. Still, Kakuzu literally holds Kakashi to a stalemate, and that is worth an entry to this list.
Hiruzen Sarutobi
It is hard to compare Hokage to Hokage. The Third Hokage is the first one fans are introduced to in the show. Hiruzen Sarutobi shows a distinct ability to use nature release and master a multitude of Justus. He is the professor for a reason. His leadership and intelligence are remarkable.
Fans never see the third Hokage at his peak, but it is safe to say that he matches Kakashi. Kakashi is capable of using all five nature releases and can copy nearly all jutsu. The two are masters of similar areas, but that does not mean the third is not stronger. At his peak, Hiruzen Sarutobi matches Kakashi. The two would give the fans an excellent fight, and many want to see this hypothetical matchup.
Nagato
Fans never thought they would see Kakashi away, yet it happens during Pain's assault. Nagato’s Six Paths of Pain is a deadly combination that Kakashi struggles against. The Deva Path matches up against Kakashi and nearly eliminates him once. Then, to save Choji, Kakashi uses the last of his Chakra and es away.
Nagato pushes Kakashi to the limit with two of his paths. However, if Kakashi was in better tactical position, then he likely could have overcome this opponent. Still, the fact the battle technically eliminates Kakashi means Nagato is stronger than Kakashi in at least some ways.
Might Guy
Might Guy always finds his way onto these lists. The handsome devil of the Leaf Village is a taijutsu master. His strength and speed are nearly unmatched in the entire series. In fact, Kakashi its that Guy is stronger in some ways.
Guy can unlock all eight gates and knows how to battle against the Sharingan. He lost to Kakashi in the finals of the Chunin Exam when they were young, but Guy works hard not to lose again to his rival. The goal of beating Kakashi makes Guy a more powerful ninja. He builds his tactics around defeating Kakashi, and his taijutsu is better. Kakashi is not a taijutsu scrub, but Guy is one of the best. This advantage means Guy is definitely worthy of inclusion.
Shisui
Shisui Uchiha is more myth than fact. Fans do not see Shisui battle much in the actual series, but characters claim he is as strong as Itachi. Shisui is an elite member of the Uchiha clan and also had the Mangekyo Sharingan. He is also capable of manifesting a full Susanoo.
The argument that he is stronger than Kakashi is similar to the case for Itachi. Shisui likely matches Kakashi on taijutsu talent and is probably a more skilled Sharingan wielder. Shisui’s body flicker ability is a match-buster, and Kakashi would struggle against it. The speed factor is hard to ignore. Kakashi is fast, but probably not that fast.