Since 1999, the most powerful Naruto characters featured in over 70 manga volumes and 700+ animated television episodes. Over the course of two decades, creator Masashi Kishimoto introduced fans to many memorable characters. Some of these characters were goofy and endearing, while others were incredibly threatening – and they all had various levels of powers and abilities. Discerning a Naruto power ranking is no easy task.

With a range of abilities and different strengths, it is hard to determine precisely whether one character was more capable in battle than another. The most powerful characters in the Naruto franchise are those who can stand alone against a sea of enemies. Training, natural talent, and inherited skills from specific bloodlines all made for some seriously formidable fighters, including the titular Naruto himself. Of course, just because the franchise features his story doesn't necessarily mean Naruto is the most powerful character.

50 Rock Lee, The Genius Of Hardwork

Debuted in Manga Chapter #36 & Episode #21 of Naruto

During his introductory arc, Rock Lee quickly became one of Naruto's greatest and most powerful characters. Without the ability to manipulate chakra the same way other ninjas can, Lee was among the easiest ninjas to relate to, which made it all the more triumphant when he showed up to save the day at the last moment with nothing but his fists and kicks.

By solely focusing on his speed and power, both of which become multiplied by using the Eight Gates technique, Rock Lee becomes one of the most dangerous hand-to-hand fighters in the franchise. Unfortunately, the character was not given much to do in the story's latter half. Still, by the end of Shippuden, Lee could unlock up to the Sixth gate of the technique Guy taught him, a level of strength Guy used to defeat foes of the caliber of Akatsuki's Kisame.

49 Hyūga Neji, The Silent Fist

Debuted Chapter #36 of the Manga & Episode #21 of Naruto

Neji was regarded as Konoha's strongest student when he was first introduced. His Byakugan eyes allowed him to see nearly everything around him within 800 meters, enemy weak points, and even through walls. Neji's mastery of the Byakugan, combined with his incredible Taijutsu skills, enabled the Hyuga shinobi to perform brutally precise strikes with his Gentle Fist fighting style. With Gentle Fist and his eyes, Neji could potentially shut down any ninja's chakra pathways and deal fatal damage to internal organs with his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms within seconds

Each of his abilities saw significant improvement during the Naruto series time skip. Neji was able to create effective air blasts by forcing chakra through his hands. This upgrade also improved his Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation shield technique, which has Neji expelling chakra while spinning at an incredible speed, able to deflect many attacks and deal chakra-disrupting damage to any opponent who gets too close.

48 Kimimaro, Sole Survivor of the Kaguya Clan

Debuted Chapter #199 of the Manga & Episode #118 of Naruto

Kimimaro’s unique abilities, which involved bone protruding from his skin to use as weapons, made him extremely strong in a fight. He’s got incredible hand-to-hand combat skills as well. Unfortunately, the bulk of the time that the Naruto audience knew Kimimaro was when he was afflicted by an unknown illness that made it nearly impossible for him to last in a fight.

Kimimaro was able, even while sick, to battle a young Naruto, then Rock Lee, and then Gaara. At the time, the three of them weren’t nearly as powerful as they would become - or as experienced in a fight. He died in the middle of battle though as his illness has weakened him so much that prior to the confrontation he was mostly bedridden.

47 Elder Of The Sand And Master Of Puppets Chiyo

Debuted in Chapter #252 of the Manga, Episode #9 of Shippuden

While the series does an uneven job of exploring it, the past generations of ninjas in the Naruto series have endured decades of brutal and demanding warfare. During times when peace was a faraway hope, the Sand Village's Chiyo made a name for herself with her mastery of poisons and puppetry, even taking down an entire enemy stronghold single-handily with her best tools: The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets.

During Chiyo and Sakura's incredible battle against Sasori and his army of a thousand highly poisonous puppets, the Sand Elder more than proved her reputation. With stunning control of chakra threads, Chiyo and her puppet's incredible feats of taijutsu and elemental attacks, she decimated dozens of foes in seconds. The action showcased was outstanding, but fans were never shown what the kunoichi could accomplish at the peak of her strength.

46 Third Kazekage, the Iron Sand

Debuted Chapter #690 of the Manga & Episode #457 of Shippuden

A shinobi who developed the powerful ability to manipulate Iron Sand, combining his chakra with magnetic manipulation to control the iron elements. This technique allows him to use a variety of skills to outwit his opponents.

After being killed by Sasori, the Third Kazekage returns during the Fourth Shinobi World War after being revived by Kabuto's technique. The Third Kazekage's Kekkei Genkai gives him the power of magnetic control, which renders weapon attacks ineffective against him and allows him to manipulate anything made of iron. For these reasons, he is considered the strongest Kazekage prior to Gaara.

45 Sasori of the Red Sand

Debuted chapter #246 of the Manga & Episode #2 of Shippuden

Puppetry was one of the strangest specialties in the Naruto franchise. It involved literally controlling puppets to battle enemies. Sasori was, quite possibly, the most powerful puppet master in Naruto. He’s so effective against his enemies that he has the nickname “Sasori of the Red Sand” for the blood his puppets have spilled. He didn’t just use puppets of his own creation either. Sasori turned some of his victims into puppets, like the Third Kazekage.

Of course, he’s not the strongest fighter in the franchise as he did lose to Konan in a fight, which is how he ended up a member of the Akatsuki in the first place. His abilities seemed largely uneven throughout his appearances. Still though, even one of Akatsuki's weakest is enough to be a major threat that requires a powerful team to take down.

44 Hidan The Immortal Butcher

Debuted Chapter #312 of the Manga & Episode #71 of Shippuden

Hidan is one of the Naruto series' most broken characters because he has literally achieved what so many villains strive to gain: immortality. The Akatsuki member can survive being impaled, exploded, and even beheaded. Though Hidan attributes this to the worship of his god, Jashin, it seems the truth is actually that he was experimented on. Regardless of his immortality's source though, Hidan's endurance makes him a potent threat.

He uses a huge triple-bladed scythe with a large chain attached to it, which makes it easy to make opponents bleed, a pivotal component to Hidan's secret curse technique: Death Possession Blood. The attack essentially turns Hidan's body into a Voodoo doll that shares damage with his opponent, a brutal trick when the caster is immortal.

43 Nara Shikamaru, Konoha's Greatest Tactician

Debuted Chapter #34 of the Manga & Episode #1 of Naruto

When Naruto first began, Shikamaru Nara was, by his own ission, the laziest student at the shinobi academy. He found school boring as he picked up skills quickly, and he very quickly mastered his family's specialty - controlling shadows. Shikamaru used his own shadow to quite literally reach out to his opponents and control them. It's a feat he's able to control for long periods of time despite not having the immense chakra reserves of others. That isn't, however, why he's so powerful. Instead, it's how he used his abilities.

Shikamaru was one of the most strategic shinobi. His intelligence was legendary. Always several steps ahead of everyone else, Shikamaru knew exactly when to pull his punches, conserve his energy, and how to use the surrounding environment to his advantage. That's why he's able to take on Hidan by himself when no one else could. He became so adept that he's eventually advisor to the Hokage, though Shikamaru would make a great Hokage himself.

42 Yamato is a Fitting Replacement for Kakashi

Debuted Chapter #284 of the Manga & Episode #4 of Shippuden

When Kakashi was away from his students for an extended mission, Yamato took over as a mentor for Naruto and Sakura (and the added Sai). He might not have had all of Kakashi's skills, but he's chosen for one very big reason. Yamato had the skills to actually tame the nine-tailed beast inside of Naruto.

When Naruto started to lose control during training, Yamato was the only one able to reign him in. That, along with his ability to use Wood Release, something very few shinobi ever do, made him an incredibly powerful character in Naruto. Though he was mostly overshadowed by Kakashi, he was still an important member of Team 7 and a powerful substitute for Kakashi. If he was subbing in for anyone else, Yamato would have been a big upgrade, which just speaks to how incredibly strong Kakashi truly is.

41 Suigetsu Hozuki, Bearer of Kubikiribōchō

Debuted Chapter #356 of the Manga & Episode #115 of Shippuden

Suigetsu, from the Village Hidden in the Mist, has his sights set on collecting all seven ninja swords from his village. Suigetsu is great at stealth and rescue missions thanks to his ability to transform his body into water, which allows him to cause significant damage and avoid attacks with relative ease. It also makes for a perfect combo with Kubikiribōchō after he looted it from Zabuza's grave.

Through his training with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he can wield one of the deadliest Seven Swords of the Mist to its full potential. This can be seen in his mission to capture a Tailed Beast Mode Killer B and go head-to-head with Darui.