Inspired by classic anime duos that trace back to Akira’s Tetsuo and Kaneda and Dragon Ball Z's Goku and Vegeta, Naruto and Sasuke perfectly encapsulate a character dynamic quite common in shōnen stories – the best friends who are also great rivals.

The first few arcs of Naruto featured outstanding character writing that saw both characters grow significantly, not only as ninjas but as brothers. That is until the brotherly bond is shaken at the end of Naruto Part 1 when Sasuke leaves his village to follow the evil Orochimaru in the pursuit of power. A heartbreaking battle ensued between the two young warriors that saw Sasuke come out on top, but by the end of Naruto's storyline, their relationship would take on many forms, and the definitive answer to who is stronger between Naruto and Sasuke would be answered.

Two Main Characters, But Only One Can Be Called The Strongest

Naruto's Manga Was Written and Illustrated By Masashi Kishimoto

While Naruto is known for its strong and charismatic ing characters, Sasuke’s story received enough attention for him to be considered a main character in the anime. Sasuke always had his own arcs that were not necessarily tied to Naruto’s, and in some moments during Naruto Shippuden, it felt like the show had branched into two different stories – Sasuke's and Naruto’s. That said, Naruto was Sasuke’s moral com from the start, and the bond between the characters remained throughout Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.

As with the best anime duos, the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke was forged through their constant competition to see who was the strongest. What started as Naruto being jealous of Sasuke’s natural skills evolved into a complex friendship between two characters who were more alike than they imagined and whose lives would define the fate of the shinobi world.

From Naruto to Boruto, Naruto and Sasuke's power levels increased at an incredible rate, making the two characters capable of saving the entire world from god-like foes like Madara and Kaguya. Masashi Kishimoto never wanted to give a definite answer regarding the debate about whether Sasuke was stronger than Naruto, not even in the official Naruto Databooks. Instead, the Naruto anime preferred to depict Naruto and Sasuke as equals, although the characters would alternate power levels according to each arc. Their ultimate clash after the Fourth Shinobi War felt decisive, but its results are arguable.

Naruto vs. Sasuke Fought A Few Times, But Who Won More?

The Two Young Ninjas Fought Together & Against One Another Several Times

In all of Naruto, Naruto and Sasuke have fought five times. The first, which was only revealed during a Naruto Shippuden flashback, took place when Naruto and Sasuke were still at the Ninja Academy – and it ended with Sasuke's victory. The second Naruto vs. Sasuke fight was in Naruto's episode #107, which took place on a hospital rooftop and was stopped by Kakashi. The third and perhaps most famous fight between the two took place at the end of Naruto Part 1 in the Valley of the End, where Sasuke won but chose to spare his comrade's life.

The fourth battle between the fated pair was more of a quick exchange of punches after one of Sasuke's best fights in the franchise, which was the exhaustive and cathartic battle against Danzo Shimura. The fight took place midway through Naruto Shippuden, and while it had no clear winner, it represented one of Sasuke's darkest moments when he nearly killed his subordinate Karin and his future wife, Sakura. Last, the final Naruto vs. Sasuke battle occurred at the end of Naruto Shippuden after Madara and Kaguya were defeated.

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Despite playing a massive role in foiling Kaguya's Infinite Tsukuyomi plans for the planet, Sasuke chose to use his incredible new strength to control the world. He planned to prevent future conflicts by murdering those he felt responsible for the world tensions that led to war, which included all village leaders and even Naruto. In their final battle, Sasuke was out for blood; Naruto had been fighting in the Fourth War longer and was not trying to kill his older friend. Still, Naruto fought the powerful Uchiha to a standstill until both were grievously injured, and Sasuke itted defeat.

The ending of Naruto's manga and Shippuden's anime is highly regarded as incredibly satisfying, and its epilogue effectively leads into the sequel series. Boruto centers around the next generation of ninjas growing up in Konoha, but both Naruto and Sasuke still have prominent roles to play in the events of its story. While the two showed off geography-changing abilities during their final battle, the level of power that Naruto and Sasuke both hold during the Boruto series seems lacking compared to their past strengths. Still, the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, seems to have the upper hand.

Naruto And Sasuke Have Alternated Power Levels

Good Anime Rivals Consistently Push Each Other To Level Up

Throughout Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, the title of the most powerful main character alternates between Naruto and Sasuke. For example, when Team 7 is first put together, Sasuke was clearly stronger than Naruto, as the former was more disciplined, trained, and skillful. However, by the time the final rounds of the Chunnin Exams happen, Naruto had sured Sasuke and was able to defeat Gaara, the One-Tail jinchuriki. The two were a close match in their climactic fight at the end of Part 1, with Sasuke barely earning a win against Naruto.

During Naruto Shippuden’s first few arcs, Sasuke took a considerable lead as the most powerful Naruto main character, as he had perfected his Sharingan and curse-mark abilities thanks to Orochimaru. Naruto eventually learned Sage Mode and sured Sasuke once again, but the two would continue to alternate power levels up until ’s final arc. That said, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, it became more difficult to trace which was the strongest as they both had attained several incredible and even godly power-ups.

Near the end of the series storyline, Naruto and Sasuke discover that they are both the reincarnations of legendary ninjas who've been at odds for several centuries. In order to help save the world, they were both bestowed incredible powers from the Sage of the Six Paths, which made both more than a match for almost any character in Naruto's world. However, after Naruto was willing to grant the energies of every Tailed Beast along with the SotSP's powers, Naruto's strength is more significant than Sasuke's.

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Naruto And Sasuke Are Equals – And Shippuden & Boruto Prove It

Many Years Before Someone Takes The Title of the Strongest Away From Naruto & Sasuke

From the Fourth Great Ninja War to the final Naruto vs. Sasuke fight, Naruto and Sasuke were depicted as near equals. Both of them gained a set of skills that could not be compared to those of any regular shinobi, including Kage-level characters like Gaara, thanks to techniques like Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and Naruto's Sage of Six Paths Mode. Comparing them to every other living ninja in the series, the two Konoha ninjas were both untouchable but with a slight difference.

Even though Naruto fought off Sasuke when he controlled the total chakra reserves of every Tailed Beast, the final fight's end symbolizes how the characters had become equals, which was then brought into Boruto. Naruto and Sasuke may seem weaker in Boruto, but they are still the most powerful shinobi in the world. While both characters lose vital components of their powers in Boruto's later arcs, the question remains in fans' brains: Who is stronger between Naruto and Sasuke in the Boruto series?

Is Naruto Still Stronger Than Sasuke In Boruto?

Tragic Circumstances Take Away Many Of Naruto & Sasuke's Abilities

In order to give newer characters like Boruto, Kawaki, and Sarada time to shine and develop their abilities, Naruto and Sasuke understandably needed to be nerfed for tension to become possible in several of Boruto's arcs. However, everything changed for the ninja world's power hierarchy during the Kawaki arc. To defeat the monstrous Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, Naruto's Tailed Beast sacrifices himself to give his partner a temporary and significant power boost called Baryon Mode. There is little chance Sasuke would have stood a chance against Naruto's ultimate form if he ever had to fight it.

While Naruto lost all of his Nine-Tails powers after the death of Kurama, the same arc also featured the loss of Sasuke's legendary Rinnegan eye. With their most prominent abilities taken away, it's much more unclear who is stronger between Naruto and Sasuke after the Kawaki arc, mainly because they have yet to be put in a situation to display their current level of abilities. With Naruto sealed and Sasuke's final fight in Boruto happening off-screen, the debate on who is stronger in Boruto's current storyline continues to be debatable among fans and will likely continue that way forever.

Sources: Crunchyroll (1,2), Bandai Namco Entertainment/YouTube