The Hokage is the most skilled shinobi in the lands of Konoha (the Hidden Leaf Village), tasked with leading and protecting the village. Although we were introduced to many other Kage, including the Raikage and Kazekage, in Naruto, we have seen up close notable individuals filling the Hokage position in the anime and manga. There have been a total of 8 Hokages in Konoha's history, from Hashirama Senju to Shikamaru now. Each Hokage contributed to Leaf Village's progress and played an important role in the Fourth Shinobi War. But who is the strongest Hokage of all time? It's a never-ending debate, but we're here to put an end to it. Here are all the Hokages in Naruto, ranked from worst to best.
Hokages were ranked and explained!!
Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers about the characters in Naruto. We suggest watching anime or reading manga to avoid ruining your experience.
Keyboard warriors, please don't be ready to attack me for ranking Shikamaru last. We all thought we would never see another Hokage in the near future as Naruto became one and led Konoha. But things are heating up in the brand new Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga (see where to read Boruto Chapter 1 here). Shikamaru has now become Konoha's eighth Hokage after a series of events. And this led to the fandom already calling him the weakest Hokage yet. Yes! compared to the other Hokages in history, Shikamaru falls to the bottom. But there are other things that make him a great leader, let me know!
Shikamaru may not be equal to the gods in terms of fighting ability. But he is a very intellectual character who can topple his obstacles with a powerful mind. His smarts are totally underrated among the fandom and that is exactly what is needed along with fighting skills to lead the village as a Hokage. Shikamaru has been a war general and later becoming an advisor to the Hokage is a testament. While his overall strength places him below, he still shines with his smarts and is therefore ranked at the last position as of now.
