6 Strong Characters Who Could Become Hokage

Hokage is a position that is given to the leader of Konohagakure and among all the ninja, they are considered the strongest of the village. It is the duty of the Hokage to protect the village from any threat it faces. Konoha has produced many strong and capable ninja over time, but only seven individuals have achieved this title.

This shows that the competition for this title is undoubtedly tough and brutal. Even with such a low number, there are many other ninja who could have easily earned such a prestigious title. Why they didn't get it was due to a lot of different reasons, making it one of the biggest what-ifs in the entire series. Here are a handful of characters who were eligible for the title of Hokage but unfortunately fell short.

6

Orochimaru

Image via Studio Pierrot

• A member of the legendary Sannin

Orochimaru is a powerful shinobi who stood toe to toe against the likes of Jiraiya. He was a genius trained by Hiruzen Sarutobi himself and was his favorite student. He was a candidate for the position of Fourth Hokage, but was not given the position due to his inhuman experiments. His main goal was to learn all the secrets of the world and he tried to fulfill them by any means necessary. His strength and intelligence made him a prime candidate for Hokage.

5

Sakumo Hatake

Sakumo is the most mysterious character in the entire series. Dubbed a man whose talent put even the Sannin of the Leaf to shame, his reputation spread throughout the ninja world. The Hidden Sand Village held a deep hatred and fear for him even after his death. Moreover, even the likes of Minato respected and admired him as a shinobi, which really spoke volumes for his skills. Unfortunately, he killed himself after saving his comrades due to the ridicule he faced, truly the act of a man who bore the will of fire.

4

Itachi Uchiha

Image via Studio Pierrot.

Itachi needs no introduction as he is one of the best and most memorable characters in the series. He was a genius and a strong shinobi whose mind was similar to that of a Kage. His list of accomplishments is long, including graduating at the young age of 6 and captaining Anbu Black Ops at just 12 years old. They say he was a once-in-a-century talent. His talent and achievements make him an ideal person who could easily become Hokage.

3

Shisui Uchiha

• Shisui's body flickering

Shisui was a man who was renowned as the strongest Uchiha of his time. He was able to become a Jonin and later get his own team in just four years. Even Itachi looked up to him for advice and considered him a big brother. He was a feared shinobi whose genjutsu was considered one of the strongest. Even the likes of Danzo who hated the Uchiha recognized Shisui's power. His death left so much to be desired, and his best results were yet to be fully seen.

2

Jiraiya

Jiraiya was Naruto's teacher and one of the legendary Sannin. He was a powerful shinobi who fought countless battles and survived the harshest conditions. His reputation as a capable shinobi was known throughout the ninja world, even the likes of Akatsuki. His battle IQ was phenomenal as he was able to deduce the truth about Pain in a short period of time. There were many other achievements of his, and due to his stature, he was given the position of Hokage many times, but he turned them all down.

1

Fugaku Uchiha

Fugaku was the father of Itachi and Sasuke and also served as the leader of the Uchiha clan. He was another person who was a candidate for the position of Hokage due to his achievements during the Third Great Ninja War. During that time he was feared for his genjutsu and was one of the few who could take the Nine Tails. He also awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan and was a phenomenal leader who ruled his clan with an iron fist. On many occasions, Fugaku has shown the character of a great leader who would be perfectly suited for the position of Hokage.

Naruto

Release date

2002 – 2007-00-00

Showrunner

Masashi Kishimoto

directors

Hayato's date

Writers

Masashi Kishimoto

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