Even if you point out that Iruka could have some bias or that characters that have stated this don't know anything, Kishimoto himself says in every databook that Hiruzen in his prime was the most powerful Hokage. In the first databook alone, this is stated at least three times:
Page 117: "He is such a genius ninja that he was even called the 'Professor', and he still garners everyone's respect as the strongest Hokage in history." (「„プロフェッサー”と呼ばれたほ� �� ��の天才忍者であり、歴代最強の�� �影 として皆の尊敬を集め続ける。」, "'Purofessā' to yobareta hodo no tensai ninja de ari, rekidai saikyō no Hokage toshite mina no sonkei o atsume tsuzukeru")
Page 119: "'Strongest in history', 'genius', et cetera, the words used to describe the Third Hokage are filled with respect." (「„歴代最強”„天才”など、三代� �� ��火影を形容する言葉は賞賛に満�� �て いる。」, "'Rekidai saikyō' 'tensai' nado, Sandaime Hokage o keiyōsuru kotoba wa shōsan ni michite iru.")
Page 265: "The Third is called the strongest, even among the past Hokage, and he is even admired as the 'God of Shinobi'." (「三代目は歴代火影の中でも最強と� �� ��われ、„忍の神”と謳われたこ�� �も 。」, "Sandaime wa rekidai Hokage no naka demo saikyō to iware, 'Shinobi no Kami' to utawareta koto mo")
Being old=/= being irrelevant. Both the 2nd AND the 3rd databook state the same thing.
I know alot of you don't want to accept it because you've only seen the old man version (which i'll admit would lose to Minato probably), but in his prime he was said to have surpassed his predessors and was known as the 'God of Shinobi'.
The fact is, even at the age of 69 Hiruzen was still able to hold his own against edo Hashirama and Tobirama, not to mention Orochimaru. Add to that the fact he still had enough in the tank to use Death reaper jutsu on himself and 2 other shadow clones. This at age 69.
Page 117: "He is such a genius ninja that he was even called the 'Professor', and he still garners everyone's respect as the strongest Hokage in history." (「„プロフェッサー”と呼ばれたほ� �� ��の天才忍者であり、歴代最強の�� �影 として皆の尊敬を集め続ける。」, "'Purofessā' to yobareta hodo no tensai ninja de ari, rekidai saikyō no Hokage toshite mina no sonkei o atsume tsuzukeru")
Page 119: "'Strongest in history', 'genius', et cetera, the words used to describe the Third Hokage are filled with respect." (「„歴代最強”„天才”など、三代� �� ��火影を形容する言葉は賞賛に満�� �て いる。」, "'Rekidai saikyō' 'tensai' nado, Sandaime Hokage o keiyōsuru kotoba wa shōsan ni michite iru.")
Page 265: "The Third is called the strongest, even among the past Hokage, and he is even admired as the 'God of Shinobi'." (「三代目は歴代火影の中でも最強と� �� ��われ、„忍の神”と謳われたこ�� �も 。」, "Sandaime wa rekidai Hokage no naka demo saikyō to iware, 'Shinobi no Kami' to utawareta koto mo")
Being old=/= being irrelevant. Both the 2nd AND the 3rd databook state the same thing.
I know alot of you don't want to accept it because you've only seen the old man version (which i'll admit would lose to Minato probably), but in his prime he was said to have surpassed his predessors and was known as the 'God of Shinobi'.
The fact is, even at the age of 69 Hiruzen was still able to hold his own against edo Hashirama and Tobirama, not to mention Orochimaru. Add to that the fact he still had enough in the tank to use Death reaper jutsu on himself and 2 other shadow clones. This at age 69.
