Viewtiful
Jōnin Strategist 🧠
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With the release on chapter 575 and Kabuto's statement regarding Hashirama's strength and all the buzz that Hashirama MUST be greater than everyone, here's the truth about the strength we know about the 3 most hailed of the Hokage line.
Hiruzen Sarutobi is factually the most powerful Hokage. In the first databook alone, this is stated at least three times (translations by ShounenSuki from Narutopedia):
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”と呼ばれたほどの天才忍者であり、歴代最強の火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、三代目火影を形容する言葉は賞賛に満ちている。」, "'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言われ、„忍の神”と謳われたことも。」, "Sandaime wa rekidai Hokage no naka demo saikyō to iware, 'Shinobi no Kami' to utawareta koto mo")
Similar statements are made in the other two databooks as well.
Hashirama was regarded as the most powerful shinobi in the world in his life, and Kabuto said that no currently living shinobi was on his level, with his supposed strength being regarded by many as much of a myth as the Sage of the Six Paths was. Part of the reason he was hailed as the strongest was his unique ability to control Tailed Beasts perfectly, even multiple ones at once.
The Hashirama that we saw in Part 1 as an Edo wasn't exactly Hashirama fighting. Orochimaru destroyed his mind to make him "a mindless killing machine", taking control of the 1st himself, so I don't think that should be taken as a representation of his abilities.
Minato's power is a bit murkier, a bit less defined. In chapter 158, Jiraiya said that Minato had the potential to become the strongest ninja in history (which includes Hiruzen obviously), to which Tsunade agreed, but he died before that potential was fully realized. A stated in chapter 541 that he was someone he thought would never be surpassed.
Anyway, Hiruzen > Minato & > Hashirama as far as Kishimoto is concerned.
He wasn't called the "God of Shinobi" for nothing
As for Hashirama vs. Minato, I think we've seen far too little of them both and the scope of their respective skill sets to compare them to each other. Minato in particular, seeing as he died in his 20s and we never got to see him pressured by his opponents in the small skirmishes we've seen him in. There certainly are very few single shinobi in history that can pressure him, if even A & B together couldn't do so.
Perhaps we'll get to see a Gaiden for these two characters from Kishimoto in the future to see what they're really capable of. I really hope so anyway.
Hiruzen Sarutobi is factually the most powerful Hokage. In the first databook alone, this is stated at least three times (translations by ShounenSuki from Narutopedia):
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”と呼ばれたほどの天才忍者であり、歴代最強の火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、三代目火影を形容する言葉は賞賛に満ちている。」, "'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言われ、„忍の神”と謳われたことも。」, "Sandaime wa rekidai Hokage no naka demo saikyō to iware, 'Shinobi no Kami' to utawareta koto mo")
Similar statements are made in the other two databooks as well.
Hashirama was regarded as the most powerful shinobi in the world in his life, and Kabuto said that no currently living shinobi was on his level, with his supposed strength being regarded by many as much of a myth as the Sage of the Six Paths was. Part of the reason he was hailed as the strongest was his unique ability to control Tailed Beasts perfectly, even multiple ones at once.
The Hashirama that we saw in Part 1 as an Edo wasn't exactly Hashirama fighting. Orochimaru destroyed his mind to make him "a mindless killing machine", taking control of the 1st himself, so I don't think that should be taken as a representation of his abilities.
Minato's power is a bit murkier, a bit less defined. In chapter 158, Jiraiya said that Minato had the potential to become the strongest ninja in history (which includes Hiruzen obviously), to which Tsunade agreed, but he died before that potential was fully realized. A stated in chapter 541 that he was someone he thought would never be surpassed.
Anyway, Hiruzen > Minato & > Hashirama as far as Kishimoto is concerned.
He wasn't called the "God of Shinobi" for nothing
As for Hashirama vs. Minato, I think we've seen far too little of them both and the scope of their respective skill sets to compare them to each other. Minato in particular, seeing as he died in his 20s and we never got to see him pressured by his opponents in the small skirmishes we've seen him in. There certainly are very few single shinobi in history that can pressure him, if even A & B together couldn't do so.
Perhaps we'll get to see a Gaiden for these two characters from Kishimoto in the future to see what they're really capable of. I really hope so anyway.
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