The Hokage is the leader of Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village, and one of the most powerful shinobi in the world.
The Hokage is responsible for protecting the village from threats both foreign and domestic, and they are also the symbol of hope and unity for the people of Konoha.
There have been seven Hokage in Konoha’s history, each of whom has made their own unique mark on the village. In this article, we will take a look at each of the Hokage, in order, and discuss their strengths, weaknesses, and contributions to Konoha.
Hokages In Naruto and Boruto In Order
There have been seven Hokage in the village’s history: Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Minato Namikaze, Tsunade, Kakashi Hatake, Naruto Uzumaki.
- Hashirama Senju (First Hokage)
- Tobirama Senju (Second Hokage)
- Hiruzen Sarutobi (Third Hokage)
- Minato Namikaze (Fourth Hokage)
- Tsunade (Fifth Hokage)
- Kakashi Hatake (Sixth Hokage)
- Naruto Uzumaki (Seventh Hokage)
1. Hashirama Senju (First Hokage)
Hashirama was the leader of the Senju clan, founder, and First Hokage of Konoha.
His dreams were to create a peaceful world without violence and bloodshed.
Even though he failed in attaining this during his lifetime, his legacy and perspective were able to influence the village and the entire shinobi community.
Hashirama is regarded as the strongest shinobi of his era, rivaled only by Madara Uchiha.
He is well-known for his Wood Release technique, which allows him to manipulate plants and wood.
His god-tier skills, combined with his ability to regenerate, earned him the moniker “God of Shinobi.”
Hashirama’s cause of death wasn’t explicitly stated in the series. However, it is known that he passed away during the First Great Ninja War.
2. Tobirama Senju (Second Hokage)
Tobirama Senju succeeded his brother Hashirama to become the second Hokage of Konoha.
He adhered to his brother’s principles and contributed significantly to the development of the village by establishing the ANBU, Police Force, Chunin exams, and Konoha academy.
Like his older brother, Hashirama, Tobirama has mastery over all five natures. However, he is well known for his superb water technique mastery.
Tobirama invented several powerful jutsu, most classified as forbidden, including the Flying Thunder God, Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation, and the popular Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Although he was a formidable shinobi, his regime was cut short during the Second Great Ninja War by Ginkaku and Kinkaku as he acted as a decoy to shield the next generation.
He designated Hiruzen as his successor and fought bravely against the Kinkaku team till the end.
3. Hiruzen Sarutobi (Third Hokage)
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a protégé of the first two Hokages, making him the front-runner for the title. He was appointed by Tobirama just before he died to keep the will of fire burning.
He was regarded as “The Professor” and “The God of Shinobi” due to his extensive Jutsu knowledge and unrivaled strength.
Hiruzen stepped down and passed the reins to Minato Namikaze. However, upon Minato’s death, he reclaimed the position of Hokage and lost his life defending the village against Orochimaru’s invasion.
4. Minato Namikaze (Fourth Hokage)
Before retiring, The Third Hokage genuinely preferred Orochimaru to be the next Hokage, but at that point, he had become a rogue shinobi.
The Third then chose Jiraiya as the second-best alternative, but he declined the invitation and recommended his student, Namikaze Minato, instead.
Minato, popularly known as Konoha’s yellow flash and Naruto’s father, is one of the youngest Hokage of Konoha who didn’t get to live for long.
Like his predecessors, Minato is an exceptional shinobi. To name a few, he created the widely used Rasengan we know today.
He also perfected and improved the Second Hokage’s Flying Raijin jutsu, which made him the fastest shinobi of his time.
Minato was appointed as Hokage upon the conclusion of the Third Great Ninja War.
Unfortunately, his reign was short-lived when Obito attacked the village soon after the war. Following his death, Hiruzen, The Third Hokage, reclaimed the position of Hokage.
5. Tsunade (Fifth Hokage)
Tsunade is one of Konoha’s Legendary Sanins and the only woman to hold the position of Hokage.
She is the student of Hiruzen, The Third Hokage, and granddaughter of the First Hokage, Hasirama Senju.
She initially turned down the position as Hokage as she believed it to be a fool’s job. However, after meeting Naruto Uzumaki, she felt compelled to change her perspective.
Tsunade is famous for her tremendous strength and mastery of healing abilities, making her the strongest kunoichi and medical-nin of her time.
She stepped down as Hokage following the Fourth Great Shinobi War and chose Kakashi to take her place.
We haven’t seen much of her since then; however, there’s always room for her return.
6. Kakashi Hatake (Sixth Hokage)
Popularly known as the “Copy Ninja” or “Kakashi of the Sharingan,” Kakashi is an elite shinobi and one of the most remarkable characters in the series.
He played the role of the 6th Hokage temporarily when Tsunade was out of commission after pain attacked the village and then went on to officially become the 6th Hokage after the Fourth Great Shinobi War.
Kakashi lost his renowned sharingan during the war, making him less strong than the previous Hokage.
Nevertheless, he retained his position for 13 years before handing it over to Naruto.
He made a tremendous impact over those 13 years as he had to cope with the aftermath of the concluded war and reconstruct the village from scratch.
7. Naruto Uzumaki (Seventh Hokage)
Naruto Uzumaki is the seventh and current Hokage of Konoha. We can’t expect anything less as the main protagonist, son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato, and a student of the Sixth, Kakashi.
His sole objective growing up was to become the Hokage, and he went to great lengths to achieve it.
Despite a bumpy beginning, he gradually mastered a variety of Jutsu and earned the respect of his fellow ninjas and the village.
Naruto is now considered one of the strongest characters in the series, rivaled only by gods.
Read more: Does Naruto Die in Boruto? Fan Theories
Tenure of Each Hokage
| Hokage | Character | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| First | Hashirama Senju | 3-4 years |
| Second | Tobirama Senju | 16 years |
| Third | Hiruzen Sarutobi | 40 years+ |
| Fourth | Minato Namikaze | 1-2 years |
| Fifth | Tsunade | 4 years |
| Sixth | Kakashi Hatake | 13 years |
| Seventh | Naruto Uzumaki | 8 years & counting |
Who Is the Current Hokage?
As of this writing in August 2023, Naruto is the current Hokage of Konoha and has played an incredible role in safeguarding the village, even at the expense of losing Kurama, his tailed beasts.
Who Will Be The 8th Hokage?
We don’t yet know who will succeed Naruto and take over as the 8th Hokage. However, some potential candidates fans have in mind include Naruto’s protégé, Konohamaru, his son, Boruto, and Sasuke’s daughter, Sarada.
Read more: 8th and 9th Hokage Candidates
Who Is the Strongest Hokage?
Fans believe Naruto to be the strongest Hokage. However, with rigorous analysis and consideration, Hashirama holds that title.
For one, Naruto recently lost Kurama, his tailed beast and the most powerful weapon in his inventory, creating a significant void.
Read more: Is Boruto Stronger than Naruto?