Few rivalries in anime or manga history are as explosive as the one betweenNarutoand Sasuke. The two ninjas have clashed only a handful of times, but the end result always proves whyNarutoranks amongthe best fighting anime ever.
As a series,Narutotries hard to convey that its central rivalry is essentially balanced. Naruto and Sasuke’s first duel at the end ofNarutoPart 1 is ultra-close, but ends with a victory for Sasuke, while their battle at the end ofShippudenends in a complete and total draw, the title hero only “winning” because Sasuke gives up.
Despite what the outcome of these fated battles would have fans believe, though, by the end ofNaruto: Shippuden, one ninja is clearly more powerful. Going far beyondShippudenmakes the answer to who’s stronger even more obvious, as one of the two develops a power that puts them alongside thestrongestNarutocharacters, period.
Why Naruto and Sasuke Appear So Evenly Matched
Masashi Kishimoto’s series does an admirable job making this long-fated battle appear to be an open question. Naruto and Sasuke are unreasonably powerful by the end ofShippuden, with both having access to some of themost powerful jutsu inNaruto’shistory. In addition to that, Hagoromo gave Naruto the Sage of Six Paths form and Sasuke the Rinnegan, enhancing both of their already considerable abilities.
Amplifying both of their already considerable strengths are the tailed beasts. During the fight, Sasuke is able to absorb chakra from all nine tailed-beasts, using that to enhance his Susanoo so that it could more than compete with Naruto’s Sage of Six Paths enhanced Tailed Beast Mode.
All of this, combined with their fairly equal martial prowess, should, theoretically, mean that the two are on equal grounds. Furthering this notion is that their fight does, indeed, end in a draw as Naruto and Sasuke take each other’s hands out with a Rasengan and Chidori, respectively.
Still, though, when looking at the fight and the broader context a little closer, it’s clear that the series' title hero is actually the stronger of the two.
Sorry Sasuke, But By Shippuden’s End, Naruto Is Simply Way Stronger
To understand who is the stronger of the two Leaf Village shinobi, it’s important to remember why Naruto and Sasuke are fighting each other. Sasuke views Naruto as his biggest obstacle to destroying what he views as the corrupt system that stole his family from him. To Sasuke, Naruto needs to die for him to finally avenge the Uchiha clan.
In contrast, Naruto is fighting to redeem his friend. Despite all of Sasuke’s many crimes and his dedication to killing Naruto himself, the title hero still believes there is good in the last living Uchiha. To this end, Naruto goes into their final fight dedicated to showing Sasuke the strength of his convictions.
All this means that Naruto would consider the fight a failure if he killed his opponent, while Sasuke would consider it a success if he killed Naruto. This is evident throughout much of the early fight in Part 2’s dramatic climax. Naruto is fighting defensively, trying hard to combat Sasuke without seriously injuring him.
Naruto’s Reluctance To Kill Sasuke Is The Only Thing Putting Them On Equal Footing
Naruto even hesitates when Susanoo and Sasuke are down. Though Naruto could have potentially ended things with his Tailed Beast Ball, his desire to see Sasuke be redeemed prevents him from going in for the kill shot, something Sasuke berates him for.
Ultimately, Naruto and Sasuke are ninjas; their techniques aren’t really designed to incapacitate, they’re designed to kill. This alone puts Naruto at a disadvantage as he has to find creative ways to use his jutsus that won’t end up killing or maiming Sasuke.
All of this changes when Sasuke uses Indra’s Arrow, forcing Naruto to get serious and go all-in. From this point on, it’s clear that Naruto is no longer holding back, but that doesn’t invalidate the fact that he was earlier in the fight. It’s made clear that if Naruto wanted to kill Sasuke early on, he probably could have.
While Naruto and Sasuke’s last fight has left fans debating about who’s stronger for a decade now, it was actually Naruto’s appearance inBoruto: Naruto Next Generationsthat truly set the Seventh Hokage over the edge.
Baryon Mode Makes The Naruto Vs. Sasuke Debate Laughably Simple
Sasuke is no slouch inBoruto. Though the Uchiha patriarch might have lost his arm, he is still a major threat to anyone who dares threaten him, his family, or his village. He shows this off multiple times against opponents like the Otsutsukis in bothBoruto: Naruto the Movieand in his big fight against Isshiki.
Despite this, though, Sasuke is only marginally more powerful as an adult than he was as a teenager, having developed a few new powerful jutsus like the Lorentz gun, but nothing game-changing.
In contrast,Naruto has his most powerful form ever, Baryon Mode. With Baryon Mode, Naruto’s strength, speed, and reflexes are enhanced to such a point that it frightens both Sasuke and Isshiki. Baryon Mode also allows Naruto to essentially drain the life force out of any opponent upon contact.
As powerful as Sasuke was during the height of Naruto and even into Boruto, nothing he’s ever used even comes close to the raw power output of Baryon Mode
Baryon Mode literally gives Naruto the power of Nuclear Fission at his fingertips. As powerful as Sasuke was during the height ofNarutoand even intoBoruto, nothing he’s ever used even comes close to the raw power output of Baryon Mode.
Fortunately for Sasuke and his family, Baryon Mode is an absolute last resort for Naruto and one that he would never use against a friend unless there was no other choice. More than just for moral reasons, there’s a practical aspect to this, with the form being so tremendously draining on Naruto’s energy reserves that Kurama has to sacrifice himself to save the Seventh Hokage.
After this point, the power rankings between Naruto and Sasuke get muddled.Naruto has lost Kurama, while Sasuke has lost his Rinnegan. Neither has participated in any major fights since the Isshiki blowout, either, leaving their capabilities after losing such key parts of their arsenal unclear.
Still, looking at all the evidence, it’s clear that at the height of their power,Narutowas almost definitely stronger than Sasuke.
Naruto: Shippuden
Cast
Naruto: Shippuden follows Naruto Uzumaki as he returns to Konoha after two and a half years, facing new challenges and enemies, including the Akatsuki organization. The series continues Naruto’s journey and growth as a shinobi while navigating complex alliances and adversaries.
