Orochimaru was one of the earliest and most powerful antagonists in the Naruto universe. As a fallen member of the legendary Sannin, his willingness to employ forbidden jutsu to accomplish his objectives made him particularly fearsome, going so far as to murder the Third Hokage.

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Although Orochimaru is considerably powerful in his own universe, it is important to gauge his strength in the context of other anime worlds. Since Orochimaru will be entering his fights without prep time or resources, he cannot benefit from Edo Tensei minions.

10 Could Defeat: Mikasa's Low Armor & Limited Weapons Would Be Her Undoing (Attack On Titan)

Mikasa

Mikasa was agile enough to avoid Reiner and powerful enough to carry massive steel beams over her shoulder. The latter suggests she has an advantage in raw physical strength over Orochimaru, especially if she harnesses her Ackerman lineage.

However, Orochimaru's versatile body would provide him a number of ways to counter her. Not only could he smother her in snakes while her ODM gear is actively deployed, the Sannin can also minimize whatever damage is inflicted against him via his body replacement jutsu.

9 Would Lose To: Aokiji's Attacks Would Petrify Orochimaru & His Creatures (One Piece)

Admiral Aokiji from One Piece

Orochimaru's most obvious disadvantage against Aokiji is that Aokiji's logia fruit protects him from poison. This would make it excessively difficult for Orochimaru to shut him down in a single bite like he did to Sasuke or Log.

Moreover, the Marine Admiral is capable of freezing vast swathes of the ocean with a single graze of his finger and even petrifying the tidal waves Whitebeard summoned against Marineford. Consequently, Orochimaru and whatever snakes he might conjure would be frozen instantaneously.

8 Could Defeat: Sango's Boomerang Can't Protect Her From A Concentrated Assault (Inuyasha)

Demon Hunter Inuyasha Sango

As a demon huntress, Sango's boomerang proved remarkably deadly. It could cleave through and decapitate monstrous hordes in a single stroke, entailing that she'd have success against Orochimaru's minor snakes and potentially even Manda.

However, Sango herself lacks critical protection while her weapon is deployed. Consequently, Orochimaru would have an ample opportunity to exploit her weakness and strike her down before her boomerang returns. Considering the fallen Sannin's ability to distend his body parts (even including his head), Sango would only realize her error after it was too late.

7 Would Lose To: Ulquiorra Has Overwhelming Firepower & Superior Durability (Bleach)

Ulquiorra looks down

As the fourth strongest Espada in Aizen's service, Uilquiorra was frighteningly powerful. He could unleash energy lances strong enough to emulate a small nuclear explosion and even managed to defeat Ichigo himself in their first encounter.

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His natural Hierro would make it virtually impossible for Orochimaru's attacks to take effect since they rely on precision and timing more than raw strength. Considering the scope of Ulquiorra's attacks, he could obliterate the Manda in seconds, thereby ruining his shinobi adversary's second-best chance of posing a respectable offensive threat.

6 Could Defeat: The Emperor's Armor Isn't As Impervious As He Thinks It Is (Akame Ga Kill!)

Emperor using his imperial arms

Superficially, the Emperor's armor is impervious. It was resilient enough to endure the combined attacks of Tatsumi and Wave, with enough firepower to raze entire districts of his own city to the ground.

Not only would Orochimaru be able to fight against the Emperor on even footing due to the Manda, but his snakes are also designed to penetrate the grooves of armor (as proven in the battle against Log). Given that the Emperor is a child, his inexperience would prevent him from realizing his enemy's strategy until it was too late.

5 Would Lose To: After Years Of Training, Kabuto Has Surpassed His Mentor (Naruto)

Orochimaru and Kabuto in the Naruto anime

After Orochimaru's presumed death, Kabuto had an opportunity to take his master's lessons and refine them. By the time the fallen Sannin returned due to Sasuke Uchiha, his apprentice had already conquered Snake Sage jutsu, the powers of the Sound Four, and even some of Orochimaru's own abilities (on top of his chakra scalpel and the Uzumaki healing factor).

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While the Sannin may still have unique abilities like the Manda summoning and body distortion, Kabuto had already become a far more versatile and competent fighter.

4 Could Defeat: Muscular Would Be Outmaneuvered By Orochimaru (My Hero Academia)

My Hero Academia Muscular from mha

Muscular is extremely durable, as proven through his ability to withstand a punch from Deku at 100% (keeping in mind that the hero could cause massive whirlpools with even a fraction of that power).

Despite this, the Muscular's overreliance on raw strength would be his downfall. Orochimaru would only need to summon the Manda to defeat Muscular, forcing the brute to choose between two points to concentrate his veins and protect himself. Whatever part of his body he doesn't protect would be exploited, such as his legs.

3 Would Lose To: Estarossa's Commandment Would Petrify Orochimaru (Seven Deadly Sins)

Seven Deadly Sins Estarossa of the 10 commandments

Even in his base form, Estarossa was powerful enough to destroy castles and keep up with Escanor near noon. He also managed to murder Monspeet almost instantly in their encounter, entailing a terrifying amount of offensive power.

The archangel's most useful weapon against Orochimaru is his commandment. Since it pacifies anyone who bears hatred toward him, Estarossa would be able to play against the shinobi's naturally baleful disposition in order to cut him down safely.

2 Could Defeat: Kakyoin's Hierophant Green Lacks Viability In Close Quarters (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

JoJo Bizarre Stardust Crusaders Kakyoin Stand

Kakyoin's Hierophant Green could unleash projectiles strong enough to shred flesh and bone. After carefully spreading his Stand out across a battlefield, he could ensnare opponents before letting loose his barrage.

Even if the hero manages to outsmart and capture Orochimaru, he has depressing mobility and wouldn't be able to escape after the shinobi extended his neck with a sword in his mouth. Since Hierophant Green can't protect its user in close quarters combat, he would be caught off-guard and killed instantly due to his low durability.

1 Would Lose To: Killua Is One Of The Few Characters Faster Than Orochimaru (Hunter X Hunter)

Killua in godspeed mode in Hunter x Hunter.

Killua's greatest asset is that he is incredibly fast. Capable of reaching the speed of lightning, he could catch up with and surpass speeding cars in moments (as proven in the Election Arc).

Although Orochimaru is capable of keeping up with a Kurama-enhanced Naruto, he has never shown that he was capable of reaching speeds so astounding that his adversaries fail to comprehend him. As a consequence, Killua could rip the Sannin's heart from his chest before he had time to consider a body replacement jutsu.

NEXT: Naruto: 5 Shinobi Tenten Could Defeat (& 5 She'd Lose To)