Rock Lee is a character that is held dear to every true Naruto fan. He is a true underdog who stuck true to his ideals from day one, and he is still doing it. This man scaled all the way from the rock bottom; from a nobody, a talentless brat to a world-renowned Shnobi who holds the title of Jonin. Unlike Naruto and Sasuke who heavily relied on hacks to reach their current height, Rock Lee relied on nothing besides sheer hard work and dedication, big props for him.
But as to be expected, the journey to the top isn’t an easy one. Here are some heavy hitters that Rock still can’t take on, and others that he can contrarily defeat. Note: we will be using Rock Lee from Naruto Shippuden as a sample.
10 Can defeat: Tenten
Tenten is Lee’s and the deceased Neji’s teammate. Compared to the monsters on her team, Tenten is relatively tame. She is often counted as the weakest of that generation; for her lack of serious fights and screen time.
If a confrontation was to happen between Lee and Tenten, then the latter would lose for obvious reasons. These two are not even on the same level. Even amongst the entire generation, Lee is unimaginably strong.
9 Doesn’t stand a chance against: Kakashi
With or without a Sharingan, Kakashi is a tough nut to crack. Lee could be strong compared to the younger generation, but that's the end of jurisdiction. If he were to face off against old-timers like Kakashi, then defeat is the only thing that awaits him.
Not to mention weapons; Kakashi has a huge arsenal of techniques that could basically one-shot Lee. Heck, even Kakashi's taijutsu level isn't necessarily any lower than Lee's.
8 Can defeat: Ino Yamanaka
Ino Yamanaka is a kunoichi from Konoha. She is a member of Team Asuma and a clanswoman of Konoha's Yamanaka clan. Ino is sensory and medic type Ninja, meaning direct combat isn't exactly her area of expertise. While she could swing a punch or two, she is just not Rock Lee's match.
Even during combat, Ino is heavily reliant on her team's infamous Ino-Shika-Chou formation, without her teammates there isn’t much she could do.
7 Doesn’t stand a chance against: Might Guy
Everything that Rock Lee accomplished thus far was due to Guy's support. And it should be noted that he is still relying on Guy for further improvement. As a matter of fact, it's even doubtful whether Lee could defeat the wheelchair ridden Guy.
Guy and Kakashi have been rivals since their youth. And according to Guy himself, their power levels are almost identical with neither of the two above the other.
6 Can defeat: Shikamaru
Out of all his peers, Shikamaru was the first to be raised to chunin rank, and it wasn't for his battle achievements. Shikamaru was always the guy to use his brains instead of his fist. His IQ is well over 200. Even the title of a genius is undeserving of him.
But regrettably, nobody is perfect. While Shikamaru might have the big brains, he lacks firepower. His Nara clan jutsu is not all that effective in a one on one fight.
5 Doesn’t stand a chance against: Sasuke
Before the chunin exams, Lee confronted Sasuke and Naruto. And not only did he lose, he instead won by a large margin. But that was the good old days before either Naruto or Sasuke acquired their overpowered abilities.
As time progressed and the characters developed, Sasuke caught up with Lee, passed him, and nearly left him in the dust. Perhaps it's only natural for the secondary protagonist to prevail against a supporting character.
4 Can defeat: Konohamaru
Konohamaru is the grandson of the late Third Hokage and a member of the Sarutobi clan. He is a couple of years younger than Naruto's generation, and age is a vital point when comparing his power level with a similarly young individual.
Though Konohamaru is a talented Shinobi, the predetermined gap between him and Rock Lee would need at least a few years to close.
3 Doesn’t stand a chance against: Itachi
Itachi doesn't need much of an introduction. He is, hands down, the entire franchise’s best boy, and that's an unarguable fact. Itachi's strength is at the Pinnacle of the Naruto verse; only a few characters could even dream of taking him down, and Rock Lee isn't one of these characters.
Even at the young age of 13, Itachi was already at the upper echelons of Konoha, strength-wise that is.
2 Can defeat: Temari
Temari is a kunoichi from Suna and Gaara's elder sister. She is a very calculative individual, yet she doesn't lack the firepower. Her stats could only be described as well balanced.
But unluckily, compared to Rock Lee she is a tad lacking. Rock Lee's fighting style revolves around pressuring the foe, not giving them an opportunity to either devise a strategy nor perform ninjutsu for that matter. Talk about a bad match up.
1 Doesn’t stand a chance against: Naruto
Naruto is Rock Lee's fellow underdog who got blessed by destiny. His starting point was even lower than that of Lee's, but after his almost inconceivable power boost, he and Rock Lee could not even be mentioned in the same sentence.
Even if Lee resorted to the Eighth Gate of Death, it's questionable whether he can fight Naruto on equal terms.