Dosu was a servant of Orochimaru, denizen of the Sound Village, and a major antagonist to the Chunin Exams arc in the Naruto story. His pressurized sound gauntlets are a deceptively treacherous weapon, one potent enough to bring even the legendary Rock Lee to his knees.
Despite his frightening appearance and allegedly unbeatable jutsu, some shinobi surpass Dosu in power. By analyzing the characters he can defeat and those he might not, we can better understand the capacity of the mysteriously bandaged antagonist and how he may have fared if he survived longer in the story.
10 COULD BEAT: Kiba Whose Heightened Senses Would Be Used Against Him
Kiba's "Fang Over Fang" ability is an extremely devastating tool that can obliterate virtually anything in his path. When combined with Akamaru, he can also transform into a massive beast in order to enhance his already stellar power.
However, both techniques are contingent on his ability to concentrate against his opponent. Dosu's pressurized attacks assail the senses of his enemies and make it difficult for them to comprehend their surroundings. Since Kiba's perception is heightened on account of his canine aspects, it would be particularly useful against him, resulting in a defeat similar to the one he had suffered to Naruto Uzumaki.
9 WOULD LOSE TO: Kankuro In A Long Distance Battle
Dosu wouldn't find any more success against Kankuro than he did his brother. As deadly as his sound gauntlets might be, they have a medium to close range limitation by which they can affect their prey.
Considering that Kankuro fights from a distance and uses puppet proxies in order to attack his targets, he could safely battle the Sound ninja without having his senses disrupted or mind destroyed. Conversely, Dosu has minimal knowledge of his creations' anatomy, rendering him vulnerable to the many hidden blades they store inside.
8 COULD BEAT: Kin Whose Tactics Won't Catch Him Off Guard
Dosu's comrade-in-arms, Kin assails her targets with an assortment of ranged weaponry in a manner similar to Tenten. Some projectiles have bells attached to them while others don't, an intentional tactic employed to confuse and disorient her adversaries.
However, considering that the team leader understands the nature of her abilities, he is well prepared to defeat her. So long as he mounts a direct charge and doesn't allow her to unleash many attacks, Kin is ill-prepared to staunch her opponent's assault and would quickly succumb to it.
7 WOULD LOSE TO: Kakashi With His Chidori
Kakashi would decisively dominate Dosu, regardless of whether one applies his Chunin Exam arc or current iteration. He possessed enough mental fortitude to survive Itachi's torture, with Anbu training steeling his resolve. Therefore, Dosu's sound attacks would not be immediately effective against him on account of his tenacity.
Conversely, Hatake is more than capable of defeating the Sound ninja almost instantly. As reinforced as his gauntlets might be, they are incapable of withstanding a direct strike from a Chidori (which the shinobi has used to impale people effortlessly). Considering Dosu's insufficient offense and nearly non-existent defense, the Team Seven leader's victory is guaranteed.
6 COULD BEAT: Shino
Shino's chakra-devouring insects were able to defeat Dosu's ally, Zaku, by invading the holes in his hands. However, considering that the team captain was there the witness the battle, such a maneuver would be anticipated and therefore useless against him.
Even if Dosu's direct attacks miss Shino, exposure to his vibrations are potent enough to kill most of the chakra bugs in his body. This would deprive Shino of any realistic means to win considering his low durability and absence of taijutsu.
5 WOULD LOSE TO: Tsunade With Her Massive Strength
Tsunade is at a technical disadvantage since her melee heavy fighting style and comparatively unimpressive speed are both factors Dosu can exploit. However, the hundred healings chakra sign on her forehead would significantly enhance her odds of victory.
Instead of resisting or ignoring Dosu's vibrations, she would be able to recuperate through them. After the Hokage did so, only a single punch would be necessary in order to shatter every bone in the Sound ninja's body, crushing his gauntlets and defeating him simultaneously. His vulnerability to direct physical damage was observed in his fight against Rock Lee.
4 COULD BEAT: Chiyo Whose Old Age Puts Her At A Disadvantage
Though Dosu's jutsu may not have been effective against Kankuro, this was only on account of his puppets' durability (as commented on by Sasori himself). In addition to possessing less dolls with fewer weapons, Chiyo's age also reduces her vitality in battle.
Since the Sound ninja's pressure attacks are powerful enough to obliterate wood with a single touch (demonstrated through the root he destroyed during his battle with Sakura and Rock Lee), it follows that he could disassemble Chiyo's two dolls with similar efficiency and leave her exposed in the process.
3 WOULD LOSE TO: Hidan With His Scythe & Ritual
One problem with Dosu's attacks is that they inflict minimal physical damage against their opponent's exterior body. Against an immortal foe that must be dismantled in order to be defeated, such a deficit would cause a serious problem.
Considering that Hidan had the upper hand on Asuma (a Jonin level shinobi whose skills and arsenal eclipse Dosu's), the Sound ninja is unlikely to survive the Akatsuki's initial scythe attacks. Even if he does, whatever blood is shed would be sufficient for his horrifying ritual to ensue - one that would seal the youth's morbid fate.
2 COULD BEAT: Sakkon & Ukkon Whose Offense Isn't Enough
Sakkon and Ukkon were an unlikely pair of "brothers" that shared the same body. They were able to unleash a multiple limb barrage on their enemies, as well as possess them and slowly take it over from the inside.
However, since Dosu has never been visibly compromised through his own Sound jutsu (despite his proximity to it during its use), it follows that he could expunge the invading shinobi without risking his bodily integrity. With his options limited, Sakkon's offense alone could not contend with the jutsu pulsating from Dosu's gauntlets.
1 WOULD LOSE TO: Ibiki & His Genjutsu Torture Chamber
Dosu has never displayed a resistance against genjutsu and is capable of being cowed (proven through Sasuke's transformation and how seriously he crippled Zaku). These are both factors that Ibiki can exploit as the head of Konoha's interrogation unit.
Considering the Leaf shinobi's resistance to pain, he would be able to outlast his foe's gauntlet before putting him in his genjutsu torture chamber. From there, it would only be a matter of time before Ibiki had peeled back the layers of his foe's mind, securing his victory and whatever valuable intelligence his opponent might yield.