Pain was one of the strongest villains that the heroes had ever encountered in the Naruto universe. He was the Akatsuki leader and a man who wielded a vast jutsu to weaponize against his opponents.
Despite the incredible legacy of destruction that he left behind, he is not the most difficult character of the anime to defeat. By matching him against a diverse roster of shinobi, fans can gauge his strength. It is important to distinguish that he is being measured through his Six Path iteration, not as Nagato as seen through the Edo Tensei resurrection.
10 Could Beat: Hiruzen Sarutobi — Although He Was A Great Hokage, He Would Be Defeated With An Almighty Push
Hiruzen Sarutobi has many advantages over Pain. His jutsu is far more versatile, mastering many techniques that baffled even Orochimaru. Moreover, the shadow clones he produced were astonishingly competent, keeping up with Hashirama and Tobirama during his fight against the fallen Sannin.
However, he has nothing to shield himself from Pain's Almighty Push and only one summoning jutsu to defend against the multitudes of creatures at Nagato's disposal. As a result, he is grossly outnumbered, allowing his opponent the respite he needs to heal destroyed Paths whenever the Third defeats them.
9 Would Lose To Sasuke Uchiha — As One Of The Most Skilled Shinobi Out There And A Fellow Rinnegan User, Sasuke Would Be Past His Level
As a fellow Rinnegan user, Sasuke has access to many of the abilities that make Pain formidable. However, his arsenal is even greater, especially with how he has developed himself into the series' most talented Sharingan expert.
The Susanoo would provide an excellent defense from Nagato's Almighty Push and anything else in his toolkit. Though the Amaterasu may not be particularly deadly on account of Pain's undead bodies, Chidori could obliterate them almost instantly, destroying the other Paths before Nagato had an opportunity to resurrect them.
8 Could Beat: Orochimaru — Orochimaru Is Strong, But His Nefarious Tactics Wouldn't Work On Him
Orochimaru was an insidious villain and the pioneer of many forbidden jutsu. His techniques are usually variants of snakes, whether the ones he can use to paralyze his victims or the gigantic Manda powerful enough to rival Gamabunta.
However, even three of Jiraiya's finest battle toads were barely enough to contend with Nagato's summoning. Additionally, since his bodies are already undead, his venom's paralyzing effects would not be nearly as useful. Without the Hokage to assist in his endeavors, Orochimaru's nefarious tactics would find little success against his clandestine opposition.
7 Would Lose To: Minato — As The Former Fastest Shinobi And Naruto's Father, He Would Be Able To Overpower Him
Nicknamed "the Yellow Flash" for his unmatched speed, Minato was the fastest shinobi in recorded history (arguably rivaling Naruto and Sasuke even at their peak). Though he does not have a means of directly countering Pain's "Almighty Push," he can place a tag near or on him to circumvent its onerous effects.
Nagato's absorption Path is only effective when it directly intercepts the chakra of its opponent. Considering Minato's velocity (and the fact that he can strike from any direction), this would negate the villain's best chance at defeating him, helpless to stop the Forth from destroying his many bodies expediently.
6 Could Beat: Kisame — His Jutsu Wouldn't Be Able To Trap All Six Paths Of Pain In Time
Kisame created a massive, chakra-draining water dome that made him a virtually impossible opponent to defeat. He can navigate its waters effortlessly, attacking his opponents in strafing runs and preventing them from escaping alive.
There are several reasons why this wouldn't be effective against Pain. The Paths' chakra was funneled from Nagato at a remote distance (therefore making his debilitating water obsolete). He could also unleash the explosives of his Asura path to staunch the Mist Shinobi's attack. Further, Kisame could not hope to prevent all six bodies from escaping from the water at once.
5 Would Lose To: Obito — His Rinnegan And Sharingan Combo And Skills Would Overpower Him
Obito Uchiha would be complicated for Pain to defeat. His best chance at overcoming him would be through using his chakra rods to cut off the man's access to his Kamui. However, considering that Obito is fast enough to match the reflexes of Minato (forcing him to fight strategically for any hope of victory), it follows that his foe would not be able to land a scratch.
Employing the Almighty Push would be similarly impotent since it would only exhaust its user without harming its intended target. This would leave him vulnerable for Obito to dispatch at his convenience.
4 Could Beat: Killer Bee — He Would Most Likely Perish From An Almighty Push Since His Defenses Would Be Low During The Fight
Killer Bee was a deceptively skilled taijutsu user and master swordsman. In the absence of his martial prowess, he can also transform into the Eight-Tails and unleash a similarly devastating-tailed beast bomb.
This would devastate most of Nagato's paths (including his ability to resurrect others) and force him to fight defensively, using his flight to survive. However, since the Jinchuriki has no means of defending himself from the Almighty Push, he would be obliterated in a single, decisive attack.
3 Would Lose To: Kaguya — As The Mother Of Chakra And Shinobi, She Would Be Impossible To Defeat
Kaguya has the ability to transport her foes into alternate dimensions, including oceans of acid and oppressive gravity fields that make it impossible to move. This would be problematic for Pain since her terrain conditions affect all six of his paths simultaneously.
Moreover, it's likely that considering they are no longer even on the same planet, the connection between Nagato and his implanted rods would be severed. The Otsutsuki member must only transport his automatons where he couldn't access them before returning to claim his life.
2 Could Beat: Tsunade — She Wouldn't Be Able To Block His Chakra Rods If He Got Too Close To Her
Tsunade's unmatched strength would be devastating enough to destroy any of the Paths that her fists connected with (proven through the damage she inflicted against the Susanoo). Further, her medical jutsu would provide a necessary salve against whatever damage is inflicted against her, especially by the Asura and Animal paths.
However, fighting Nagato efficiently entails getting in melee range. Considering that she has no weapon to block his chakra rods, he would be able to skewer her with them, effectively cutting off her peerless strength and ruining her best chance at victory.
1 Would Lose To: Hashirama Senju — His Defenses Would Be Too Difficult To Penetrate
Hashirama Senju's wood release is one of the few defenses that Pain cannot penetrate. It was resilient enough to withstand Kurama and Madara Uchiha's combined might, entailing it should resist Nagato's Almighty Push with similar success.
Moreover, the massive construct he can erect would place him well out of Pain's reach and the chakra stifling rods he might attempt to assail him with. It would simultaneously grant him the striking power to crush Pain's bodies instantly, with its hundreds of hands preventing Nagato from resurrecting any of his fallen paths.