Deidara was a member of the Akatsuki and a former shinobi of the Stone village. He was one of the few antagonists of the Naruto universe not only to have seldom fought its title protagonist but also to have prevailed over a Jinchuriki, as evident through his fight against Gaara.
Perhaps the rogue's most impressive feature is through the versatility of his explosive clay. It affords him enormous offensive and mobile potential, rendering him a serious threat up until (and even during) his defeat. Just how would the character fare against different shinobi from the Naruto universe?
10 Could Beat - Rasa's Gold Dust Couldn't Defend Him
Rasa was the former Kazekage of the Sand and the father of Gaara. His abilities to manipulate the earth were much similar to his son's, capable of erecting walls and using the particles around him as deadly weapons.
However, the former Jinchuriki had a greater affinity for jutsu than his father, as demonstrated through their battle during the Fourth Shinobi War. Considering that Deidara was able to defeat Gaara even with Shukaku to enhance him, it follows that overcoming Rasa should be trivial.
9 Would Lose To - The Fourth Raikage
Otherwise known as A, the Fourth Raikage possessed enormous speed and durability. A single punch was able to overwhelm Sasuke and send Jugo spiraling across the room, and he was fast enough to remain on par with Minato.
This would make much of Deidara's conventional explosive attacks obsolete, forcing him to reduce his clay into particles and infect his opponent's body. However, considering that A can disarm the bombs through electrifying himself, it follows that Akatsuki's desperate ploy would be insufficient.
8 Could Beat - Kakashi Can't Copy Deidara's Explosions
After the Fourth Shinobi War, Kakashi lost his Sharingan. This would significantly debilitate his odds against Deidara, especially since he could not perceive the man's actions and instead force him to rely on his combat experience.
Even under the provision that he had his Sharingan, only the Akatsuki member's detonation is triggered by a hand sign. Deidara produces the clay itself from his own body - a feature that Kakashi cannot hope to reciprocate. Though he may be able to disarm the particles rigged in his system with his chidori, he could not defend against the man's more traditional bombs.
7 Would Lose To - Danzo, Who Can Survive Deidara's Tricks
Danzo's low agility means that Deidara's explosions might be successful against him. However, his Izanagi arm would allow him to manifest an additional nine times, providing serious challenges for his opponent.
Not only is he destined to dodge some of the Akatsuki's attacks, what clay his opponent can produce is finite. This would make it more likely that Deidara's resources expire before the Foundation leader's Sharingan does. Moreover, summoning the Baku would allow him to knock his opponent from his gryphon and conveniently dispatch him in melee combat.
6 Could Beat - Sakura, Who Could Not Efficiently Bring Him Down
Near the conclusion of Shippuden, Sakura's strength rivaled (if not surpassed) Tsunade's. She was able to use the chakra seal on her forehead to exponentially increase her striking power and healing capacities, both assets that would be invaluable against Deidara.
However, she is still vulnerable to attacks that might instantly kill her, such as internal detonations. Moreover, as profound as her agility might be, she cannot leap into the sky and rip the Akatsuki member from his clay construct. Consequently, she has neither the defense nor offense necessary to bring Deidara down.
5 Would Lose To - Sasori, Who Deidara Admitted Could Defeat Him
Sasori was the deadliest member of the Sand village and a man who could control hundreds of puppets simultaneously. His mostly mechanical physiology and the many weapons at his disposal would provide monumental assets against Deidara, especially counting the resilience of his base form (since it can only be meaningfully destroyed through blunt force).
The differential between their stamina and durability would play to the puppet master's advantage, particularly since he can reattach destroyed limbs. His victory is particularly assured since Deidara himself admitted that Sasori was the stronger of the two.
4 Could Beat - Zaku, Who Has Lost To Similarly Skilled Opponents
Zaku was a member of Dosu's team and a man with deadly air tubes. When unleashing their full potential, his power was prodigious enough to make most of Konoha 11 cower in fear simultaneously.
Though he may be able to target Deidara on his mount, his pipes have a crippling weakness that Shino was able to exploit. If a small insect is able to clog them, his chakra will build up in his arms and effectively ruin them. It is a strategy the Akatsuki member could employ against him with similar success through his tiny clay constructs.
3 Would Lose To - Ibiki, Who Could Exploit His Vulnerability To Genjutsu
Ibiki was one of Konoha's most experienced shinobi and a master of extracting information. His credentials entail an affinity for unleashing pain on his opponents, primarily through the means of entrapping them in a genjutsu torture chamber.
He was skilled enough to corner one of Pain's paths using this technique, proving his prowess in combat. Considering that Deidara has never displayed a resistance against genjutsu, he would soon find himself inside the man's prison and at his mercy.
2 Could Beat - Shikamaru's Shadow Is Countered By His Abilities
Outside of his profound intelligence, Shikamaru's greatest asset is his shadow manipulation jutsu. However, even in its advanced state, it has a limited range by which it can extend (with vertical mobility proving a serious problem since Deidara is a flying opponent).
Moreover, the explosions that Akatsuki member creates would repel many of the inherent shadows that Nara has to work with. Between these two advantages and Deidara's vastly superior firepower, Shikamaru's loss is inevitable regardless of how much he can outthink his opponent.
1 Would Lose To - Obito, Whose Kamui Is Impregnable
Obito's Kamui allowed him to effectively phase through reality and place himself in a pocket dimension. During his fight against Konan, he was able to displace his body for ten consecutive minutes even in spite of the massive quantities of paper bombs she had prepared.
Considering that Deidara's resources are finite, he would be forced to tactically detonate his clay in order to stand a chance at victory. However, considering that Obito could anticipate him with his Sharingan, the former Stone village shinobi would soon find himself without the means to fight.