The ANBU is one of the most featured shinobi units throughout the Naruto series, especially in Naruto Shippuden. Deemed as some of the strongest people in the village, the ANBU are used by the Kage of a village for covert operations, such as assassinations, among many other things.
Being a prestigious organization, the ANBU has been home to some of the strongest people in the Naruto series, especially when it comes to Konohagakure. Several strong characters have emerged from their ranks and we'll be looking over them in this article. Here are the 10 strongest known ANBU members in Naruto history.
Updated on November 8th, 2021 by Claris Lam: Though this list was already fairly comprehensive at 15 entries, there are still more notable members of the ANBU that deserve acknowledgment. This list has been further updated with five additional characters to be more complete.
20 Ro Can Disguise Chakras
Rō came from Konohagakure and can use Chakra Disguise to erase the signs of his and others' chakras completely so the enemy does not recognize them easily. It does not change the amount of chakra that he and others have, however, and is best used for deceiving others more than anything else. Taijutsu showed off his immense physical strength thanks to his naturally-larger build. Though his powers are useful to aid himself and his allies, he cannot do much else with them.
19 Zo Can Potentially Cook His Opponents Alive
Zō is an ANBU captain of Konohagakure. He had a wide variety of abilities including making rock pillars spring up from the ground and manipulating fire & lightning. In addition, he can "cook" his opponents alive by working with another partner to use rock pillars, combined with the other's abilities to create mud to trap the opponent in a makeshift oven before turning on the oven with his fiery techniques. He could also cast illusions on opponents to make them remember things that they would otherwise not remember.
18 Yashamaru Was The Right-Hand Man Of The Fourth Kazekage
Yashamaru was so powerful that he was the right-hand man of the Fourth Kazekage. He was an ANBU from Sunagakure and could manipulate kunai to launch them at his targets and hit them perfectly thanks to his fine chakra control.
He was also a medical-nin, which meant that he knew medicinal techniques that could heal him and his allies. Not only did this help him survive tough battles, but it also helped out others as well, making him invaluable. Unfortunately for Yashamaru, his being a part of the Fourth Kazekage led him to eventually attack Gaara psychologically and emotionally, causing Yashamaru's death in the end.
17 Tsurugi Was The Head Of Kirigakure's Hunter-Nin
Tsurugi was the head of Kirigakure's Hunter-Nin, and was a fairly calm and cool-headed person. Even though he had less of a chance to shine compared to other ANBU, he could hide in the rain that he summoned around himself, making it hard for opponents to hit him. He could also use the Water Release ability to manipulate water and cause battering damage to his opponents in addition to hiding himself. Additionally, he was so good at stealth that he could surprise strong members of Konohagakure's ANBU with his sudden appearances.
16 Raiga Kurosuki Is Renowned As The Thunder Of The Hidden Mist For A Reason
Raiga Kurosuki was an ANBU from Kirigakure and one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen Of The Mist. He wielded twin swords called Kiba, and these swords were imbued with lightning. Raiga used these blades with great dexterity and could cut through anything with them. He could also connect the swords at their hits to create a double-bladed sword and perform different and more versatile techniques. He could also use long-range defensive and offensive lightning techniques, and call multiple lightning strikes at once. Considering his many electric abilities, it is no wonder to fans that he earned his reputation as the Thunder of the Hidden Mist.
15 Yūgao Uzuki Is A Skilled Tracker & Swordswoman
Even as a child, Yūgao's sensory skills stood out, and she showed a lot of promise with sword techniques as well. These skills were the reason why she was made an ANBU after graduating from the academy. She served under Kakashi more than once, and she was the one who found Sasuke after the Uchiha massacre.
Her sensory abilities made her a skilled tracker, and she is capable of sealing scrolls and corpses. Hayate Gekkō was Yūgao's lover, but he also trained her to use her sword. This training allows her to perform complex techniques like the Dance of the Crescent Moon and the Hazy Moon Night.
14 Hinoko Invented A Jutsu That Is Pretty Useful
Hinoko is a very young Konoha ANBU, and she was also recruited into the organization after leaving the academy. She prefers her ANBU codename over her own because she prefers things that sound cooler, and she worried about being able to prove herself in an era of peace.
She managed to create her own jutsu, one which allows her to create and fire chakra needles from her fingertips. These needles will always hit their target, and they have the ability to paralyze and kill. She can also use them to revitalize her allies, can fire multiple needles at once, and can alter their trajectory.
13 Fu Was A Member Of The Yamanaka Clan
One of the Yamanaka clan's strongest, Fu joined the Konoha ANBU at a young age and rose through the ranks quickly. His skills were such that Danzo praised him as one of the strongest ANBU members in Konoha's Root ANBU.
Being a member of the Yamanaka clan, Fu specialized in sensory skills, and that is what Danzo mostly used him for. He could even use the Yamanaka clan's Mind Transfer Justu. Other than that, Fu was decently skilled in combat, though his abilities proved to be limited as he fell to Obito Uchiha during the Five Kage Summit.
12 Sai Was One Of Root's Top Operatives
Sai was once considered to be an ANBU prodigy by Danzo Shimura. According to him, Sai's talents far surpassed the likes of even Naruto Uzumaki. Although that's a very misleading statement, it doesn't take away much from Sai, who is a tremendous shinobi and exceptional when it comes to spying and infiltration.
His skills were apparent when he infiltrated Orochimaru's hideout to execute Danzo's plan. When it comes to fighting abilities, Sai continued to be one of Konoha's strongest shinobi in the series, with even Naruto holding him in high regard.
11 Torune Aburame Controlled Very Dangerous Insects
One of the deadliest members of Konohagakure's ANBU, Torune hailed from the prestigious Aburame clan. He was taken in by Shino's family at a young age, which is when the two formed a close bond. He was capable of controlling nano-sized insects that can infect anyone he touches, causing his victims extreme pain. His skills earned him recognition as one of the strongest characters in the history of the Aburame clan, which even Shino admitted.
Yet another testament to his skills is that he was reanimated by Kabuto Yakushi during the Fourth Great Ninja War, where he was finally defeated by Shino. Undoubtedly, Torune was a deadly shinobi, and one of the strongest ANBU ever.
10 Ao Was A Member Of The Mist's Hunter-Nin Corps
Only a handful of Mist ninja have what it takes to become Mizukage, and Ao was one of them. Ao was the 5th Mizukage's right hand, and he was a highly skilled sensory ninja who acquired the Byakugan after killing a member of the Hyūga clan during the Third Great Ninja War.
Prior to becoming the Mizukage's aid, Ao was a member of the Mist's Hunter-nin Corps. This corps is a special unit within the Mist's ANBU, and their sole purpose is to hunt down rogue ninja.
9 Other Than Danzo, Shin Was Arguably Root's Most Skilled Member
Sai is one of Naruto's most wholesome characters, and that is because he developed several meaningful relationships. His first meaningful relationship was with Shin, a young ANBU who was recruited by Root. They were not related to each other, but they ended up becoming brothers.
Shin was touted as an exceptionally talented ninja, which is why Kabuto resurrected him during the Fourth Great Ninja War. He was capable of delivering incredibly swift slashes with his tantō, and he could defeat multiple shadow clones with simple taijutsu.
8 Yamato Is Capable Of Using Wood Release
Yamato was one of Konohagakure's elite shinobi who served in the ANBU once as well. Being an experiment of Orochimaru, Yamato was born with the power of Wood Release, although his control over it wasn't as enhanced as the First Hokage himself.
Nonetheless, his time as the ANBU saw him rise to a high-rank where he was respected by some of the most renowned shinobi in the village. Yamato's skills were such that even Danzo and Tsunade held him in incredibly high regard.
7 Zabuza Was One Of The Mist's Famed Seven Ninja Swordsmen
Zabuza Momochi was known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist, which is understandable since he mastered the Silent Killing Technique. After killing more than one hundred academy students, he became a prime candidate for the Mist's Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
He wielded the Executioner's Blade, and he was so proficient with it that he was considered to be amongst the legendary group's strongest generation. He gained fame as a member of the Mist's ANBU, and he eventually led an unsuccessful coup against the 4th Mizukage.
6 Kabuto Yakushi Is An Exceptional Spy & Medical Ninja
Another elite ANBU member, Kabuto Yakushi served in the organization as a spy back in the day. Although many fans are unaware of this fact, that's largely because Kabuto has had so many roles in the series that it's almost impossible to even keep count of them all.
His skills were once compared to the likes of Kakashi Hatake by Orochimaru, which is a huge compliment to him. Over time, he improved and achieved power that even Orochimaru couldn't, although much of that was after his time in Konohagakure's ANBU.
5 Kakashi Hatake Is One Of The Leaf Village's Best Shinobi
Due to his cold nature, Kakashi Hatake was considered to be a perfect fit for the Konohagakure ANBU. At one point, he did the dirty work of the village for the elders, and he was soon promoted to the rank of the Squad Captain thanks to his awfully high skill.
As an ANBU member, Kakashi proved to be highly efficient and rarely ever failed his missions. His cold heart, combined with the heart-piercing Chidori, was enough to kill nearly anyone who stood in his way.
4 Danzo Shimura Led Root & Possessed Multiple Sharingan
The leader of Konohagakure's root ANBU, Danzo Shimura was a cold and calculating shinobi who possessed majestic strength. Danzo's powers were exceptionally high, comparable to a Kage in certain ways. At full power, Danzo had the ability to use multiple Sharingan at once, and also the power to use Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan.
This was further enhanced by his usage of Hashirama Senju's cells, which Orochimaru implanted in his body. Although not one of the strongest in the series, he certainly was one of the strongest in the ANBU, which is a huge achievement, nonetheless.
3 Orochimaru Is One Of The Legendary Sannin
One of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru served in Konohagakure's ANBU at one time as well. Although much about his work with Konoha's ANBU remains unknown, he's said to have worked on several covert operations. Much of this happened after the events of the Second Great Ninja War.
During his time in the ANBU, Orochimaru worked on several experiments, such as creating Danzo's arm and working on modifying Yamato. He ultimately abandoned his position and went rogue following his plans being busted.
2 Shisui Uchiha Was Feared Because Of His Genjutsu
Also known as Shisui the Teleporter, Shisui was an incredible shinobi whose skills surpassed the likes of a regular Jonin by quite a mile. Being a Mangekyo Sharingan user, it is no surprise that he was extraordinarily powerful. His power was comparable to the Kage themselves, despite him being very young.
Using the powers of Kotoamtsukami, Shisui earned his position as one of the strongest genjutsu users to ever exist. Unfortunately, Shisui's entire potential went to waste because of his early death triggered by Danzo's dirty ploy.
1 Itachi Uchiha Was An Uchiha Prodigy
Undoubtedly the strongest member of the Konoha ANBU, Itachi Uchiha was a prodigy who proved himself wherever he went. The ANBU was no different, where he rose to the rank of a Squad Captain at the shocking age of 13! Kakashi Hatake, among many others, was surprised by his growth, despite them being exceptional themselves.
Using his powers, Itachi was able to kill his entire clan in a single night, although he did get help from Obito to pull it off. Nonetheless, his skills were nearly unmatched during his time at the ANBU. Danzo, a veteran, was scared of him despite Itachi being a kid, which just goes to show how incredible a shinobi he truly was.