Naruto Uzumaki is the Seventh Hokage of Konohagakure and arguably the strongest shinobi alive in the Naruto universe. His father Minato Namikaze, was the Fourth Hokage and for quite a while, Naruto intended to surpass him, along with every other Hokage that came before him.
Although Naruto succeeded in fulfilling most of his goals, there are still some things that the previous Hokage, especially the Fourth, did better. Though he wasn't Hokage for long, as Minato honorably gave his life alongside his wife Kushina to save his son and Konoha, Minato made a name for himself as one of the best Kage in the Hidden Villages. Naruto may be one of the series' strongest characters, but he didn't surpass his father in every regard.
Updated on May 16th, 2023 by Xandalee Joseph: By becoming the Seventh Hokage of Konoha, Naruto has fulfilled his life's goal. Fans are able to watch him in this prestigious role in the Boruto series, and they can't help but compare him to the Hokage that came before him – namely his father, The Fourth.
Ways Naruto Surpassed The Fourth Hokage
Strength
When it comes to physical strength, there's no doubt that Naruto has surpassed the Fourth Hokage. Although Minato was quite powerful himself, he had his limits as a ninja. As the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto had access to two types of chakra for most of his life which granted him increased durability and strength.
Naruto, has gone beyond all human limits and gained powers that are comparable to the Otsutsuki Clan. Through countless battles against powerhouses like Pain and Orochimaru, Naruto has proven he's far beyond the level of any Hokage who came before him.
Upgraded The Rasengan
When Jiraiya took Naruto under his wing, one of the first jutsu he taught him was the Rasengan. Naruto was eager to learn this move after Jiraiya showed it to him while they were out searching for Tsunade. Jiraiya was quick to humble Naruto however – he informed him that it took the Fourth Hokage three years to perfect the Rasengan.
Jiraiya painfully left Naruto on his own everyday, he knew he needed to figure out how the Rasengan worked on his own. Naruto grasped the fundamentals sooner rather than later. Using his shadow clones Naruto performed his first Rasengan agaisnt Kabuto to protect Tsunade. Not only did Naruto perform this jutsu at a young age, in Naruto Shippuden, fans see Naruto produce multiple variations of the Rasengan including the Rasenshuriken where he combines his wind element with the powerhouse move.
Sage Mode Mastery
One of Naruto Uzumaki's most powerful transformations is Toad Sage Mode. Naruto trained under The Two Great Sage Toads, Fukasaku and Shima on Mount Myōboku in preparation for Pain's inevitable invasion after Jiraiya's death.
Naruto's mastery of Sage Mode was not only impressive because he learned it in a short amount of time, but also because not even Jiraiya and Minato were able to fully master this form. While Minato had perfected this art to a degree, he didn't have the power to maintain it for long.
Saved The Shinobi World More Than Once
Naruto has not only saved Konohagakure, but the entire shinobi world from danger time and again. He's fought characters like Gaara and Pain who wanted to destroy everything in their path. What's more, Naruto saved the entire world again, by winning the Fourth Great Ninja War, albeit with help, but there's no doubt that the Allied Shinobi Forces would've lost without him.
In fact, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kakashi mistook Naruto for his former sensei – the Fourth Hokage himself. Though Minato saved Konoha and ultimately defeated the Nine-Tails when it attacked, he died in the process. Minato was well-known throughout the Hidden Villages and was feared by his opponents, but his son is much harder to kill.
A Better Kage
Despite all his shortcomings, Naruto Uzumaki is an excellent Hokage who leads by example. He's the man responsible for the peace that the shinobi world is able to enjoy today. He might lack certain qualities, like an aptitude for academics, but he has people around him that he can depend on, which is the essence of his character at the end of the day.
Most of the Hokage before Naruto fell short; they were too focused on politics and sometimes lost sight of what really mattered. There's no doubt that Minato displayed compassion, kindness, and strength while he was Hokage, but Naruto ushered in a new era of peace and strength not just for Konoha, but for the entire shinobi world.
Ways Naruto Still Fell Short
Decision-Making
Although Naruto is one of the strongest shinobi alive, there's more to being a Hokage than strength. In terms of decision-making, Naruto doesn't fare too well because his decisions are often overrun by emotions.
To make up for this, he has people around him who he can rely on, like Shikamaru Nara and Sasuke Uchiha. There are many times when Shikamaru has to talk Naruto down or Sasuke has to convince Naruto to stick to the plan. While this isn't a glaring weakness, it's definitely something Minato did much better.
Leadership
By the end of Naruto Shippuden, Naruto went back to the academy and was finally able to continue his journey toward becoming Hokage. He went on to become the Seventh Hokage of Konohagakure in Boruto: The Next Generations. However, Naruto needs people around to help him manage his daily responsibilities as a Kage.
Naruto is strong, kind, and compassionate, but there is a certain degree of level headedness every Kage needs that he is lacking. Once again, his father was a tremendous leader and had a great vision. Minato was rarley seen under duress and approached every problem from leading his own team during the Third Shinobi War to defeating the Nine-Tails, Minato always kept his cool and never led others astray.
Ruthlessness
Every great leader needs to, at one point or another, make hard decisions. Once again, this is an area where Naruto falls short. He's way too kind and compassionate and this ends up being his own downfall at times. Given the number of times Naruto has convinced his enemies to change their ways, fans have humorously and frustratingly coined the term Talk No Jutsu to describe Naruto's questionable ways of persuasion.
To make up for Naruto's soft side, Sasuke is willing to take on the role as the "ruthless" one and isn't above killing his enemies. Similar to Sasuke, Minato wasn't afraid to do what was necessary, as seen when he single-handedly wiped out over a thousand shinobi during the Third Great Ninja War.
Eye For Analysis
Perfectly described as a knucklehead ninja by many, Naruto Uzumaki is full of surprises when it comes to fighting. While he makes sure he is properly prepared before battle and takes his training seriously, as seen when he learned the Rasengan and mastered his wind element, Naruto isn't afraid of a little improvisation. He comes up with different moves on the spot or will wear himself down, unafraid of the consequences.
This is one aspect of his arsenal that he needs to work on. As a result of this, Isshiki considered Sasuke a bigger threat than him when they fought for the first time. Minato on the other hand was always a few steps ahead of his opponents and most of his jutsu often required planning ahead
Teleportation
Nicknamed The Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze was specifically famous for his blazing speed. His mastery over Tobirama Senju's Flying Thunder God Technique struck fear in his opponents. His usage of this technique allowed him to teleport to any seal that he placed, instantly. During the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha, Minato was able to protect the village, protect Kushina while she was in labor, and battle Obito at the same time.
No other shinobi has displayed such incredible skill and expertise in battle. Though Naruto gained incredible speed through conquering Sage Mode, becoming a Perfect Jinchuriki, and receiving powers from the Sage of Six Paths, he still cannot teleport, which makes him inferior to the Fourth in another aspect.