The forces that the heroes contend with in the Naruto universe are often astonishingly parallel to their own (a factor its title protagonist considers when trying to coax them to change sides). It is particularly evident on account of the similar paths they have taken in life as shinobi.

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Though ninja are abundant in the series (with more characters having the vocation than not), some villains do not qualify to be one. Through identifying the antagonists the heroes have contended with that aren't actually real shinobi, we can appreciate the diverse gallery of villains Naruto has fought against.

10 Kaguya Otsutsuki was the progenitor of chakra, providing its awe-inspiring power to the world of humans

Kaguya Otsutsuki naruto

She created jutsu itself, bringing it to an ungrateful population that would never truly accept her on account of her bizarre appearance.

As awesome as her power might be, she cannot be considered a traditional shinobi since she shares none of their customs and has never belonged to a practicing village. Her physiology — along with that of her other clan members — distinguishes the Otsutsuki as their own unique identities.

9 Mecha Naruto was intended to bring the Jinchuriki to his knees

Mecha Naruto from Naruto Shippuden in the sky in "The Directive To Take The Nine Tails."

Mecha Naruto was one of Orochimaru's few creations that were not painstakingly contrived from the flesh of an innocent person. Constructed in the original's likeness, he was intended to bring the Jinchuriki to his knees.

Instead of using traditional jutsu, much of his abilities relied on the arsenal stored within his body. Considering that he cannot access jutsu, it does not specifically belong to a village (instead, being directly owned by the fallen Sannin), and isn't even human, it follows that he cannot be classified as a shinobi.

8 Toneri was an Otsutsuki member who had spent most of his life on the moon

Naruto The Last Toneri Otsutsuki Hinata Hyuga

He commanded an enormous number of Byakugans and was attracted to Hinata on account of what similarities they shared. This would predictably culminate in a battle between himself and Naruto for the fate of his beloved, one the alien was bound to lose.

Like Kaguya, the hermit has many conditions that make it impossible to consider him a shinobi. He has never belonged to a village, does not practice traditional jutsu, and isn't even biologically human. Nonetheless, his power is considerable all the same.

7 Gato was the criminal employer of Zabuza & a man who had intended to sabotage the bridge builder's efforts

Naruto Gato smiling

In addition to the threat the Mist Demon posed, he also commanded a small army of hired mercenaries to ensure their endeavors would be complete without a hitch.

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Despite the influence at his disposal, it's impossible to qualify Gato himself as a shinobi. In addition to having no perceivable village (past or present), he is completely inept at using any jutsu, even with rudimentary taijutsu completely beyond his skill level. Without money to sway the hearts of his warriors, he would be an inconsequential adversary.

6 Momoshiki Otsutsuki was an enormously powerful foe capable of taking down Naruto & the other Five Kage with relatively little effort

Momoshiki Otsutsuki in naruto

Only through Sasuke's assistance and his son's timely intervention were the heroes able to sway the battle back in their favor and defeat the villain once and for all.

Despite Momoshiki's proficiency in using his abilities, he meets none of the qualifications to be a shinobi that his other clansmen also failed to match. While he may have been able to jeopardize the ninja world, he was ironically not a part of it.

5 Yokozuna was the pugnacious leader of the Sumo Wrestlers

Yokozuna Naruto

The Sumo Wrestlers were an order of warriors who were made obsolete by the progression of jutsu, forcing them to retreat into the wilderness on account of the superior strength of their mystical adversaries.

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When most of Konoha's warriors were called to aid in the Fourth Shinobi War, the Leaf was vulnerable to attack. It would be an opportunity Yokozuna attempted to exploit, only to be narrowly thwarted through the mothers of Konoha's finest.

4 Zetsu was the only member of the Akatsuki not to be explicitly considered a shinobi

Zetsu naruto

It was later revealed that Zetsu was an agent of Kaguya, viewing himself as his mistress's "child." Much of his abilities come from his physiology, rather than any traditional proficiency for jutsu (despite how fluently White Zetsu can mimic it).

His greatest asset is his affinity for manipulating others, weakening the shinobi world by turning it against itself and slowly ushering in the return of his benefactor at the same time. Though he may have been one of the series' weakest villains, Zetsu was perhaps the only character capable of taking down Madara.

3 When Kurama was introduced, he was hardly the asset that Naruto needed in order to survive the treacherous rigors of the shinobi world

naruto kurama

His bloodlust would frequently affect his host, terrifying those around him when he gained prodigious influence over the future Hokage's body.

The Nine Tails was also partially responsible for the destruction of the Leaf and the deaths of Minato and Kushina. After Naruto had related to his suffering and mistreatment, however, the two reconciled their differences and became an unstoppable fighting force.

2 Also known as "The Idiot Brothers," Raijin & Fujin were escaped convicts under the employ of Mizuki

Raijin and Fujin in Naruto.

Like the sumo wrestlers, what deficiencies they had in any type of jutsu was compensated for in raw physical strength. Their might was so tremendous that it revealed many of the weaknesses behind the jutsu of Naruto and his allies.

For instance, Shikamaru's shadow possession was not strong enough to hold either of them — with enough exertion, they were able to escape and continue the battle. Only Tsunade's unmatched power would be enough to coerce them back into the cells they escaped from.

1 Shukaku was the One-Tailed Beast & a spirit that had possessed the body of Gaara

Naruto Gaara

Unlike Kurama, he was more openly malevolent and did not require the manipulations or dominance of Madara in order to wreak havoc on Konoha.

During Naruto's final confrontation against the sand ninja outside the Leaf, Shukaku was virtually puppeteering his host's body. It was only after the intrepid young Uzumaki had defeated him was Gaara able to rein in his bloodthirst and put the conflict between himself and the One Tail to rest. Unfortunately, the creature would be extracted by the Akatsuki shortly after he made amends with his host.

NEXT: Naruto: The Akatsuki, Ranked From Least To Most Evil