With over 700 episodes to its name, the Naruto universe boasts a staggering number of villains that Sasuke, Naruto, and others have had to contend with. From vengeful undead Akatsuki to the return of gods, they have had no shortage of enemies.
However, some opponents were presented with more difficulty than they should have been worth, while others were easier to overcome than they deserved to be. It's time to return to the shinobi world with five villains that should've put up more of a fight and five who fared a little too well.
10 Should Have Been Harder - Dosu
Dosu was one of the few Naruto villains to have been himself defeated by another antagonist (with other examples including Madara and Zabuza). Ironically, Gaara was one of the few shinobi that should have fared worst against the servant of Orochimaru and his sound-based attacks.
With his vibrations able to travel through Gaara's sand and puncture his eardrums, Dosu should have been able to disorient him and weaken his defenses. Instead, he was obliterated off-screen in presumably one hit, denying the ninja the legendary fight he deserved.
9 Too Hard - Kabuto
While Kabuto's Shippuden incarnation would understandably prove difficult even to the combined might of Sasuke and Itachi, he was much harder than he realistically should have been in the fight against Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Naruto.
The only credit he had to his name was his chakra scalpel ability and his medical healing techniques. This pales in comparison to the vast destruction his opponents were able to summon on a whim, including the damage Naruto proved himself capable of when attempting to retrieve Sasuke. Accordingly, Kabuto never should have been able to get in range to make his scalpel an efficient tool.
8 Should Have Been Harder - Danzo Shimura
Danzo Shimura was the leader of the Foundation, a shadowy cabal of shinobi directly under his command. One of the oldest surviving ninja and serving alongside Hiruzen under Tobirama, his skills and intelligence have seen him through countless battles and won him considerable authority in Konoha.
Despite this, he was somehow unable to dodge even a simple kunai attack from Sasuke, exhausting his Izanagi irresponsibly in a vain attempt to defeat his opponent. Realistically, he should have been able to defeat the young Uchiha, or at least weaken him enough not to stand against Kakashi immediately after.
7 Too Hard - Sasuke Uchiha (First Fight)
Once again, Sasuke's later iterations would put up an understandably more impressive show of force due to the combined might of his Rinnegan and the drained Jinchuriki. However, his first real fight against Naruto should not have ended in his favor.
He did not have nearly enough experience refining his curse mark to make it a honed weapon against his friend, who had been dealing with Kurama his entire life. Additionally, Uzumaki's Rasengan was proven to be at a higher level than his Chidori, as seen through the water tower incident.
6 Should Have Been Harder - Orochimaru (Leaf Village Attack)
When Orochimaru prepared to face down Sarutobi Hiruzen in a final reckoning which would leave the village devastated, he came prepared with the Edo Tensei reincarnations of Hashirama and Tobirama. They posed a threat against the Third, though not as much as they should have been.
Even in their imperfect conditions, they did not show a shadow of their potential as observed through the Fourth Shinobi War. Sarutobi was able not only to defeat both Kage, he fought Orochimuaru to a standstill afterward, eventually forcing his retreat at a grave cost.
5 Too Hard - Hidan
One of the weakest and most bumbling members of the Akatsuki, Hidan's strength is predicated around two things; his durability and his partner. Through the grace of his Lord Jashin, he is able to survive being decapitated, crushed, and ripped apart, eventually being responsible for the death of Asuna Sensei.
Because of his aforementioned incompetence, manipulating his arrogance against him would have been a perfect job for Shikamaru. Getting him separated from Kazuku would be imperative to their success. However, it would take his mentor's death for him to realize what needed to be done and how to do it.
4 Should Have Been Harder - Sasori
Sasori is one of the most lethal of the Akatsuki, able to manipulate and directly command hundreds of puppets outfitted with lethal, until recently incurable poison.
Despite possessing strength great enough to defeat a Kazekage and an army large enough to wipe out villages, he was unable to defeat the likes of Sakura and his own grandmother. While their poison immunity may have granted them an advantage over his preferred tactics, Chiyo should not have been able to predict his vast arsenal as expediently as she did and commandeer Sakura to dodge it.
3 Too Hard - Sakkon And Ukon
Sakkon and Ukon were two of Orochimaru's finest lieutenants, using the combined force of their bodies to defeat their opponents. Their primary abilities were limb barrages and an ability to possess their opponent's body, with a secondary talent for erecting great gates.
However, they should not have had the dexterity to survive Kiba's fang over fang, and their possession talent isn't particularly useful (as they suffer damage equal to the body they're possessing). While the gate may have proved a threat against Kiba, it is virtually useless against most other opponents.
2 Should Have Been Harder - Kaguya
As the original progenitor of chakra and distant ancestor to Naruto and Sasuke, Kaguya's abilities are beyond comprehension. Her treachery was significant enough to seal Madara's fate, her power great enough to whisk opponents to a different dimension in the blink of an eye.
Despite her spikes' ability to instantly kill those they touched and the vast techniques at her disposal, her fight was of ultimately little consequence (save for Obito's death). By the battle's conclusion, even Sakura ~ who had no exceptional power of her own ~ would be landing meaningful blows against her.
1 Too Hard - Gaara
Even against an opponent with no talent for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, Gaara was nearly defeated, laying as a broken husk on the arena floor and barely able to compel the sand to finish Rock Lee off.
He should have stood little chance against Naruto, Kurama, and Gamabunta's combined power, given the raw potential the ninth Jinchuriki displayed at the end of the series. Granted, half of Kurama's power was sealed in Minato at the time, though he was still able to overcome Shukaku and the strength harnessed by the other seven Jinchuriki under Sasuke.