The Naruto universe is thrilling for the vast differentials in power its characters possess. Some rely on stealthy, precise attacks to defeat their adversaries, whereas others can raze entire valleys and even crack the moon through the potency of their jutsu.
Though the strength of a ninja is a strong estimate as to their success in combat, there have been many weak ninja with an illustrious career of successes throughout the series. By identifying the most underwhelming characters with the best shinobi portfolios, we can better understand how they subvert expectations with skill and prowess.
10 Dosu Was Undefeated Until He Was Killed By Gaara
Until Dosu's fateful (and immediate) death by Gaara, he was unstoppable against everyone he fought. The Sound ninja managed to defeat Choji in the first round of the Chunin Exams in a matter of minutes, and his team brought down taijutsu master Rock Lee by wearing him out.
Kabuto himself dared not to confront him, realizing the strength of the villain's sound gauntlets. In spite of their prowess, he has relatively low mobility, durability, and physical strength. Dosu's exclusive reliance on his ninjutsu was partially responsible for his undoing.
9 Shikamaru Compensated For Weak Jutsu With Intelligence
By itself, Shikamaru's jutsu was underwhelming. His shadow didn't work under specific circumstances (like uneven surfaces, as proven through his battle against Tayuya), and he only learned the stitching and strangulation techniques well into his ninja career.
Despite this, he has much to show for his service to Konoha. He outwitted Temari in the Chunin Exam and was the only member of the Konoha 11 outside of Team Seven to bring down an Akatsuki member by himself. Both feats were achieved through elaborate preparation.
8 Choji Worked Well With Teammates Despite His Limited Maneuverability
Though Choji is far from Konoha's most powerful ninja (especially on account of his low speed and maneuverability in the human boulder form), he was nonetheless instrumental to its success in a number of important missions.
In addition to defeating Sound Four agent Jirobo by himself, he also crushed Asuma's Edo Tensei body with a colossal fist and helped to decimate the Gedo Statue's spawn. His only major defeat was against Dosu since he overestimated his ability to defend against his sound gauntlet and got stuck in the side of the arena.
7 Kankuro Was Nearly Undefeated Despite His Low Destructive Caliber
Despite the many limitations behind Kankuro's dolls (whether the chakra threads connecting them, their weakness at the joints, or their overall low destructive power), Kankuro was a force to be reckoned with. He only had one decisive defeat in the entire series during his first battle against Sasori.
The Sand ninja beat Tsurugi comfortably, fought to a tie against Shino (as the bug-wielding ninja fell unconscious almost at the same time he did), and even defeated both Sasori and Deidara in a rematch alongside Sai at the beginning of the Fourth War. Additionally, he saved Kiba from being murdered by Sakon and Ukon.
6 Shikaku Defended The Leaf From All Threats Despite Sharing Shikamaru's Weaknesses
Shikaku shared many of Shikamaru's fundamental weaknesses, especially with the ways a shadow possession can be avoided. Fortunately, he also possessed all of his son's intelligence, as illustrated through his leadership in the Fourth Shinobi War.
The man's primary accomplishment was when he defended Konoha from the Sand village during its invasion after the abrupt conclusion of the Chunin Exams. Though he would die to the Gedo Statue's biju bomb, it can't be considered a defeat since it wasn't a fight in the first place.
5 Neji's Only Major Defeat Was Against Naruto
Though Neji's palm technique is formidable, his relatively limited arsenal reduces his potential to thrive as a shinobi. Nonetheless, he has a profound list of successes to show for his service to Konoha, with his only major loss being at the hand of Naruto in the Chunin Exam.
In addition to dominating Hinata in the preliminaries, he also killed Sound Four lieutenant Kidomaru and even defeated an exact copy of himself during Team Guy's investigation at the Akatsuki's hideout. Though he died in the Fourth Shinobi War, it was a voluntary sacrifice to save his friends and therefore cannot be considered a formal defeat.
4 Baki Was Cautious & Never Lost A Fight
Baki was the former mentor of the Sand Siblings and a particularly cautious ninja. Despite the extremely limited scope of his abilities (only able to produce a wind blade for melee combat), he was able to cut down Hayate Gekko before the secret of the Sand's Alliance with the Sound got out.
He has seldom engaged in a battle ever since, prudently laying low during Deidara's attack on their village and the subsequent abduction of Gaara.
3 Shino Has Only Lost A Single Battle
Most of Shino's ninja career has resulted in his success. Despite the limited striking power of his insects and how easily they can be overcome, he was responsible for defeating Zaku in the Chunin Exam, fighting Kankuro to a draw, and besting the mysterious beekeeper who attempted to coax him into life as a hermit.
His only decisive loss was alongside the other members of the Aburame Clan against Konan during Pain's invasion of the village. Given the caliber of the Akatsuki member's attacks, it's difficult to blame the hero for his failure.
2 Temari's Fan Has Versatility & Reach
Temari was Gaara's older sister and an expert at the wind fan. She was responsible for defeating Tenten and technically Shikamaru during the Chunin Exam (as he forfeited at the fight's conclusion). Additionally, the kunoichi would save his life from Tayuya in the Sasuke retrieval mission.
However, she is not as comparatively powerful as many of the series' other characters and is completely helpless without her ninja tool at her side. This limits her utility to the heroes despite the victories attributed to her.
1 Orochimaru Was Much Weaker Than The Series' Other Villains But Still Knew When & Where To Strike
Orochimaru is comparatively weaker than most of the series' other villains, having been dominated by Itachi and unable to do anything against Madara or Obito (aside from raising the Kage to fight against them). He was even defeated by Sasuke, his own student.
Nonetheless, most of his fights have resulted in either partial or complete victory. He defeated Team Seven in the Forest of Death, assassinated Rasa, the Kazekage of the Sand village, and executed Hiruzen Sarutobi, a man regarded to be one of the finest ninja who had ever lived.