The Naruto verse is populated with all kinds of animals and exotic creatures to add some extra flair to thre series, many of which have entered summoning contracts with himan shinobi. The strongest of these summon animals can go head-to-head against the world’s most formidable shinobi and fight with incredible courage and skill.

The strongest summoning animals in Naruto add some charming depth to the series' combat system and are often worthwhile characters in their own right, with their own personalities, worldviews, and sometimes dialogue, too. These Naruto summoning animals even suggest some humility among the ninjas, since those ninjas need an animal's help to survive and win the day.

Updated on October 1st, 2023 by Louis Kemner: This list of the most powerful and noteworthy Naruto summoning animal characters has been updated and revised to adhere to CBR's current publication standards, as well as to include more of Naruto's most powerful summoning animals

15 Garuda (Hawk)

Hawks in Naruto are treated as trusted messengers. Rather than engaging in combat like other summon animals, most summoned hawks are tasked with telecommunication and espionage work. In a pre-industrial world like this that lacks telephones and even telegraphs, courier hawks are a must.

Still, there are exceptions, and some summoned hawks are combat-worthy. Garuda is one such hawk, personally contracted with Sasuke Uchiha. Garuda not only serves Sasuke as an aerial mount, he also provides some impressive combat assistance. Unlike most contracted hawks, Garuda is enormous in size.

14 Akino

Naruto's mentor, Kakashi Hatake, doesn't rely much on summoned animals to fight, given his enormous skill and advanced jutsu as a jonin. Still, when the stakes are high and Kakashi can't afford to take risks, he will summon a pack of ninja dogs, including Akino and Pakkun. Not even Kakashi can be everywhere at once, so his ninja dogs pick up the slack.

These shinobi hounds made their debut early in Naruto, when they used their jaws to restrain Zabuza Momochi. That included Akino, one of the biggest and most combat-capable ninja dogs, using his powerful bite and advanced mobility to keep pace with any human opponent. He's also one of the few ninja dogs who can actually talk.

13 Giant Marlin

The giant marlin saw action as a summon in the Third Great Shinobi War. It's a massive fish with a sword-like snout that it can use in combat, and evidently, it can easily survive a giant shuriken attack to the head without any real issue. This summoned fish even destroyed a harbor in the Land of Fire all on its own.

The giant marlin only played a minor role in the Naruto anime, but it was still an impressive creature to behold.as a Moby-Dick-style monster. The minor character Yusuke was determined to catch the giant marlin to avenge his father, and with Naruto's team's help, he did just that. Naruto retrieved the stuck shuriken, and after that, the giant marlin swam home.

12 Aoda (Snake)

Unlike most of his bloodthirsty counterparts, Aoda is a reasonable snake who exclusively serves Sasuke and his descendants. He made his initial debut in the second part of the series, replacing the deceased Manda as Sasuke’s main snake summon.

Though Aoda’s limits are unknown for the most part, his fighting prowess is undeniable. Snakes also tend to rank among the most powerful summoned animals of all, typically outclassing other summoned animals of a similar level. Aoda is also highly agile for his size, able to easily outmaneuver a crowd of Ten-Tails' clones.

11 Ibuse (Salamander)

Ibuse the salamander is the preferred animal summon of the notorious villain Hanzo. They, together, form a nearly invincible duo by most of the shinobis’ standards. Their poison techniques brought about the greatest known ninja to their knees.

One of the duo’s most solid achievements is them overpowering the combined efforts of Konoha’s Legendary Sannin, a remarkable achievement by any standard. In combat, Ibuse can burrow underground and ambush his foes with a swallowing attack, but oddly, Ibuse uses poison rather than fire to fight, a twist on the familiar salamander trope.

10 Giant Rhino

Ninjas in the Naruto world sometimes summon crafty animals who use trickery and advanced jutsu or weapons to fight, but in other cases, brute force is actually the right call. A ninja can use a brutish summon like the giant rhino to wreak havoc, giving the ninja the perfect cover to make their next move.

Naruto Shippuden fans saw Pain's giant rhino in action during the Hidden Leaf Village invasion. It could easily smash into buildings to wreck them, and it had the trademark Rinnegan eyes and black piercings common among all Pain summons. It's unknown if the giant rhino can fly with its vestigal wings.

9 Conch King

Kandachi was introduced as Hanzo's right-hand man as a missing-nin from the Hidden Rain Village, and like Hanzo before him, Kandachi relied heavily on summoning jutsu to fight, and he arrogantly thought he could crush a Sannin with the power of his summoned animal, the Conch King.

The Conch King could use unique genjutsu to paralyze its target, which could work on even the most elite ninja. It could also shoot spikes as a ranged attack and use its long tongues to seize its enemies. Oddly, despite its name, the Conch King's body isn't just a conch shell -- it also has oyster and giant clam segments, too.

8 Kamatari

Kamatari is a small but powerful summoned animal who made his debut in the Sasuke retrieval story arc. At the time, the genius ninja Shikamaru Nara was having trouble finishing off his opponent, Tayuya of the Sound Four, so Temari arrived to take over the fight.

Temari hardly even needed her own wind release jutsu to win the fight. She instead used her fan to summon Kamatari, who used the devastating Quick Beheading Dance to slice up everything around him, which killed Tayuya with ease while decimating the forest. In battle, Kamatari is too quick for the eye to follow, making him a tough target to hit.

7 Baku

Baku is an elephantine tapir chimera with unknown origins. Its first and only appearance in the Naruto anime was during the villain Danzo Shimura’s fight against Sasuke. During that incident, Baku showcased strength rivaling that of top-tier summons, if not higher.

Baku is a master of suction and devouring. It’s said that the suction force produced by its trunk is strong enough to devour anything and everything, including dreams. Its ability to pin down Sasuke and his Mangekyo Sharingan's Susanoo is a testimony to its strength.

6 Monkey King Enma

Monkey King Enma served as the personal summon for Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. As some Naruto flashbacks show, Enma has been by Hiruzen's side for decades, but all that came to an end when Hiruzen gave his life fighting Orochimaru during Operation Konoha Crush.

Not only does Enma possess great strength as a Naruto animal, he is also highly experienced and insightful, just like his human partner. Enma understands thre nature, strengths, and drawbacks of various techniques, giving him the edge in most fights. Enma can also transform into an extending staff, a clear reference to the Chinese legend of Sun Wukong.

5 Gamakichi (Toad)

Gamakichi is the eldest son of the toad chief, Gamabunta. He is also protagonist Naruto Uzumaki’s personal summon and one of the series’ most formidable beasts. Although not on his father's level, Gamakichi can cause massive destruction with but a flick of a hand.

Gamakichi initially debuted in the first half of the anime as an early example of a Naruto summoning animal. Amusingly, Gamakichi and Naruto Uzumaki often annoyed each other with their juvenile attitudes, and Gamakichi even accused Naruto of being bigoted against toads. Over time, however, they learned to get along and fight as true allies.

4 Katsuyu (Slug)

Unlike the toads and snakes of Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave, Katsuyu is a unique animal. She is the only known slug inhabiting the unexplored sage zone of Shikkotsu Forest. Even when she is summoned, only a part of her actually leaves the forest.

Katsuyu’s main expertise is defense and support. Although her offense is notable in its own right, it’s in support battles where she truly shines. Just based on that, Katsuyu much more helpful in vast combat zones, such as the Hidden Leaf Village when Pain invaded.

3 Shima & Fukasaku (Toads)

The two Toad Sages, Shima, and Fukasaku, are a husband and wife pair in Mount Myoboku. They rarely leave the mountains, but when they do, they will demonstrate the true power of toads. Their only known summoners are the late Jiraiya and Naruto.

Due to their advanced age and vast experience, this sage couple enjoys authority and respect above Gamabunta, the chief of the mountain. However, it’s unknown whether they’ll be able to overpower the latter in combat directly.

2 Gamabunta (Toad)

Gamabunta is the chief toad of Mount Myuboku and one of the most formidable toads. He is a recurring character who assisted three generations of partners, starting from Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, to Naruto Uzumaki himself.

Gamabunta also happens to be the most versatile of the three iconic bosses, summons. All of his battle-related attributes are top-notch. He is well-versed in swordsmanship as well as various jutsu. Gamabunta is also strong and brave enough to stare down the great Kurama, as the very first scene of Naruto showed.

1 Manda (Snake)

Katsuyu, Gamabunta, and Manda are the three boss summons of the unexplored sage locations. As such, it’s only natural for them to be at the top of the hierarchy of fighting prowess among all Naruto summoning animal characters.

Manda may be part of a trio with Gamabunta and Katsuyu, but is vastly stronger than either of them. In the first part of the Naruto series, Manda subdued both Katsuyu and Gamabunta and nearly robbed them of their lives. It's no surprise that Orochimaru, who values power and cunning above all else, is partnered with the strongest summoned animal of them all.