Naruto is known for its protagonists, amazing fights, memorable characters, and the rich ninja world it created. Whether you started watching in the original Naruto days or the Naruto: Shippuden follow-up series, every fan knows that Naruto’s biggest goal in life was to become Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Along the way, the audience is introduced to all four of the previous Hokage, who have incredible abilities. While all four have distinct looks, jutsu, and relationships to the characters in the story, one stands out amongst all the others: Lord Hashirama Senju. As the founder of the Hidden Leaf Village, Hashirama was feared, respected, and regarded as the strongest Hokage of all time and for good reason. Let’s take a look at what exactly sets Hashirama apart from his successors.
Hashirama’s Will of Fire
Before Hashirama’s skills are addressed, his physical prowess must be addressed. As the first reincarnation of Hagoromo’s son Asura Otsutsuki and a member of the famed Senju clan, Hashirama was the perfect combination of physical and spiritual power. As the reincarnation of Asura, Hashirama inherited his will and drive for peace alongside his determination to obtain it at any cost. This indomitable will allowed for him to engage in battle for decades and not lose hope.
Even when his brother is murdered by the Uchiha clan early on in his life, Hashirama’s goal for peace is emboldened instead of dampened. This determination is what led to his name as the Shodai Hokage, which literally translates to; Founding Fire Shadow. Continuing Asura’s legacy, Hashirama birthed the Will of Fire that would become the cornerstone of every shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village.
As the eventual clan leader of the Senju, Hashirama’s lineage is also responsible for his unique physical prowess. Paired with his spiritual reincarnation of Asura, Hashirama was born with an extremely large chakra pool. In fact, it is larger than any other shinobi’s, even Naruto’s. To put this into perspective, when Naruto is cloaking every shinobi in the Fourth Great Ninja War with Kurama’s chakra to keep them safe, Hashirama mentions that Naruto has as much chakra as he does. This means, Naruto with his Uzumaki lineage and Kyuubi chakra reserves almost has as much chakra as Hashirama did in his life. This level of raw power is unparalleled by any regular shinobi both past and present.
The God of Shinobi
With unrivaled chakra levels at his disposal, Hashirama mastered every art of jutsu known in Naruto. He had every type of Nature release, Yin and Yang release and Sage Mode, but his Wood Release technique made Hashirama a force to be reckoned with. As seen in his final battle against Madara, he uses his ultimate technique called Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands that created a massive Buddha-like structure capable of overpowering a full-body Susanoo, Madara-controlled Kurama.
Not only does Hashirama decimate Madara in his most powerful form during his life, but he carves out the God Valley by altering the landscape completely. With these hundreds of techniques, no hand sign seals, Sage mode, and use of all types of jutsu, Hashirama’s namesake as the God of Shinobi is rightfully earned.
The First Hokage
Beyond all of Hashirama’s incredible abilities, one of the things that truly makes him the strongest is his unwavering commitment to being Hokage. Having created “Hokage” in the first place, he defined what it meant to be a Hokage and a fantastic leader. Hashirama has always put peace first and has been willing to give up his life for the cause no matter what. This belief completely set the standard for all other Hokage to come and even other kage from different villages.
While being ready to die for one’s village might seem like a pretty standard thing to do later on in Naruto, we have to remember that it was Hashirama who prioritized loyalty to one’s village over their clan. Being willing to die to protect someone from another clan was unheard of and perceived as weakness at first.
On top of these other characteristics, Hashirama was an exceptional leader. Being Hokage means taking responsibility for those around you and having them follow you, and the First Hokage exemplified that. He brought multiple clans together, kept those not akin to peace in check, and led by example. Other Hokage were powerful, but not always great leaders. His brother Tobirama was a mastermind in jutsu and warfare but was oftentimes ruthless and cold. Hiruzen, the third Hokage, was often perceived as warm, but behind the scenes made decisions that divided the village and led to death. Even Naruto’s father Minato didn’t excel in leadership. While he was a genius in every other regard, he was often seen alone and didn’t live long enough to come into his own as a leader. Despite Naruto’s vast roster of characters, it’s clear Hashirama still stands atop them all as the true “God of Shinobi” thanks to his supreme strength.