In the Naruto universe, the position of Hokage is never taken lightly, and many of the series' main characters, including the title character, have long harbored ambitions to reach this position. As the top rank in Konohagakure's shinobi ranking system, it is frequently awarded to the most powerful and competent shinobi in the community, and consequently, the Land of Fire in Naruto. As a result, the Hokage represents both the village and the entire shinobi world. The position carries a number of obligations and conditions, none of which are simple to meet, including responsibility for managing the village's operations, mentoring its youth, and protecting its citizens during times of conflict.
The role of a Hokage is tied to the administration of the village in addition to their role as the village's symbolic leader. As a result, there are numerous additional duties that may not come naturally to most shinobi. Some Hokage were exceptionally smart only in combat situations, but they typically delegated such tasks because they lacked the critical thinking abilities required for them. Others, however, were exceptional in both fields. For a person to succeed in the role of Hokage, having a broad range of intellectual abilities is crucial, and the debate over which former Hokage excel in this area can be quite heated.
What Does It Mean To Be Hokage?
The First Hokage Hashirama Senju developed the system of hidden villages that served the Five Great Shinobi Countries in the world of Naruto. He also developed the position of village leader, which he ultimately had to fill himself. As a result, the position of Hokage was first filled by one of the most powerful shinobi in history not long after Konohagakure was founded. Although the Uchiha clan initially worried that the Hokage's power would simply become a continuation of the Senju's hegemony, this did not happen, even though each Hokage typically chooses their own successor.
The Hokage represents the village's Will of Fire, according to which everyone in the community is a member of one big family, with the Hokage serving as its top defender. Their decisions must always be made in the best interests of everyone living in the village, and their duties also include structuring and directing the use of the village's resources, mediating internal disputes, researching pertinent issues, and mediating internal conflicts. Even the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, who has the ability to create dozens of shadow clones that can perform multiple tasks in his place, is unable to keep up with the demands of the role by the time of his rule, indicating that it is now a job that no one person can do on their own any longer.
The Intellect Required For A Village's Leader
Since the introduction of all previous holders of this title with their revival in the Fourth Shinobi World War, questions about who was the most intelligent Hokage in the series have plagued the Naruto fandom. The various forms of intelligence considered here must start with their tactical knowledge and strategic insight in conflict, then their creativity and innovations in the shinobi arts, their natural intellect and judgment, and finally. With these criteria in mind, there are a few obvious front-runners, each with their own special case for being the smartest Hokage.
It might be simple to write off Hashirama Senju and Naruto Uzumaki right away. They were both prone to being overcome by emotions and lacked the composure and good judgment required to prevail in this debate, despite their enormous strength, which dwarfs that of all the other Hokage, keen eye for battle strategy, and prodigious ability in the art of ninjutsu. This demonstrates that a shinobi must possess much more than just skill in ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu in order to fulfill the role of Hokage.
The Main Contenders
Kakashi Hatake, the Sixth Hokage, was well-known throughout the world as a fearsome shinobi who had attained a wide range of jutsu through the use of his Sharingan. As one of the few characters to survive the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he played a crucial part in all of the major battles of the Fourth Shinobi World War and even took part in the final confrontation with Kaguya Otsutsuki. While his mastery of ninjutsu was undeniable, it was perhaps his foresight and analytical skills that elevated him above most other Hokage in this competition. His reign was relatively uneventful, demonstrating his prowess at spotting and neutralizing threats to the village.
The Sannin, however, was hailed as the world's strongest kunoichi and medical-nin, and the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was praised for her contributions to medical ninjutsu. Tsunade was able to heal people who were previously thought to be incurable, like Rock Lee or Kakashi after being exposed to Itachi's Tsukuyomi, in addition to using her Byakugou or Strength of a Hundred Seal technique, which allows the regeneration of fatal wounds instantly. She also played a crucial role in defending the Konohagakure villagers during Pain's assault and oversaw the village's reconstruction after it was destroyed, demonstrating her proficiency in every area of the position.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had a brief but eventful reign. He was known as a genius and a prodigy from the very beginning of his life as a shinobi and proved himself time and time again with his feats on the battlefield. He graduated from Konohagakure's Academy with the highest scores in history. The Rasengan was developed by Minato, who also had extensive knowledge of the advanced sealing techniques used by the Uzumaki clan. Minato also improved upon Tobirama Senju's use of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was proficient in all of Konohagakure's top-secret ninjutsu methods and was capable of using all five Nature Releases in addition to Yin Release and Yang Release. Hiruzen, who went by the moniker "Professor" for his extensive knowledge of the shinobi arts, was regarded as the most powerful Kage of his time and the longest-serving Hokage in history. His wisdom and intelligence were never questioned, even though he occasionally exhibited a tendency to be too lenient and soft.
Last but not least, Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, was a brilliant man who continued the work of his brother Hashirama and was instrumental in creating both the hidden village system and Konohagakure. Tobirama was a brilliant shinobi who invented some of the series' most potent jutsu, including the Shadow Clone Technique, Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation, and the Flying Thunder God. On the battlefield, Tobirama was unmatched due to his extensive repertoire of ninjutsu (covering all five Nature Releases), summonings, and genjutsu skills, as well as his ruthless and strategic approach to conflict. In addition to being the driving force behind some of Konohagakure's most important institutions, including the Uchiha Police Force and the Academy, he was also a steadfast realist who served as a counterbalance to his brother's optimism.
Who Deserves To Be Called The Smartest Hokage?
All of these candidates, like all great shinobi in Naruto, excelled at the position of Hokage in different ways, but they also each had their flaws. Tsunade performed her duties admirably and was a medical-nin without equal, but despite the many advantages she brought to the position of Hokage, her battle intelligence lagged behind some of the others', and she was also prone to making choices based solely on emotion. Minato does not make the cut because his tenure was far too brief and he was still a minor when he assumed the position of Hokage. Consequently, Kakashi, Hiruzen, and Tobirama are the only candidates left.
Even though he was extremely intelligent, Hiruzen's leniency and unwillingness to make difficult choices had terrible consequences for the village and the shinobi community as a whole, and it was a flaw in his character that he never managed to overcome. Because he was shrewd, calculating, and prepared to take drastic measures when necessary, Kakashi was better able to balance the darker and lighter aspects of being Hokage.
Tobirama, who put forth great effort to keep the peace in the village and—despite his alleged bias against the Uchiha—was in charge of giving them control over the village Police Force—is the only person who surpasses even him in this regard. Tobirama always saw things from all angles, developed many of the systems that are now crucial to the village's operations, and had to control his brother's optimism throughout the First Hokage's rule—even though his statements occasionally came across as harsh. Tobirama undoubtedly holds the title of the most intelligent Hokage in the series, and rightfully so, given his incredible combat prowess.