Naruto: 7 Best Rivalries, Ranked

It’s fair to say that throughout the story of the original Naruto series and Naruto Shippuden, there has been a plethora of heated and intense rivalries that have emerged between certain characters. Although comparing power and strength obviously plays a huge part in these feuds, considering that Naruto is a shonen series, because of how well-written a lot of the characters are, it also results in the majority of these rivalries having a very personal undertone to them, which makes them all the more captivating, and at times, very emotional.

As a result, it means that some of the most iconic rivalries from the show, no matter how silly or inconsequential they may seem on the surface, actually have a lot of history and meaning built into them. With that being said though, which two Naruto characters are considered to have the most iconic and compelling rivalry of them all? Keep reading to find out.

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7 Ino & Sakura

Ino And Sakura Have Been Butting Heads Ever Since They Were Young Kids

On the surface, Ino and Sakura’s intense dislike for one another seems to be purely a result of them both wanting to get with Sasuke, and while this is definitely a huge reason why they would go on to become rivals, there are also a few other factors why their friendship developed in such a way. When they were both young, it was Ino who defended Sakura against her bullies at school, convincing Sakura to be confident in the way she looked, while also encouraging her to become as strong as possible so that she wouldn’t have to put up with bullies in the future.

While this did inevitably result in the two becoming very close friends, it also made them both very competitive about who would become the stronger ninja of the two, something that was actually put to the test during their fateful bout at the Chunin Exams. Compared to a lot of other rivalries in the series, Ino and Sakura’s is a lot more lighthearted and incredibly fun to watch, especially when they go head-to-head in a battle.

6 Rock Lee & Gaara

Rock Lee Desperately Tries To Prove That Hard Works Beats Natural Talent when Facing Off Against Gaara

Rock Lee and Gaara may both be ninjas, but in every other department, they couldn’t be more different. Unlike Gaara who has possessed an immense amount of power from birth due to him inheriting the One Tailed Shukaku, Lee was born without any natural gifts and wasn’t even able to use ninjutsu, which was considered to be a given for anyone who realistically wanted to become a high-ranking ninja.

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As a result, Lee poured all of his time and effort into his taijutsu, becoming one of the fastest and strongest ninjas in the entire show. As a result of their differences, the two were directly opposed to one another, resulting in one of the most explosive and Action-packed battles in the series as Lee desperately tried to prove his worth to someone who he knew was objectively stronger than him, with his efforts even managing to impress the stoic and cold-hearted Gaara himself.

5 Guy & Kakashi

Guy And Kakashi Are Always Trying To Out-Do One Another In Every Way Imaginable

When taking a look at each of the Hidden Leaf Jonin, Guy and Kakashi wouldn’t exactly seem to be a pair that would get along very well, with Guy’s over-the-top persona being in stark contrast to Kakashi’s laid-back and carefree personality. In reality though, the two go back a very long way, having been in the same class together at the academy, and even going one on one in the later stages of the Chunin Exams, a battle which Guy would go on to lose.

Ever since tasting this bitter defeat, Guy would go on to label Kakashi as his “Lifelong Rival”, inspiring him to become much more optimistic about the future, as he would train endlessly to one day become as strong and wise as his opponent. What this resulted in was many years of the two competing with one another both inside and outside of battle, whether this was in the form of a foot race, an eating contest, or even just seeing who can take down an opponent the fastest.

4 Naruto & Neji

Naruto And Neji’s Opposing Ideologies Eventually Formed A Heated Rivalry Between The Two

Before Neji and Naruto finally exchanged blows during their battle during the Chunin Exams, Naruto was already less than fond of the young Hyuga prodigy, especially when witnessing how much he ridiculed Hinata earlier in the tournament. While Neji believed that everyone’s destiny was pre-determined and that no human had the ability to change their future, Naruto didn’t buy into this ideology, and instead thought that everyone has the potential to forge their own path.

Needless to say, this caused the two to butt heads on more than a few occasions, and when they inevitably came face to face during their long-awaited match, they held nothing back in an attempt to prove their case to the other. Although the two would go on to become close friends after this battle, there have been many scenarios where they have both tried to one-up the other, which implies that although their relationship has become more friendly, they still enjoy testing one another’s strength and beliefs from time to time.

3 Hashirama And Madara

Hashirama And Madara Were Forced To Become Rivals Due To Their Upbringing And Beliefs

Hashirama and Madara were once close allies and even friends when they were younger, but over time, their ideologies and way of thinking began to clash with one another, turning them into long-lasting rivals. What makes this rivalry so fascinating, aside from how absurdly powerful the two are which makes each one of their fights a joy to watch, is how they were essentially pushed into going against one another. Because Madara is a member of the Uchiha clan, it means that he has been taught since birth to hate the Senju, even though Hashirama himself never technically did anything to spite Madara.

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It adds an extra layer of emotion to the feud when realizing that they both didn’t actually hate each other, but in actuality, the world around them and their traditions simply determined that they must be mortal enemies. As becomes much more clear near the end of the series though, it does seem that the two partly enjoyed that they were set up to be rivals, since it gave them a perfect opportunity to test their unrivaled strength against one another in the many battles that were to come.

2 Sasuke & Itachi

Sasuke Made It Clear That His Only Care In The World Was Taking Down Itachi

At the beginning of the story, Sasuke doesn’t give too much away about himself, preferring to distance himself from his allies and being pretty tight-lipped about his backstory and his powers. One thing he does repeat over and over again though, is that he’s seeking to become stronger so that he can one day enact revenge, with it soon being revealed that his target is none other than his own brother, Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke’s burning rage against Itachi makes each and every one of their encounters extremely intense, with Itachi constantly mocking his younger brother in an attempt to make him stronger before their final battle.

Kishimoto provided one of the series’ most unforeseen twists though when it is revealed that the reason Itachi decided to murder the Uchiha clan was to prevent them from starting yet another Great Ninja War, which inevitably would have destroyed all of Konoha. Because of Danzo’s threat, Itachi also did all this purely to save his own little brother, making for one of the most iconic and emotional rivalries in all of anime.

1 Naruto & Sasuke

Although They Followed Different Paths, Naruto And Sasuke’s Passionate Rivalry Remained Strong From The Beginning To The End Of The Series

Sasuke and Naruto using their Rasengan and Chidori Jutsu against one another

Although there are quite a few huge gaps throughout the story where the two former friends don’t actually see one another, the heart of Naruto’s story has always been the complex and passionate rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke. Having both lost their parents at a young age, and having no friends to speak of, the two boys would gradually become very close, but Sasuke’s mission to hunt down Itachi ultimately tore them both apart, with Naruto trying desperately to bring Sasuke back and remind him how strong their bond really is.

Despite pursuing very different paths, the two always seem to be inherently linked to one another due to their pasts, and no matter how sadistic and violent Sasuke becomes, he still can’t shake the fact that Naruto ultimately still respects him as both a friend, and a rival. Because both Naruto and Sasuke also stay at roughly the same power level throughout the series, it also culminates in some incredibly thrilling fights, especially the few occasions where they duke it out at the Valley of the End.