Naruto Was the Wrong Choice for Hokage & Yes, I Can Prove It

There’s no questioning the fact that Naruto is one of the greatest anime franchises ever created, and its titular main character is a big reason why. Naruto is brave, bold, immature, and everything young shōnen lovers adore about a great main character.

Naruto wanted to be the Hokage, the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, his entire life. Even before he knew his father briefly served as the Fourth Hokage, Naruto wanted to make his village regret treating him poorly and show them just how competent he is.

Naruto did in fact end up becoming Hokage, taking over after Kakashi to become the Seventh Hokage of his village. While he’s an exceptional hero, there’s one character that would’ve been a much better choice for the position.

Naruto Isn’t a Politician

He’s an Exceptional Warrior, but He’s Not Built for Office

Naruto is a lot of things: he’s determined, persistent, loyal, and possibly above all else, one of the strongest characters in the entire franchise. Naruto is an absolute powerhouse of a character. He’s the reason his village wasn’t completely destroyed when Pain came, and even convinced the villain to resurrect everyone he killed.

Naruto, like most shōnen protagonists, is also pretty dumb. He’s never one to think too much, and frankly, that’s one of his best qualities in battle. While he’s obviously the Hero of Konoha for a reason, those skills don’t necessarily translate into politics.

Each of the other Hokage are at least smart, and a few are geniuses. Hashirama is incredibly wise, Tobirama invented several key jutsu used throughout the series, Hiruzen took over at an old age and did very well, Minato is considered a genius, Tsunade thinks before she acts, and Kakashi is another character with a genius-level intellect.

Shikamaru Should Have Become Hokage First

He’s the (Provisional) Eighth Hokage for a Reason

There’s one character in Naruto known for his intelligence: Shikamaru Nara. Shikamaru and his father, Shikaku, are considered to be the two smartest characters in Naruto. If the rest of the Hokage are smart, why wouldn’t the smartest character in the franchise join their ranks?

Shikamaru is a much better fit for a political position like being a Hokage. When Naruto goes missing during Boruto, Shikamaru steps up to be the Provisional Eighth Hokage, a position he should have held anyway.

Naruto would do much better as a Shadow Hokage like Sasuke, continuing to use his fighting prowess to protect his village. Narratively, it makes sense that Naruto became Hokage, but in all reality, there’s no way he should serve such an intellectual position.

First Episode Air Date

October 3, 2002

Cast

Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei