Biggest Power-Ups in Naruto

The world of anime is no stranger to power-ups. In fact, this is one of the most exciting parts of this medium. From Dragon Ball’s Super Saiyan to Jujutsu Kaisen’s Domain Expansion, it’s always exciting to watch heroes—and sometimes villains—unlock incredible abilities to overcome their foes. With that in mind, let’s dive into some of the most iconic power-ups in Naruto, one of the most legendary Shounen series of all time.

However, since there are tons of power-ups happening throughout the series, we’ll narrow our focus to the power-ups that deliver the most dramatic leaps in strength—moments where the characters’ abilities transform in truly game-changing ways. For simplicity, we’re sticking to the original Naruto series, so no Boruto this time. Without further ado, here are 10 characters who experienced the biggest power-ups in the series.

10

Konan

When She Becomes Akatasuki’s Second-in-Command

• Affiliation: Akatsuki
• Status: Deceased
• First Appearance: Shippūden Episode #125

Konan is one of the three Amegakure orphans—alongside Yahiko and Nagato—who trained under Jiraiya. She was always enthusiastic about learning ninja skills and had a deep interest in paper craft. Over time, Konan became a skilled ninja, though she initially struggled to stand out. However, everything changed after Yahiko’s tragic death. Nagato descended into darkness and joined forces with Obito to form the grim version of the Akatsuki.

This was the moment when Konan stepped up her game. Driven not only by a desire for revenge but also by a fierce determination to protect her last remaining friend, she honed her paper-based jutsu to extraordinary levels. She could fly, immobilize opponents, and unleash devastating barrages of paper shuriken. In fact, Konan achieved what few others could—she injured Obito so severely that he came close to death. The once helpless orphan girl had transformed into the deadly Angel of Amegakure.

9

Sakura Haruno

When She Mastered Tsunade’s Byakugou

• Affiliation: Konohagakure
• Status: Alive
• First Appearance: Episode #1

As a genin, Sakura was a competent ninja—solid, but far from extraordinary. Unfortunately for her, her teammates were Sasuke and Naruto: one an orphaned prodigy wielding the Sharingan, the other host to the Nine-Tailed Beast. It didn’t take long for these two to surpass her, leaving Sakura feeling left behind. Refusing to remain helpless, Sakura decided to learn under one of the three legendary Konoha ninjas, the fifth Hokage Tsunade.

Under Tsunade’s tutelage, Sakura underwent a dramatic transformation. In just two and a half years, she mastered Tsunade’s secret technique, the Byakugou Seal (Strength of a Hundred Seal), and established herself as a skilled medical ninja. This technique allows her to accumulate chakra and use it to strengthen her physical prowess. Today, Sakura is one of the best medical ninjas in the village and she can destroy a building with a single punch without breaking a sweat.

8

Jugo

When He Fully Unleashed His Kekkei Genkai

• Affiliation: Taka
• Status: Alive
• First Appearance: Shippūden Episode #116

Jugo has been the subject of Orochimaru’s experiment for years, thanks to his unique Kekkei Genkai, which allows him to reshape his body at will. This ability served as the foundation for Orochimaru’s infamous Cursed Seal. Jugo is a towering, muscular figure, capable of overwhelming ordinary ninjas with raw strength. However, beyond that, his base abilities are relatively unremarkable.

Jugo’s true power emerges when he taps into his Kekkei Genkai to enhance himself. He can enlarge his fists for devastating punches or grow a tail to strike opponents. However, his biggest power-ups come when Jugo allows his Kekkei Genkai to take over and reshape his body into a monstrous form. In this state, Jugo becomes a berserk force of nature, capable of feats like flying and delivering jet-powered strikes. At his peak, he’s strong enough to stand against the Third Raikage. In this manic state, Jugo the gentle giant disappears entirely, replaced by an uncontrollable beast.

7

Nagato

When He Mastered His Rinnegan

• Affiliation: Akatsuki
• Status: Deceased
• First Appearance: Shippūden Episode #128

Among the three students Jiraiya trained in Amegakure, Nagato is by far the strongest. His power stems from the Rinnegan, the rarest and most revered dojutsu in history. During his time as part of Amegakure’s resistance force, Nagato dominates the battlefield with these eyes. But there are walls that even Rinnegan can’t overcome, one of which is the legendary Amegakure ninja, Hanzo of the Salamander. Everything changed, however, when Yahiko—Nagato’s closest friend—died before his eyes. This heartbreaking loss awakened the dormant potential of his Rinnegan, unlocking its true power.

Over the years, Nagato deepened his understanding of the Rinnegan’s abilities. By the time he emerged as the leader of the Akatsuki, he had mastered its full potential. Through this mastery, Nagato developed the Six Paths of Pain, allowing him to control six corpses simultaneously and channel distinct abilities through each one, from chakra absorption to resurrection. This power-up took years to perfect, but it made Nagato virtually unstoppable. With this power, Nagato single-handedly destroyed Konohagakure, the most powerful ninja village in the world.

6

Kabuto Yakushi

When He Infused Orochimaru’s DNA Into His Body

• Affiliation: Orochimaru’s Organization
• Status: Alive
• First Appearance: Episode #23

During his time as Orochimaru’s right-hand man, Kabuto established himself as a skilled medical ninja who could hold his own in combat when necessary. However, his greatest strength lay in his intelligence-gathering abilities. Trained as a spy by Danzo, the ruthless leader of the Root division, Kabuto mastered the art of espionage. While he could face moderately strong opponents, there’s no chance he can survive an encounter with an S-Class ninja like the members of the Akatsuki.

Everything changed after Sasuke killed Orochimaru which drives Kabuto into madness. In his desperation, Kabuto delved deep into Orochimaru’s research and infused himself with Orochimaru’s DNA—a risky and deranged decision that elevated his power to terrifying new heights. His transformation didn’t stop there; Kabuto went on to master Snake Sage Mode, a feat even Orochimaru failed to achieve. When he activates the Sage Mode, even Sasuke who has awakened his Eternal Mangekyou has a hard time fighting Kabuto. If Itachi hadn’t been there to assist Sasuke, Kabuto likely would have killed him, avenging his fallen master.

5

Might Guy

When He Unlocks All Eight Inner Gates

• Affiliation: Konohagakure
• Status: Alive
• First Appearance: Episode #21

The Eight Inner Gates are a mechanism within the body that regulates the flow of chakra, acting as a safeguard to prevent overexertion. Opening these gates removes those limits, unleashing a flood of chakra that dramatically enhances the user’s speed and strength. However, this immense power comes at a cost—the more gates a person opens, the greater the strain on their body, leading to severe deterioration or even death.

In his normal state, Guy is more than capable of defeating A-Class ninjas with his advanced Taijutsu alone. When he faced an S-Class ninja, he would beat them by opening the sixth gate or even the seventh gate for an especially strong opponent, like Kisame of the Akatsuki. As you can see, opening each gate is a power-up for Guy, but his biggest power-up has to be when he opens the eighth inner gate in order to battle Madara. This is Madara at his strongest, and yet Guy absolutely wipes the floor with him. If Madara had still been a mortal man, Guy would’ve killed him outright. For a brief moment, Guy transcends humanity and becomes a true God Slayer.

4

Kakashi Hatake

When He Received Both Sharingan

• Affiliation: Konohagakure
• Status: Alive
• First Appearance: Episode #3

Kakashi received the Sharingan in his left eye from his best friend, Obito Uchiha. Over the years, he mastered its use, becoming a world-class ninja despite the heavy toll it took on his body as a non-Uchiha. In fact, Kakashi could only use the Sharingan sparingly, and activating the Mangekyou Sharingan more than a few times a day would drain his chakra completely, leaving him incapacitated.

At the end of the series, Kakashi reunites, fights, and eventually says goodbye once again to Obito. Before moving on to the afterlife, Obito offers Kakashi one last gift: his right eye. With a complete set of Sharingan, Kakashi can finally use the true power of these eyes without endangering himself. He can even manifest a full-body Susanoo, a signature technique that only the finest Uchiha can pull off. Unfortunately, this perfect state doesn’t last long as the eyes eventually return to their original owner, but during that brief moment, Kakashi is as powerful as a legendary Uchiha like Madara.

3

Obito Uchiha

When He Becomes the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki

• Affiliation: Akatsuki
• Status: Deceased
• First Appearance: Shippūden Episode #32

After his encounter with the aging Madara Uchiha, Obito underwent a profound transformation. Infused with artificial flesh derived from the First Hokage’s DNA and armed with Madara’s teachings on the Sharingan, he became a formidable ninja in his own right. But as powerful and dangerous as he was, Obito was still no match to titans like Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. That changed when he betrayed Madara and became the jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails.

Sealing the Ten-Tails within himself elevated Obito beyond humanity, transforming him into a being akin to mythological figures like the Sage of the Six Paths and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. He single-handedly dominated the entire combined forces of the Ninja Alliance, including Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and the four resurrected Hokage. Though his reign as the Ten-Tails jinchuriki was short-lived, in those moments, he was nothing short of a God.

2

Sasuke Uchiha

When He Receives the Sage of the Six Paths’ Power

• Affiliation: Konohagakure
• Status: Alive
• First Appearance: Episode #1

As one of the central figures in the story, Sasuke Uchiha has experienced countless power-ups, paralleling Naruto’s own growth. Awakening his Sharingan, mastering the Cursed Seal, obtaining the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, so many power-ups. However, his most transformative power-up comes when he receives the Power of Shadows from the Sage of the Six Paths himself.

During the final battle against Madara, who had become the Ten-Tails jinchuriki, the Sage grants Sasuke and Naruto halves of his divine power. For Sasuke, it is the Power of Shadows. This power awakens the Rinnegan in Sasuke’s left eye. This new power grants him access to Rinnegan’s extraordinary abilities, including chakra absorption, heightened speed and strength, and amplified genjutsu, just to name a few. Other than that, he also obtained a unique space-bending jutsu. This new Rinnegan power allows Sasuke to switch places to any object within his line of sight. Coupled with his mastery of the Uchiha clan’s signature techniques, such as Susanoo, Sasuke’s newfound power elevates him to godlike status.

1

Naruto

When He Receives the Sage of the Six Paths’ Power

• Affiliation: Konohagakure
• Status: Alive
• First Appearance: Episode #1

As the main character of the series, Naruto has experienced quite a lot of power-ups. Just like Sasuke, their power-ups alone can easily fill every entry in this list. The first time he gained access to Kurama’s violent chakra, the result of his training with Jiraiya, his mastery over the sage mode, so many power-ups. However, his most significant power-up comes when he receives the Power of Light from the legendary Sage of the Six Paths himself.

As the incarnation of Asura, Naruto is blessed with tremendous physical prowess and life energy. It’s not an exaggeration to say that he commands life itself. With this newfound power, he regenerates Kakashi’s lost left eye in mere seconds and even saves Guy and Obito from the brink of death.

Unlike Sasuke, who awakens the Rinnegan in addition to his Six Paths power, Naruto doesn’t gain a unique jutsu. Instead, he gains unlimited access to the chakra of all nine tailed-beasts. Both Naruto and Sasuke have attained a Godhood level of power at this point, but the support of the tailed beasts is the reason why Naruto is inevitably stronger than Sasuke, which makes him the most powerful being on the planet. That’s a power-up of truly epic proportions.