One of the most popular and successful shonen anime of all time, when Naruto (and Naruto: Shippuden), ended its run, almost immediately after, a sequel set 14 years later switched focus on the next generation of shinobi from the Naruto-verse. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations follows the title character Boruto, who is the son of Naruto and Hinata, as well as their daughter Himawari, and many other children of characters from the last generation.
Familiar characters such as Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Gaara, and Shikamaru are still present within the show. However, since these characters have seen steady increases in strength levels in the previous series, the question of who the strongest Boruto characters are falls to the new generation of shinobi. The new characters introduced in Boruto have all new skills and powers, and their personalities are as diverse as those who came before them.
Updated on March 21st, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: As the Boruto series continues and the new generation of shinobi continues to expand, it’s clear that this generation is even stronger than the one that came before it. Just as the Naruto franchise has the theme of the “will of fire” being passed down to new fighters, it appears that will get even more pronounced with young shinobi. There will undoubtedly continue to be new skills revealed and new characters introduced as the series continues, but they’ve got some strong competitors for the most powerful Boruto character already.
20 Toroi
This young, bespeckled genin of Kumogakure is Toroi. His name means “slow,” both in body and mind, but don’t be fooled by his name alone. In contrast with other genin like Yurui, Toroi has shown to possess a calm and measured approach to problems, which is a good trait for a young ninja to have and develop.
His chubby body type is nothing to scoff at either, as he is known to have great physical strength. He was defeated in the third round of the chunin exams by Mitsuki, but there is no shame in that. Much of his power has yet to be shown, but the Fuma Shuriken that he carries probably means he’ll upgrade to a full-sized one down the line. Like his Kumogakure brethren, he admires their hero, Killer B, so his potential is very high.
19 Tarui
As the second genin of Kumogakure, Tarui is Toroi’s teammate. Sporting very long hair that hangs down to her legs and over one eye, Tarui hasn’t shown off many of her abilities yet. Her name means “bored,” which is fitting because it’s the only emotion that she’s displayed in her short time on screen. Tarui makes it to the third round of the chunin exams but is handily defeated by Sarada when the latter activates her sharingan and punches Tarui so hard that she almost goes through a wall.
Making it to the third round is good, but Tarui’s one-on-one battle was quite disappointing, which makes many fans believe that she’ll unlock a lot more power later on. Whether or not she finds her fighting spirit and becomes a strong shinobi remains to be seen.
18 Iwabee
Iwabee doesn’t get a huge focus in the Boruto manga or the anime, but what little the audience does see of him demonstrates that he’s proficient with a variety of weapons and that he’s a pretty horrible test taker. He’s older than his classmates thanks to repeatedly failing his graduation exam, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the potential to be one of the most powerful of his generation.
For one thing, there’s his ability to quickly pick up and master a variety of weapons. For another, he’s one of the few shinobi in his generation to use Earth Release regularly. Iwabee is great at putting walls up between his enemies, something that will definitely come in handy.
17 Sumire
Sumire is a part of a short Boruto arc that involves a mysterious entity, which turns out to be Nue, that she can summon from a parallel dimension. Her summoning involves a special contract that is destroyed after the arc, but it’s definitely a sign of how powerful she is.
Few shinobi successfully summon other powerful beings, and those that do, are usually adults. Sumire trains from a very young age to be able to do it and masters a lot of basic combat skills. Her true power, however, comes from her intelligence, as she’s able to create a completely new identity for herself before she joins the Ninja Academy, and she’s recruited as a child to work in Konoha’s scientific weapons development facility.
16 Yodo
As one of the representatives of the powerful Sand Village, Yodo is the kind of girl you don’t want to mess with. She was thought to be the great hope of her village, which is very high praise considering the fact that Gaara was in the same spot last generation and is the Kazekage today.
Yodo takes part in the chunin exams, and although Shiniki proved to be the workhorse of the team during the tests, Yodo made it to the third round but was defeated by Shikadai. Little is known about her abilities so far, but fans can ascertain that they are well above average compared to other genin, as Gaara would never have anyone but the best representing Sunagakure. Yodo has the confidence of a strong, young ninja, and is perhaps at times too confident. However, thankfully she has plenty of time to mature and come into her own.
15 Himawari
As the youngest of Naruto’s two children, Himawari Uzumaki comes from very strong parents. Despite not having formal kunoichi training, she has already impressed many fans with her powers and abilities. When she and her brother Boruto were younger, she wanted to bring her stuffed panda to Naruto’s inauguration ceremony, but Boruto mocked her for it. A tug-of-war over the toy ensued until it was ripped in half, which is when she activated her Byakugan for the first time.
Recognizing the danger, Naruto stepped in to take control. However, he was promptly knocked out from just a single strike from his little girl. Though she is too young to understand and control her abilities, this shows that she has the potential to be a major kunoichi later in the series. Himawari has a kind personality overall but her temper can get the better of her.
14 Chocho
Chocho is the daughter and only child of the past generation ninjas Choji and Karui. Like her dad and other members of her clan, she is on the heavy side, but she has grown more confident in her skin than he was at her age.
As a young kunoichi, she has started training with the various body expansion techniques that her clan utilizes. She can perform advanced feats without the use of Three Colored Pills, which is very rare for a ninja of her age. She is quite fast and skilled despite her young age and is a solid fighter. Although she shares her father’s love of food, her clan’s ability to turn calories into chakra, combined with her drive, makes this a strength instead of a weakness. Chocho is eccentric but kind, and a loyal member of her team.
13 Araya
As the second member of Team Shiniki of Sunagakure, Araya is distinct for wearing a white Hannya mask and using a sword in battle – something not common among ninja. This likely indicates that he is a practitioner of Kenjutsu, which would mean that he has the potential to use some very powerful combination techniques.
During the chunin exams, Araya’s team makes it to the third round. In Araya’s fight, he is able to defeat the talented Inojin in an impressive battle. Being chosen by Gaara, Araya is already proven to be a capable duelist, which marks him as one of the genin with the most potential. If the story progression mirrors that of last generation, Araya and his whole team are set to be serious players in any upcoming conflicts.
12 Inojin
Chocho’s teammate Inojin seems to be the most straight-laced member of his group. He’s smart, reasonable, and takes his training more seriously than the rest of the team. He’s the son of Sai and Ino and reaps all the benefits of having two talented shinobi as parents. Inojin has been training longer than most of his peers, well before he even entered the academy.
He has a wide range of abilities, mostly practicing his father’s style. However, he knows a few of his mother’s powers as well. Additionally, he wields a tanto, indicating that he has some skill in Kenjutsu. He has probably the most diverse skill set among the genin, as well as the most training. Inojin has an incredible amount of potential, and many fans believe that he will be very powerful when he matures.
11 Metal Lee
As the son of fan-favorite Rock Lee, Metal Lee looks just like his dad and his trainer, Guy. Sporting the classic bowl haircut and bushy eyebrows, Metal’s similarities do not stop at looks. He is similar to his father when he was young, especially since he also has a superhuman training regimen. He specializes in taijutsu like Rock, but unlike his father, he can externalize his chakra and perform ninjutsu.
Metal’s striking power is extremely strong – he is able to shatter stone with both his fists and feet. During the chunin exams, he loses on a technicality, but overall, he is still a very strong genin. The fact that he can use ninjutsu means that he can be a stronger ninja than his father ever was because Rock was limited to Taijutsu only. Fans can expect Metal to be a major ally of Boruto in the series just as Rock and Guy were during Naruto’s time.
10 Yurui
As the apparent leader of his team of Toroi and Tarui, Yurui boasts one of the strangest powers of the entire new generation. He is constantly chewing gum and is able to use it to form massive bubbles for various purposes. He is able to ensnare opponents or make the bubbles explode. The bubbles serve him well during the first two rounds of the chunin exams.
During the third, he gets matched up against Boruto and tries to overwhelm him with exploding bubbles, but Boruto is able to throw a shuriken and explode one right in Yurui’s face, knocking him out. Yurui also holds two swords on his back, but his skill with them is not known at this point. He has a lot of power, but his lackadaisical attitude and arrogance need working on if he is to reach his potential.
9 Kagura
A descendant of Kirigakure’s Fourth Mizukage Yagura, Kagura, like a lot of the new generation of shinobi, comes from powerful bloodlines. He also lives in a place known for its bloodthirsty approach to power, and he’s got his own version of bloodlust to control. It’s so powerful, he actually killed some of his classmates at the Academy when first beginning his training.
Kagura has actually been approached about becoming the next Mizukage, so it’s clear he’s already kage-level when it comes to his power and skills, but has declined, opting to work as an advisor instead. In a lot of ways, he’s like the Shikamaru of his own village, bringing his own brand of power to strategy instead of force as a young adult. Kagura is also incredibly skilled with blades, becoming one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.
8 Mirai
Technically, Mirai Sarutobi is introduced in Naruto Shippuden. There, however, the character is an infant, the child of the late Asuma and Team 8’s sensei Kurenai. She’s got her father’s chakra control and her mother’s talent for genjutsu. She’s not often a major part of the Boruto plotline, but she has some serious skills, which the audience is aware of without her ever having to lift a finger.
How? Because Mirai is trusted to be Naruto’s personal bodyguard despite her young age and Naruto’s own power level. While she’s not always actively employed in the role, it’s mentioned more than once that she’s responsible for the Hokage’s life. Realistically, Naruto is so overpowered when Boruto begins that he doesn’t even really need a bodyguard, so for Mirai to be trusted to go up against anyone who thinks they’re good enough to take him out is impressive.
7 Shikadai
As the only child of Shikamaru and Temari, Shikadai is another genin whose potential is great. He takes after his father in terms of personality. Though he is enthusiastic, he is also extremely lazy and unmotivated and possesses the same sharp intellect as his father. Shikamaru was regarded as one of the most dangerous ninjas because no one could tell what he was thinking, and Shikadai is the same. He has a great talent for strategy and improvising, which was seen when he encountered Boruto’s Rasengan technique and was ready to repel it.
He also has the Nara Clan shadow manipulation ability, which has proven to be extremely reliable and powerful. Like Inojin, Shikadai has been training since before he entered the academy, and one can bet that his mother Temari does not allow any sort of the famous Nara laziness when he needs to study. He’s even started learning Temari’s fan techniques.
6 Shin Uchiha
As one of the test subjects of original series supervillain Orochimaru, Shin Uchiha – not to be confused with Shin of the Root Division – is somewhat of a sympathetic character despite being a villain. He was a great subject for Orochimaru and possessed a genetic makeup that allowed parts of him to be used to create clones and unlock all the secrets of genetics.
Shin Uchiha developed a fixation with the Uchiha Clan, especially Itachi, and took their name for his own. He rebelled against Orochimaru and struck out on his own with most of his “sons.” He leads a plot to revive the Akatsuki but is betrayed by the clones and passes away in the conflict. His genetic ability made him a very strong opponent who could use various techniques artificially.
5 Shinki
The de facto leader of the Sunagakure team, Shinki, is the adopted son of the extremely powerful Gaara. In many ways, he and his team entered the chunin exams like the generation before – they were very powerful and confident, but also prone to dismissing others and overestimating themselves.
Shinki’s technique is a blend of skills taken from his adopted father and his uncle, Kankuro. He uses a puppet like Kankuro but it is also the vessel of the iron sand that Gaara is known for. He has shown off various moves involving sand, such as saving his teammates from failing the first chunin round with a sand platform and constricting opponents. Combined with his puppet and training pedigree, Shinki is among the top names of the new generation. With great potential and powerful allies, fans can expect to see a lot from him as one of the strongest Boruto characters in the future.
4 Sarada
If fans were to judge the genin’s potential based on their parentage, Sarada Uchiha would come out on top by a mile. As the daughter of Sasuke and Sakura, two of the strongest of the last generation, it’s no surprise that she is an elite genin at her age. Possessing her father’s incredible talent and mother’s intellect, Sarada excels in many ways.
She can control chakra in advanced states and use it to strike so hard that it upheaves the Earth. She also has a wide range of ninjutsu techniques at her disposal and first awakened her Sharingan at age 11. She can fight, throw, and use jutsu better than just about any of her peers. Her only weakness shown so far is being exhausted by using too much power, but her reserves will increase as she gets older. The sky’s the limit for Sarada.
3 Boruto
Boruto is very similar to how his father Naruto was when he was young, but he is also a lot more mature and knowledgeable about the world than Naruto was. Personality aside, Boruto is a ninja prodigy who is recognized as being ahead of the rest of his class in just about all aspects of ninjutsu.
It’s impossible to list all of Boruto’s abilities, but suffice to say, he is able to sometimes perform at Jonin levels when no one his age should be able to. He is strong, fast, has vast chakra reserves, and is able to create good battle strategies. All of these skills make him into a genin who seems to be on the cusp of being one of the best shinobi of all time. That doesn’t make him the strongest Boruto character though.
2 Mitsuki
Mitsuki is the only genin from Konoha to seem stronger than Boruto, but that’s because he is a synthetic being created by Orochimaru to be perfect. Mitsuki lives up to his potential so far, as he excels to great heights in both fighting ability and academics. Even among the other very talented genin like Boruto, Sarada, and Shinki, Mitsuki is exceptional.
He has incredible chakra levels and excels at Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. He also has a lot of stealth and is extremely fast. He even achieved Sage Transformation, an ability that was achieved by only a select few before him. By the graduation exam, he fought and beat academy teacher Shino. His signature ability, Soft Physique Modification, allows him to weaponize any part of his body. It also makes him extremely hard to hit. Mitsuki is the benchmark that the other genin will measure their power against.
1 Kawaki
The strongest Boruto character of the new generation can be no one but the mysterious and powerful young man called Kawaki. Making his debut in Boruto #1, Kawaki is shown in a flash-forward where he is seen standing among the ruins of the Leaf Village. He also defeats Naruto.
Since Naruto is viewed as one of the strongest ninja, this immediately seemingly established Kawaki as the uber-powerful bad of the series. Very little is known about the extent of Kawaki’s abilities, but in the manga, he’s able to do the unthinkable when Boruto no longer has control of his own abilities. At Boruto’s urging to save everyone else, he fatally ends their fight. One thing is for certain: Kawaki is way stronger than anyone in the current time. His power seems so great that he has the potential to be the strongest character ever seen in the Naruto world.