Every Naruto Rivalry That Was Better Written Than Naruto & Sasuke’s, Ranked

Naruto and Sasuke’s rivalry is the face of Naruto, but what if we told you that it’s actually not the best one? Sasuke switches sides so many times that it is hard to keep up, and by the time the final fight arrives, the emotional weight isn’t as heavy as it could’ve been (though it’s still really heavy).

That said, there are many rivalries in this anime that actually surpass Naruto and Sasuke’s in terms of pure writing. Let’s explore seven of them, while ranking them on the basis of how good they were, including the payoff.

TitleAnime Release YearAnime Rating (IMDb)Where to Watch (US)

Naruto	2002	8.4 / 10	Crunchyroll and Hulu
Naruto Shippuden	2007	8.7 / 10	Crunchyroll and Hulu

7 Gengetsu vs. Mu Is Lost in Time

Most of you fans may not even remember who these characters are, but that is the point. The Second Mizukage Gengetsu and the Second Tsuchikage Mu had a mutual hatred for each other. In their final fight, they both ended up fatally injuring each other at the same time.

The anime never told the complete story in order, as it is all told through fragments throughout the anime. Despite the hatred, Gengetsu acknowledged Mu’s strength and held a lot of respect for him, which is rarely seen between enemies. It is a rivalry built entirely on history that happened off-screen, and it still feels more complete than Naruto and Sasuke’s because it had a better-written end.

6 Hiruzen vs. Danzo Divided the Hidden Leaf Village

Hiruzen saw the ninja of Konoha as his family, while Danzo saw them as soldiers, which led to their inevitable clash. Their rivalry even bled into their organizations, with the two competing over everything.

Danzo eventually dies lamenting over the fact that he could never surpass Hiruzen, and that he was not able to become Hokage either. What makes this rivalry so good is the fact that both of them genuinely loved the same village, but none of them could agree on how to protect it. A perfect rivalry to start this list as the seventh entry.

5 Rock Lee vs. Gaara Was About Effort vs. Destiny

No character dynamic in the anime makes its point faster than this one. Rock Lee cannot use ninjutsu or genjutsu, something the whole power system is based upon. On the other hand, Gaara was treated like a monster since his birth due to his insane aptitude. Their fight wasn’t just them throwing hands; it was also two different worldviews colliding. Furthermore, this fight is debated to this day, perfectly proving its relevance.

Rock Lee spent all his time perfecting taijutsu, becoming one of the fastest characters in the anime, and his efforts even managed to impress the ever-so stoic Gaara. In short, Naruto and Sasuke spent the entire series trying to do what Lee and Gaara did in one tournament. However, thanks to the heavyweights in the upcoming entries, Lee vs Gaara will have to be content with the fifth place.

4 Kakashi vs. Might Guy Was the Healthiest Dynamic in Naruto

Most elements in this ranking are full of betrayal and tragedy. However, this is one of the healthiest dynamics in the entire anime. Kakashi and Guy are just two good friends who push each other to be better, and honestly, it works. Might Guy always thought of Kakashi as his rival, even if Kakashi didn’t think anything of it at first.

Eventually, even Kakashi started seeing Might Guy in the same light. There was no betrayal, no intention of killing each other, not even too huge a difference in their worldview, which is what made this rivalry so refreshing. The simplicity is what makes it better, and thus, a fourth-place finish is just right for this.

3 Kakashi vs. Obito – The Saddest Tragedy of Naruto

Heading into the top 3, we have Kakashi and Obito, who were childhood teammates. While Obito was cheerful and kind, Kakashi was stoic and only focused on practicality. When Obito seemingly dies saving Kakashi during a mission, it breaks something in him. Kakashi carries the guilt, and Obito, who actually survived, carries the trauma. However, unlike Obito, Kakashi doesn’t turn to evil.

It is eventually revealed that Obito is actually Tobi, and the moment that reveal lands, everything the audience already watched starts making sense. You realize the anime had been building this the whole time without ever announcing it. That is what makes this rivalry better than Naruto and Sasuke.

2 Jiraiya vs. Orochimaru – A Tragedy That Made It Better

Jiraiya and Orochimaru were former teammates, and Jiraiya always considered Orochimaru to be a close friend. Orochimaru was incredibly strong, and Jiraiya worked to be able to compete with him. Their initial dynamic was actually somewhat reminiscent of Naruto and Sasuke. However, what separates this is the ending.

Jiraiya dies knowing he could not save his old friend, and the story lets that sit. There is no coming back, with no final hug with his rival, Orochimaru. What is done is done, and it makes everything that came before hit harder – a perfect way to settle in the second position.

1 Hashirama vs. Madara – A Rivalry That Built and Broke the Ninja World

WE all knew this would take first place. Hashirama loved Madara but could not save him. Madara respected Hashirama more than anyone alive and still chose destruction. Every single conflict in Naruto – the village system, the clan wars, the curse of hatred – traces back to these two characters.

Since Madara is a member of the Uchiha clan, he was taught from birth to hate the Senju. The plot never had to retcon or fill in the gaps because these were already established legends. Overall, their story is more complete. Naruto and Sasuke tried to reincarnate this rivalry through the Indra and Asura framing – but the original was always the better version.

RANK	RIVALRY
7	Gengetsu vs. Mu
6	Hiruzen vs. Danzo
5	Rock Lee vs. Gaara
4	Kakashi vs. Might Guy
3	Kakashi vs. Obito
2	Jiraiya vs. Orochimaru
1	Hashirama vs. Madara

Which rivalry is your personal favorite? Let us know in the comments.

Naruto is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.