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The Hokage (火影, literally meaning: Fire Shadow) are the leaders of Konoha. They are generally the strongest in the village, although ideology and renown plays a large part in their being chosen for the position. Four shinobi and one kunoichi have gained this title so far, with another shinobi gaining the title of candidate Hokage.

Generally, the new Hokage is selected by the current Hokage upon their retirement, but if the old Hokage dies or is incapacitated before being able to do so, the Konoha Council and the Fire Daimyō council will meet and appoint a new Hokage together — sometimes within hours of the former Hokage's death as the need dictates. Afterwards, the candidate Hokage will need to be approved by the jōnin of the village.

After being appointed, they are given the Hokage mansion to live in and have their faces carved out in the monument behind it. If the former Hokage is still alive, they will generally keep helping out, making the transition easier and more stable. The Hokage carry their title for life, even after retiring from active duty.

List of Hokage

First Hokage

Shodai Hokage

Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage.

Main article: Hashirama Senju Hashirama Senju (千手柱間, Senju Hashirama) was a member of the famed Senju clan. He himself was hailed as the "God of Shinobi" for his unmatched ninja prowess. Hashirama sought peace for the shinobi world, and to that end founded Konohagakure with his clan, his childhood friend and rival: Madara Uchiha and the Uchiha clan. He would later become the First Hokage (初代火影, Shodai Hokage, literally meaning: First or Founding Fire Shadow) of Konohagakure. Although he was not able to achieve peace during his lifetime, his legacy and vision for the world would continue to shape the village and the entire shinobi world even after his death.

Second Hokage

Tobirama Senju

Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage.

Main article: Tobirama Senju Tobirama Senju (千手扉間, Senju Tobirama) was a member of the renowned Senju clan, who, together with his elder brother and the Uchiha clan, founded the first shinobi village: Konohagakure. Throughout his lifetime, Tobirama would work tirelessly to achieve political stability and implement the institutions that made the village system work, thus ensuring Konoha's continuity and prosperity. After his brother's death, he would earn the title of Second Hokage (二代目火影, Nidaime Hokage, literally meaning: Second Fire Shadow).

Third Hokage

File:ThirdHokage.jpg

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage.

Main article: Hiruzen Sarutobi Hiruzen Sarutobi (猿飛ヒルゼン, Sarutobi Hiruzen) was the Third Hokage (三代目火影, Sandaime Hokage, literally meaning: Third Fire Shadow) of Konohagakure. A disciple of the village's two previous Hokage, Hiruzen was a powerful ninja, hailed as a "God of Shinobi". Though he was only ever directly the teacher of the Sannin, generations of Konoha shinobi benefited from his wisdom during his lifetime.

Fourth Hokage

Minato Namikaze

Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage.

Main article: Minato Namikaze Minato Namikaze (波風ミナト, Namikaze Minato) was the Fourth Hokage (四代目火影, Yondaime Hokage, literally meaning: Fourth Fire Shadow) of Konohagakure. He was renowned all over the world as Konoha's Yellow Flash (木ノ葉の黄色い閃光, Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō, English TV: Yellow Flash of the Leaf). He died during the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack, sacrificing his life to seal a part of the Nine-Tails into his newborn son, Naruto Uzumaki.

Fifth Hokage

Tsunade as Hokage

Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage.

Main article: Tsunade Tsunade (綱手, Tsunade) is a descendant of the Senju and Uzumaki Clan, and is one of Konohagakure's Sannin. She is famed as the world's strongest kunoichi and its greatest medical-nin. The repeated loss of her loved ones caused Tsunade to later abandon the life of a shinobi for many years. She is eventually persuaded to return to Konoha and take on the mantle of Fifth Hokage (五代目火影, Godaime Hokage, literally meaning: Fifth Fire Shadow), where her skills prove invaluable to the village.


Sixth Hokage Candidate

Danzo in Hokage wear

Danzō Shimura, the Sixth Hokage Candidate.

Main article: Danzō Shimura Danzō Shimura (志村ダンゾウ, Shimura Danzō) was an elder of Konohagakure. As the founder and leader of Root, Danzō gained notoriety as The Darkness of the Shinobi (忍の闇, Shinobi no Yami, English TV: The Shinobi of Darkness)[1] because of his frequent unsanctioned actions and his often-suspected (but rarely proven) undermining of specific Konoha personnel. Despite his decades of suspicious deeds, Danzō only ever acted in what he believed were the village's best interests. He was appointed the Sixth Hokage Candidate (六代目火影候補, Rokudaime Hokage Kōho, literally meaning: Sixth Fire Shadow Candidate)[2] after Pain's Assault, but died before he could be formally approved to the position.

Trivia

  • All of the former Hokage have been sealed away in the stomach of the Death God summoning; the Fourth was sealed when he sealed the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox within Naruto, while the First and Second were sealed away by the Third. As for the Third, he was sealed when he gave his life to seal Orochimaru's arms. As such, Kabuto Yakushi notes that none of them can be revived via Summoning: Impure World Resurrection.
  • All Hokage have had some connection to each other: the First and Second were brothers, the Third was the student of the Second and First, the Fourth was the student of Jiraiya, who was a student of the Third, and the Fifth is the granddaughter of the First, the grandniece of the Second, and the student of the Third. Jiraiya, a fellow Sannin and student of the Third, was also nominated for the title of the Fifth, but turned it down. When Kakashi was considered for the position of the Sixth, his connections as the Fourth Hokage's student almost cemented his selection. The former acting Hokage, Danzō, was once a rival for the position as Third Hokage, and disagreed with the peaceful ideologies of the five Hokage although he was once Hiruzen's close friend and fought under the Second Hokage during the First Shinobi World War.
  • At least three of the Hokage are descendants of the Senju clan.
  • In Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3, Naruto became the Hokage for one whole week.
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was said to be the strongest Hokage in the village's history, as well as strongest of the Five Kage of his era.[3] This would include Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage (A Dust Release user); A, the Fourth Raikage (said to be as powerful as a Tailed Beast); Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage (a jinchuriki said to have full control over his tailed beast) and more than likely the Third Kazekage (A Magnetic Release user and said to be the most powerful of the five Kazekage).
  • Kakashi Hatake has been considered a prime candidate for the position as Hokage by several characters. He would have been officially appointed as the Sixth Hokage if Tsunade hadn't woken up moments before hand.
  • According to Asuma Sarutobi, his student Shikamaru Nara has the ability to become Hokage, but won't due to him being too lazy to want to.
  • Orochimaru was once a prime candidate to be the Fourth Hokage, but due to his lust for power and lack of love for the village, the Third passed him over.
  • After Orochimaru was passed over, Hiruzen intended to choose Jiraiya to be the Fourth Hokage, but Jiraiya refused due to his journeys as an author and his quest to chase down the renegade Orochimaru. After Hiruzen and Minato died, Jiraiya was once again offered the position as the Fifth, but he once again rejected it. When Tsunade went into a coma, the Fire Daimyō commented how he would have liked Jiraiya to be the Hokage, but by which time Jiraiya had already died.

References

  1. Naruto chapter 459, page 1
  2. Kai no Sho page 116
  3. First Databook, pages 117 and 265
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