7 Strongest Sunagakure Shinobi, Ranked

The Hidden Leaf Village is home to many of Naruto‘s most powerful ninjas, from Hiruzen Sarutobi to Kakashi Hatake, Tsunade, and certainly Naruto Uzumaki himself. That being said, other villages have some fearsome fighters in their ranks as well, such as Sunagakure, or the Hidden Sand Village. In fact, it was once noted in Naruto how the Sand Village has fewer shinobi than other villages and compensates with the sheer quality of those ninjas.

The Leaf ninjas often contradicted that idea with their incredible feats in battle, yet the Sand ninjas were never that far behind. Two different Kazekage rank among the most capable Sand ninjas seen in Naruto, with one of them also being a jinchuriki, so it’s clear the limited number of Sand ninjas are a tough bunch. Most importantly, the Sand ninjas went from villains to heroes in Naruto once they severed ties with Orochimaru the Sannin to support Naruto instead.

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Kankuro is Famed For His Small Yet Scary Puppet Collection

Kankuro Easily Defeated Sakon and Ukon in Battle

By a narrow margin, Kankuro is the weakest of the most noteworthy Sand ninjas. He’s certainly stronger than generic Sand chunin, and he’s also more formidable than Baki, a Sand ninja who’s rarely worth consideration anyway. Kankuro and his older sister Temari are roughly even in strength, but Kankuro is slightly weaker because if his chakra strings are severed, he’s in a tough spot. His brother and sister have no such vulnerabilities.

So long as Kankuro can maintain his chakra strings, he is a remarkable fighter who helped introduce the concept of puppet jutsu in Naruto, all the way back in the Chunin Exam Arc. Kankuro’s puppet collection and skills alike have only expanded since then, with Kankuro being a handy, crafty puppetmaster with a variety of weapons to use. He can even swap places with his puppets if need be, a nifty way to escape danger and attack the enemy from unexpected directions.

Temari Embodies Her Homeland’s Element With That Giant Fan

Temari Made a Fool of Tayuya When They Clashed

Temari bares her teeth while rushing to the side.

Temari feels like a more conventional shinobi than her younger brothers, simply because she is a non-jinchuriki who uses elemental chakra/jutsu to fight, along with some summoning jutsu when needed. More than most Sand ninjas, Temari represents the gales of her native Land of Wind, a place of scorching desert winds and open skies. The Sand Village is more closely associated with puppet jutsu and sand itself, but Wind Release still has a prominent position there.

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Thus, Temari stands out as a kunoichi who relies mostly on air-based attacks, showing how dangerous this element can be. Her air scythes can slice up any foe or even level a forest, and the same is true for the scythe-wielding weasel she can summon. As a bonus, Temari can fly around on her giant fan, giving her similar mobility as Sai and his ink birds.

Pakura Made a Name For Herself With Scorch Jutsu

Pakura Can Wipe Out Entire Forests With That Kekkei Genkai

A few of the strongest Sand ninjas appeared after they died, with Pakura the kunoichi being one of them. Not unlike the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist or the brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku, it took the power of Edo Tensei for Pakura to finally appear on the modern battlefield. She can’t top Kazekage or jinchuriki in her native Land of Wind, but Pakura does have a secret weapon that made her worth summoning in Kabuto’s eyes.

Find all 10 pairs

Pakura is the sole known user of Scorch jutsu, a Kekkei Genkai that seems to blend Wind and Fire Release into one. In Naruto Shippuden, it bcame fairly common for powerful Kekkei Genkai to elegantly blend two or more elements, and Pakura got her turn. With Scorch jutsu, she can vaporize any foe’s body water to mummify them in a hurry, and if need be, Pakura can level whole forests with her searing jutsu.

Chiyo Became One of the Most Famed Sand Kunoichi of Her Time

Chiyo’s Mastery of Puppets Gave Sakura a Chance Against Sasori

Chiyo has chakra strings on her fingers.

Three major puppet jutsu users appeared in Naruto, with Chiyo ranking in the middle of them. She has more experience and sharper technique than the much younger Kankuro, but she cannot top the Akatsuki member Sasori. Thus, Chiyo neededd Sakura Haruno’s aid and vice versa to take down Sasori in their battle.

Regardless, Chiyo is one of the most respectable Sand ninjas to ever appear in the Naruto anime, with her expertly using Sakura as a living puppet early in Naruto Shippuden. Chiyo could think on her feet and use clever attacks to stave off Sasori’s nastiest attacks, all while giving Sakura advice or warnings in real time to maintain their teamwork. Most of all, Chiyo knows how to transfer a person’s life force to revive a dead body, though it cost her her life to do this for Gaara.

The Third Kazekage Dominated the Battlefield With Iron Sand

It’s No Wonder He Got a Slot in Sasori’s Puppet Army

The Third Kazekage stands in a rocky arena.

The Third Kazekage is one of just a few Kage from the Hidden Sand Village to make a huge impact on the battlefield, and like Pakura, he did so long after his death. The Third Kazekage first appeared in puppet form as the crown jewel of Sasori’s puppet collection, and that was how Sakura learned the terror of Iron Sand Jutsu. This is a magnetic Kekkei Genkai, one that the Third Kazekage developed after studying the one-tail Shukaku’s own techniques.

Sasori admitted he had a tough time killing this legendary Kazekage, and it’s no wonder why. His Iron Sand Jutsu, combined with his intelligence and his ability to nullify metal weapons with magnetism, only adds to his vast power. Interestingly enough, the Third Kazekage returned from the dead twice, first as a puppet and then as himself via Edo Tensei.

Sasori of the Red Sand Reached the Apex of Puppet Jutsu

Not Even Chiyo Could Defeat Sasori Solo

It’s true the Third Kazekage’s Iron Sand Jutsu became weaker in puppet form, but the mere fact Sasori can use the Third Kazekage as a puppet is a testament to Sasori’s twisted genius as the world’s strongest puppet jutsu user. He is easily one of the Hidden Sand Village’s most talented ninjas of all, and certainly the most resourceful of them all. Not just anyone would have the skill or audacity to turn so many people into puppets like that.

No other puppet jutsu user could coordinate a weapon army like that, yet Sasori made it seem easy as he threw countless puppets after Chiyo and Sakura in their cave battle. With an army that size, Sasori can access a stunning variety of weapons, from swarms of puppet arms to poison gas and blades, not to mention that Iron Sand Jutsu. What gives Sasori another edge is how he turned himself into a puppet, allowing him to survive mortal blows if his remaining organs aren’t harmed.

Gaara of the Sand Found Redemption as a Kazekage Jinchuriki

Even Without Shukaku, Gaara is a Powerhouse

It might be said the Third Kazekage was the most powerful Sand ninja to ever hold that office, but a case could also be made for Gaara of the Sand. At the very least, Gaara was stronger than the famed Third Kazekage in the events of Naruto Shippuden, since the latter was weaker than normal due to Edo Tensei, while Gaara was alive and well. Gaara also had the power of friendship and a noble cause to push him that much further.

Gaara was a powerhouse from the very start, with him being the terror of the Chunin Exam Arc. With Shukaku’s influence, Gaara can overwhelm almost anyone with his sand jutsu, and he even shielded all of the Sand Village from Deidara’s bombs on his own. And of course, once Gaara releases the one-tail’s power by falling asleep, he becomes a true titan of the battlefield beyond the power of most Kage.