Naruto is regarded as one of the greatest manga and anime series of all time.
It was written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, whose creative thinking and unprecedented storyline forced the viewers to like Naruto. However, the story sometimes got complex, and viewers and readers were confused with the terms used.
Key Takeaways
- Hokage is the title of the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, while Legendary Sannin is three elite ninjas with exceptional skills and power.
- Hokage protects and governs the village, whereas Legendary Sannin has individual objectives and missions.
- There are multiple Hokage throughout the series, while only three Legendary Sannin: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
Hokage vs Legendary Sannin
The Hokage is the title given to the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Naruto series. The Hokage is responsible for protecting the village and making important decisions regarding its welfare. The Legendary Sannin, also known as the Three Legendary Shinobi, are a group of highly skilled ninja who were trained by the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Hokage is the strongest ninja or shinobi of Konohagakure. The people of Konohagakure accept the most powerful ninja as their leader and give them the title of Hokage.
However, the actual process of appointing the Hokage is quite complex. Till now, there have been seven Hokages in the history of Konohagakure.
The Legendary Sannin is a team of the greatest ninjas trained by the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. The team comprises Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.
The three of them learned various techniques and tricks from Hiruzen when they were genin and were later hailed as the mightiest shinobi of their time.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Hokage | Legendary Sannin |
|---|---|---|
| Defined as | The leader of Konohagakure village | Team of three strongest ninjas from Konohagakure |
| Type of organization | A single person | A group |
| Trained by | Can be taught by anyone | Hiruzen Sarutobi trained the Legendary Sannin. |
| Debut | Manga: Vol. #1, Naruto chapter #1, Anime: Naruto episode 1 | Manga: Vol. #16, Naruto chapter #139, Anime: Naruto episode 83 |
| Leader | Hokage himself is the leader | Hiruzen Sarutobi is the leader of the Legendary Sannin |
Who is Hokage?
Hokage is the leader (or Kage) of Konohagakure village. The Hokage governs the village and makes decisions about ninja missions and funding and every other thing that is necessary to ensure the safety and development of the village people.
The founders of Konohagakure (Konoha) introduced the position of Hokage after the village was created.
Till now, there have been seven Hokages in the history of Konoha: Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Minato Namikaze, Tsunade, Kakashi Hatake, and Naruto Uzumaki.
Typically, a Hokage selects its successor. However, in the situations where they die or aren’t capable of determining their successor, other steps are followed.
The next Hokage is then determined by the Daimyo or leader of the Land of Fire (the country where Konoha is situated), the Konoha Council, a member of the black-ops squad Anbu, and the Jonin Commander.
Also, if a previous Hokage is alive and capable of assuming duties, they may retake the position. For example, after the death of the Fourth Hokage, the Third Hokage retook the place and governed Konoha.
After the Hokage is selected and starting their duties, their face is carved into the Hokage Rock. Moreover, the Hokage live in the Hokage Residence.
What is Legendary Sannin?
Legendary Sannin is a team name given to Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, the mightiest ninjas of their time. As genin or the lowest-rank ninjas, they were trained by the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Under Hiruzen’s leadership, the three learned skills that other genin couldn’t understand and therefore surpassed normal ninjas. They continued the process of learning and training and proved themselves as the greatest of all time.
The strength of the Legendary Sannin was dominant, which is why they were considered several times for the position of the Hokage.
However, even though the Legendary Sannin accomplished significant tasks in their lifespan, the three members never agreed with each other, and Tsunade described this dilemma as a “three-way deadlock.”
However, the three of them shared deep bonds, which were never shattered by their disagreement.
Jiraiya was offered the Fourth and Fifth Hokage position, but he refused as he didn’t see himself worthy.
Next, Orochimaru applied for the role of the Fourth Hokage, but he didn’t get accepted by Hiruzen as he was unsure Orochimaru had the best interests of the village.
Finally, after the death of the Fourth Hokage, Jiraiya brought Tsunade, who then assumed the position of the Fifth Hokage.
Main Differences Between Hokage And Legendary Sannin
- The Hokage is the leader of the Konohagakure village. On the other hand, the Legendary Sannin refers to Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade, who were the three great ninjas of all time.
- The Hokage is a single person, whereas the Legendary Sannin is a group of three ninjas.
- The Hokage can be trained by anyone. On the other hand, the Legendary Sannin were trained by Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was the Third Hokage.
- The Hokage debuted in Vol. #1, Naruto Chapter #1 of Naruto manga, and the first episode of Naruto anime. On the other hand, the Legendary Sannin debuted in Vol. #16, Naruto chapter #139 of the manga, and episode 83 of Naruto anime.
- The Hokage himself is the village leader, whereas Hiruzen Sarutobi is the leader of the Legendary Sannin.
Last Updated : 24 July, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
