5 Naruto characters who can beat Neji Hyuga without effort (& 5 who never will)
Neji was one of the first few characters introduced in the Naruto series. This character hailed from the Hyuga clan and was one of the strongest characters during the earlier arcs. While he was strong, he didn’t develop as much as some characters did in the series.
Despite that, being one of the strongest members of the Hyuga clan is no small feat. Let’s take a look at how he fares against some of the characters in the Naruto series.
Characters that Neji would lose to in the Naruto series
1) Naruto
Towards the end of Shippuden, Naruto became one of the most complete fighters in the series and is capable of taking fights at any range. Neji’s Taijutsu will be ineffective against his opponent because he can maintain his distance and launch ranged attacks with ridiculously high destructive capabilities. He also can enter Sage Mode, which would instantly grant him victory over Neji.
2) Sasuke
Sasuke is said to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, reincarnations of Indra. He also developed the Rinnegan, one of the series's strongest doujutsus. He also can cloak himself in a perfect Susanoo, negating all of Neji’s attacks as well.
Sasuke also has the Amaterasu, which would deal with damage to Neji. There’s nothing Neji can do if Sasuke decides to use Indra’s Arrow against him. Neji would lose to Sasuke in an instant.
3) Might Guy
Might Guy’s Taijutsu is leagues above Neji and both are close-range fighters. His attacks were so powerful that even Madara acknowledged him as the strongest fighter he came across. That being said, Might Guy wouldn’t have to open all Eight Gates against Neji since opening the first few would grant enough speed and strength to beat him with ease.
4) Itachi
Itachi’s abilities in genjutsu are unparalleled and very few are capable of what Itachi can do on the battlefield. He was appointed as the ANBU captain at a very young age and was considered a prodigy.
Neji might have the Byakugan, which would give him a near 360-degree vision, but none of that will matter if Itachi uses ranged attacks. He, too, can cloak himself in a Susanoo and has one of the most broken abilities in the Naruto series: the Yata Mirror.
5) Nagato
Nagato is powerful and was able to master all five nature transformations at a very young age. He also had the Rinnegan, which gave him access to powers like the Six Paths of Pain. He was so strong that he beat Hanzo, the Salamander and Jiraiya, one of the three legendary Sannins. He was able to destroy an entire village with his Almighty Push. Neji doesn’t stand a chance against Nagato and would be beaten easily.
Characters that Neji can beat without any effort
1) Tenten
While Tenten might be a ranged fighter, a bad matchup for Neji, he’d still emerge victorious in this fight. He is good enough to dodge Tenten’s attacks and he can also use his Palm Rotation to defend from her attacks. The match would be decided when he gets close enough to Tenten since his Gentle Fist technique would instantly defeat her.
2) Shikamaru
Shikamaru is one of the smartest characters in the Naruto series, but his shadow possession technique is extremely situational. It depends on a lot of variables like light, surrounding objects and so on. Neji would be able to beat Shikamaru with ease if he fails to capture him in his shadow possession, and Neji’s Byakugan would be great to see if Shikamaru’s shadow is trying to catch him off guard from behind.
3) Ino
While Ino is a strong kunoichi in the Naruto series, her true strength lies in sensory perception. She wouldn’t last long against someone like Neji, who specializes in 1v1 combat. While she might be one of the smartest students in her class while graduating from the academy, there's little she can do to counter Neji’s Gentle Fist technique, which would instantly defeat her. His 8 Trigrams 64 Palms would end the battle very quickly.
4) Shino
Shino Aburame is a unique fighter in the series who utilizes certain insects that feed on the chakra of the target. While this might be a bad matchup ofr Neji since Shino is a ranged fighter, the Hyuga clan member would be able to beat Shino in this case. Neji could use his Palm Rotation to deflect his attacks.
Neji is also capable of performing the eight Trigrams 128 Palms, which is the eight trigrams 64 Palms technique performed with double the speed. He would be able to defeat Shino in an instant.
5) Kiba
Kiba and Akamaru would not be able to inflict damage since Kiba’s Fang on Fang would be ineffective against someone like Neji. He has a near 360-degree vision and enough speed to dodge their attacks. He would be able to strike the chakra points with ease and render them immobile in seconds. Kiba and Akamaru do not stand a chance against someone like Neji Hyuga.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
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