10 Best Teachers Who Were Surpassed By Their Students

There’s nothing like the relationship between a teacher and a student. In the Naruto series, there is a heavy emphasis on the bond between a master and their pupil. In fact, the kind of relationship they have with each other greatly impacts their future.

In Naruto, there are many teachers who invest a great deal of time and effort in hopes that their students will supplant them. While not all of them succeeded in this quest, some of the students did end up surpassing their teachers in major ways.

10

Naruto’s Six Paths Sage Mode Helped Him Overtake Jiraiya

Naruto was alone for a very long time, but during his journey, he made plenty of new friends. Even then, only a few of them made the same level of impact on Naruto as Jiraiya. Not only did Jiraiya serve as his mentor, but also as his parent. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the time Naruto spent with Jiraiya was some of the most memorable for him. Aside from helping Naruto grow mentally, Jiraiya trained him to become a strong and capable ninja. By the end of the story, Naruto surpassed Jiraiya and every other ninja in history.

9

Hiruzen Surpassed Tobirama Even Before Reaching His Prime

Tobirama was the second Hokage of the Leaf and was the teacher of Hiruzen. During the war, Tobirama sacrificed himself so that his comrades could survive, but before that, he made Hiruzen the Hokage. Tobirama knew his student’s potential, which is why he entrusted the village’s future to him. By the time Hiruzen reached adulthood, he had surpassed Tobirama and claimed the God of Shinobi for himself.

8

Might Guy Turned His Apprentice Into a God Killer

Might Guy is one of the few characters who possess the power to challenge a god. He possessed the Eight Inner Gates, which allowed him to go toe-to-toe against Six Paths Madara, who was deemed untouchable. After the war, Rock Lee mastered all eight gates fully, and since Guy was permanently handicapped, it’s safe to say that his student surpassed him.

7

Tsunade Taught Sakura Everything About Medical Ninjutsu

Tsunade had multiple students, but none of them could hold a candle to Sakura. She learned everything from Tsunade and even improved some of the techniques. Sakura has insane healing prowess, allowing her to save the lives of countless ninjas. Moreover, Sakura also has the physical strength that rivals the strongest ninjas. Sakura also has access to Creation Rebirth, which bolsters her overall strength even further.

6

Gamamaru Was The Sage Who Helped Hagoromo in His Journey

During the reign of Kaguya, her children became the catalyst for the new world, and they defeated her in a grueling battle that lasted for several months. Ultimately, Hagoromo and Hamura defeated their mother and sealed her for eternity. According to the anime, it all happened because of Gamamaru, who trained Hagoromo and turned him into Sage. Without the training, Hagoromo would never have been able to turn the tide in his favor.

5

Minato Trained His Students to Be Renowned Throughout the World

Minato Namikaze was the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, and he rose to the top of the ranks with his intellect and hard work. When the time came for him to share his knowledge with his students, Minato didn’t hold back. The Fourth Hokage took great care of his students and ensured that they would all become excellent ninjas. Two of them were even able to surpass him: Kakashi and Obito. The latter surpassed Minato when he became the jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails, while Kakashi overtook his teacher after receiving Six Paths chakra in the Fourth Great Ninja War.

4

Orochimaru Used All Means Necessary to Make Sasuke Stronger

Orochimaru trained Sasuke for his own ambition and made him into a deadly ninja. Unfortunately for him, Sasuke had other plans, and when the time was right, he killed Orochimaru and fled from his hideout. During the remainder of the story, Sasuke faced many hardships, and by overcoming them, he became a capable ninja. Then, in the Fourth Great Ninja War, Sasuke gained some of Hagoromo’s power, which helped him surpass not only Orochimaru, but also some of the biggest names in history.

3

Asuma’s Death Made Shikamaru an Even Greater Strategist

Asuma was one of the strongest jonin that Konoha had to offer. He was believed to have a lot of potential—after all, he was the son of Hiruzen, the God of Shinobi. While Asuma failed to hit the same level as his father, he did become an excellent teacher. Asuma imparted his wisdom to his students and turned them into capable ninjas. Unfortunately, Asuma met his demise at the hands of Hidan and was avenged by Shikamaru.

2

Rasa Was a Terrible Father but a Great Teacher to Gaara

Gaara had a very troubling childhood, as hs own father treated him as a weapon that he could use to crush other villages. Rasa also served as Gaara’s teacher, as he wanted to make sure that his son understood how to control the One-Tails. Once again, Rasa’s motivation was selfish. He knew that if Gaara learned to handle Shukaku’s power, the Hidden Sand would become a force to be reckoned with. Thankfully, Gaara didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps, and instead, he became a kind and well-respected leader. In fact, he was one of the most beloved characters in the series. Additionally, Gaara became the strongest Kazekage of all time, surpassing his father as well.

1

Third Raikage Trained Killer B and Made Him Into a Fine Shinobi

The Third Raikage was a powerful shinobi who had enough power to fight against a tailed beast on his own, and wanted to train his sons to be exactly like him. To this end, he put them through rigorous training to make them just as strong. Even though Lighting A turned into a fine shinobi, it was Killer B who surpassed both of them. He was a perfect jinchuriki, an exceptional swordsman, and physically stronger than his brother.