How Long Has Each Hokage Served In Naruto?

An attempt to shed some light on a sometimes confusing timeline.

Synonymous with the very genre itself, when we think of anime, Naruto almost instantly comes to mind. Even a non-anime watcher will at least recognize the name in passing.

Adapted from Masashi Kishimoto’s manga masterpiece, Naruto tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an outcast in Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Naruto’s goal in life is to become the Hokage, the village’s leader. The series has followed the titular character’s humble beginnings and has continued long after he fulfills his life’s dream.

In the Naruto series, there have been seven Hokages thus far. Spanning multiple generations, each Hokage is a unique and compelling character in their own right. They have also presided over all manner of events and spent varying amounts of time in power.

In a series with a timeline that isn’t always clear or fully defined, let’s try to make a bit of sense of it by pinning down just how long each Hokage has served. We’ll go from longest to shortest and of course, if you have yet to watch the show and don’t want to be spoiled, it’s not too late to turn back now.

Without further ado, let’s begin!