The Hokage is the highest-ranking leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, Konoha, and their position is just below that of the Daimyo, the feudal lord of the Fire Country. Below is some information about the Hokage position in Naruto that you may not know.
1. 6 out of 7 Hokage were chosen based on nepotism
As you may know, 6 out of the current 7 Hokage were chosen based on nepotism. Nepotism refers to a system where positions are filled by family members, relatives, or friends, which can overlook other qualified candidates.
When Konoha was first established, Hashirama wanted to appoint Madara as Hokage, but Tobirama disagreed, insisting that the selection of the leader must be conducted through voting.
Ultimately, the election between Hashirama and Madara took place, and Hashirama was chosen, becoming the first Hokage of Konoha.
Interestingly, Hashirama is the only Hokage chosen through a voting process; after him, Tobirama and subsequent Hokage were appointed based on their predecessors.
2. Minato Namikaze never revealed who his successor was
Initially, each Hokage had a designated successor, but Minato was unique in this regard as he did not designate anyone.
If Hashirama chose Tobirama, Tobirama chose Hiruzen, and Hiruzen chose Minato, then who did Minato choose? Unfortunately, Minato died before he could pass on his position, meaning he only briefly served as Hokage. It should be noted that Minato never revealed his intended successor.
3. Uchiha Obito was chosen by Minato to be the Hokage’s successor
When Minato was revived during the Edo Tensei, he revealed who his intended successor was, and that person was Obito.
Minato was quite disappointed to learn that Obito had turned to the dark side, especially since he had lost both his life and that of his beloved, Kushina, due to Obito’s actions. Minato speculated that if everything had turned out well—if Obito hadn’t faced misfortune and Rin hadn’t died—he might have passed down his Hokage title to Obito instead of Kakashi.
4. Hokage has the ability to resign and may return in certain circumstances
Instead of appointing a new Hokage, the Hokage may resign and could potentially return, as was the case with Hiruzen, who replaced Minato. Hiruzen returned to office during Naruto’s Chunin exam.
If Orochimaru hadn’t made a mistake and Hiruzen had lived longer, Tsunade would likely never have taken the position.
5. Tobirama was not fond of wearing the Hokage robe
In reality, we cannot be sure whether Tobirama disliked wearing the Hokage robe, but he is the least mentioned Hokage regarding clothing preferences. Instead of wearing the Hokage robe, he often donned a blue armor, adorned with his distinct plate. It seems he only wore the Hokage robe and hat during formal events in the Hokage residence.
6. Jiraiya was offered the position of Hokage three times but always declined
Jiraiya was offered the position of Hokage three times. The first was when Hiruzen wanted to retire, the second was after Minato’s death, and the third was when Hiruzen was killed by Orochimaru. However, Jiraiya always turned down the offer.
Even when Tsunade held the Hokage position, before Jiraiya embarked on his mission to gather information about Pain (just before Jiraiya’s death), Tsunade expressed her belief that Jiraiya would be a better Hokage than herself, yet Jiraiya declined the position once again.
7. There have been three shadow Hokage in Konoha’s history
To date, there have been three individuals considered shadow Hokage, each of whom fulfilled different roles.
The first was Danzo. Although Hiruzen was the Hokage, Danzo was involved in many operations, some of which Hiruzen even approved, such as the establishment of the Anbu Root.
Next was Itachi. Sasuke believed Itachi was the true Hokage because he was willing to bear the burden of the village and sacrifice his own life for the sake of the people. When he returned as Edo Tensei, Hiruzen remarked that Itachi resembled a Hokage.
Lastly was Sasuke. Naruto claimed that Sasuke was a shadow Hokage because while Naruto protected and managed the village from within, Sasuke helped from the outside. However, Sasuke did not see himself in that light, as he felt that the villagers did not appreciate his efforts.
