In Naruto, we've identified the 10 worst ninja villages.

In Masashi Kishimoto's rich world-building, the individual villages that make up Naruto's realm have their own consequences. While many fans focus on battles between the most powerful and best ninja, some of the reasons behind this conclusion tend to come down to the origins of the combatants: Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Amegakure , Hoshigakure, Tsuchigumo Village, Kagero Village, Takumi Village, Jomae Village, Yugakure and Kusagakure show how several factors can push a village to its knees.

Sunagakure loses both the Resource and the Elite Ninja at the same time.

Led by Kazekage, Hidden Sand Village belongs to one of the Five Great Shinobi Kingdoms. The surrounding deserts drive out invaders, but sandstorms and water scarcity make life difficult for villagers.

Financial problems have followed Sunagakure since the time of Rasa, and it is often commented that the characters are poorer and less developed than other people. This poverty leads Orochimaru to form an alliance with the small Sound Village and attack Hidden Leaf.

Studio Pierrot's Naruto: Shippuden visuals show Gaara using a lot of sand to fight Deidara, a reminder that the village's remaining class of shinobi were often tested in large battles.

Kirigakure had power on paper, but we couldn't handle it together.

Fans have consistently voted Sand Village and Mist Village as the worst villages, but Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist outperforms Sand on paper.

The villagers call the village Bloody Mist, and political turmoil and mismanagement have shaped its history. The old class system of the village with founding clans at the top and conquered tribes at the bottom creates an unpleasant atmosphere for local residents; in addition, the mist consumes most of Naruto's time recovering from a civil war, making him less powerful.

Studio Pierrot's image of Naruto Shippuden looks back as Mei Terumi, the 5th mizukage leaves Hidden Mist Village to ascend Five Kage Summit. Despite the number and jinchuriki in the village, its own structure has transformed power into instability.

Amegakure's fate followed its leaders

Hidden Rain Village, or Amegakure, is located in a small kingdom inserted between the lands of Leaf, Sand and Rock. Endless warfare and waves of refugees have plagued the land for years. The village's leadership can be said to belong to one of the five major Shinobi kingdoms, but the story is different.

The series credits Hanzo the Salamander as having guided Amegakure through these battles and saved it from destruction. Without him, the village had few other ways to defend itself. A long civil war ensued.

Pain and Konan made the village terribly powerful for a while, but it was poor and neglected during Boruto's reign. After Amegakure shows how a village can become strong through conflict, how revenge, false peace, and lack of stable leadership can lead to its downfall.

Hoshi Gakur retained the position of Keiji without any power.

The leader of the Hoshigakure is called Hoshikage, meaning Star Shadow.

The first Hoshikage developed a training technique called the Dragon Crying Probability Method, which allowed ninjas to gain power from a meteorite. Masters of the technology have gained almost unprecedented control over the zodiac that can harden into shields or give them wings for flight.

The third Hoshikage suspended the training for this reason, and the village lost its best source of elite ninjas. Only Sumaru's parents, Natsuchi and Hotarubi, survived in training; both later died.

The village of Kushigumo collapsed due to war and strife

During the Third Shinobi World War, the Tsuchigumo clan was considered a powerful force. The villagers were familiar with Qinju-tsu and helped balance the war effort. When enemies became aware of this, the gang often became targets.

En no Gyoja and the village elders argue over how the gang should live. The gang splits into two groups, one of which lives in Tsuchigumo Village while the other settles on Katsuragi Mountain. Since only a few members follow En noGyoja, both sides are smaller and weaker than before.

In Naruto: Shippuden, Hotaru is used to activate a secret weapon of the Tsuchigumo clan which shows that their remaining weapons are associated with vulnerabilities.

The village of Kagero was destroyed by attack and neglect.

Kagiro Village is a small village in the Highlands. Thirty years before the start of the series, there was a war with Konoha. The Third Hokage, Jiraiya and other Konoha ninjas opened that war with a surprise attack.

Three months later, Kagero declared a ceasefire. Two weeks after that, shinobi from Tanigakure destroyed the village. Only Genno survived because he was busy in Konoha planting explosive markers for possible counterattacks.

Genno, the filler-only character from the original Naruto, survives amongst mountains in the background, but a larger threat is more brutal. A village can be destroyed not only by warfare but also by timing of attacks, diplomatic failures and lack of living protectors.

Takumi village produced weapons but no buyers

When the villages were at war with each other, they attacked Takumi for fear that its weapons would reach the other side. The village still had to ask these forces for help in order to survive. Takumi only appears in the anime and is located in a land of rivers, nicknamed Craftsmen's Village.

Seimei founded the village more than a hundred years ago, and sold its weapons to ninja villages around the world. As this business gradually collapsed, things started going downhill for the village.

For readers, Takumi is a silent reminder of dependence and class: powers that the creative community can only rely on when it loses its usefulness.

Jome Village has chosen secrecy over destructive force.

Jomei Village, also known as Lock Village or Hidden Lock Village, is located in the land of keys. The village is never mentioned in the original manga because it only appears in the anime.

Hanare's Eye Mind Reading technique shows how the village trains ninjas not to retrieve information and return it. This skill allows Jomae to stay afloat, but is of little help in defending the village. Unlike Great Villages, its ninja has no destructive ninjutsu.

Rather than fighting back, the leader prefers to end his life rather than face capture by enemy ninjas. Jomae's strategy reveals a narrow pathway to importance in Naruto's world: information can create value but not permanent security.

Yugakure traded military trips for tourism.

Yugakure, the Hidden Steam Village is a hidden village in the land of hot water. Both the village and the country are committed to pacifism. After years of strenuous combat work, the village has traditionally ceased performing any shinobi duties at all.

The village's ninjas now work almost exclusively within the state boundaries. They secure roads for travelers and bring employment to small villages in the vicinity. A village that formerly sold combat services is now drawing its power from tourists.

Other villages pursue military power, and this village pursues visitors. Their choices make it easy to understand why Yugakure is one of the weakest villages in Naruto. It has chosen a different kind of stability despite being weaker than traditional Shinobis.

Kusagukur stands out because of its position

Kusagakure, the Hidden Grass Village is a small village in an unnamed country. As it does not belong to any of the Great Five Nations, the village has no Kage and is left without leadership or armies from the great powers.

The battle exposed the village's greatest weaknesses. During the Third Ninja War, Iwagakure invades the kingdom and becomes a front against Konoha. Grass Village sits between fire and ground with not enough strength to stop either side.

At the time of Chunin examinations, Orochimaru kills a Grass genin and takes his face to enter the Chunin Exam. The villagers were unable to do anything because of their weak position. Kusagakure's story shows how lack of local and recognized Kage can make a village a platform for forces other than one's own power.

What does the village's weakness mean for Naruto's world?

As a young man, Naruto Uzumaki searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, leader and most powerful ninja in the village. His journey takes him to villages such as Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Amegakure , Hoshigakure, Tsuchigumo Village, Kagero Village, Takumi Village, Jomae Village, Yugagakure and Kusure where he discovers that Rurouni's military prowess is determined not only by skill but also by money, stability and leadership choices.