Boruto Raises the Bar for Taijutsu With a New Official God-Level Form

Taijutsu first made its name inside Naruto, landing in Naruto Chapter #5 on October 26, 1999. The fighting style then grew into a bigger deal when Rock Lee’s spotlight moments arrived in Naruto Chapter #36, roughly 26 years ago. From there, Taijutsu became a core part of the series’ combat identity. In the Boruto era, it matters even more—largely because the story features characters who can absorb essentially all forms of ninjutsu, while genjutsu has become close to irrelevant.

With Taijutsu capable of deciding the outcome of a high-stakes brawl, it makes sense that Boruto would eventually hand down a new “god” title for hand-to-hand combat. While Might Guy and Rock Lee were long treated as the top-tier Taijutsu specialists, Boruto has now moved past both of them. The Seventh Hokage of Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki, is the one taking the crown—reaching a level of close-quarters fighting that’s presented as untouchable. That peak was showcased in his confrontation with Isshiki Otsutsuki in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapters #52, debuting through V-Jump Issue #1 on November 20, 2020.

Naruto Uzumaki Becomes The New God Of Taijutsu, Leaving Might Guy And Rock Lee Behind In The Boruto Era

During the Naruto era, Might Guy was widely positioned as the series’ most formidable Taijutsu fighter. In the Fourth Great Ninja War, Guy repeatedly put the Eight Inner Gates to work, including a moment where he defeated Kisame in Naruto Chapter #506 on September 6, 2010. He later faced Madara Uchiha in Naruto Chapter 669 on March 19, 2014. Once Madara fully opened all Eight Gates, the resulting power was portrayed as nearly impossible for others to match. Even the Ten-Tails host, Madara Uchiha, had difficulty dealing with him—especially against signature techniques like Night Guy. That attack was so intense it began warping the space around Guy, appearing in Naruto Chapter #672, which stands as a striking display of what Taijutsu can accomplish at the highest tier.

“The Right Inner Gates Formation is a method that strips away the Limiters on your abilities and pushes them to their absolute ceilings. When you release every Limiter, your power multiplies tenfold over tenfold—surpassing even the Five Kage.” — Kakashi Hatake, explaining the Right Inner Gates, Naruto Chapter #669

Even with that level of strength, Might Guy’s run ultimately ended after his fight against Madara Uchiha, leaving him badly weakened afterward. Still, the Boruto era adds a new benchmark: Rock Lee eventually mastered all Eight Gates, including the Gate of Death, and he surpassed Guy. But even that doesn’t make him the strongest Taijutsu user in the current timeline. The title “God of Taijutsu” belongs to Naruto Uzumaki, the Seventh Hokage—who overtakes both of them. With Six Paths abilities, Naruto’s Taijutsu reaches heights that leave everyone else behind, and the series emphasizes this through his battles against the Otsutsuki.

“As I am right now, I feel like I can change everything!” — Naruto Uzumaki, describing the Six Paths boost, Naruto Chapter #672

It’s also worth noting that the Mangekyo Sharingan is treated as a Uchiha power that continues to be upgraded in terms of raw threat level within Boruto.

Naruto’s Baryon Mode Taijutsu Outclasses Every Otsutsuki

Naruto Uzumaki’s “God of Taijutsu” status becomes clear even before the manga’s peak moments, starting with The Last: Naruto the Movie in 2014, where he took on Toneri Otsutsuki. In that battle, Naruto had to lean heavily on Taijutsu. His final punch to Toneri was so forceful it effectively cracked the moon’s surface. He also withstood a sword strike that split the moon in half, underlining his physical endurance and staying power in combat—traits that push him even beyond Guy in terms of pure durability.

From there, Naruto faced fused Momoshiki Otsutsuki in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter 9 on January 30, 2017. In a twist that surprised many fans, Naruto could still hold his ground even in base form. Once he activated the power of Six Paths Sage Mode, he didn’t just match Momoshiki—he reportedly exceeded him in Taijutsu, as shown directly within the chapter.

Naruto: No, you’re no person. You’re just a monster.

Momoshiki: If you’re talking about monsters, that makes two of us.

— Momoshiki, reacting to Naruto’s power, Boruto Chapter 8

Impressive as all of that was, Naruto’s claim to the Taijutsu throne becomes truly definitive when he unlocks Baryon Mode during the Isshiki arc. The fight begins in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter 52, as printed in V-Jump Issue #1 on November 20, 2020. In this sequence, Naruto uses his own chakra and combines it with Kurama’s power to generate a brand-new energy state through a process compared to nuclear fusion. The result is a massive spike in Naruto’s strength—shown as even greater than Isshiki’s. The story frames him as the strongest mortal alive in the entire universe, with only Shibai Otsutsuki positioned above him.

“Unbelievable!! With this new power, they’re even. No, Naruto is actually beating him!!” — Sasuke Uchiha, confirming Naruto’s Taijutsu advantage over Isshiki Otsutsuki, Boruto Chapter #52

During Baryon Mode, Naruto leans heavily into hand-to-hand combat against Isshiki. The scale of his performance is presented as so overwhelming that even Isshiki—an Otsutsuki depicted as surpassing nearly every major character in the setting—can’t even land so much as a meaningful scratch. Naruto’s Taijutsu is portrayed as brutally effective, and the arc officially wraps in Boruto: Naruto Next Generation Chapter #53 in December 2020, cementing the Seventh Hokage as the God of Taijutsu.

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Why Naruto’s Taijutsu Without Six Paths Power Still Stays The Strongest Among The Shinobi

There’s a catch, though. In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter #55, the Seventh Hokage loses access to Kurama’s power. Without Kurama, Naruto can’t activate his most powerful abilities anymore, which means his Taijutsu is now described as being reduced significantly. Even so, Naruto shouldn’t be dismissed as a Taijutsu specialist. In the fight against Momoshiki, he demonstrates enough skill to stand his ground against the Otsutsuki even without using Sage Mode—an accomplishment that very few fighters in the world can realistically replicate.

“You be good, Naruto. And don’t follow me into death soon after.” — Kurama, saying goodbye to Naruto Uzumaki after his death, Boruto Chapter #55

On top of that, Naruto Uzumaki is already set up for major upgrades when he returns in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. That was stated in Boruto Volume #8 on June 4, 2026. The series’ creator, Mikio Ikemoto, said Sasuke Uchiha trained during the timeskip with Boruto Uzumaki and grew massively stronger. The new strength is described as enough to re-inflict injuries on Code, which becomes visible in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter #5 on December 20, 2023. With Sasuke gaining that much through the timeskip training, the implication is that Naruto Uzumaki—Konoha’s Seventh Hokage—will also receive a significant boost upon his return.

Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Taijutsu insights

For now, Naruto Uzumaki’s return isn’t immediate because the current storyline is focused on bringing Sasuke back in a new arc that began on May 20, 2026 in V-Jump Issue #7. Once Sasuke is back in the spotlight, Naruto Uzumaki can return too—and when he does, his new power-ups are expected to place him at the top of the Taijutsu ladder again.

All chapters of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex by Mikio Ikemoto are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.