Board Thread:Versus Debates/@comment-26005711-20150717132317/@comment-734582-20150718122552

Minato 87 wrote: This is an exaggeration. How Hirunzen can win against Hashirama (with or without Sage mode)? They have very different styles and powers. Hiruzen has a large variety of jutsu and extreme power in 5 elements. Hashirama has Wood Release which has the innate power to defeat Biju.

We didn't see anything of Prime Hiruzen other than making a barrier and spitting all elements at the same time against Zetsu!Yamato. He's almost completely absent from the entire Fourth War and Jinchuriki storylines. For obvious reasons (he's featured plenty in Part 1 unlike the other three), but we simply haven't seen much of the Third. Remember also that the Third was the longest ruling Hokage (by my calculations 30-40 years) unlike Minato who may share his record with Kakashi, Tsunade, and Tobirama. (each <10 years). DB4 and manga confirmed strength order is Prime Hiruzen > EMS Madara = Tobirama It's not clear how much stronger, but we know that Hashirama isn't that much stronger than EMS Madara (the fight ended in a swordfight), while Hiruzen is clearly stronger than Tobirama and thus EMS Madara. So the implication is that Hiruzen is indeed the strongest of the Hokage. However, it wouldn't be a cakewalk (which seems to be what most people expect every time they hear "hiruzen is the strongest").

Lastly, Minato is strong and if he had not died to Kurama, he probably would've been the strongest Hokage to ever live. If the Wiki is correct he died at 24. Judging by Hiruzen's appearance as Edo Tensei, and his age, plus Danzo's flashback, Hiruzen seems to have been Hokage for 20-30 years before he could claim Strongest Hokage. Even Hashirama seems 30-40 in his prime like Madara. Minato could've