In Naruto, a Genin-level ninja can only rise through the ranks by taking the Chunin Exams. These tests put these ninjas through the wringer, and they’re forced to prove that they have what it takes to survive in the shinobi world.
First, participants must pass a written portion that’s essentially a mind game in disguise. Then, they have to survive the Forest of Death. The remaining test-takers then participate in a single-elimination tournament. It was hard enough for some of Naruto’s toughest Genin to pass, but it’d be even more difficult for a few other characters across anime to succeed.
10 Tenya Iida Would Struggle In Every Phase Of The Exams (My Hero Academia)
Even though Tenya has a strong quirk, he doesn’t have what it takes to pass the Chunin Exams. Looking at the exams phase-by-phase, it’s evident that Tenya would struggle with all three.
As Class 1-A’s president, Tenya believes that honesty is the best policy. It’s a noble ideal, but since the written portion of the Chunin Exams requires participants to find sneaky ways to cheat, he wouldn’t be able to accept that harsh reality. Plus, his jet engines would be severely overpowered by some of his competition’s jutsu in the Forest of Death and the tournament.
9 Luffy Would Do Well In The Latter Stages, But He’d Flunk The Written Portion (One Piece)
The Straw Hats could rival Team 7, but it’s a good thing most of its members aren’t actively training to be ninjas. The crew’s leader, Luffy, wouldn’t stand a chance in the Chunin Exams.
Even though he’d do well in the Forest of Death and the tournament, he wouldn’t make it through the written portion. This phase of the exam not only tests a ninja’s practical, real-world intelligence, but it’s also a serious test of mental fortitude. Luffy is a man of many strengths, but unfortunately, he doesn’t have the brains to complement his brawn.
8 Gabi’s Emotions Would Get The Better Of Her (Attack On Titan)
The Chunin Exams is a pretty cruel series of tests. It pits ninjas against each other, and it forces their allies to watch as they’re defeated. Gabi may be a master of archery, but she would fail the Chunin Exams because of one critical flaw: her emotions tend to control her.
Gabi is a fiercely aggressive combatant who would stop at nothing to achieve victory. While this is true, her emotions would get the better of her if one of her friends got defeated during the exams. At that point, it’s safe to say that Gabi would entirely forget about the exams and devote all of her energy to avenging her defeated comrade.
7 Orihime Wouldn’t Be Able To Defeat Anybody (Bleach)
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
Orihime would thrive in the written component of the exams. She could just use her fairies to float around, look at everyone else’s answers, and report back to her. Orihime would also do well during the Forest of Death, since she has healing powers and can protect herself until she gets to the tower.
However, Orihime would seriously struggle during the tournament. This girl wouldn’t hurt a fly, and it’d be even more challenging for her to defeat a fellow ninja. Orihime is a pacifist at heart, so fighting others is a major no-go for her.
6 Kirito Tends To Jump Right Into A Fight Before Thinking (Sword Art Online)
Kirito receives tons of criticism from fans because they feel he’s just too overpowered for his own good. While he certainly has many strengths, Kirito has a few fatal flaws that would cost him big-time during the Chunin Exams.
The main thing that would hold him back is that he’s too emotional and impulsive. He tends to jump right into a fight before thinking — and most of the time, it isn’t even in self-defense. Even though staying loyal to fellow ninjas is important during the Chunin Exams, this behavior would cost him during the tournament.
5 Mineta Doesn’t Even Have What It Takes To Survive The Written Exam (My Hero Academia)
Mineta is far from one of My Hero Academia’s strongest heroes. Even though his grades prove that he’s somehow one of Class 1-A’s brightest, there’s no denying that he wouldn’t even make it past the written portion of the Chunin Exams.
While it’s presented as a standard written test, this phase of the exams is actually a test to see which genin can cheat and not get caught. Mineta wouldn’t be able to handle this mind game, so there’s no doubt that he’d be one of the first ones to give up after the proctor calls time.
4 Sekke Bronzazza Believes He’s Stronger Than He Actually Is (Black Clover)
One of Black Clover’s hilariously weakest characters is Sekke Bronzazza, the king of Bah-ha. He’s overconfident in his abilities because of his royal status in society. For someone who likes to brag about being the strongest, Sekke is quite the coward. Instead of bravely fighting and living up to the reputation he made for himself, he’d rather run away and hide.
These qualities would lead him to a decisive failure in the Chunin Exams. If he gets through the written portion, Sekke would instantly be fodder in the Forest of Death. He’s completely inept and would barely make it as a Genin-level ninja.
3 Momo Nishimiya’s Skills Just Aren’t Applicable To Most Of The Exam (Jujutsu Kaisen)
At this point, it’s a given Momo Nishimiya isn’t one of the most impressive jujutsu sorcerers around. Even though she can ride around on a broom with the power of cursed energy, her skills aren’t applicable for much other than spying and convenient traveling.
Her skills wouldn’t be applicable for most of the Chunin exams. She wouldn’t be able to tactfully cheat during the written portion. Plus, her combat skills aren’t up to par with most of the other characters in her series, so she’d be easy to defeat in the tournament. The only phase of the exam she’d succeed in is the Forest of Death.
2 Leorio Would Barely Make It Through The Written Portion (Hunter X Hunter)
Even though he doesn’t seem like it at first, Leorio is quite the pragmatist. He wouldn’t be able to cheat his way through the written exam. In fact, if he didn’t know the answer, he most likely wouldn’t even bother with it.
Even if he does find a way to survive the written portion of the Chunin exams, the latter stages will prove challenging for him. Leorio isn’t the strongest Nen user in the series, and he’s objectively the weakest in the series’ leading quartet. Even some of the weakest participants like Kiba or Temari would be able to take Leorio down during the tournament.
1 Joseph Joestar’s Hamon Breathing & Hermit Purple Don’t Stand A Chance Against Jutsu (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has plenty of strong stand users who would stand a chance in the Chunin exams. Unfortunately, Joseph Joestar isn’t one of them. He’d be clever enough to cheat through the first phase, but it’d be all downhill from there.
His Hermit Purple isn’t one of the best stands in the series, and it’s incredibly unhelpful for combat. His Hamon Breathing would be rendered obsolete in the face of some of the series’ strongest ninjas. Gaara, Sasuke, Temari, and even Kiba would be able to take old man Joestar out.
Read Next
About The Author
