Hashirama Senju

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Warring States Period and Konoha’s Founding

Hashirama fought across the Shinobi World and almost single-handedly ended the Warring States Period. After repeatedly defeating Madara Uchiha, he sought reconciliation between their clans rather than his rival’s death. Madara demanded that Hashirama kill himself as the price of peace; Hashirama immediately prepared to comply, but Madara stopped him before the kunai struck. Their reconciliation paved the way for the alliance that became Konoha 378 548.

Hashirama became the unanimously chosen First Hokage. He intended Madara to succeed him, but Tobirama and the village’s other ninja opposed that arrangement. Madara, who had named the village, came to regard this rejection as Konoha’s betrayal of him 390 548.

Valley of the End and Death

After leaving Konoha, Madara returned with the Nine-Tails and attacked the village. Hashirama defeated them both, but the battle was far closer than Konoha’s official accounts suggested. With both men nearly spent, Hashirama used his remaining chakra to create a Wood Clone, deceive Madara, and stab him from behind 78 545 547.

Near the battle’s end, Hashirama briefly sensed an unfamiliar chakra presence—later identified as Black Zetsu’s—but lacked the strength to pursue it. Hashirama subsequently died young, before seeing Tsunade as an adult. Large-scale shinobi wars broke out after his death 389 390 392.

Posthumous Research and Reanimations

Hashirama’s cells became a major research subject. Tobirama expanded on his brother’s own investigations, while Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō later continued the work. Danzō supplied Orochimaru with large quantities of cells, including original samples. Public exposure of the desecration of Hashirama’s remains provoked outrage in Konoha, where the First Hokage remained a spiritual icon 73 354 377.

Tobirama had attempted to reanimate Hashirama to end the war following his death, but the reincarnated body could not reproduce his living strength. Orochimaru later summoned a version described as possessing roughly half his strength. Hashirama overwhelmed the laboratory with Wood Release, captured White Zetsu, and gravely injured Orochimaru with a Wood Dragon as the latter released the technique 379 380 391.

Return Under the Fifth Hokage

Uchiha Minamoto subsequently reanimated Hashirama in a severely restricted body. His instinctive attempt to restrain the Nine-Tails produced only a sparse grove, prompting Kurama’s ridicule. After learning about the current village and Minamoto’s accomplishments, Hashirama enthusiastically approved of the Fifth Hokage. He and Tobirama later lost a spar against Minamoto while still reanimated 388 390 401 402.

Hashirama helped confront Pain in the Land of Iron, resisting Deva Path’s repulsion and destroying Asura Path with a deliberately reduced-power wooden hand. Minamoto later restored him fully to life. Eager for a serious fight, Hashirama challenged the Fifth Hokage, but his restored prime strength still proved insufficient: Minamoto burned through his forests, destroyed his wooden giant, and defeated both Senju brothers 427 428 467 475 476 477.

Afterward, Hashirama appeared in Sunagakure wearing a Great Love Group badge. His presence alone intimidated the village’s leadership 486.

Reunion and Defeat by Madara

Hashirama greeted news of Madara’s resurrection with genuine delight and reunited with him in the Land of Wind. Their ensuing battle initially favored Hashirama once he activated Sage Mode, but Madara’s Rinnegan changed the fight. Hashirama identified Shinra Tensei’s five-second interval, only to be caught by Limbo: Border Jail and stabbed from behind 538 539 545 546 547.

Madara then impaled him with numerous chakra-disrupting black rods, preventing his self-healing from functioning properly. Minamoto rescued him with Amenotejikara, and Tsunade removed the rods. The defeat left Hashirama deeply dejected: it was his first loss to Madara, and he had not understood the technique that decided the battle 548 549 550.

Hashirama subsequently witnessed Minamoto overwhelmingly defeat and kill Madara. Although emotionally reluctant to accept further action against his old friend, he acknowledged that permanently ending Madara’s threat was the correct decision for the world’s peace 554 556.

Appearance

• Hair: Long, black hair 395 427.
• Armor: Old-fashioned red Warring States armor; Minamoto’s chakra-enhanced Gunbai cut through its breastplate during their spar 474.
• Sage markings: Black markings around the eyes and a ring-shaped marking between the brows 545.
• Later clothing: A red robe beneath a white Hokage robe marked “First Hokage,” with a red Love Badge identifying him as a Great Love Group member 486.
• Reanimated appearance: Orochimaru’s Impure World Reincarnation restored his appearance to that of his prime, contrasting sharply with Madara’s elderly corpse 385.

Personality

Hashirama is hearty, easygoing, and quick to laugh. He dismisses the God of Shinobi title as an empty honor and sincerely welcomes a younger Hokage surpassing him. After losing to Minamoto while reanimated, he calls the Fifth’s greater strength “the future I wanted to see” 380 402.

His commitment to peace does not make him unwilling to use lethal force. He was prepared to sacrifice himself to reconcile the Senju and Uchiha, but later stabbed Madara to protect Konoha. He also rebukes Tobirama’s suggestion that they seize other villages’ tailed beasts 379 394 548 556.

His affection for Madara remains unusually strong despite their history. Hashirama continues to describe him as a good ninja seeking peace, while freely acknowledging his crimes. Nevertheless, his pride as a fighter is real: he eagerly seeks challenging opponents and becomes despondent after finally losing to Madara 467 538 550.

Hashirama also enjoys gambling and indirectly passed the habit to his granddaughter 378.

Abilities & Skills

Wood Release

Hashirama was the only known Senju to awaken Wood Release naturally; even his close relatives did not inherit it. Later users such as Yamato, Danzō, Obito, and White Zetsu relied on his cells. Minamoto’s later independently developed Wood Release is distinct from those cell-derived cases 285 367 391.

• Living constructs: His Wood Release incorporates Yang Release and produces physically substantial wood, rather than merely hollow chakra forms 545.
• Battlefield transformation: Creates forests across barren terrain, including islands and desert. Dense trees provide cover and obstruct the Sharingan’s line of sight 475 544.
• Flexible construction: Can add arms, dragons, and other structures to an existing wooden giant during combat 476 545.
• Minimal hand seals: Frequently activates enormous techniques by simply clapping his hands together 379 544.
• Limits: Minamoto’s persistent black flames burn his forests faster than he can replenish them. During their spar, Hashirama also struggles to find an effective answer to an airborne opponent 476 477.

Sage Mode

Hashirama absorbs surrounding natural energy to produce senjutsu chakra, enhancing his Wood Release. Its origin is unconfirmed: Minamoto considers several possibilities, including instruction from Shikkotsu Forest or independent awakening 291 545.

• Construct enhancement: Strengthens his Wood Golem and Wood Dragon enough to push back Madara’s Majestic Attire: Susanoo 545.
• Environmental dependence: The Land of Wind’s low natural-energy concentration delays his activation of Sage Mode 545.
• Gate of the Great God: Uses red torii to restrain targets. Successfully pinned Shukaku, but Madara repelled the gate aimed at himself 547.

Hand Seal-less Self-Healing

Hashirama’s regeneration is a battle-developed, continuously available ability rather than an inborn gift. It operates at the cellular level and depends on both physical energy and intimate knowledge of his anatomy 354.

• Rapid recovery: Heals a severe slash across his chest and abdomen within moments, without forming seals 474 475.
• Exceptional vitality: Survives extensive impalement long enough to be rescued 549.
• Chakra requirement: Rinnegan-created black rods disrupt his chakra control and disable normal regeneration. His endurance does not make him immortal 549.

Tailed Beast Suppression

• Nine-Tails control: Hashirama and Madara are identified as historical figures capable of controlling the Nine-Tails at will, rather than merely suppressing it through a jinchūriki’s seal 13.
• Kakuan Entering Society with Bliss-Bringing Hands: A secret technique specifically designed to suppress tailed beast chakra 546.
• Simultaneous combat: While alive, he defeated Madara while also suppressing the Nine-Tails under Madara’s control 477.

Sensory Ability and Combat Analysis

• Exceptional chakra perception: Detects Black Zetsu’s concealed chakra when Orochimaru cannot and recognizes it from the Valley of the End 380 392.
• Tactical observation: Discovers the five-second interval between Madara’s uses of Shinra Tensei 547.
• Sharingan counterplay: Uses forest cover to exploit the eye’s inability to see through solid objects 475.
• Anchoring defense: Roots himself underground with Wood Release, resisting Pain’s Shinra Tensei without damage to his armor 427.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Red Warring States armor — Worn in combat; cut open by Minamoto’s Gunbai during their spar 474.
• Black Iron Greatsword — Chakra-metal weapon broken by the Gunbai. Hashirama subsequently threw the broken sword as a projectile 474 475.
• Large scroll — Retrieved in preparation for his duel with Minamoto 471.
• Great Love Group badge — Red badge worn on his chest after his restoration to life 486.

Relationships

• Madara Uchiha — Co-founder, closest friend, and lifelong rival. Hashirama repeatedly defeated him in life, killed him to protect Konoha, and remained emotionally attached after their resurrection. Their rematch ended in Hashirama’s first defeat by Madara 538 543 548 550.
• Tobirama Senju — Younger brother and successor. Frequently challenges Hashirama’s judgment, particularly concerning Madara; also pioneered research into his cells and attempted to reanimate him to end a war 354 390 391.
• Mito Uzumaki — Wife. Her marriage to Hashirama was part of the deep connection between Konoha and the Uzumaki Clan 329.
• Tsunade — Granddaughter. Hashirama died before seeing her adulthood; after his return, she challenged his indulgence toward Madara and helped save him by removing Madara’s black rods 389 538 550.
• Uchiha Minamoto — Fifth Hokage, reanimator, and eventual resurrector. Hashirama admires his achievements, loses to him in both reanimated and living states, and is later rescued by him 390 402 467 477 549.
• Kurama — Former opponent whom Hashirama instinctively tries to restrain after reanimation. He accepts Kurama’s alliance with Minamoto and sincerely welcomes the beast’s praise of the Fifth Hokage 388 395.
• Orochimaru — Researcher who reanimated him and was overwhelmed by his Wood Release. Orochimaru later cites Minamoto’s victory over a prime Hashirama as evidence of the Fifth’s strength 379 380 530.

Notable Quotes

“This is the future I wanted to see!” 402

“Tobirama, the Fifth Hokage is stronger than the two of us combined. That’s a good thing.” 402

“Even the [Rinnegan] isn’t invincible!” 546