What is the order of the ninja ranks?

Ninja Academy student → genin → chunin → jonin, with the Kage (the Hokage in Konoha) at the top of the village. The special jonin is a parallel rank of targeted expertise, between chunin and jonin; the Anbu, for its part, is an elite unit outside this ladder.

What are the Chunin Exams for?

They are the standard path to becoming a chunin (field promotions also exist in wartime). You take them as a team of three, and promotion rewards judgment, leadership and tactics — not just winning your fights.

How do you become a jonin?

There is no jonin exam: promotion happens by recommendation, with the Kage's approval. It is rare, and many shinobi remain chunin all their lives. The special jonin, for its part, is a specialist rank sitting between chunin and jonin.

Is the Anbu a rank above jonin?

No. The Anbu is not a rung in the genin→chunin→jonin hierarchy, but an assassination and special-operations unit under the Kage's direct orders; you join it for your skills, whatever your rank. Root was a secret branch of it, founded by Danzo.

Devenir ninja : les rangs et l'Académie de Konoha

Becoming a Ninja: The Ranks and the Ninja Academy of Konoha

July 13, 2026

1242 words | Reading time: 7 min

UniverseNinja AcademyNinja Ranks

The ninja headband is not earned by chance. The shinobi path begins at the Ninja Academy, with a graduation exam combining a written test and ninjutsu — the benchmark technique being the clone — followed by the presentation of the headband. The guide then walks through every rung: the genin and their squad of three under a jonin-sensei, D-rank then C-rank missions, the Chunin Exams where you are promoted on the judgment you show rather than on victory, the jonin promoted by recommendation, the special jonin, the Anbu and finally the Kage.

From Academy Student to Village Leader: how do you climb the ranks of the ninja world? A short guide to the shinobi ranks, from the Ninja Academy to the title of Kage.

The Ninja Academy and the Headband
Genin: The Three-Member Squad
Chunin: The Exam and the Judgment
Jonin and Special Jonin
The Anbu and the Kage
Summary Table
FAQ

The Ninja Academy and the Headband

It all begins at the Ninja Academy. Students there are not ninja yet: they learn taijutsu, weapon handling and three basic techniques.

Graduation comes through an exam whose decisive technique is the clone — the one Naruto fails three times. By passing it, the student becomes a genin and receives the ninja headband, the symbol of their allegiance; it is Iruka who hands it to Naruto.

Close-up of a blue ninja headband with a metal plate engraved with the Konoha spiral symbol, resting on a wooden table. — The ninja headband is presented to the student who passes the Ninja Academy exam: it marks their allegiance to the village.

Genin: The Three-Member Squad

The genin is the base rank. Genin are grouped into squads of three, placed under the guidance of a jonin-sensei.

The lineup balances the talents, like Team 7 under Kakashi. Every village has its own: Kurenai, Asuma and Might Guy in Konoha, or Baki for the Sand Siblings.

🥷 A fan of the Naruto universe? Discover our Naruto POP figures.

Three young ninja sitting in a row on a terrace overlooking the village: Naruto in orange, Sasuke seen from behind with the Uchiha symbol, Sakura in red; their teacher stands at the back, near the railing. — Genin are grouped in threes under the guidance of a jonin-sensei, here Team 7 facing Kakashi.

Chunin: The Exam and the Judgment

To make chunin, the surest path is the Chunin Exams, which you take as a team of three.

The subtlety: what earns promotion is not winning your fights, but the judgment you show — leadership, tactics, composure. You can be promoted without winning. The chunin is an accomplished ninja, able to command.

High-angle view of a sand arena: the candidates packed in rows at the center, examiners posted in a circle around them and two people on a platform below. — The Chunin Exams are taken as a team of three, under the eyes of examiners who judge conduct as much as combat.

Jonin and Special Jonin

Above comes the jonin, the elite who serve as captains. The surprise: there is no “jonin exam” — promotion happens by recommendation, with the approval of the Hokage.

Alongside it exists the special jonin, a targeted expert ranked between chunin and jonin — like Ibiki or Anko. This is not a “super-jonin”.

Ninja lined up on a red carpet under a tent: in the front row a man in a long dark coat, two ninja in green tactical vests including Kakashi, masked with his headband over one eye, and a kunoichi with long black hair; behind them, rows of ninja in gray uniforms. — The jonin rank is earned through no exam: it is granted on recommendation, with the Hokage's approval.

The Anbu and the Kage

The Anbu, for its part, is not a rung on this ladder: it is an elite unit under the Hokage's direct orders, where every rank coexists. The Root under Danzo was a secret branch of it.

At the top sits the Kage, the head of the village. You do not become one through an exam: they are designated by their predecessor or, failing that, by the daimyo. In Konoha, that is the Hokage.

Four operatives in sleeveless gray vests, white painted animal masks and a short sword across the back; one bears a spiral tattoo on the shoulder. — The Anbu is not a rung on the ladder of ranks but a masked unit under the Hokage's direct orders.

Summary Table

Rank	Details
Ninja Academy → genin	Graduation (written test + ninjutsu, the benchmark technique being the clone); presentation of the ninja headband
Genin	Base rank; grouped into a squad of three under a jonin-sensei; D-rank then C-rank missions
Chunin	Reached through the Chunin Exams; promoted on the judgment shown (not on victory); an accomplished ninja, no longer supervised
Jonin / special jonin	Jonin = elite, promoted by recommendation (no exam). The special jonin is a targeted expert, between chunin and jonin
Anbu & Kage	Anbu = elite unit off the ladder, under the Kage's orders. Kage = head of the village, designated and not promoted by exam

FAQ

What is the order of the ninja ranks?
Ninja Academy student → genin → chunin → jonin, with the Kage (the Hokage in Konoha) at the top of the village. The special jonin is a parallel rank of targeted expertise, between chunin and jonin; the Anbu, for its part, is an elite unit outside this ladder.
How do you become a genin?
By passing the Ninja Academy graduation exam (written test + practical ninjutsu test; the decisive technique is the clone, the one Naruto fails three times). You then receive the ninja headband and are assigned to a squad of three genin led by a jonin-sensei.
What are the Chunin Exams for?
They are the standard path to becoming a chunin (field promotions also exist in wartime). You take them as a team of three, and promotion rewards judgment, leadership and tactics — not just winning your fights.
How do you become a jonin?
There is no jonin exam: promotion happens by recommendation, with the Kage's approval. It is rare, and many shinobi remain chunin all their lives. The special jonin, for its part, is a specialist rank sitting between chunin and jonin.
Is the Anbu a rank above jonin?
No. The Anbu is not a rung in the genin→chunin→jonin hierarchy, but an assassination and special-operations unit under the Kage's direct orders; you join it for your skills, whatever your rank. Root was a secret branch of it, founded by Danzo.

In summary

From Naruto's failed clone to the Hokage's seat, the ninja path rewards judgment and bonds more than raw power — a thread that runs through the whole saga.