Isn't legendary* sannin the name Hanzo gives them after their fight?

Yes hanzo gave them that name because of how well they worked together the legendary 3 people, or the legendary squad of 3. Think of them as the strongest all around Shinobi squad of all time until war arc squad 7.

Now yes they are basically kage level shinobi or at least approaching kage level.

Orochimaru may not have had edo tensei, but his kit allowed him to kill the kazekage and have part 1 kakashi shit his pants. How much of a gap do you think part 1 orochimaru is from his confrontation with hanzo?

Im not sure when jiraiya had his imperfect sage mode, but that ability is for sure kage level and his chakra levels and jutsu arsenal is insane. Itachi had a conflicting interest and could have taken out jiraiya but he would have to go all out. Sage mode genjutsu takes out kisame with ease since pain with his rinnegan couldnt have broken out of the frog song. And im assuming jiraiya has imperfect sage mode because of his ties to mt myobuku and learning the prophecy before he even went to war in the rain village.

Tsunade with her hashirama cells allowing a 3rd rate senju vitality regeneration and huge AP breaking a perfect suasnoo during the war arc is nothing to sneeze at. Considering ems sasuke is easily beyond kage level and that is just a complete regular susanoo.

I think they were the strongest because they were relative to kage level ninia and working together allowed them to take on high kage level shinobi.

"guys did your opinion change knowing they are only the LEGENDARY 3 people?"

Not to be that person but cmon, clearly when someone says that a character is "sannin level" they are refering to being around Jiraiya/Tsunade/Orochimaru levels of power.... They're not refering to an actual rank, just being around that level. Let's stop making everything an issue

Ok? They are all three mid Kage at lowball

While a lot of the answers are quite funny, I think there might be a more serious version of events that realistically might have taken place. From both perspectives.

Hanzo: clearly impressed by the trio, but still victorious. He himself makes a big deal out of giving them a title, the legendary Sannin. It wouldn't mean much if he wouldn't at least get the ball rolling to make that declaration official. So he probably talked to his own people about how he defeated the three strongest Konoha Shinobi, but let them live as they were worthy adversaries.

Sannin: At some point they must've returned to Konoha and given a report to the reigning Hokage or other higher ups. A detailed report about what happened, how they fought and couldn't defeat Hanzo, but were spared their lives. Really can see the three of them sitting there, frustrated, saying "he didn't even bother to kill us, instead he damned us with faint praise and called us the Sannin." which made it into the official report. From the side of Konoha, it might even have been a blessing, turning that defeat into something positive by running with it and praising their strongest Shinobi in the press, like "The three legendary Sannin, the Shinobi even Hanzo couldn't kill!", probably good for morale and conscriptions.

Well... other people?

Hanzou didn't kill them. Rumor mill starts. Only one person needs to have heard it for word to spread - not to mention that Sannin literally means "three ninja". They are the three ninja whom Hanzou didn't kill. Not hard to come by when referring to them.

They watched Naruto too

Obviously, Hanzo sent out a memo. Probably by fax.

He uploaded the footage to YouTube

Not seemed, they are broken

Large chakra pools that are more than the uchihas and senju

Sealing chains and Hutus

Forbidden scrolls like reaper death scroll

Can be used as perfect jinchuriki’s

They were so broken it took 5 villages to deal with them

The namikaze clan I really really wanna know more

The uzumaki (you know the main character's clan that we basically know nothing about)

The Houzuki Clan have literal finger guns and the ability to cancel blunt force and slashing damage by turning their bodies into water, how the hell have we not heard more about them?

Anyone else wonder about that forest where Shimamaru buried Hidan? Said something about his family watched over the forest, I think? I haven't watched in a while but I remember him saying something about how the forest was special and it was never brought up again.

luck and bad team balance management of konoha

Probably because they were raised by the Third Hokage? Because Tsuande is Hashiramas granddaughter? Because Orochimaru is a once in a generation genius? Because Jiraiya is the gutsiest motherfucker there is?

I’m actually happy that’s Mitsuki is with The team . He’s so cool lol

How they were each personally trained by them wasn't a dead give away?

Lol wait until you realize the ‘ “brothers” that fight and split up’ story is re-used every generation going back to the founders of the leaf village

Uhm Hashirama is made of Hashirama's cells...

You’re legitimately so, so sweet.

It even trying to be rude. Your excitement at realising this is such a sweet fan moment.

I hate by the end of the series, they were relatively mediocre shinobi

Orochimaru.... no one knows what he is or where he came from.

That’s incredible and they all look so good! Especially Jiraiya!

Really good job on jiraiya

Lmao �� this is probably the best theory we have right now.

Uzumaki clan and how their hot bitches like Kudhiba are trained by villages. Think about that dammed story of how fragging Kuahina went from "I want to be a Hokage" to "I want to be a Hoekage." Think of all the cum we can shoot from these type of stories. Entire rivers of cum flowing upwards to the North as we all jerk at full power.

Kurama.

i liked the Star village filler

Madara has legendary as his middle name.

Obito and Madara had the most impact. Without them, the entire plot wouldn't have moved the way it did.

If we're counting Boruto era, then it should be Sasuke.

Madara easily more importantly how r these guys lined up because by power Obito is above itachi and by age he is too it's bothering me

Madara

None the real answer is Sakura

honestly i like that they are considered the three sannin because they are all pretty evenly matched. Busted summons. Jiraya got sage mode and is the goat. Tsunade can heal anything and is def the physically strongest. Orochimaru does whatever weird freaky snake he wants and never dies.

There's only one sannin who's constantly trying to improve as the other two age out. They did start out equal in part 1 then hiruzen took away orochimaru's jutsu and he made zero progress through most of shippuden. Now post shippuden, Jiraiya is dead, tsunade is growing older but snake boi is still in his prime and kicking.

They’re called a 3 way deadlock for a reason

Orochimaru > Jiraiya > Tsunade > Orochimaru, in OG anyways

Yes, bit pro later becomes more stronger in the folklore ( stronger than Jiraiya and Tsunade )

Orochimaru kinda the wild card with all his jutsu.

Jiraiya kinda the powerhouse proto typical ninja

Tsunade has healing jutsu and really powerful taijutsu. She also great leader. I think many sleep on her.

Ranking is hard, unless some guidance is given cause they have very different strengths and weaknesses, but each capable of a lot.