Been watching the last few episodes of Naruto again, especially the final goodbye between Minato and Naruto and I've got to say, Minato really is a shinobi above the rest, and I mean that in the best and worst possible way, the only others I can think of that come close are Kakashi and Itachi. Let me explain my reasoning.
Minato is an amazing shinobi in the traditional sense, we know this. He's the fastest man alive, he can single handedly destroy platoons, can teleport away beast bombs, master in sealing jutsu, sealed away the 9 tails, highest ever records at the academy, tactical genius and so much more. He also comes off as kind and caring, he's light hearted, optimistic, funny, caring, bright and golden etc. So he really does come off as the perfect shinobi, but it's the other things about him, I think, that make him different.
First off, we don't know about Minato's family, or atleast I don't know, so it's highly likely that he was an orphan, and likely born during the second shinobi world war. He is essentially a war child. Sure, he jokes around, smiles, and loves kushina and does everything in his power to protect her, but, he is ruthlessly efficient at it. Even when he foils Kushina's kidnapping attempt, at 11 years old, killing the perpetrators, he is still serene as he holds kushina, because they were enemy ninja.
He has a loving girlfriend, but he fights ruthlessly in war because he is Shinobi. He teaches his genin team, he is playful with them, patient with them, but then turns around and puts them in dangerous situations because that's the sacrifice the situation demanded and they are all Shinobi.
He deals with the loss of his students and simultaneously moves forward because he is Shinobi, and this is their life. Obito dies, but they still take Kanabi bridge, because war stops for no one.
He puts Kakashi in ANBU because he doesn't know how to deal with the messy emotions his student is showing beyond teaching him to package them neatly and move forward, like he does. He thinks keeping being Shinobi should be enough.
When he becomes Hokage, it genuinely is a great decision. You can see it based on how well loved he was as a Hokage and a hero. I have no doubt he would hate Danzo and his policies and he would never allow them, or atleast work around them in a way that would be way better than whatever Hiruzen managed. He would never have stood for the cleansing of the Uchihas, because well 1) without the Kyubi and his death it never would have happened, but also on the off chance something like this cropped up in his reign, he would try to negotiate a peace deal, but if it fails, he wouldn't ask Itachi to kill everyone, he would kill Fugaku and the other leaders of the of the rebellion in quiet assassinations, and then turn around with smiles and try to negotiate again. Pure efficiency, because that's better as a Shinobi.
He's a loving husband and father, but when Kushina gives birth, he knows that his wife is in pain, but he has to reseal the nine tails before it comes undone, so no break. Then, the Kyubi attack puts him in an insane position, his newborn child and wife vs. the village, Kyubi and attacker, he protects the village, he has no choice, he is their Hokage, even though he could choose to leave it to Hiruzen and the others. The most he could do is give Kushina more time with Naruto. He and his family choose the village over their own family. When kushina asks him why he would leave such a burden on Naruto, he says it's because their family is Shinobi. It truly struck me, that while Minato is willing to put his life on the line always, he will not put his responsibilities or the village on the line. He would sentence his newborn son to the fate of Jinchuriki and die himself than leave the matter unfinished. Because he and his family are Shinobi and it had to be done. Eventually Kushina also agrees.
When his son accuses him of putting the Jinchuriki in him, we see that he feels sorrow for it, because he loves his son, but not regret, because it had to be done. During the war arc, he can see that Naruto is fighting a war and struggling, and fighting, but he also continues his duty and his own fight. It really struck me then, normally a father would hover around their son and try and protect them from the worst of it, but Minato doesn't, yes, he helps and puts his life on the line for Naruto, he doesn't stop his own fight and doesn't actively step in, he knows where the tactical advantage is and continues to press it. He knows he place on the battlefield and he stays there.
He loves Naruto and Kushina, you can see it in every aspect of his being, but he knows he is Shinobi first, he will kill the people he has to, fight the people he has to, make the sacrifices he has to. He can't give that up, and I love the Kushina sees and loves that too. In the last moments he says goodbye to Naruto, you can see his grief at leaving his son again, but he knows that he cannot stay, he cannot stay and deny everything else.
The best part about Minato is that he loves his family, but not enough to forget his responsibilities. He still finds time to make further sacrifices as well, he gives more time to Kushina with Naruto, even in the seal, he devotes more of the chakra to Kushina, even though that means to some extent, he has trapped Kushina with the nine tails and himself with the shinigami.
Minato is the antithesis or someone like Madara or Obito, who couldn't give up their grief and burned the world with it, also the antithesis of sasuke. He has his mistakes, his trauma, his grief, but he knows his duty first and foremost.
What makes him amazing is that despite probably seeing the worst of Shinobi life, he's still bright and golden, and I don't know what that makes him, a sociopath with his emotions locked up, or something else entirely. It's even more amazing when you realise, all those years trapped in the shinigami stomach with the worst of Kurama's hatred, and nothing but darkness and his mistakes and his grief, he doesn't loose to Kurama, but instead manages to control and bond with him. Like that's crazy, even Naruto struggled with it.
That's why I love Minato, his downsides and his upsides. He truly is a Shinobi beyond everyone else. Kakashi comes close, because for all the grief his village has given him, the death of his father because of the village's hatred, himself being called friend killer Kakashi, and his years in ANBU. He's still stupidly loyal to Konoha, he still uses the last of his energy to protect Choji to get a message to Tsunade before he dies in the Pain attack. Similarly Itachi, who is happy dying as a Shinobi of the leaf.
Anywho this is just my rant of how much I love Minato.
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