Tbaism

Successful hmm.. I would have to say the first and scond are kinda running together there. Wasn't it the 1st or second that stopped the ninja wars or something. Arrg, hard to remember things now..so many episodes ago. The first also created the village so I suppose that will always give him the upper hand.

People keep mentioning that the 4th saved the village and that keeps him at the head, but isn't that the job for a Hokage? Putting the village before your life? Every Hokage has died for the village anyways havn't they?(Dismissing the 5th) Considering who would be the most successful, dieing shouldn't be a qualification, but a requirement. That is an everday thing; a ninja dieing for completion of the mission or the benefit of the village is a usual occurence.

If you went on like that, the 4th should kinda be put in the back or thought of like those who created Gaara. He put a monster inside of a human, not knowing exactly how things would turn out in the future. The third would be put ahead of him since he was trying to remove the threat of Orochimaru forever - Someone who could destroy the world.

Successful - What benefits did the 4th bring to the village besides dieing? I havn't really heard much about him besides that.

The first and second, they died twice.