Naruto is repeatedly called the symbol of hope. What was Hashirama a symbol of ? Oppression and destruction? He oppressed the tailed beast and destroyed a lot of his enemies.

Naruto is repeatedly called the symbol of hope. What was Hashirama a symbol of ? Oppression and destruction? He oppressed the tailed beast and destroyed a lot of his enemies.

Reformation, peace, renewal, power, and civilization.

Excuse me, but I can’t help but scoff at the question. If anything, it goes to show the severity of the querent’s ignorance of the Naruto world and the way it was constructed. The Bijū were, if anything, enemies to humanity; wild beasts with far too much power that would go around attacking human cities. As it went, no one could properly rival them. To think so was to live in a fantasy.

Hashirama brought the people some sense of comfort by subduing these wild phenomena, and then brokered peace by distributing them between different villages, even though he had the upper hand in negotiations. From a real-world perspective, these Tailed Beasts were living, breathing nukes, whose very presence could tip the balance massively in one side’s favor. That is what he gave up just so the world could finally be at peace — at least, for his time.

Of course, that does nothing to contest the claim made in the question; however:

1. Hashirama only began to “oppress” the Biju after he saw Madara use his Sharingan to forcibly take control of the Kyubi and wreak havoc. He witnessed firsthand what they could do when in the wrong hands.
2. To the shinobi, the Tailed Beasts were incapable of feelings or conscious expression, at least to the same level as humans. Since their presence meant death for them, it was completely natural to favor the survival of their own species over gigantic monsters they barely understood.
1. This is not to say they were right; Naruto proved as much. However, this does not mean they were completely wrong and unjustified in their approach. Nothing’s that black-and-white.

Secondly, it ignores what exactly he worked for: a village, a haven for every human that would quell the hatred and racial prejudice that marred the Warring States Era.

He was the first person, alongside Madara, to actively work toward this end, searching for a place where the Senju and the Uchiha, the political and military powers of the day, could set aside their differences and live in harmony. Granted, this peace did not last long, and would soon lead to Madara betraying this sentiment — as well as the later inter-village Shinobi Wars — but that was not completely in Hashirama’s control. Nor is he to be held chiefly responsible for that; after all, he was the one who’d give up anything for this peace.

His goal as a leader was more inspirational and ideological than it was political. It would be his brother, Tobirama Senju, who would practically establish the police force and further the governmental system — of course, that would lead to future problems, but that is not the topic. By stopping this unending restlessness, the shodai created a civilian structure for the others to follow, kickstarting the birth of Shinobi Villages across the world. He even took responsibility (in chapter #626) for the darkness that his ideals sustained.

Is that not a momentous feat? To stop meaningless slaughter and decades of hate? Sure, he killed for it; nobody’s denying that; however, so did the forefathers of several sovereign nations in our world. America, India, Pakistan, China, Ireland, Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, Trinidad — you get the idea. Most of us live proudly in our respective nations because our ancestors died and killed for that right.

Hashirama did the same thing. Brought an end to apartheid and war, joined clan to clan, protected children, even if it didn’t last all too long.

You also forgot what his other moniker was: The God of Shinobi.

Before the culmination of the Fourth Great Ninja War, it can be argued that the only person who could rival Hagoromo’s fame was the First Hokage, equally famous as one of the most powerful men to ever live. In fact, almost the entirety of the latter half of Shippuden concerns itself with him in one way or another. It’s his cells that allow Obito and Madara to do what they did; it is he whose power is constantly held as unmatched, and it was Hashirama who rallied the ninja forces in the final battle.

That’s how great a man he was. You don’t get people from all over, from a time you don’t even belong to, to praise your name and follow your command. Certainly not if you were just a symbol of oppression and destruction. You earn it through your sacrifices, by revolutionizing the world, and by reaching a civilizational milestone that people could barely ever dream of achieving on their own.

Konoha loves him. And rightly so. I’m unsure how you skipped such an important part of the story, only to come back with the conclusion that he was a mindless, destructive monster who can’t compare to someone following in his footsteps. Learn to appreciate him.