Naruto: 20 Akatsuki That Hurt The Show (And 10 That Saved It)

The Akatsuki are among the best, and worst villains in the Naruto universe. We rounded up the ones that hurt and saved the show.

The Naruto franchise may be a massive success compared to other anime legends like One Piece and Dragon Ball before it. For over a decade the series has entertained anime enthusiasts and casual viewers alike. The series has spawned two different continuations that have proven that its success cannot be stopped. What truly makes the franchise a force to be reckoned with is its fantastic and unique cast of characters. Like most successful anime each fan-favorite Naruto character features a definite style, personality, and fighting style.

One of the foremost interesting concepts within the Naruto universe is that the villainous Akatsuki and their secret machinations to capture all of the tailed beasts. The organization is sort of a ninja Legion of Doom with several distinct villains teamed together for a standard end. The Akatsuki represents all that's great about Naruto and every one of its faults. At its best, it features a number of the foremost interesting and complicated characters within the series. At worst, it's the fulcrum for the convoluted storylines the series is usually criticized for.

The organization features many of the series most famous characters. Characters like Itachi and Madara are often thought of as among the foremost complex villains within the series. Conversely, the organization's many twists involving its leadership are often cited among the franchise's weakest and most overwritten moments. The team's accumulation of legendary and problematic characters had a tug of war over the standard of the franchise within the latter days of Naruto Shippuden, but its finer moments make cement it as a legendary team within the pantheon of anime villains.

Here are 20 Akatsuki That Hurt The Show (And 10 That Saved It).

20/12

Saved - Itachi

Ask just about any Naruto fan who their favorite Akatsuki member is and also the possible answer you’ll get is Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke’s brother isn't only the foremost complex of the organization but he's also widely thought to be one in all the most effective characters of the series. In fact, he was the character that introduced the organization in the first place. That Mangeyko Sharingan made quite the primary impression.

Motivated to preserve his little brother’s life, Itachi went on an intensive undercover campaign inside Akatsuki. His true motivations were only revealed when he tragically passed on to the great beyond fighting the brother he’d secretly loved the whole time. Like Harry Potter’s Professor Snape, fans will always debate whether or not the character is actually good, truly evil, or more likely something in between. He may have had good intentions within the end but that doesn’t mean Kakashi was any less psychically crucified.

19/20

Hurt - Nagato

When Pein first made his appearance because the mysterious leader of Akatsuki, fans were sure they’d just seen the last word villain of the series. He made even more of an effect when he went on to eliminate Jiraiya in his first full out battle. As things went on, it really sounded like Pein was visiting be the villain MVP of the series. Except he wasn’t. Not even close.

Pein, or Nagato as we'd learn later, was actually the primary of the many red herring villains within the convoluted Akatsuki super villain hierarchy. While a number of the fight scenes and backstory of the character are interesting still, it’s hard to appear back on Shippuden as an entire and wonder if the complete Akatsuki arc wouldn’t are better had he just been overlooked entirely. Either that or simply not have had him pose because the first of the many faux masterminds who appear as if Hot Topic regulars.

18/20

Saved - Deidara

Akatsuki made quite an impression on the initial Naruto. Itachi’s brief but brutal showdown with Kakashi was an exquisite founded for what was to come back. When Shippuden began, one in every of the most important challenges was capitalizing on it founded from such a lot of years earlier. Luckily, they picked Deidara for that job.

Deidara made his explosive entrance when he took on and defeated fan-favorite character Gaara. His signature explosives, mouth hands, and grinning sadism proved to be extremely memorable. He went on to own several more impressive fight scenes before finally being eliminated by Sasuke. Still, he will always be remembered for winning his first fight by nearly annihilating a complete village. That's quite the explosive entrance.

17/20

Hurt - Kakuzu

Naruto is understood for having a large range of great and memorable characters. Between its villains, main cast, and ensemble, there are dozens of magnificent characters with a novel power set and a signature style. Unfortunately, which will be a tough standard to measure up to. It's during this way that the character Kakuzu falls short. He encompasses a fairly generic personality. His backstory isn't particularly memorable. the fashion he's drawn in appears like he's just an additional in one in every of the huge ninja war battle sequences. His signature jutsu is additionally one in all the foremost forgettable of the team.

The best thing about the character is his animosity towards his partner Hidan. Their back and forth is one of the more entertaining interactions of the team members. It's just regrettable he wasn't as interesting as his partner.

16/20

Saved - Sasori

Deidara may have made the primary big impression in Shippuden but Sasori ended up being the star of the arc. Initially, Sasori looked like a very odd character who mostly just used his metal tail for attacking. His fight scene with Kankuro wasn't nearly as memorable as Deidara's with Gaara. All that changed when he squared off against Sakura and Chiyo.

What seemed initially just like the less interesting fight than the one raging between Kakashi, Naruto, and Deidara quickly proved itself to be one among the most effective parts of the first days of the Naruto spinoff. As each layer of Sasori's fascinating puppet jutsu was revealed, the battle and Sasori himself became more and more memorable. He came to a tragic end and joined the likes of characters like Haku and Kimimaro within the Naruto pantheon of characters you're keen on, despite the very fact that you simply should hate them.

15/20

Hurt - Orochimaru

Orochimaru made quite the stir in Naruto. His anime Voldemort antics were a number of the simplest parts of the primary series. His attack on the Hidden Leaf village during the Chunin Exams and therefore the hunt to reclaim Sasuke from him are widely considered to be the simplest arcs of the initial Naruto series.

Not everything about Orochimaru was great though. Initially, the revelation that Orochimaru was a part of the Akatsuki seemed as if it had been visiting make a stimulating plot point. In the end, however, it amounted to little or no. Orochimaru's brief membership in Akatsuki proved to be just more of the convoluted plot points that plagued Shippuden. In Shippuden, all roads lead back to Akatsuki whether or not they really should or not.

14/20

Saved - Obito

There are many twists that fell flat within the series. Like much long-running anime, the series became bloated with too many intermingling plot points at an excess amount of characters. Despite this, the show frequently showed that it could still defy expectations and deliver the products. The Obito twist was definitely one in each of those times.

 

Kakashi was one in every of the largest fan-favorite characters but he was also one in all the foremost mysterious. His origin (and actual face for that matter) remained a secret for several years. one in every of the primary big mysteries the show founded was how Kakashi got his Sharingan. Boy, did that wait to pay off? The episodes that show Obito and Kakashi's story and also the painful reunion were a number of the foremost brutally emotional of the whole franchise. Of all the various many many Akatsuki secret string-puller reveals, Obito's was out and away from the simplest.

13/20

Hurt - Konan

Sasuke went on quite a dark road after Naruto on his path to eventual redemption. one among the most important turning points for the character was when he had his long-awaited final battle along with his older brother. verity tragedy of the battle was that Sasuke finally learned the reality about who his brother really was only to lose him immediately thereafter.

This led him further into the darkness and briefly into an alliance with the Akatsuki. While the alliance was short-lived, it had been definitely an intense moment when he placed on that trademark cloak for the primary time. It seemed for ages there that Sasuke was well-passed redemption. His brief tenure in Akatsuki may be a major point in his long character arc. it absolutely was one of all the darkest moments for the character and was an ideal showcase for the way the organization recruits the disenfranchised and lost.

9/20

Hurt - Jugo

Naruto was well-known for introducing a plethora of fantastic dramatis personae. Characters like Rock Lee, Neji, Shikamaru, et al. like them quickly became fan favorites for his or her interesting personalities, diverse styles, and well thought out abilities.

In Shippuden, however, the series continued to introduce new characters rather than featuring the fan favorites from the first series in major roles. Jugo was one among those new characters that just didn't start off quite like a number of those that proceeded him. As a part of Sasuke's team, Taka, and briefly Akatsuki by an alliance, Jugo's hot temper and comparatively simplistic fighting style didn't sway be memorable in any serious way. concentrate on characters like him merely detracted from the time that could've been spent on the already established supporting cast.

8/20

Saved - Hidan

Few of the members of the Akatsuki struck at the guts of fans as Hidan did. The passing of Asuma was one of the primaries of the many brutal endings that will rock Shippuden. Though the largest surprise was that it wasn't all of these cigarettes that did him in. Hidan represents all that's memorable about the Akatsuki. His unique religious beliefs, powerful jutsu, and immortality made him stand out among the horde of evil ninja around him. Hidan's skeletal makeup also gave him a mode that was much better than his partner's.

The best part about Hidan may very well be his final fate. His final battle with Shikamaru ends with him being eternally buried in painful agony. In fact, he's likely to outlive every other character in complete misery until the tip of your time. If that won't memorable, what is?

7/20

Hurt - Yahiko

As the story around Akatsuki unfolded, it seemed like the ultimate revelations about the organization centered around Yahiko and his failed group of revolutionaries. gazing at the top results of the story, Yahiko and also the original Akatsuki just don't seem quite as important. The ninja world is full of a good deal of tragedy, not all of it can prove memorable.

In the end, Yahiko's origin story just looks as if fat on the Akatsuki bird that could've been cut. The organization would've been fine because it stood, it didn't need a lengthy origin detailing its noble beginnings. Separated from the larger narrative, the story definitely has its merits. When it's thrown in with all of the plots and counterplots, goddesses, and nigh immortal Shinobi, it just gets lost within the mix.

6/20

Saved - Kisame

For many fans, the primary villain of the series Zabuza was the primary real fan favorite. He was the one who truly showed everyone what a ninja battle may be. That's why the empty his passing seems to ripple through the remainder of the series. one among the most ways he lives on is in his old compatriot Kisame.

Like Zabuza before him, Kisame wields a Bleach style giant sword. He also uses incredible water style jutsus that cause several impressive battles. His fight with Might Guy was one in all the primary times’ anyone has to be compelled to see the legendary fighter released. Their final battle remains one in every of the simplest within the series as both experienced fighters gave their all. While he's hardly the best member of the Akatsuki, he over holds his own.

5/20

Hurt - Karin

Of all of the members of Sasuke's brief Akatsuki team, Karin was perhaps the smallest amount interesting. She was obviously meant to represent Sakura and Sasuke's begrudging reference to her. In the end, she didn't prove enough to differentiate herself from Sakura.

The biggest con to her character comes when Sasuke callously stabs her through the chest in his battle with Danzo. This was perhaps Sasuke's darkest moment within the series and could be a hard one to forget when gazing at the redeemed Sasuke. Ultimately, like Sakura, an excessive amount of her character and agency is tied to her romantic obsession with the abusive Sasuke. Female Shinobi just throw themselves at Sasuke regardless of how he treats them. He's the Edward Cullen of the ninja world, apparently.

4/20

Saved - Kabuto

 

Kabuto is one in every of the foremost complex villains of the series. Of all the duplicitous awful Shinobi within the series, Kabuto could also be the foremost deceitful of all of them. From his entry within the Chunin Exams, Kabuto proved that one can never truly know where his allegiances lie.

That's why it wasn't much of a surprise when Kabuto allied himself with what remained of Akatsuki during the Fourth Shinobi War. His resurrection jutsu not only brought back the passed members of the organization, but also many other powerful ninjas. it absolutely was one amongst the foremost significant contributions to the cause any of the varied Shinobi related to Akatsuki ever attempted.

3/20

Hurt - Zetsu

Zetsu was one of all the foremost mysterious members of the organization. together with Tobi, he was often within the background being secretive. Unlike Tobi though, the revelations about his character weren't well worth the long founded. In the end, both black and white Zetsu never really developed enough to place them on par with the opposite members of the team.

While he was an integral servant to the long plotline involving Kaguya, he proved to be a little quite a cog within the background. such a large amount of of the opposite characters had strong personalities and motivations of their own, Zetsu gets lost within the mix.

2/20

Saved - Suigetsu

Team Taka wasn't the foremost interesting of the varied ninja teams that were assembled throughout the franchise. Most of the team lacked the originality and background to actually prove themselves memorable compared to the wide pantheon of well developed Shinobi.

Suigetsu fortunately stands apart. His quest to unite all of the swords of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist gave him agency outside of Sasuke's goals and also the group dynamic. He had way more charisma than his counterparts and had several memorable battles. He even earned the respect of Kisame after they did battle.

1/20

Hurt - Juzo

Of all the Akatsuki members, Juzo is far and away the foremost forgettable. united of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he had quite the competition. Zabuza and Kisame both made impressive impressions in little or no time. Juzo, by comparison, looks like a Zabuza victimize with a really similar look.

Juzo dies before most of the action. He and Itachi went on several missions together but little of it absolutely was ever shown. It's hard to imagine they were as memorable a pair as Itachi and Kisame. That's a tough evil bromance to top.

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Which Akatsuki members from Naruto are your favorites? Which does one hate? allow us to know within the comments!