The world of Naruto has a ton of villains, each with a mission to change the world in their own eyes, often going through unethical means to do so. However, some villains offered a lot more value to fans than others. Their ideologies could benefit society, and they are often relatable to us. So today, I thought I’d share my Best 4 Villains in Naruto that helped make the anime a G.O.A.T. Now let’s get started!
1. Madara Uchiha
Background
The first on the list of the Best 4 Villains in Naruto is none other than Madara Uchiha. In Madara’s childhood, his Uchiha clan would often clash with Hashirama’s Senju clan This meaningless violence would cause Madara to lose all of his brothers. It’s not until he sees Hashirama’s determination to end the conflict between the two clans that Madara finally agrees to call a truce.
Together, the two shinobi would create the Leaf Village, and Hashirama would become the leader of the village, the Hokage. But Madara realizes that the Leaf Village would never accept him as a leader, so he departs to begin his Infinite Tsukuyomi plan. After several battles with the first Hokage, Madara would implant himself with Hashirama’s DNA to extend his life. He would live on for centuries until he made Obito his pawn to execute his plans for him.
Motives
After losing his last brother, Madara strived to build a world of peace so people wouldn’t have to lose their loved ones in war. That has always been his mission, and he believed that he was the world’s savior. When his Sharingan evolved into the Rinnegan, it helped make that goal possible. A goal he would continue to strive for after being reanimated in the 4th Great Ninja War.
Upon his defeat, Madara finally admitted to the first Hokage that he was wrong and that Hashirama was right to entrust his dreams of peace to future generations. Madara finally realized that he couldn’t do everything on his own. His legacy would impact his reincarnation, Sasuke, causing him to choose a different path in life by ending the feud with Hashirama’s successor, Naruto.
Personality
One respectable trait about Madara was the love he had for his family. He was super protective of his younger brother, Izuna, and was devastated upon his death. It was through Izuna’s death that his ideals for peace were born. His brother’s ghost would continue to haunt him for years to come.
Being a reincarnation of Indra Otsusuki made Madara super arrogant in his own abilities. Because of this, he always solely relied on his power and didn’t feel the need for friends. Madara thought his abilities alone were enough to change the world. When you see how dangerous he was during the 4th Great Ninja War, you can see why he felt this way.
Favorite Moments
1. First fights with the Allied Shinobi Forces and Kage
One of my favorite moments is when Madara singlehandedly faces off against the Shinobi-allied forces and the five Kage during the 4th Great Ninja War. Madara easily dismantles the allied Shinobi forces with his visual prowess. Where he uses his Eternal Mangeykyou Sharingan and the Rinnegan to overwhelm them.
The allied forces realized how out of their league they were when the legendary Uchiha summoned a comet on the battlefield. A Shinobi even mentioned that it was like they were facing a god. The five Kage were also helpless when he unleashed his Susanoo on them. All of them were left in a bloody puddle in the aftermath of their battle, while Madara joined Obito.
2. Revealing the truth to Obito
Another great moment is when Madara faces off against his student, Obito Uchiha, in the Kamui dimension. Madara reveals to Obito that he plotted to have his lover Rin killed during the 3rd Great Ninja War. So, Obito can become his minion and make Madara’s infinite Tsukuyomi plan a reality.
I love this scene because it shows what Madara is willing to do to get what he desires. He sees everyone as a pawn to get him closer to his dream and has no problem killing inocent people to make his goals a reality.
Impact on the story
Madara inspired the entire Naruto Shippuden plot, starting when he extends his life with Hashirama’s DNA and unlocks the Rinnegan. After that, he entrusts his eyes to Nagato and makes Obito his minion. These choices would lead to several casualties that would reshape history, like the Uchiha Massacre or the Nine-Tails attack.
All these events would be small catalysts that would lead to the 4th Great Ninja War and execute the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan. Upon reanimating, Madara had a few surprises but played his part in the war to make his long-awaited dream a reality.
2. Pain (Nagato Uzumaki)
Background
Continuing on, among the best 4 villains in Naruto, we have Nagato Uzumaki. His childhood occurred during the Second Great Ninja War. During this time, Madara implanted his eyes into Nagato, as being an Uzumaki made him a strong candidate to control the Rinnegan easily.
Unfortunately, Nagato’s parents die, saving their son from a rogue shinobi. Nagato has nobody until he meets other orphans who become his family: Yahiko and Konan. Eventually, the trio of orphans run into the legendary Sannin Jiraiya and ask him to train them. Jiraiya agrees, believing Nagato to be the world’s savior when seeing his Rinnegan. Jiraiya trains the trio for three years before returning to the Leaf village.
A few years later, the orphans would form Akatsuki, an organization focused on ending the war. Unfortunately, Yahiko loses his life in a confrontation with Hanzo, the leader of Hidden Rain. Nagato stops the fight by summoning the Gedo statue, but he permanently disfigures his own body. From there on, he takes control of the Akatsuki with the help of Tobi. Nagato would be known as Pain from that point on.
Motives
Upon meeting Yahiko and hearing about his dream of wanting to end the war, Nagato also shared that desire with his friend. Having experienced the heartache of war as a child, he didn’t wish that life on future generations. He stood by his best friend, Yahiko, as he formed the Akatsuki, an organization dedicated to ending violence.
After Yahiko’s death, Nagato’s dreams took a turn for the worse. Losing his best friend would forever change him. Nagato thought the world was a never-ending cycle of hate, war, and suffering. He felt the only way to achieve peace was by getting people to understand each other’s pain by experiencing the same traumatic events.
However, Nagato returns to his old ways after meeting Naruto. He’s touched upon hearing Naruto’s wish to follow Jiraiya’s footsteps in creating a peaceful world without hate. Realizing the faults of his ways, Nagato supports Naruto in his dream. As penance for his sins, Nagato sacrificed himself to resurrect all the victims he killed. Nagato, like many others, believed that Naruto could change the world.
Personality
As a child and a young adult, Nagato was silent but had a good heart. Despite having the Rinnegan, Nagato wasn’t pretentious about his abilities. He only wants to use his dojutsu to help make peace worldwide a reality.
That all changed when Yahiko died. Nagato referred to this loss as his second great pain after his parent’s deaths. He became cold and ruthless when he became the new leader of the Akatsuki. He would kill anyone who’d stand in his way, even his former master, Jiraiya. That is, until he meets Naruto and reverts to his old ways.
Favorite Moments
My favorite moment that develops Nagato’s character is when he loses his best friend, Yahiko. You can see the pain and suffering in his eyes, but he’s only thinking about getting Konan and Yahiko out of harm’s way. He was willing to sacrifice his body to summon the Gedo statue to fend off Hanzo’s forces.
All to protect his friends. I love this scene because it shows the depths to which Nagato will go to protect his loved ones, even if it’s at the cost of his own life. You can watch that scene here.
Impact on the Story
Nagato impacted the first part of Naruto Shippuden. As the leader of the Akatsuki, he originally wanted to use the tailed beasts in the hidden villages so they could experience pain like he did in his childhood. If that happened, he thought people would be able to understand each other, and that would end conflict. However, little did he know that he was just a puppet for Obito.
3. Zabuza and Haku
The first villains we encounter in the anime help Naruto establish his Ninja way. These two shinobi are so close to each other that I’ll count them as one person in this review of the Best 4 Villains in Naruto.
Background
Zabuza was born in a pretty brutal era of Shinobi history. The hidden mist village was under the rule of the Mizukage Yagura. At that time, they wanted to produce the most powerful shinobi. So, they had students fight against each other in a winner-take-all scenario.
Zabuza was in a completely different league compared to his classmates. He killed 100 students in this exam, and the Hidden Mist would not use this test method again. The graduation exam would earn him the name Demon of the Hidden Mist.
Haku was born a few years later, after a war. Ninjas with unique abilities (Kekkei Genkai) were feared as people thought they might bring on a new war. His mother had a kekkei genkai and hid it from her husband.
But Haku, unfortunately, inherited his mother’s powers, and his father discovers the truth. Haku’s dad kills his mom in horror; Haku witnesses this and kills his father in self-defense. Alone in a world without a family, Zabuza finds Haku, and the two form a duo.
Motives
Zabuza had the simple motive of ruling the Hidden Mist village. The first time I watched this as a kid, I thought he was evil. As an adult watching this arc, I felt that the trauma of killing his classmates for an exam caused Zabuza to see the faults of his government. I think he wanted to make a positive impact on his home. If these were his intentions, I’m sure he could’ve changed Hidden Leaf Village for the better.
For Haku, an orphan, all he wanted was a purpose. No one needed him until Zabuza came into the picture. From then on, Haku’s motive was simple: to make Zabuza the ruler of the leaf hidden in the mist. Haku would kill many Shinobi throughout his life, even though he hated fighting. Haku died trying to make Zabuza’s dream a reality.
Personality
Zabuza, when initially introduced to Naruto, was seen as an assassin. He’s a cold, heartless killer who sees everyone around him as a tool to help him achieve his goals. Everyone in Zabuza’s eyes was either a tool or an enemy. However, despite this, Zabuza would break down upon seeing Haku’s corpse, realizing his adoptive son was gone. Showing how much Haku meant to Zabuza.
Despite his criminal ways, Zabuza was an extremely honorable man. In Naruto Shippuden, he showed extreme distaste towards Kabuto for using the reanimation jutsu to bring the dead into the war. He thought that it was disrespectful to previous generations.
Haku’s personality was the exact opposite of Zabuza’s. For his master, he put on an act of being a cruel and heartless assassin. But he was actually a kind-hearted boy. Listening to Naruto’s dream made him envious that a kid the same age as him had so much to live for. Haku hated killing people and would even hold back on opponents, sparing their lives on occasion, as seen when he spared Sasuke’s life.
Favorite Moments
For Haku, my favorite moment would have to be when he tells Naruto about his background and what his childhood was like. Haku did not have anyone special or a purpose in his life until Zabuza came into his life. I love this scene because Naruto realizes that he’s not all that different from Haku. Naruto knew his life could’ve changed if he didn’t have Iruka supporting his dreams of becoming the Hokage.
For Zabuza, my favorite moment would be the final moments of his life. When he asks Kakashi to bring him to Haku so he can die beside his adoptive son, I love this scene because Zabuza realizes that both will end up in different places after they die. Zabuza wishes he could’ve lived his life differently to end up in heaven with Haku. Every time I see this scene, I cry my eyes out. Click here if you haven’t watched it.
Impact on the story
Zabuza and Haku played a crucial role in developing Naruto’s ninja way. Naruto vowed not to follow the road of the Shinobi and would set his own path. One that didn’t look at using others as tools to get him closer to his dream. Naruto realized the importance of not abandoning his emotions, as Zabuza did, because he would lose himself if he allowed that.
Funny enough, these two had a tremendous amount of respect for Naruto. Five years after their fight, the duo reanimates and runs into Kakashi and Sakura. They immediately ask how Naruto is doing, thinking he would’ve been famous by now. When Kakashi tells them that Naruto became the savior of the Leaf village, both respond with genuine smiles. Haku even tells Kakashi that Naruto will get stronger.
4. Itachi Uchiha
Background
The final villain that we’ll look at in the Best 4 Villains in Naruto is Itachi Uchiha. The older brother of Sasuke, Itachi, was hailed as a prodigy at a young age. Finishing many milestones that a shinobi goes through well ahead of time. For example, he graduated from the academy at 6, became a Chunin at 10, and became chief of the Anbu Black Ops when he was only 13.
As a young child, Itachi witnessed the horrors of war and the devastation it brought upon his home in the Leaf Village. According to Hiruzen, Itachi thought like a hokage at seven years old. Itachi wished to avoid war at all costs, whenever possible. This is because his little brother, Sasuke, was born during this chaos.
Motives
Unlike many other members of the Uchiha clan, Itachi always looked out for the well-being of his home, the Leaf Village. He became a double agent, spying on his clan and reporting their activities to the Third Hokage to avoid a fight. When the rift grew too big, Itachi realized there was no negotiating with the Uchiha anymore. Instead, he chose the Leaf Village over the Uchiha clan.
Another source of motivation for Itachi was his younger brother, Sasuke. The third Hokage made a deal to let Sasuke live if Itachi executed the Uchiha clan. Itachi wished Sasuke to live a long and fruitful life, so he agreed. The Uchiha purposely painted himself as a villain so Sasuke could be hailed as a hero when he killed him. Perfectly showing the depths a big brother will go to protect his sibling.
Personality
While in Akatsuki, Itachi seemed very cold and calculated. He showed no mercy to his opponents, even if they were former comrades like Kakashi and Sasuke. He puts both of them in Tsukuyomi for several days, showing little regard for their lives.
However, this was all an act to deceive everyone. Itachi’s real personality shows in his childhood. Itachi was always a warm and gentle soul to his loved ones, especially Sasuke. He would defend his family at a moment’s hesitation.
Funny enough, even when he was a part of Akatsuki, sometimes he couldn’t hide his true self. As seen when Naruto stated that he was more of a brother to Sasuke than Itachi. He smiled at the fact that Naruto had taken on the role of Sasuke’s brother during his absence.
Favorite Moment
My favorite moment with Itachi would be his final moment in the Shippuden series. After that, he stops Kabuto from using the reanimation. He regrets not telling Sasuke the truth, believing that his little brother could’ve changed how things turned out. Knowing Sasuke may go down a dark path that ends his life, Itachi tells him he’ll always love him.
I love the scene because Itachi knows his actions caused Sasuke to become a monster. Instead of trying to play Sasuke like a puppet, Itachi realizes the worst might happen and accepts it. He ends their final moment with the most sincere words possible.
Impact on the Storyline
Itachi impacted Sasuke’s life for the anime’s entire runtime. At the beginning of the series, Sasuke is obsessed with killing Itachi to avenge his clan. But when he finally achieves the goal, Obito ruins Sasukes’ life by telling him the truth. From then on, Sasuke vowed to destroy the leaf so he could avenge his brother. He executes several criminal activities, like killing Danzo, invading the Kage summit, and joining the Akatsuki, to achieve this goal.
However, after hearing the answers from the Hokage about what it means to be a ninja, Sasuke decides to stop the war to honor Itachi’s legacy. After some further persuading from Naruto Sasuke, he became the shadow Hokage. A figure that works behind the curtains to defend the village. A role similar to what Itachi does during his life. I’m sure that Itachi would be proud of how Sasuke turned out.
Do you agree with my best 4 villains in Naruto?
So overall, those were the Best 4 villains in Naruto. Each of them had an impact on one of the main characters or the overall storyline. What are your favorite anime villains? Let me know in the comments. If you liked this post, check out my review of The Boy and the Heron. Thank you all so much for reading, and as always, until next time.
