The Naruto series was full of exceptional heroes who inspired fans, and powerful villains whose motivations tugged at the heartstrings of everyone who witnessed their tragic backstories. However, the show also had a category of characters that were often overshadowed by other characters: the anti-heroes.
These characters had motivations and end goals that were well-intentioned, but their methods were less than ideal, albeit sometimes necessary. They did not hesitate to get their hands dirty and did what needed to be done, even if their ways to go about it were morally questionable, at best.
10 Anti-Hero: Danzo Shimura Did What He Thought Was Best For The Village
The line between villain and anti-hero was pretty thin for Danzo Shimura. He ran a separate branch of the ANBU training division called the Root, where members were trained to get rid of any signs of emotions and carry out secret tasks with questionable methods.
He was also one of the officials behind the massacre of the Uchiha clan and implanted several Uchiha eyeballs in his arm. However, he was a staunch lover of Konoha, and everything he did, he did for the sake of his village. He took over all the morally ambiguous missions and did all the “dirty work” that was required to keep the village safe.
9 Sympathetic Villain: Konan Was An Orphan Of War
Konan was a resident of the Village Hidden by the Rain, a place that was always strife with the horrors of war. Due to its location, it was often a place where the battles between the Five Great Nations took place. Konan was orphaned when she was very young when her entire family was killed off during the Second Great Shinobi War.
While she was on the streets, she met Yahiko and they helped each other survive. Nagato Uzumaki also became a part of their group some time later. Yahiko and Nagato were the only family she ever had, but she had to watch them both die right in front of her eyes.
8 Anti-Hero: The Village Elders Put Aside Their Emotions To Decide The Best Course Of Action For The Village
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were once teammates with Hiruzen Sarutobi and later became his councilors when he became Hokage. They were respected as the village elders and became advisors to even the Hokage who came after Hiruzen.
Between Hiruzen and Danzo, they mostly agreed with the latter. Hiruzen was against the Uchiha massacre, but Danzo and the elders were for it. They all had different ideas on ways to go about keeping the village safe but, in the end, they agreed with Danzo’s way.
7 Sympathetic Villain: Kabuto Yakushi Accidentally Killed The One Person Who Cared About Him
Kabuto was an orphan who did not remember anything about his past. He was taken in by an orphanage in Konoha where he grew close to Nono Yakushi, the caretaker of the orphanage, and began addressing her as “mother.” They were both employed by Danzo’s Root organization, and Kabuto eventually turned into a spy working for Konoha.
During one of his missions, he accidentally killed Nono, with the worst part being that she did not even remember who he was. Traumatized and heartbroken, he went to Orochimaru, who had taken a keen interest in the young boy, and became his apprentice from thereon.
6 Anti-Hero: Zabuza Momochi Was Just Doing What He Was Hired To Do
Zabuza was the first S-rank level enemy that Team 7 faced as shinobi. However, just because he was their opponent, did not mean that he was a villain.
Just like Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had been hired by old man Tazuna, Zabuza had been hired by Gato to stop them. Gato was the real villain here, while Zabuza was simply doing the job he was hired to do.
5 Sympathetic Villain: Nagato Uzumaki Lost Everything He Ever Loved
Nagato’s parents were accidentally killed by Konoha’s shinobi, who did not know they were civilians. He soon met Yahiko, who took him under his wing along with Konan, and together they tried to survive in the war-torn world.
Yahiko’s dream was to bring peace to the world, for which he started an organization called The Akatsuki with Konan and Nagato. Tragedy struck again when he lost Yahiko, who told him he believed in Nagato to bring world peace, as his last words. Everything he did from thereon, he strictly did to bring eternal peace to the world, all for his best friend.
4 Anti-Hero: Itachi Uchiha Killed His Own Parents To Save His Village
When Itachi was first introduced in the show, he was showcased as the ruthless ninja who massacred his entire clan, then ran away to join a terrorist organization, the Akatsuki. As the story unfolded, it was revealed that he only did so under the orders of Konoha’s leaders.
He knew if the Uchiha were not killed, they would stage a coup which would eventually lead to civil war. He decided to shoulder the heaviest burden of all, which included killing his own parents, just to save his village from being destroyed.
3 Sympathetic Villain: Obito Uchiha Almost Died & Witnessed His Loved One Die
Obito “Tobi” Uchiha was once a very loving child who always helped everyone around him, but the circumstances in his life led him to become the one who almost destroyed the world. One can’t help but feel bad for the once kind-hearted Uchiha, who got buried under a rock while trying to save his comrade and ended up becoming paralyzed on one half of his body.
To add to that, Madara Uchiha manipulated him to follow his project Tsuki No Me by making him witness the death of the love of his life, Rin Nohara, which caused him to be consumed with an intense hatred for the world.
2 Anti-Hero: Sasuke Uchiha Did Not Let Anything Come In The Way Of His Revenge
Sasuke was no hero, but he wasn't exactly a villain, either. He was just a young boy who had had a very traumatic childhood due to the actions of his elder brother, Itachi Uchiha. Itachi never told Sasuke the truth and made him believe that he had killed off their entire clan just to test his abilities.
Sasuke grew up fostering hatred against his brother and a desire to avenge his clan. He was prepared to do whatever it took for him to get his revenge, even if that meant leaving his village and friends to go train under Orochimaru.
1 Sympathetic Villain: Madara Uchiha Grew Up In A World Of War & Death
Madara Uchiha was one of the strongest villains in Naruto, someone who possessed God-like powers. He had to become the way he was to survive a terrible world where there seemed to be nothing but death and destruction, wherever he went.
His only solace was his unnamed friend (who turned out to be Hashirama) with whom he dreamed about a world with peace. However, his world fell apart when his younger brother, whom he loved with all his heart, was killed in action, and he became filled with hatred and vengeance.
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