Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha were brothers and two powerful Sharingan users in the Naruto universe. Their fates were heavily connected since the beginning, where Itachi massacred their own clan and put Sasuke down a long and arduous path to revenge.
Despite the immediately evident differences between the two brothers, they also have dozens of commonalities that unify them, as appropriate to their shared lineage. By finding out what they are, we can better appreciate the nuances behind both characters and whether or not they have used their considerable powers for the right purposes.
10 SIMILAR: They Share The Same Uchiha Blood
As siblings, both Sasuke and Itachi share the same origins in the Uchiha Clan. They were the sons of Fugaku, one of Konoha's foremost authorities on police affairs on the order of the Hokage.
The brothers' mutually shared lineage would play a strong role in their upbringing, as it shaped their perspective on the rest of the village. Moreover, it gave them access to unique abilities that no one else would ever be able to imitate (aside from the likes of Danzo Shimura, thanks to the experiments of Orochimaru).
9 DIFFERENT: Itachi Was Always Much More Mature Than Sasuke
Itachi carried himself with an air of maturity and grace even in his youth. This was why he was among the Anbu's youngest members in spite of the secrecy the organization demanded.
Conversely, Sasuke was a pugnacious brat who indulged in petty conflicts with Naruto in order to slake his own ego. He was even willing to attack him with a Chidori on the hospital rooftop since he still hadn't gotten over how his friend saved the Leaf during the Sand Village's invasion.
8 SIMILAR: Both Uchiha Have Fought Naruto
Despite Itachi's previously mentioned impulse control, he too has previously fought Naruto Uzumaki, albeit under much different circumstances from Sasuke. Shortly after Kabuto had activated his Edo Tensei army, both Itachi and Nagato were deployed in order to detain the eight and nine tails Jinchuriki.
Fortunately, the Sharingan user was able to release himself with a genjutsu, making the remaining villain drastically outnumbered and outmatched. Nonetheless, Itachi's actions illustrate that crossing kunai knives with Naruto is a long-held Uchiha tradition (a fact that would be proven again at the conclusion of the Fourth War in Naruto's battles against Obito and Madara).
7 DIFFERENT: Itachi Was Successful In Infiltrating The Akatsuki
After Sasuke defeated Orochimaru, he sought to join the Akatsuki. As a secretive and suspicious organization, they instructed him to capture and return Killer Bee as an initiation test.
Although Sasuke managed to defeat the Jinchuriki, Killer Bee still outsmarted him by slipping away inside a tentacle fragment. As a result, Sasuke failed to follow in his brother's footsteps of joining Nagato's organization and becoming one step closer to procuring revenge for the atrocity committed against his clan.
6 SIMILAR: Both Brothers Have Mastered The Sharingan
Both brothers were geniuses of the Sharingan in their own right. Sasuke was proficient in using the Amaterasu and Susanoo specifically, whereas Itachi was the most talented genjutsu user in the series (discounting the activation of the Infinite Tsukuyomi).
Additionally, both of them were able to use their eyes in order to keep track of impossibly fast opponents. This gave them a secondary line of defense against particularly agile taijutsu users who might not be as easily cowed by their other techniques.
5 DIFFERENT: Sasuke's Power Progressed, Whereas Itachi's Was Stagnant
Itachi's early victory over Sasuke underlined an important fact about both characters -- the Akatsuki member's power was stagnant throughout the series, while his brother's gradually progressed.
This was why the avenging hero was able to find such dramatic success against his sibling during their second encounter, finally achieving the vengeance he believed he needed. By the conclusion of the series, Sasuke was even strong enough to contend with the progenitor of all chakra and the enhanced fury of Kurama (albeit with the other tailed beasts to enhance his strength).
4 SIMILAR: Both Brothers Cared For Their Parents
Despite his actions, Itachi cared deeply for his parents and mourned when their bodies laid at his feet. Itachi didn't explain to Sasuke that he was attempting to save the village from being plunged into conflict because he wanted his younger brother to evolve his Sharingan and become strong enough to protect the Leaf.
Sasuke's drive to avenge his kin illustrates how deeply he loved them before their passing. Tragically, he would misdirect his wrath at the final living relative he had left.
3 DIFFERENT: Sasuke Interacts With Other Nations Far More Than Itachi Does
A curious fact about Itachi is that he almost never meddles with nations aside from the Leaf. Even while among the Akatsuki, he ensured that Konoha was his exclusive target (as illustrated through his failed attempt to capture Naruto alongside Kisame). This was to minimize the political damage his village suffered on the global stage.
Conversely, Sasuke was more than happy to attack leaders of enemy nations in order to satisfy his mad quest for revenge. His most popular target was the Cloud Village, as proven through his encounters with Killer Bee and the Fourth Raikage.
2 SIMILAR: Both Sasuke & Itachi Changed Their Allegiances
There is a curious dichotomy in the allegiances of Sasuke and his brother. While he went from a hero to a villain, Itachi took the opposite path, with many of his motives explained only after his death.
Their respective trajectories would finally intersect near the conclusion of the Fourth Shinobi War, where the Uchiha brothers teamed up in order to defeat Kabuto and end the threat of his Edo Tensei thralls. Although Sasuke would later contribute to the fight against Madara, it would still be some time before he had yet another change of heart.
1 DIFFERENT: Sasuke Lived To See The End Of Shippuden
Despite Itachi's contributions against Kabuto, he knew his reanimated body was unnatural and untenable. Shortly after the scientist's defeat, his form was released, ushering him into a happy and well deserved afterlife.
Considering that Obito died during the fight against Kaguya, this made Sasuke the last remaining Uchiha on the entire planet. Fortunately, he had abandoned his malevolent ambitions and was willing to begin the slow process of integration as a respected shinobi of Konoha. His fate was ultimately Naruto's to decide as the Seventh Hokage, though Kakashi was similarly lenient with him.
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