Pain and Konan Disappearance Naruto Shippuden
By
Branson Garza
Published 23 minutes ago
Branson is a Senior Writer for ScreenRant. Anime has been a major part of his life since he was able to raise his hands in the air for a Spirit Bomb. As a journalist, Branson focuses heavily on listicles and op-eds detailing the industry's greatest shonen series.
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Naruto has some of the best villains in anime, and they're a large part of just how massive the franchise has become. While other major shōnen series might have a decent villain or two, Naruto has several, with a myriad of antagonists bringing something interesting to the table.
Naruto has unquestionably cemented itself as not only one of the greatest shōnen series ever made, but one of the best anime in general. It's a thrill ride from the beginning of Naruto to the end of Naruto: Shippuden, and the villains of the series are a major reason why.
There are several standout villains in the franchise, but one is better than the rest. He's a morally complex villain who can even generate sympathy from some fans. He's a rare villain that feels understandable in a lot of ways, even if his actions were horrific.
Naruto Has a Litany of Great Villains
The Shōnen Giant Is Known for Its Top-Tier Antagonists
Screenshot image of Naruto Shippuden shows Sage of the Six Paths Madara with only one Rinnegan eye.
There are a ton of villains in Naruto that could be considered the best in the series. From antiheroes turned villains like Itachi Uchiha to complex characters straddling morality like Orochimaru, there's no shortage of top-tier antagonists. While he's not exactly a complex character, Madara Uchiha is one of the most exciting villains around.
For most of the series, Madara was spoken about like a mythical creature. It's one of the rare instances in anime where a character's hype actually pays off, as Madara is electric from the moment he touches the screen.
Madara is a pretty simple character without a lot of depth, separating him from the greatest villain in the series. Sure, he's an enigmatic powerhouse, but even one of the strongest Uchiha in Naruto can't hold a candle to this morally complex villain.
Pain Is the Most Complex Villain in Naruto by Far
His Reasoning Is (Somewhat) Grounded In Reality
Screenshot from Naruto Shippuden anime shows the Six Paths of Pain arriving at the end of their fight against Jirayia.
Pain is easily the best villain in Naruto in terms of motivation. Madara is a powerhouse, but he had a relatively unreasonable goal of wanting the world to be in an infinite dream-like state. Pain's goal is much more reasonable (in a dark way): he just wants the world to feel his pain.
Nagato, the man behind Pain, lost everything brutally. He lost his parents due to shinobi from Konoha, lost his best friend to a warlord, and watched the world turn its back on him. He didn't want to dominate the world, he didn't have a master plan, he just wanted his pain to be known.
He's a horrifyingly simple character that is willing to kill thousands just so others understand what he feels. During one of the best fights in anime, when he takes on Naruto, he's asking Naruto if he "finally feels pain" the entire time. He's so straightforward that viewers can't help but resonate with his angry persona, making him the best villain in all of Naruto.
Naruto (2002) TV Show Poster
Naruto
First Film
Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
Latest Film
Boruto: Naruto the Movie
First TV Show
Naruto
Latest TV Show
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
First Episode Air Date
October 3, 2002
Cast
Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei
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