The Akatsuki are one of the most iconic villain groups in anime history, right alongside the likes of Hunter x Hunter‘s Phantom Troupe and Bleach’s Espada. Almost every member has way more character than most Shonen villains. Not to mention that their terrifying powers make them a major threat across all Five Great Nations. Each member is powerful enough to be considered an S-Rank criminal, making them a force to be reckoned with. Even stopping them individually is almost impossible for most Shinobi, but what makes them truly dangerous is that they work in teams of two. The teams are chosen based on their powers and how well they can assist each other and work together even in times of crisis.
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While the Akatsuki was introduced in the original anime, Shippuden delved deeper into each member, their powers, and even their backstories. While Comicbook already prepared a power scaling ranking of which member comes out on top, this list is based on their character depth and just how intriguing they were to the viewers. Not every member left the same impact despite having exceptional powers. However, power alone isn’t what determines if a character is memorable or not. Note that this list only includes canon members, and even members unelaborated in the series are excluded. This also means Sasuke and his team aren’t included since they were never full-fledged members anyway. With all that in consideration, here is our ranking of Akatsuki members based on how iconic they are.
11) Kakuzu
As Hidan’s partner, Kakuzu is basically immortal, and it took a lot of effort to take him down. He has been around since before the era of Hashirama Senju and eventually joined the Akatsuki when he had no purpose left in life. Having been thrown out of his village because he failed to kill Hashirama, Kakuzu was overwhelmed with rage and the feeling of betrayal. While he wasn’t more powerful than the legendary Shinobi, he was still a major threat to the rest of the great Shinobi.
Kakuzu could’ve been a rather intriguing character, but the series failed to delve deeper into his backstory or just his actions. One of Naruto’s biggest appeals is that the villains aren’t inherently evil, but rather they’re just broken heroes who once dreamed of making the world a better place. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that every villain has to be like that, but even without that quality, he could’ve had more impact on the viewers than one might hope.
10) Hidan
Just like Kakuzu, Hidan could also be considered immortal and even equally bland as an antagonist. In many ways, he is basically unstoppable, but at the end of the day, his immortality only comes from his Jutsu. He’s not unstoppable because he was born special, but because of how he trained himself to use a rather tricky ability. His arrogance isn’t baseless since he has that unique ability to back him up. However, it was that very arrogance that led to his humiliating defeat.
As someone who preferred to rush straight into battle, he could’ve never dreamed of being outwitted by a teenager like Shikamaru. Not to mention that he couldn’t bring himself to work in tandem with his partner. Although he managed to score an overwhelming win against Azuma Sarutobi, his true ineptness came to light when Shikamaru targeted him. With nothing but a bland personality and arrogance at his disposal, it’s no wonder he couldn’t shine among the other members even after having a major impact in the story.
9) Konan
Konan has one of the most interesting jutsu styles in the entire series. The variety of ways she’s able to use paper is one of the things that makes her a huge threat. Whether it’s her powers or her role as a close friend to Yahiko and Nagato, Konan should’ve been a more iconic character, but just like most female characters, Kishimoto couldn’t do her justice. Naruto is infamous for sidelining female characters, which makes sense considering she’s the only female Akatsuki member, and barely has any fans for obvious reasons. She is only remembered as a friend of two impactful characters, and nothing more.
Not to mention that, unlike most members, she doesn’t even have one single memorable battle, which even Hidan and Kakuzu got. Even her end wasn’t emotional enough when she died at the hands of Obito Uchiha after a brief battle. At least, she was able to pose a challenge to the villain when she perfectly constructed an environment out of paper that swallowed Obito into a chasm where he would have to endure explosions for 10 minutes without any breaks. The only reason Obito was able to save himself was his forbidden Izanagi.
8) Deidara
Whether it’s in terms of powers or his character writing, Deidara is often underestimated when compared to other members. Even the reason he ranks so low in this list isn’t that he isn’t memorable, but because there are more members with better writing and impact in the overall story. Needless to say, he is a rather unique villain, as nothing else drives him except his passion for his “art”. Unlike others who are driven by some grand purpose or vengeance, Deidara simply cares about his art. The villain can literally blow everything up, and if that doesn’t make him a force to be reckoned with, then nothing else can.
Not to mention that he is crazy enough to blow himself up during his battle with Sasuke, which truly makes it a flashy farewell for any villain. He’s not only a pretty decent strategist, but also he’s so passionate about his art that he’s willing to go to extremes without caring about the consequences. While others around him may never understand what truly drives his passion, he stayed true to himself. Despite not following the “broken hero” trope, his death alone makes him a memorable villain.
7) Sasori
Sasori was introduced in the early phase of Shippuden, where he worked as Deidara’s partner to kidnap Gaara. He demonstrated exceptional skills as a puppet master, which he incorporated into his Jutsu. He fought against Sakura and his own grandmother, Chiyo. Sasori was a mystery for the majority of the battle as the truth about him slowly came to light. As someone who fled his home when he was still young, Sasori didn’t age at all in two decades. The series reveals the horrifying truth behind his appearance, along with the fact that he has the corpses of many powerful Shinobi under his command.
However, while Sakura and Chiyo made an excellent team against the villain, it was Sasori who decided to die to end the battle. As someone who lost his parents in the war, Sasori found small comfort in the puppets he made. It didn’t take long for the loneliness to overwhelm him, and he crossed a line a sane person wouldn’t have. However, whether it was a tragic fight, the only memorable fight Sakura fought in the main story, or his heartwrenching end, Sasori remains one of the most popular villains in the series, even if he doesn’t play a major role.
6) Zetsu
In terms of powers, presence, and even character depth, Zetsu can’t be considered a likeable villain by any standards. He stays a side character for the majority of the story, remaining as inconspicuous as possible. However, this is exactly why he was able to shock everyone in the Final War. For over a millennium, Zetsu was pulling the strings and ruining lives around him, just so he could trigger a major event that would help him free Kaguya Otsutsuki. As the mastermind behind everything, Zetsu was able to fool Indra before his plan to free Kaguya failed.
He never gave up and kept trying until he found Madara to be another one of his puppets. Madara easily fell for the trap, believing everything he did was the right thing to do. All this time, Zetsu never stepped forward and stayed in the shadows, planning his next move. After destroying thousands of lives over centuries, he was able to briefly free Kaguya, but Naruto and the others stopped him after much effort.
5) Orochimaru
While Orochimaru’s redemption is still a controversial topic among fans, it doesn’t change the fact that he is one of Akatsuki’s most intimidating members. Of course, he wasn’t a member for long, and he couldn’t care less about the group’s goal. The only reason he even joined was to gain the body of a Uchiha, but Itachi immediately overwhelmed the villain. Knowing that he won’t be able to best Itachi, Orochimaru went for an easier target, Sasuke, who was still young at the time.
Orochimaru is one of the most brilliant characters in the series, and his wide-ranging encyclopedic knowledge of the shinobi world’s many jutsu is terrifying on its own. Add to that the fact that he was a member of the legendary Sannin, along with Tsunade and Jiraiya, and it’s clear that Orochimaru isn’t exactly the guy anyone would want to fight against. He not only played a crucial role as a villain since the Chunin Exams, but surprisingly, his actions during the Final War helped the Shinobi alliance a great deal.
4) Obito Uchiha
Obito is yet another villain whose redemption is deemed controversial to this day. Naruto’s forgiveness and the reason behind Obito’s actions is often talked about in a negative way. Regardless, he has more fans than haters, and as a central villain, his impact is nothing to scoff at. For the majority of the story, he went around acting like a fool, Tobi, who was only in the Akatsuki for comedic relief. The story took a good while to unravel how dangerous he is and that he is the founder of the group.
However, instead of revealing his true name, Obito unleashed fear among the Five Great Nations by introducing himself as Madara. His strategy worked, and all the Kages knew that they were up against a massive threat they couldn’t handle. However, before becoming a horrifying villain responsible for the deaths of thousands of Shinobi, albeit directly or indirectly, Obito was once someone who wanted to become a Hokage. He shared the same dreams and goals, but one tragedy changed him completely. He realized his mistakes by the end of the war, but it was too late by then.
3) Kisame
When it comes to memorable deaths in Naruto, Kisame always comes to mind. For the majority of the story, he was overshadowed by his partner Itachi Uchiha. However, despite serving an evil group like the Akatsuki, he stayed true to his ideals, even in his final moments. His death is often remembered as a poignant moment in the story, transforming a seemingly remorseless villain into a deeply tragic and honorable warrior. He encountered Might Guy several times during the story, but the latter could never remember his name. However, Kisame’s final act of sacrifice to save the Akatsuki’s secrets earned him Guy’s respect.
While the path he had chosen was less than ideal, Kisame wasn’t driven by some evil agenda. He had a traumatic past in the Hidden Mist Village where he was forced to kill his own comrades for the sake of protecting state secrets. However, he was eventually betrayed by his superiors, and it was Obito who prattled on about his ridiculous goal of Infinite Tsukuyomi. Kisame truly believed it would help create a utopia without constant betrayal and deception in the Shinobi world.
2) Nagato Uzumaki
Nagato is one of the most nuanced villains in Shonen history, not only in terms of backstory but also his powers. He possesses a legendary ability and is able to wield it thanks to his unparalleled chakra. After realizing the gravity of the destruction he caused and how meaningless his actions were, Nagato used whatever strength was left in his frail body to perform the Rinne Tensei Jutsu. The ability to bring someone back to life is limited to those with the power of the Rinnegan.
Rinne Tensei can revive any number of people at the cost of the user’s life. As he drew his final breath, he found a short-lived peace after suffering for almost his entire life. That is, before he was briefly resurrected in the Final War. When he was alive, he raised many questions about the broken world that trampled all over his dreams. Nagato has had several iconic moments in the story, and the Pain Assault Arc is often considered the best since he was the main antagonist.
1) Itachi Uchiha
Honestly, it was a fair game between Nagato and Itachi for the top spot. However, while it can’t be denied that both characters are exceptional in their own ways, hardly any character is as loved as Itachi, even after all these years. While initially a misunderstood character, Itachi ultimately became a fan-favorite when the truth about his actions came to light. His tragic story shatters the conventional norms of heroism and replaces it with something deeper, a testament to love layered in complexity and tragedy. Born a prodigy, Itachi had a bright future ahead of him as a Shinobi, that is, until Danzo ruined everything he loved in his life.
What makes his story truly tragic is the burden he carried as both the protector of the village and the one who killed his entire clan. Itachi’s undying loyalty towards the village has always been questionable, but he did the best he could to stand by his own ideals while also finding even a small chance to keep his brother safe. He was already dying due to his illness, but he decided to let his brother end his life. With a heartbreaking smile on his face, he left the world after shouldering the weight of his guilt and the world’s hatred for several years.
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