Summary

• The best villains in Naruto aren't the most powerful, but those who have the largest impact on the characters or world.
• Villains in Naruto often have layered backstories, portraying them as lost or misunderstood individuals with shades of gray.
• Despite their flaws, Naruto's intriguing villains like Gaara, Zabuza, and Itachi drive memorable and impactful narratives.

Naruto, much like any comic series in Japan or the West, boasts a colorful array of iconic villains that contributed to making the series as successful as it is. Heroic characters with diverse motivations, skill levels, and raw power are not enough to achieve the coveted status as a Big Three manga with a worldwide, sustainable fanbase and an enormously popular anime series, there must be show-stoppers who drive the narrative.

Thus, some of the best villains in Naruto aren't even the most powerful but often are the ones who have the largest impact either on its characters or the world, interchangeably. Many of the threats in Naruto have various motivations, some smaller in scope as particularly vicious mercenaries, while others aim to send a greater message to the world.

Villains in Naruto often get layered backstories, painting them as lost, misguided, or even misunderstood individuals with shades of gray. While it's easy to hate some, fans ire many as some of the most memorable adversaries in shōnen manga.

10 Gaara of the Sand

The Golden Child of Sunagakure

Gaara of the Sand, as introduced in Naruto, is a prime early example of characters introduced as villains whose motives were twisted by their upbringing or, in Gaara's case, the additional influence of Shukaku, his Tailed Beast. Gaara's early moments in the series are all underscored by his bloodlust demonstrated at the Chunin Exams and Konoha Crush Arcs, driven by combined early childhood trauma and Shukaku's presence.

Gaara is revealed as the second jinchuriki to appear in Naruto alongside the protagonist, being the host of Shukaku.

While Gaara soon develops into a uniquely sympathetic character, he'd likely continue a brutal, lonely path if not for Naruto's intervention. Gaara's violent tendencies leave an early impression on readers and viewers. This largely manifests in his penchant for crushing enemies, even young shinobi, with the Sand Coffin jutsu. His story becomes more complicated as the story wears on, but the fearful impression he leaves those who cross paths with him lingers far longer.

9 Zabuza Momochi

The Demon of the Mist

Zabuza earns an impressive distinction for being an influential villain in Naruto's first major story arc despite far more nefarious villains soon to follow. However, how he chooses to train his beloved disciple, Haku, and his general reputation for being a ferocious ninja present readers and viewers with the first villain to also give an initial benchmark for Kakashi Hatake's skills. One of Kirigakure's fabled Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Zabuza is a notably honorable villain in Naruto, and while he uses his disciple, Haku, as a tool, he leads his underlings without resorting to manipulation.

The two Mist ninjas were an early demonstration of how deadly Kirigakure shinobi could be.

If not for Kakashi's intervention and Naruto's first instance of Kurama's power surfacing, Zabuza and Haku could have easily overwhelmed Team 7. The two Mist ninjas were an early demonstration of how deadly Kirigakure shinobi could be. However, their layered backstories illustrate once more that even callous ninjas honed specifically for the mission make imposing villains while leaving room for far more despicable figures to take center stage.

8 Hidan

The Immortal Butcher of Yugakure

Hidan's place in the Naruto canon is relatively short, yet he lays a dire impression on the series, namely Team 10 in the Akatsuki Suppression Mission. Hidan is an unusual ninja in the series due to his Jashinist practices, which grant him immortality. Armed with a triple-bladed scythe and a retractable polearm, Hidan is a skilled bukijutsu , making him an especially dynamic fighter.

Hidan's Jashinist cult is also featured in Konoha's Story: The Steam Ninja Scrolls, which also features Mirai Sarutobi, Might Guy, and Kakashi Hatake.

However, Hidan's most fascinating villainous aspects are his quirks, such as his spiteful streak toward Asuma and Shikamaru and his desire for wanton violence. Hidan's violent streak is justified by his Jashinist beliefs, as in Naruto chapter #313, "Total slaughter is the motto of the Church of Jashin." As such, whether fighting jinchuriki or other shinobi, Hidan is a fierce and dynamic fighter, excelling in close combat and cursing his foes, leading to one of the best fights in Naruto.

7 Danzō Shimura

The Root of Darkness

Danzō is revealed to have also been involved in some of the most heinous plots and infamous deeds in Konoha's history.

Danzō has a complicated position among Naruto's villains, using Pain's assault on Konoha to stage a coup against Tsunade. His leadership of Root, an elite division of Konoha's Anbu black ops ninjas, revealed his past attempts to overthrow the Hokage, but the blood trail doesn't end there. Danzō is revealed to have also been involved in some of the most heinous plots and infamous deeds in Konoha's history, including the extermination of the Uchiha clan.

This puts Danzō in the uneasy position of being a villain to Sasuke instead of Naruto, and his treasonous tendencies make him an enemy of the village. His body modifications, also the product of bloodshed, bestow him with fascinating abilities that never quite get exposure in the series but do give him the DNA of both of Konoha's founding clans. Danzō's history as a villain in Naruto is undeniable, but it also exposes some troubling political unrest in Naruto's home village.

6 Kabuto Yakushi

Master of Impure World Reincarnation

Introduced in the Chunin Exams Arc, Kabuto continuously developed throughout Naruto from a generic double-agent henchman into a surprisingly vile and powerful villain. Kabuto's fascinating position as a Naruto villain has had him spy for major characters, including on behalf of the Akatsuki's Sasori and Orochimaru. However, Kabuto's main legacy comes from his contribution to the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Kabuto becomes progressively warped as he pursues greater power, including suring Orochimaru and, near the end of the series, developing a fearsome Sage Mode he can sustain indefinitely. Through modifications, he takes on the traits of various other clans in the series to become practically invincible. However, his mastery of Tobirama Senju's Impure World Reincarnation shapes many of the greatest battles of Naruto's Fourth Great Ninja War.

5 Itachi Uchiha

The Clan Killer

Itachi Uchiha may have a checkered past and background as a Naruto villain, but he's the primary driving force for Sasuke Uchiha's malice for much of the first half of the series. As a member of the Akatsuki, Itachi is incredibly fearsome, and branded a traitor to Konoha, yet he conceals the truth from everyone, even his brother. However, some of the most iconic moments in the series are when Itachi is undeniably painted as one of the villains in Naruto.

Itachi is also a fierce fighter and a former Anbu officer with a distinctive crow-themed repertoire of ninjutsu. His mastery of the Sharingan Eye and genjutsu would prove deadly even for elite fighters like Kakashi. But perhaps the most tragic part about Itachi's story in Naruto is that he's portrayed as a seemingly unrepentant villain until the Fated Battle Between Brothers. While he's given a more positive spin later, with some memorable quotes in Naruto, his most iconic days were clad in black and red cloud robes, posed as one of the most dangerous villains around.

4 Orochimaru

The Serpentine Sannin

Despite Orochimaru getting a more benign status as Boruto, Orochimaru is easily the most heinous villain introduced in Naruto Part 1. Orochimaru's pursuit of immortality leads to him imprisoning human test subjects, taking Sasuke as an apprentice, and having his hand in many of the moving parts of the series. However, the most compelling aspect of Orochimaru's relationship with the world of Naruto is his position as one of the three legendary Sannin, alongside Tsunade and Jiraiya, under Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Orochimaru has many fantastic moments where he asserts himself as a deadly villain in Naruto. He gives the team one of their clearest brushes with danger in the Forest of Death, imprints his curse seal on Sasuke, and stages the first major attack on Konoha with the help of Sunagakure. Orochimaru also contributes to one of Sasuke's best fights in Naruto, as the apprentice strikes back at his master.

3 Obito Uchiha

Mastermind of the Fourth Great Ninja War

Obito Uchiha is a fascinating figure cloaked in mystery for much of the series. His typically tragic backstory connects him to Kakashi Hatake and Minato Namikaze. Essentially, the Uchiha clan's black sheep, Obito, was unremarkable, especially when lined up against Kakashi, yet his fierce principles lingered with Kakashi long after they parted ways. However, Obito's long history of villainy puts him in the top tier of Naruto's rogues' gallery.

Obito's speech about loyalty is so influential that Kakashi imparts the same wisdom to his students in Team 7: Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.

Obito's illustrious past as a villain in Naruto places him at the scene of numerous tragedies, such as unleashing one of Naruto's worst tragedies on Konohagakure and subtly manipulating Akatsuki's ambitions. Obito's incredible abilities make him a menace quite difficult to assess, even before he attains his more powerful forms. Yet, Obito's power and presence within Akatsuki owe themselves to one of Konoha's founders and one of the deadliest villains in Naruto.

2 Madara Uchiha

The Ghost of the Uchiha

One of the clearest examples of a deadly, nigh-unstoppable ninja in Naruto, Madara Uchiha is the best fighter and strongest villain in the series short of Kaguya Otsutsuki. However, his malice is the antithesis of Konoha's Will of Fire, known as the Curse of Hatred, corrupting the benevolent will of those he influences and plaguing the Uchiha clan for generations. Madara's most ambitious and cruel plan is, of course, to use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to achieve his warped vision of world peace by enslaving the world's inhabitants and robbing them of their free will.

The Infinite Tsukuyomi is certainly one of the most impressive and terrifying threats to the world in Naruto, and Madara carries out his plan with ruthless efficiency. It doesn't help that Madara can nearly single-handedly bring the entire shinobi world to its knees. However, this globe-spanning plot, steeped in misguided, corrupted altruism, pales compared to one iconic Naruto villain.

1 Pain

The Founder of Akatsuki

Pain's influence on Naruto is undeniable. Born as Nagato of the Uzumaki clan, he witnesses the hatred and specter of war that claims the lives of his family and friends. His ambition to bring about a message of peace eventually forced the world to experience a catastrophic loss. This manifests in Pain's most crucial act, where he forces Konoha to experience true pain by laying waste to the village.

The foundation of Akatsuki is attributed to Yahiko, Nagato's friend and comrade in Naruto, who es the leadership to Nagato.

Not only is Pain reasonably seen as the best villain in Naruto due to his deeply personal effect on the protagonist, but he's well-portrayed, and the pacing of his villainous arc is well-done. Pain does not overstay his welcome, yet leaves an indelible mark on the ninja world that's never quite replicated again. Pain's Assault is the greatest story arc in Naruto, featuring its greatest villain as the first character whose actions truly hit home for the ninja world.