Konan was a member of the Akatsuki and a redeemed antagonist of the Naruto universe. Having studied under Jiraiya, she mastered paper bombs and their many potentially fatal uses against her opponents. This even included an ability to disperse her own body, making her immune to most forms of conventional physical attack.
However, she is far from invincible. Through identifying how Konan would fare against the many characters of her anime, we can accurately assess how great of a threat she portended to the free world – and how much an asset she could have been if Obito did not prematurely cut her down.
10 Could Beat: Mei, Whose Lava Is Slow & Less Versatile
Mei was the Kage of the Hidden Mist and a woman who mastered lava-based jutsu. It was capable of incinerating anything it touched, rendering her a shinobi with extremely high offensive potential.
However, though it may make her a valuable asset in shattering immobile defenses such as a sand shield or susanoo, she would be forced to contend with Konan’s paper clones and choose which one of them to breath on. In the inevitable event that she guesses incorrectly, the Akatsuki member would detonate in her face, heralding her demise.
9 Would Lose To: Zabuza, Whose Water Dragon Counters Her
Under ordinary circumstances, Zabuza shouldn’t be able to defeat Konan since he would lose to opponents she is capable of beating. However, his water style is a perfect counter to the Akatsuki member’s paper physiology, exploiting her weakness and forcing her to remain tangible.
When wet, Konan is unable to disperse herself with nearly as much convenience and would be forced to fight the mercenary in a taijutsu battle. Given how poorly she performed against Obito under these circumstances, it follows that the Mist Demon should emerge victorious.
8 Could Beat: Deidara, Whose Attacks Are Predictable & Finite
Deidara and Konan share astonishingly similar fight tactics. Both of them rely on explosions and flight in order to bring their opponents to their knees, evincing that they should be evenly matched.
However, not only does Konan have more experience, she is capable of concentrating her paper bombs into razor-sharp shuriken by which to tear him to shreds. Further, her ability to disseminate her body would provide a much more difficult target for Deidara to pinpoint while he remains vulnerable to her impending attack.
7 Would Lose To: Pain, Who’s Familiar With Her Tactics & Can Negate Them
Pain’s Six Paths make him an incredibly deadly and versatile opponent. When damaged, his bodies can revive themselves endlessly, entailing that Konan is forced to fight aggressively if she wants to find any measure of success.
However, not only is Nagato intimately familiar with her tactics on account of proximity, he is capable of overcoming them by stabbing her with a chakra negating rod. This would prevent her from turning into paper and evading the corporeal wrath of his other five controlled bodies.
6 Could Beat: Shikamaru, Whose Shadow Possession Wouldn’t Be Useful
Shikamaru’s three most valuable jutsu are his shadow possession, shadow strangulation, and shadow stitching. He has often displayed an affinity for using them on account of his brilliant tactical mind.
However, considering that Konan does not need a hand sign in order to disperse her body, she would be able to safely escape from his clutches. Moreover, the explosions caused from her paper bombs would stave his ability to manipulate his shadows, as they cannot traverse directly through fire.
5 Would Lose To: Jiraiya, Who Nearly Defeated Her Before Pain Intervened
Upon his foray into the Hidden Rain, Jiraiya encountered Konan before Nagato. Though he was unsuccessful in defeating her, he possessed a decisive advantage before Pain’s intervention.
Through slicking her entire body in viscous tar and constricting her torso with his spiked hair, he effectively immobilized the woman and negated what threat she posed. Further, his fire style incinerated the paper shurikens she used in hopes of ripping her former teacher apart. Even in the absence of both abilities, he could also pacify her with genjutsu since she has never displayed a resistance against it.
4 Could Beat: Danzo, Who Would Run Out Of Sharingan Before She Ran Out Of Paper Bombs
Danzo’s Izanagi allowed him to rewrite damage up to the previous minute as if it had never happened. He carries ten sharingan on his arm for a maximum of ten additional lives.
When pressed, Konan is capable of unleashing over ten consecutive minutes of paper bombs, as proven through her battle against Obito. Therefore, by the time her detonations had concluded, Shimura would have no additional lives by which to preserve himself. Accordingly, she would only need to kill him once more – a relatively trivial feat, if his battle against Sasuke is any indication.
3 Would Lose To: Suigetsu & His Superior Physiology
Like Zabuza, the bulk of Suigetsu’s jutsu are predicated around water. This makes him a natural threat to Konan since he can prevent her from dispersing. Additionally, her paper shurikens would have no palpable effect against him since he resistant to physical attacks.
Though her paper bombs may produce some success (since they could evaporate what liquid composes his body), he would only need to front an aggressive and inexorable offense at the beginning of the battle to overwhelm Konan before she could clone herself.
2 Could Beat: Kankuro, Whose Poisons Would Be Ineffective
Kankuro’s poisons and puppets were capable of felling even the most stalwart shinobi with a passing graze. His dolls hide many obscure grooves that can pierce the bodies of his opponents with a single flick of his wrist.
However, Konan has overcome puppeteers even more formidable than he was, as demonstrated through her victory against Sasori. Even after the rogue ninja’s blades ripped through her body, she manifested again with no visible harm to her person.
1 Would Lose To: Kisame, Whose Aquatic Jutsu & Chakra Eating Sword Would Deplete Konan Rapidly
Kisame was able to create a gigantic water dome by which to entrap his prey. It could encompass considerable swathes of an entire forest and therefore would be extremely difficult for Konan to escape from (since she could not disseminate her body).
Failing that, direct attacks from Samehada would deplete her chakra even if she manifested herself again after the sword passed through her. Once her stamina was completely sapped, she would be unable to fend off her voracious opponent and prevent him from claiming her life.
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