Most villains of the Naruto universe are either redeemed or have enough redeeming qualities to make their inevitable deaths poignant. This is reasonably so — whenever their backstories are explored, even the most unapologetically evil characters like Kakuzu and Madara are sympathetic.
In fact, it is often the case that one of the series’ other antagonists were responsible for their fall from grace, alleviating partial responsibility for their actions and placing it on their corruptor. By identifying all instances in which this has happened, we can better appreciate how hatred is a vicious cycle.
10 Suzaku Forced Tenji To Turn On Kaguya
Suzaku was an agent from the Land of That whose spies attempted to attack Kaguya. After Kaguya slaughtered them effortlessly, Suzaku told her lover and master, Tenji, of her actions and how they betrayed his issued peace with the enemy nation.
Forced to oblige his own decree, he used his armies to hunt the Otsutsuki member, hardening Kaguya’s heart from the rest of humanity. As a consequence, she would attempt to retrieve all of the chakra she imparted to humans — a decision that would later have massive consequences.
9 Kaguya Created Zetsu Before Being Banished
As Hagoromo and Hamura were on the verge of banishing Kaguya, she knew that if she was ever to retrieve the earth’s chakra, she needed an agent to work on her behalf. This resulted in the creation of Zetsu, a placid, alien-like creature who wandered the planet and manipulated the shinobi world against itself.
His ultimate goal was to reunite the chakra of Kaguya’s sons, using it to undo the seal that had kept her locked away for centuries. Though his ruse initially failed with Hashirama and Madara, it would succeed using Naruto and Sasuke.
8 Zetsu Made (& Unmade) Madara
Zetsu was responsible for altering the Uchiha tablets so that they would provide Madara a false premonition about what must be done to ensure the longevity and prosperity of his clan. As a result, he went about creating the Infinite Tsukuyomi after being resurrected by Lord Mu, unwittingly serving as a pawn in a larger plan.
After the world’s population had fallen under the God Tree’s spell, the only thing left was for Madara himself to exit the stage. Zetsu struck him through the heart from behind during his battle against Team Seven, putting an end to the Uchiha patriarch for good.
7 Madara Was Responsible For Manipulating Obito
After it seemed as if Obito might not survive a fateful mission, he was brought beneath the earth’s surface and nourished back to health by White Zetsu and Madara. The former helped to piece him back together using Hashirama cells, and the latter served as an ersatz mentor and friend in what would’ve been an otherwise bleak and secluded existence.
White Zetsu carefully arranged everything so that Obito would only be able to punch through the rock wall holding him when he decided he was ready. He deliberately exposed him to Kakashi accidentally killing Rin, a misunderstanding that would twist the boy’s heart and lead him back into Madara’s arms.
6 Orochimaru Was Responsible For Manipulating Sasuke Into His Service
Orochimaru’s influence over Sasuke was particularly nefarious since he managed to convince him that he needed to depart the Leaf of his own volition. The fallen Sannin realized how much his target craved power and engineered situations that capitalized on his insecurity.
The first was during the Forest of Death challenge in the Chunin Exam, where he was forced to rely on the curse mark to defeat Team Dosu. It was also illustrated when the Sound Four arrived in Konoha just to throttle him brutally.
5 Danzo Was Responsible For Kabuto’s Fall From Grace
Danzo Shimura visited Nono’s orphanage and demanded prospective recruits to his Foundation in order for Konoha to continue justifying its funding. Unwilling to force any of her children into a life of subjugation and inevitable death, the matron herself offered to go with him.
Unbeknownst to her, Kabuto had also agreed to join Root so that she wouldn’t need to risk her life. After accidentally killing Nono on a mission, the betrayed young shinobi joined Orochimaru and turned his back on the Leaf.
4 Hanzo The Salamander Made Nagato Into A Monster
Realizing that Nagato’s latent Akatsuki movement posed a threat to his power, Hanzo and Danzo conspired to demoralize the upstart shinobi. He forced the group’s leader to choose between saving Yahiko and Konan, understanding that he’d never be able to live with himself regardless of his decision.
After the fateful encounter, Nagato began identifying as “Pain” and turned the Akatsuki’s mission into one of global destruction. Weaponizing the Rinnegan, he revisited the man who cost him his friend and mercilessly took his life.
3 Nagato Was Responsible For Konan’s Fall From Grace
Konan remained with Nagato after he changed the Akatsuki’s mission into one of carnage rather than benevolence, even aiding him during his attack on Konoha. This was in spite of the fact that she held onto Jiraiya’s teachings much more than he did and never espoused Pain’s adopted message with nearly as much fervor.
After Nagato sacrificed himself to save the village, Konan sought redemption by taking out the Akatsuki’s new and insidious leader, Obito. Unfortunately for her, she did not anticipate the power of the Izanagi and died in her fight against him.
2 Zabuza Was Responsible For Haku’s Evil
Haku was an orphan from the Land of Water with no guardians or refuge to call home. After being discovered by Zabuza, the Mist Demon took him under his wing and refined him into a strong, self-reliant shinobi.
Grateful and indebted, Haku proved to be a valuable ally through the usage of his ice-based Kekkei Genkai. Though he did not want to fight Team Seven and even took a liking to Naruto, Haku battled with and nearly killed the heroes during the duel for the bridge at the conclusion of the Land of Waves arc.
1 Danzo Forced Itachi To Commit The Uchiha Genocide
After Danzo murdered Shisui, it became impossible for the Uchiha genocide to be avoided. If Itachi did nothing, they would mount a coup against the Senju, plunging the world into another blood-soaked war.
With grave consternation and sorrow, Itachi murdered his entire clan (including his parents) and abandoned his younger sibling, Sasuke. Now having no future to look forward to, he joined the Akatsuki so that he could monitor the organization’s movements and protect his brother from Danzo’s machinations.
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