Summary
The typical mold of a heroic shonen protagonist has been a mainstay of the genre for quite some time now, and Masashi Kishimoto’sNarutois no different. However, its huge cast also boasts quite a few characters whose ideals eschew the constraints of Naruto Uzumaki’s conventional morality, delving into the darkerdepths of the shinobi world.
Such individuals were often victims of war or civil unrest, as seen in characters such as Sasuke Uchiha, Gaara, or Obito Uchiha. While many of them eventually found redemption in the kindness ofNaruto’sever-optimistic protagonist, the paths they took were fraught with violence and retribution, straying from thepath of an ideal shinobi. As such, the anti-heroes ofNarutoplayed an equally prominent role in fleshing out the ills of the ninja world.
The Gray Morality Of An Anti-Hero
The fundamental definition of an anti-hero is that of a character who doesnot fit the archetype of a hero. They generally adopt an outlook of the “ends justifying the means,” in contrast to a traditional hero. More often than not, this can either manifest in the form of self-centered mindsets, disruptive lines of thinking, or a propensity towards violence. Alternatively, some anti-heroes may be noble individuals forced into committing atrocities to prevent greater calamities, by making tough decisions.
Despite being extremely self-aware and compassionate, they do not hesitate to resort to drastic measures when needed. Lastly, some anti-heroes start out as antagonists and gradually embark on a journey of reformation, eventually finding a new purpose. Considering all these factors, the most prominent characters who fit the mold of an anti-hero inNaruto, are Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, and Gaara. Each had a massive impact onNaruto’sjourney, and offered an intriguing moralcounterpoint to the series' protagonist.
Gaara’s Bloodlust Was Rooted In His Harsh Upbringing
Forced tobecome a jinchuriki even beforehis birth — which resulted in the death of his mother — Gaara was feared by his family and fellow villagers in Sunagakure. Isolated and viewed as a monster for being the living host of the One-Tail Shukalu, Gaara was the target of six assassination attempts orchestrated by his father Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, with each one ending in failure.
Over time, his hatred and loneliness grew, and he began to define his existence through the act of killing anyone who posed some sense of danger to his life.Gaara also heard Shukaku’s voicein his head at all times and struggled to sleep, which only exacerbated his mental instability.
Fortunately, he found a kindred spirit in Naruto Uzumaki — another jiinchuriki who faced similar persecution — and was made to see the error of his ways after being defeated by him during the Konoha Crush. Gaara eventually went on to become the Fifth Kazekageand rehabilitated Sunagakure fromits previous state of decline and political instability, finding strength in others for the first time.
Sasuke’s Thirst For Revenge Took A Dark Turn
Without any doubt, Sasuke is the yin to Naruto’s yang, serving as the story’s deuteragonist. Although their friendship began as a healthy rivalry, it fell apart when Sasuke chose to leave the village and seek greater power by training with Orochimaru. Sasuke’s quest to avenge his clan by killing his elder brother, followed by hissuccumbing to the Uchiha’s Curse of Hatred, contrasts with Naruto’s aim of instituting peace through mutual understanding and cooperation.
After learning the truth about his brother’s sacrifice and the sinister course of events that led to it, Sasuke embarked on a warpath against Konohagakure, which finally culminated in histwisted idea of becoming Hokageto maintain peace through fear. There is little to distinguish Sasuke from the role of a villain in Part II, despite his contributions to ending the war.
He took many lives, joined hands with the Akatsuki, and attacked his former comrades, including Naruto and Sakura multiple times. Lastly, he imprisoned the tailed beasts and used their chakra to fightNaruto at the Valley of the End. It was only due to Naruto’s persistence that Sasuke realized the fallout of what he had done, and pledged to atone for his misdeeds by supporting his closest friend and rival from the shadows.
Itachi Did The Unthinkable To Save His Village
Having displayed immense wisdom beyond his tender age,Itachi Uchiha saw the tragedy of warand was motivated to prioritize the greater good of the village and the shinobi world. In time, his prodigious talent garnered attention, and he was soon recruited to Konohagakure’s Anbu Black Ops, as its youngest-ever member.
Sadly, this came at a time when the Uchiha clan was increasingly alienated from the village after the Nine-Tails' attack. As dissent grew and fears of a rebellion emerged, the Konoha Council plotted to purge the clan entirely — fueled by Danzo Shimura’s scheming. Left with no other option,Itachi took on the burden of killinghis entire clan and his parents to save his younger brother Sasuke.
After carrying out his mission, he joined the Akatsuki as a spy for Konohagakure, all while protecting Sasuke from Danzo in secret. Later, he contracted a terminal illness and lost his vision due to repeated use of his Mangekyo Sharingan, before eventually confronting Sasuke and allowing himself to be defeated. He was then reincarnated by Kabuto Yakushi’s Edo Tenseiin the Fourth Shinobi World War, and was instrumental in dispelling it, departing for good after expressing his unconditional love for his younger brother.
Obito’s Idealism Was Warped By The Reality Of War
Just like Naruto,Obito harbored a dream of becoming Hokage. During his time with Team Minato, he was constantly overshadowed by the prodigious talent of his comrade Kakashi Hatake, despite the major strides he made as a shinobi through sheer grit and effort.
In the Third Shinobi World War, Obito was trapped in a collapsing cave while trying to rescue Rin Nohara — who he harbored romantic feelings for — after she was captured by Iwagakure shinobi. Near death, Obito bequeathed his left Sharingan to Kakashi, who used it to fight his way through to safety. Despite his friends believing him to be dead, Obito was actually saved by an elderly Madara Uchiha, who nursed him back to health,and groomed him as his successor.
Further down the line, Obito was informed that Kakashi and Rin were in danger from Kirigakure shinobi. Arriving on the scene, Obito saw Rin’s death by Kakashi’s hand, andthis awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan. Upon massacring Kirigakure’s troops, Obito returned to Madara and pledged his life to him. He then went on to orchestrate the Nine-Tails' attack, start the Fourth Shinobi World War, and even became the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki. In the end, Obito was redeemed by Naruto, who reminded him of his earlier dream, which led him to sacrifice his life to protect Team 7.
So Who Was Naruto’s Best Anti-Hero?
For the contenders who made the cut, it would beeasy to say the most villainousamong them were Gaara and Obito, who were responsible for the deaths of many innocent shinobi. Their journeys towards redemption were triggered predominantly by Naruto’s intervention, and although they had a considerable impact on the plot, their character arcs fell short of those of Itachi and Sasuke.
Sasuke’s role as the deuteragonistcast him as the final obstacle Naruto had to overcome in his own journey, but this conflict was not one solely based on a comparison of strength. Instead, the act of saving Sasuke was crucial to Naruto’s own character arc, and even though Sasuke’s story took some confusing turns towards the end, he is an indispensable part ofNaruto.
However, there are few who would argue thatItachi Uchiha’s character arcis easily one of the most tragic and compelling in the entire series. Therefore, Itachi’s impact on the story, coupled with an incredibly fitting resolution to his journey, is why he takes the throne of beingNaruto’sbest anti-hero character.
Narutois available to stream onCrunchyroll.
Naruto
A popular shonen anime based on Masashi Kishimoto’s manga, Naruto follows its eponymous shinobi’s journey as he goes from his town’s outsider to its hero.
