Spoilers for Naruto and Naruto Shippuden
All 10 main Akatsuki members in Naruto are memorable in their own right. Be it either for their powers, personality, backstory, narrative role, or some combination of all.
They are the mysterious dark clock-wearing antagonists that, one by one, get their moment in the spotlight. For some, the spotlight shines a bit brighter or for a bit longer than others. They each have a role to play, which, of course, differs in its impact on the other characters and the overarching storyline.
Other members came and went over the years, but we’re going to focus on the ones who were alive and active at the time of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, whose contributions to the plot were the most meaningful while being a part of and working for the S-rank ninja criminal group.
10. Kakuzu
If we were only measuring strength, Kakuzu would possibly score higher, as his technique is not only incredibly versatile but also prevents him from easily being killed. His greed knows no bounds only bounties. His backstory has the interesting appeal of him being very old, old enough to have personally known, and tried to assassinate, the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
The treasurer of the Akatsuki, Kakuzu shone as a character particularly due to his partnership and juxtaposition with Hidan, someone he could barely stand but could not get rid of as he had his previous Akatsuki partners.
9. Black and White Zetsu
Zetsu, both Black and White halves, are the true Deus ex machina of Naruto Shippuden. He’s not only the best at reconnaissance, but he – in this case, Black Zetsu – might’ve been the greatest manipulator in the series. After all, who else has manipulated someone like Madara Uchiha – and others – to this extent?
An explanation of both halves and their history would make for a whole lengthy explainer in itself. They are not one and the same, which becomes plain to see when they disagree. And although they are not physically strong to any admirable degree, the way in which they affected the narrative, resulting in certain outcomes, is undeniable.
8. Hidan
Hidan has a loud and uncouth personality, which is one of the reasons why he got on Kakuzu’s nerves, although they worked well as a pair. Of the two, Hidan’s immortality is more, shall we say, immortal than Kakuzu’s. So much so that, his defeat didn’t bring about his death, at least not immediately. Otherwise, he would’ve been resurrected to partake in the Fourth Ninja World War.
Although not as versatile as Kakuzu’s, his jutsu is quite original within the Naruto universe, not to mention deadly. For killing Asuma Sarutobi, Hidan is indirectly to blame for his bereaved students’ character development, especially Shikamaru Nara.
7. Sasori
There is something heartbreaking about Sasori’s backstory that makes it so that his defeat is not as much a reason to rejoice as the other aforementioned members. Known as Sasori of the Red Sand due to his puppets’ deadly effectiveness during the Third Shinobi World War, two of his greatest attributes are his intelligence and craftiness, which he puts to use in more ways than just creating lethal puppets.
Although he’s the first on this list to be defeated in the series, the way in which he’s defeated, by Sakura Haruno and his Grandma Chiyo, is powerfully poetic.
6. Deidara
A former member of his home village’s Explosion Corps, Deidara was the youngest among the Akatsuki members. He was also the irreverent artist and terrorist, whose defeat, some would argue, was more due to Sasuke’s plot armor than the possibility of the Uchiha actually being stronger at that point.
Deidara was also pretty resourceful, training his left eye to be able to see through the Sharingan’s genjutsu after learning his lesson from his first encounter with Itachi. He was also able to defeat Gaara, the Kazekage, on his own.
5. Kisame Hoshigaki
Kisame was not immortal, but he might as well have been with how he managed to survive battle after battle which seemed to spell out his death. In the end, no one was able to kill him but himself.
One of the most noteworthy things about Kisame is that, unlike many of the other Akatsuki members, he did not hate his partner. In fact, one may argue that, at the very least, they respected each other.
As shown by the comment above, fans have argued about the nature of Itachi and Kisame’s relationship, taking into consideration that the former was a double agent. That being said, most believe that the two shared more of a bond than most other Akatsuki members, perhaps except for Nagato and Konan.
4. Konan
Konan’s dedication to her friends, the ones she endured the lows of the Second Ninja World War with, earns her a just place in this position on the ranking. Even though she did immoral things as part of the Akatsuki, towards the end of her journey, we see that the kindhearted young girl we saw in flashbacks did not completely die when Yahiko died.
The moment she hands Naruto a bouquet of paper flowers as a sign of gratitude is one of the most poignantly touching moments in Shippuden. In addition, her last stand against Tobi, in which she gives everything she’s got, is unforgettable.
3. Itachi Uchiha
To place and rank the last three remaining Akatsuki members is no easy feat, as they all have an integral part of the story to play – in the present, but also in the past – each in their own unique way.
Itachi Uchiha is paramount to the storyline and character development of his little brother, Sasuke, the best friend and rival-turned-antagonist due to his obsession with vengeance. However, his idea of what happened the night the Uchiha clan was slaughtered by Itachi is missing some key pieces. And when we, the audience, and he, Sasuke, learn of who Itachi truly was and why he did what he had to do, we cannot help being moved and seeing the older of the two Uchiha in a brand new light.
2. Pain/Nagato
Nagato, like Konan, dreamed of a peaceful ninja world wherein the horrors of war are a thing of the untouchable past. The leader of the Akatsuki wasn’t, as the beginning of Shippuden would lead us to believe, the biggest bad guy of the story. In fact, his redemption, in the form of a last selfless act to restore life to those who perished in the Pain attack on the Hidden Leaf, is one that can bring tears to the eyes, making us lament that Nagato, the sensitive boy of the past who hated senseless killing, could not see a better path to follow than that of violence as a way to reach peace.
The Pain Arc is one of the best, if not the best, in the whole of Shippuden. And that’s greatly thanks to Nagato and the incredibly complex character he was.
1. Tobi/ Obito Uchiha
Obito Uchiha becomes more of a big bad guy than Nagato, as he lives long enough to bring about disastrous consequences to the entire Ninja world. But like Nagato, he too wasn’t the ultimate evil villain in the story, as he was also a victim of the most unfortunate consequences.
The plot twists Obito’s character brings about are arguably the richest in Shippuden, as we find ourselves often wondering about his plans, and even who he may actually be. It should also be said that his fight against Kakashi Hatake, his former best friend and rival, is one of the highlights of the Fourth Ninja War Arc. It’s not accompanied by epic, inspiring rock music as some other battles are, but by a melancholic tune that reflects the true nature of the fateful, yet heartbreaking, throw of hands between two men who would, once upon a time, give – and gave – their lives for each other without a second thought.
Obito’s story parallels Naruto’s, as his personality before the tragedy that befell him, was very similar to our knuckle-headed ninja protagonist. The thematic relevance and depth of his character are perhaps the greatest among these 10 Akatsuki members, and therefore, he earns first place in this ranking.