This article contains spoilers from the Boruto series.
When it comes to iconic villains, Pain has almost always stood as one of the very best in not just Naruto but all of anime. Pain was the leader of Akatsuki, who sought true peace for the entire world and pursued it in his own way. For the very first time, with Pain, Kishimoto introduced a villain that was so compelling that fans often couldn't help but agree with his ideals.
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Pain gave a head-scratcher to not just the fans but also to the protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki. That is why he was such a phenomenal villain, and why he's remembered to this day. While Boruto hasn't had any villain on the same level as Pain so far, it appears that the new biggest villain of the series, Jura, is falling into a similar pattern. There are many similarities between Jura and Pain, and just like the latter, Jura could go on to become a compelling villain that fans will remember for ages to come.
Pain Was The Most Compelling Naruto Villain Of All Time
- Pain Wanted True Power
- Pain's Goal Was The Same As Naruto's
In terms of being iconic villains, Pain is quite easily up there with the best that Naruto had to offer. While Madara was specifically known for his strength, and Kaguya was known to be the worst one out of the lot, Pain was the one who was most compelling. He was not the strongest villain that the series had to offer, but he was certainly the most impressive one.
Apart from the Six Paths, the Rinnegan has another great power. It's the severe Seventh Path, called the Outer Path. Those with the power of the fabled Rinnegan have the power to rule over life and death. Nagato is giving up his life because he trusts you. — Konan to Naruto about the Rinnegan
Pain was a product of the violence of the ninja world and that is precisely what made him so compelling. In his own way, Pain sought the same peace as Naruto Uzumaki. However, he just went about his peace in a different way because of the things that he had suffered.
Pain's tragic story and his noble goal saw to it that the fans truly understood where he was coming from. Even though his way of going about things wasn't exactly right, his way of thinking could still be justified by many, and that is what made Pain brilliant.
Jura Brings The Same Energy As Pain In Boruto
Now, in the Boruto series, fans have Jura, who has been an absolutely brilliant villain so far. While Jura has not been fully fleshed out, it is quite clear that he is fascinated by human ideology.
What is love? My current opinion is that it can be a fatal weakness for you humans, a flaw...that is a side effect of being highly intelligent. Yet it makes you stronger! — Jura to Boruto Uzumaki, Two Blue Vortex
Jura is the human incarnation of the Ten-Tails. So far, he has been listening to his natural instinct, which tells him to devour and grow stronger. But Jura is absolutely enamoured by the concept of human sacrifices and love. Jura knows that humans grow stronger by sacrifice, and he connects it all to love, despite considering it a weakness at first.
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It has gotten to a point where Jura wants to know what love truly is by knowing and getting to speak to Naruto Uzumaki, the man whom he considers to be the epitome of it.
While Jura truly is not a product of the crimes and violence committed by humans and hasn't suffered great tragedies like Nagato, he is quite clearly a very interesting villain who gives the fans a philosophical problem to deal with.
This makes him very similar to Pain from the original Naruto series, and it also raises the intrigue of the fans in this character. So far, it goes without saying that Jura is the best villain that Boruto has had to offer and that he has the potential to surpass even some Naruto villains.
Jura Could Be The Perfect Pain Replacement If Handled Well
Of course, Jura is still very raw. Fans know that this character has barely been explored and his arc is yet to conclude. As such, it is still very early to actually say that he is as good as Pain. But, the potential cannot be denied or ignored. Jura is a tremendous character and he could go on to become Pain's true replacement, if he is handled well by Kishimoto and Ikemoto.
So far, everything has been perfect, but fans will have to see how things transpire over the course of the next few months, and how his own character arc continues. Hopefully, Jura will bring back the old and familiar feeling of brilliant villains in Boruto and give the fans something spectacular once again.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is the sequel to the original Boruto series, written by Mikio Ikemoto, and supervised by Masashi Kishimoto. The series follows the journey of Boruto Uzumaki, 3 years after the events of Omnipotence struck in the story. Boruto must now work to save to world from the perils it faces while dealing with his brother, Kawaki. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 30 is set for its official release on January 20, 2026. The release time of the chapter is 10 AM EST/ 3 PM UTC. As always, fans can read the chapter officially for free on the Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps.