The Akatsuki is one of the most well-known organizations in the anime community. The black cloak with the red clouds has become iconic, and even anime fans who have not watched Naruto are able to recognize the costume. The Akatsuki became popular because of its members and the way it operated.
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In Naruto, the story primarily focused on Yahiko's Akatsuki, which was founded during the Third Great Ninja War. The goal of the group was to save Amegakure from being destroyed. After Yahiko's death, Nagato took over the reins, and Akatsuki took a different approach. Both iterations of the group had a ton of members, but there were several powerful Naruto characters who could have joined the Akatsuki and taken it to new heights.
The post contains spoilers for Naruto.
6 Madara Uchiha
Affiliation: Hidden Leaf, Uchiha Clan
- Possessed the Eternal Mangkyou Sharingan
Madara Uchiha was the legendary leader of the Uchiha Clan who guided them to the top of the clan hierarchy during the Warring States Period. He looked like a determined and cruel man on the outside, but he was the complete opposite. Madara Uchiha hated wars and loved his siblings. After losing all of them, he wanted to create a village where everyone could live peacefully, and no one else would lose their siblings or loved ones.
Unfortunately, Madara was corrupted by Black Zetsu, who consistently whispered in his ear about being betrayed. Someone like Madara (before meeting Black Zetsu) would be a perfect fit for Yahiko's Akatsuki, especially since he knew the pain of losing someone close to him.
5 Shisui Uchiha
Affiliation: Hidden Leaf, Uchiha Clan
- Had access to Kotoamatsukami
Shisui Uchiha was a loyalist who served the Hidden Leaf Village for years. He worked hard to maintain peace in the village, even going as far as spying on his own clan members. Shisui was also a major source of inspiration for Itachi, who followed in his footsteps. Shisui Uchiha was a phenomenal fighter who had access to Kotoamatsukami, arguably the strongest Genjutsu in Naruto.
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Shisui had also mastered the Body Flicker technique, which made it extremely difficult to track his movements in battle. A peace-loving individual like Shisui would have been a great addition to the Akatsuki. He could have helped to grow their influence in other regions and helped save innocent people from war.
4 Haku
Affiliation:Land of Water
- Could use Ice Release, a rare Kekkei Genkai
One of the main gripes that fans have with Haku is that he was introduced too early into the story. He was an incredible villain with an interesting past and a rare Kekkei Genkai. Haku was born in a village whose inhabitants despised Kekkei Genkai users. When they found out about Haku and his mother, they killed the latter.
Haku barely escaped with his life and was eventually taken in by Zabuza, who turned him into a weapon. While Zabuza didn't show any kind of emotion towards Haku, the latter respected the ex-Kirigakure ninja and willingly gave up his life to protect him. Haku's loyalty was a rare attribute, so he could have joined any iteration of the Akatsuki and proven his value.
3 Neji Hyuuga
Affiliation: Hidden Leaf, Hyuuga Clan
- A genius who mastered the Byakugan
Many fans may be surprised to find Neji's name on the list, especially when he served as a Jonin of the Hidden Leaf until his death. However, there was a good chance that the Byakugan genius could have easily ended up joining the Akatsuki.
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Due to being born into the Hyuuga Branch Family, Neji was mistreated by the Head Family. He had a curse seal forcibly put on his head, and he had to remain subservient to the Head Family. Neji had every reason to hate the Main Family, and if someone from the Akatsuki had tapped into that hatred, the organization would have gained a mighty fighter.
2 Zabuza
Affiliation: Hidden Mist Village
- One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist
Zabuza's case is not too different from Haku's. Just like the latter, Zabuza suffered the misfortune of debuting too early in the story, which not only made him seem weak but also made fans forget about him soon after.
Zabuza worked alone, but he could have joined the Akatsuki alongside Haku, after which the two could have teamed up. They had elite chemistry and could have easily been the antagonists in the second half of the story.
1 Gaara
Affiliation: Hidden Sand Village
- Was the jinchuriki of the One-Tails
If one were to look at Gaara in Naruto Shippuden, no one would think that he was the same person who nearly destroyed the Hidden Leaf and killed multiple people in the Chunin Exams. Naruto deserves a lot of credit for Gaara's development, as it was his speech that changed him.
But if Gaara had remained the same, he could have easily joined the Akatsuki, and it would have made sense in more ways than one. Firstly, Gaara was severely mistreated by his father and the rest of the village. Secondly, his father tried to have him killed multiple times. Lastly, Gaara was betrayed by the only person who cared about him. Considering he went through so much, there was no reason for him not to join the Akatsuki and exact revenge.
Naruto
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2002 - 2007-00-00
- Showrunner
- Masashi Kishimoto
Cast
-
Junko Takeuchi -
Noriaki Sugiyama
