Summary
As one of thebest anime of the 2000s,Narutocontinues to be praised by anime and pop culture fans around the world, having a plethora of movies and series. This is mostly due to the franchise’s ability to create incredible characters that audiences relate to but also deeply care about. In particular, theNarutoanime has featured some incredible villains that not only aid in character development but also have their own evolution.
Yet, not every villain can be as nifty as Orochimaru or as feared as Madara Uchiha, resulting in the anime featuring many dull villains that failed to make a lasting impression or did not impact the series in the desired way. Not counting movies and the many filler episode villains, the anime series has some underdeveloped villains, forgotten antagonists and even hated bad guys that serve little to no purpose in the grand scheme of things.
Black Zetsu has been a pivotal part of the Akatsuki and ofNaruto Shippūdenas a whole, appearing consistently throughout the anime series. Despite his appearance and cool visuals, the antagonist lacked the depth that so many others possessed, making him more of a tool to other villains.
While he ended up betraying Madara and was partially responsible for the whole plotline of the series,his character was there to manipulaterather than be a real force like so many others, all for the sake of freeing Kaguya. Therefore, despite his potential, Zetsu never became a true antagonist even though he had the screen time, power, and potential to do so.
2Kakuzo
An Unstable Antagonist That Fails To Stand Out Among The Akatsuki
While Kakuzo had one of thebest introductions in the series, he failed to stay long enough to leave his true mark, despite having some sporadic appearances as an Akatsuki member. Overall, it is hard for a villain to stand out among the Akatsuki considering the many incredible villains of the group.
Yet, Kakuzo is one of the few villains of the team that fails to truly evolve, as he is mostly an unstable individual seeking more power. With no deeper meaning to his actions, it’s hard for him to compete with the many other villains inside and outside the Akatsuki, even if he is in a memorable battle.
Throughout the anime series, most villains serve to develop Naruto or some other protagonist in some way, and no antagonist is a better example of that than Mizuki. He was there to help Naruto develop his Shadow Clone Jutsu, which became the protagonist’s main Jutsu for the rest of the franchise.
Besides that, he helped Naruto with some character development as he made his first true connection with Iruka. The truth is that if Mizuki was featured in any episode other than the first, he probably would have been forgotten by the vast majority of people, despite later appearing in a filler arc.
4Jugo
The Most Forgettable Member Of An Uninspiring Team Of Antagonists
The whole team Taka, created by Sasuke on his quest to defeat the Hidden Leaf Village, is close to unforgettable, especially when compared to the other villain groups like Akatsuki or Orochimaru’s gangs. Yet, out of all the antagonists in the team, Jugo is the easiest to forget.
Although he might be one of themost evil secondary villains, he is not really an antagonist considering he initially goes to Orochimaru to cure his violent rage and goes along with Sasuke’s plans for no real reason. Despite having some moments of uncontrollable urges, most of the time he just falls into the background as a “calm” member of Sasuke’s unremarkable team.
5Team Dosu
Small-Time Antagonists Introduced Amidst Other Great Characters
This team of antagonists were introduced during the Chunin Exams and were immediately unlikable, there only to follow Orochimaru’s orders. Besides not showing any redeemable qualities, they were there to test Sasuske’s power, having no ambition of their own other than to put others down.
The Chunin Exams were responsible for introducing so many memorable characters that these individuals just fell into the background, especially because they received very little personal focus.
6Hanzo
An Important Role Reduced To An Anticlimactic Ending
Although Hanzo has a very important role in creating the Akatsuki and in the establishment of the Legendary Sanin,he failed to stand outas much as he should have. Unlike most antagonists, Hanzo’s objectives were once noble but were twisted by Hanzo, eventually becoming the cause of great suffering.
Despite his power being repeatedly praised, he ended up having an unfitting demise as he helplessly hung on to his self-preservation. Overall, his prowess was talked about but shown very little, especially when considering the few times he actually made an appearance.
7Gold & Silver Brothers
Underrated But Underused Antagonists In A War Filled With Great Villains
Kinkaku and Ginkaku, known as the Gold and Silver brothers, were two powerful shinobi descended from the Sage of Six Paths that were captured and eaten by the Nine-Tailed Fox. Yet they were able to survive two weeks by eating the beast from the inside out, which not only resulted in them being regurgitated but also left them with new powers.
While their unique backstory and pivotal connections to the shinobi worldmake them underrated, they were also underused in the anime, appearing only in the final arc as one of the many villains threatening the world.
8Kaguya
No Substance Overshadowed By Madara’s Grandiosity
Kaguya may have a memorable appearance and a pivotal role as the final villain ofNaruto Shippūden, yet she might just be one of thebiggest letdowns of the franchise. Her abrupt and unnecessary entrance gave the antagonist little time to develop and leave her mark, especially proportionally to how powerful she really is.
After so many episodes and arcs setting up Madara to be the big bad villain, Kaguya’s anticlimactic manipulation made her a forgettable antagonist, even if it is said she is the most powerful antagonist of theShippūdenseries.At the end of the day, she was used as a plot device to create shock.
