This post contains spoilers for Naruto.
As far as popularity polls go, Itachi Uchiha is always on the top end of them. He made a strong first appearance, which is why fans instantly became smitten with him. As the story continued to progress, Itachi's fame started to rise as well. By the end of Naruto, Itachi Uchiha had become a firm fan favorite.
Naruto: 9 Characters Stronger Than Itachi Uchiha, Ranked
Itachi was a powerful ninja, but even he was outclassed by these Naruto characters.
What's surprising is that a lot of side characters came and went, but almost none of them made the same level of impact as Itachi Uchiha. He was able to outshine everyone thanks to his immense backstory and extraordinary fighting abilities. The combination of the two was enough to push Itachi in front of the rest of the Naruto characters. Needless to say, Itachi's popularity is a lesson in how a side character needs to be written.
How Itachi Uchiha Awakened The Mangekyou Sharingan
Itachi Uchiha was a part of Anbu, an organization that operated in the shadows and was tasked with dealing with threats to the Hidden Leaf. A key reason why Itachi worked for the organization was the sheer horror he witnessed as a kid. He understood that war brought nothing but death and misery. These experiences shaped his ideology, which is why he always chose the most peaceful way to deal with a situation.
It was another reason why Itachi looked up to Shisui, another Uchiha who had seen the dark side of wars. Naturally, Shisui and Itachi were extremely close. When Itachi had to see Shisui commit suicide, the former was so emotionally overwhelmed that he ended up awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan. As is the case with all other eyes, Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan also granted him access to special abilities. Itachi's eyes gave him access to Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu.
Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan Abilities
- Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan gave him access to Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu
- He could also use the Susanoo
Both Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi are dangerous abilities, which is why Itachi was so feared by his opponents. With Amaterasu, Itachi could conjure up black flames that were so potent that they could incinerate anything, including other flames. Once the flames of Amaterasu attack an individual, they continue to burn until the target has been completely exterminated.
Can You Understand The Pain Felt By The Dead Who Are Forced To Fight? The Pain Of The Living Is Even Greater. After Finally Getting Over The Grief And Sadness, Your Jutsu Has Stirred Those Feelings Again!
Itachi is renowned as one of the best Genjutsu users in the series, so it's hardly surprising that he was blessed with Tsukuyomi. The Genjutsu is easily among the strongest in Naruto, as it is capable of overwhelming even a skilled Jonin like Kakashi Hatake. Anyone trapped within the Genjutsu is subject to immense torture. Even though the target is tormented for just a few seconds, to them, it feels like an eternity. This is why when Itachi used Tsukuyomi on Kakashi, the latter was hospitalized for days. With these two abilities at his disposal, it's no wonder that Itachi was feared by everyone around him.
Itachi Uchiha's Ethereal Weapons
While these skills would be enough for most ninjas, Itachi had one card up his sleeve—the Susanoo. Itachi didn't use the Susanoo often because it took a tremendous amount of chakra to maintain it. In fact, the only time he utilized Susanoo was against Sasuke, and it was his way of preparing his brother for life after him. The basic version of the Susanoo is sufficient for stopping most physical and ninjutsu attacks, but Itachi's version had two special tools.
The first of these ethereal weapons was the Yata Mirror, an ethereal shield that could change its properties to match any incoming strike. So, it could stop any physical or spiritual attack. The Yata Mirror was composed of all five natures, which made it nearly impossible to hurt him in combat.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
The second ethereal weapon was the Totsuka Blade, which was a different version of the Sword of Kusanagi. Unlike a normal sword, the Totsuka Blade was sheathed within a gourd. The sword was enchanted with a sealing justu so anything pierced by it would be immediately sealed away. However, it didn't function like most sealing techniques. Anyone stabbed by the Totsuka Blade ended up being trapped in a Genjutsu for eternity. With the Yata Mirror and the Totsuka Blade by his side, Itachi was called invincible by Zetsu. But is the claim true or far-fetched?
Itachi Could Have Been The Strongest Ninja In The World
Zetsu's claim wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't false either. Itachi had the potential to become the strongest ninja in the world, but he just couldn't reach the level, which is not entirely his fault. Kishimoto probably realized that Itachi would have been too powerful of an enemy for Naruto and his friends, so the author likely decided to give the Uchiha an incurable illness. Whatever the sickness was, it affected Itachi's chakra reserves, rendering him incapable of using multiple techniques in quick succession. Since his stamina was being affected, Itachi couldn't fight for long. Furthermore, it was a major reason why Itachi decided to die during the fight against Sasuke.
However, if Itachi hadn't been sick, then he could have become the strongest ninja in the world. He could have easily taken down any member of the Akatsuki, and he wouldn't have had to let Sasuke win. Maybe Itachi wouldn't have to lie to Sasuke either. He could have told Sasuke about what had happened, which would have saved him from a lot of trouble.
Itachi Remains An Amazing Character
Regardless of what happens to Itachi in the story, there is no denying that he is one of the best-written characters. Despite being emotional, Itachi always made the prudent choice. He shouldered the burden of murdering the entire Uchiha Clan while protecting his little brother from harm. Itachi took all the blame so that the reputation of the Uchiha Clan members wouldn't be tarnished.
That’s Fine. To Live Life Being Hated, That’s One Path For A Ninja.
Itachi also made sure that Sasuke hated him so that the latter would pursue power and become strong enough to protect himself. If Sasuke had remained weak, his life would have been in danger. When the time finally came, Itachi fought Sasuke while explaining the functions of the Mangekyou Sharingan. He also revealed how Madara obtained the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan so that Sasuke could use the information, which is exactly what happened. Sasuke took Itachi's eyes and implanted them into his own.
However, Itachi did regret that he couldn't explain himself properly to Sasuke. Thankfully, he got the chance to do so when Kabuto reanimated him. Itachi's words were important to Sasuke, and it's safe to say that the latter was elated to have one final conversation with his brother. It would be remiss not to mention that Itachi also played a crucial role in stopping Nagato Uzuamki, who nearly killed Naruto and Killer B. Furthermore, Itachi also teamed up with Sasuke to put a stop to Kabuto, who was consistently summoning old ninjas to fight the Alliance. If Itachi hadn't utilized Izanami, then the Ninja Alliance would have suffered a lot more casualties and may have even lost.
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
