6 Villains Better Written Than Pain, Ranked

In the world of NarutoPain stands tall as one of the best villains in history. Pain was the alias of Nagato Uzumaki, who was known to be the leader of the Akatsuki. After Yahiko's death, he established the Six Paths of Pain and led the organization from the shadows. Pain was incredibly powerful, considering he had access to the power of the Rinnegan and had enough strength to easily destroy a nation. What made him particularly compelling were his ideals and the fact that he also sought true peace in his own way. Pain was easily one of Kishimoto's best written villains, but there are quite a few others who not only rival him but actually continue to surpass him.

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Gaara

In the first part of Naruto the series featured quite a few villains, but none as impressive as Gaara. What made Gaara extra special was the fact that he was just a child, like Naruto Uzumaki, yet a prodigy so strong that he could basically kill almost anyone in Konoha. Gaara evoked a level of fear that hardly anyone could rival, and that made him especially unique as his history was explored even more. His bloodlust made him stand out, but during his clash with Naruto it finally became clear that he was just alone, with a broken heart that no one could mend.

The fact that Gaara connected with Naruto on a personal level made him a beloved villain in the eyes of fans. It is his loneliness that drove him to become the villain he has become. What made Gaara even more convincing is the fact that he completely fixed himself after his fight with Naruto. After being saved by the young Uzumaki, Gaara decided to use the rest of his life to improve himself and help people all over the world. Given the impact he had in the Chunin Exams arc, which is widely considered to be one of Naruto's very best, he will always be remembered as a villain on the same pedestal as Pain.

Orochimaru

Naruto has many powerful villains, and some even have godlike levels of strength, like Kaguya Otsutsuki, but in terms of impact, none had as much as Orochimaruespecially in the first part of the series. Introduced fairly early in the story during the Chunin Exams arc, Orochimaru stood tall as an insurmountable threat that hardly anyone could compete with. Even the likes of Kakashi were afraid of Orochimaru's mere presence, and the fact that he went on to kill the Hokage in the village made him all the more special.

The fear that Orochimaru instilled in everyone around him truly made him a remarkable villain. His motives were simply driven by evil instead of any ulterior motive, and that made him a breath of fresh air in the cast of Naruto villains. It's unfortunate that he didn't get the attention he deserved in the latter half of the Naruto series, but in the first part, he stands tall as a major villain that hardly anyone can compete with in the Naruto series.

Itachi Uchiha

Itachi Uchiha stood as a villain for the vast majority of the Naruto series, and during this short period, served as one of the most phenomenal foes for Sasuke to face. Itachi, when first introduced, was the pure pinnacle of evil. It was revealed that he massacred his entire clan in a single night, just on a whim to push his powers even further. He tortured Sasuke and dragged him to a point where revenge was the only thing he sought in life.

What's more, Itachi's display of strength against powerful ninjas like Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai made him even more threatening. The fact that he could even defeat Orochimaru without even looking at him meant that he had god-level powers that few could rival in the story. In terms of strength, the evil aura that he exuded, and charisma that he carried, Itachi was easily a villain far superior to Pain. Of course, later in the line it was revealed that Itachi was a good guy all along, and this further elevated his character. It's unfortunate that Itachi was taken out of the story as early as he was, as he had enormous potential.

Naruto Akatsuki Best Villain Group Anime

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Obito Uchiha

obito Villains Better Written Pain naruto

Obito Uchiha is arguably the best written villain in the entire Naruto series, and much of that is due to the fact that Kishimoto wrote him as a good-hearted boy. Despite being an Uchiha, Obito was never truly affected by the curse of hatred, but Madara's manipulation in the Third Great Ninja War led him down the wrong path and ruined his future. Obito ended up being consumed by his demons and began working against the Eye of the Moon plan, which eventually led to the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Obito's character is incredibly tragic, much more so than Pain's, and in his own way he also sought peace. Obito, who is behind the vast majority of the tragedies in the series after being just like Naruto Uzumaki at one point, makes his story even more painful. It particularly stands out as one of the best villain stories in the entire series.

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Madara Uchiha

In the world of Naruto, few villains have as much charisma as Madara Uchihaand the fact that his name alone sent shivers down the spines of the vast majority of the characters proves it. Madara was indeed introduced into Naruto series in the Fourth Great Ninja War, and immediately upon his arrival on the battlefield, the vast majority were completely shocked by the strength he possessed.

Madara continued to grow throughout the series, gaining so much power that he rivaled even the gods of the world. His ideals were unique and he wanted to bring true peace to the entire world, which meant he was a villain as compelling as Pain. It's unfortunate that he ended up being sacrificed for Kaguya, but aside from that, Madara really was an absolutely brilliant antagonist.

Sasuke Uchiha

Although not a true villain, Sasuke stood as an antagonist for the vast majority of the second half of the story, committing irreversible acts of terror. In doing so, he became a unique villain that fans wanted to see come back to Konoha, but at the same time be punished for everything he did. Sasuke's descent into evil was somewhat similar to Obito Uchiha, only in his case it was due to everything his brother did to him.

When Sasuke turned evil, he didn't hesitate to kill even the likes of Kakashi and Sakura. In the end, it was the Hokage who brought him back on track, but even then he served as the final antagonist of the series, standing in the way of Naruto Uzumaki one last time as he wanted to execute all the Tailed Beasts and then the Five Kage with them. Given the importance of his character, it goes without saying that Sasuke was the most compelling antagonist in the series.

Naruto is available to stream on Crunchyroll.