The Akatsuki in Naruto: Why they went to war — And what it says about real-world conflicts
Along with the Aerial Seven of Mobile Fighter G Gundam, the Akatsuki has to be one of the most memorable criminal organizations in anime history. Headlined in the wildly popular anime
Naruto
and Naruto Shippuden, this cohort of rogue ninja is famous for their devastating powers, shadowy figures, and twisted ambitions. Yet beneath their fights and endless carnage is something more profound and poignant – a heartwrenching message on war, suffering and the darker side of humanity.
Akatsuki delivers adrenaline rushes in spades to veterans and rookies of the series. There's still more to their story than meets the eye. Each of these members has a personal reason for fighting and their reasons at times sound eerily similar to why actual wars are fought all over the globe. So Naruto's creator Masashi Kishimoto developed a tragic, rich backstory for each one of the Akatsuki members rooted in concepts such as patriotism, radical religion, revenge and quest for peace.
Let's unpack what motivates each Akatsuki member — and what their narratives can tell us about real-life geopolitics.
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by Taboola
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Deidara & Sasori: War as expression and control
See Naruto villains, Akatsuki motives, Deidara art, Sasori control.
Most significantly, Deidara illustrates how war can be an art form. His dramatic clay assaults are his means of making something 'ugly' beautiful. Similar to real world terrorists who believe that destruction is the surest way to achieve notoriety, Deidara battles in a quest to be remembered forever — even if his mark is found in a bloody crater.
Sasori transforms humans into puppets to replace the emotional void from his parents' death. His obsession with ability and control showcases how flesh-and-blood autocrats like to use dread and strength to control nations just like North Korea's routine.
Kakuzu & Hidan: War for profit and belief
Image credit … Naruto religion Keywords … Kakuzu Naruto, Hidan religion, Naruto war themes
Kakuzu is a cruel pragmatist that fights for profit. He takes bounties and kills for them, stealing hearts to prolong his own life. Kakuzu's war is purely driven by profit.
Hidan as a religious extremist. He thinks that the more people he kills, the more his religion is widespread. His violent devotion illustrates how religion has motivated some of the deadliest conflicts in human history, such as the Crusades.
Itachi & Kisame: War from loyalty and betrayal
Image courtesy of Crunchyroll Keywords Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Akatsuki, Naruto Shinobi patriotism
Heroes like Itachi Uchiha who was forced to wipe out his own clan to stop a civil war. He fought for the interests of his village, which ultimately destroyed him. Itachi's story is one of tragic patriotism — the kind that demands soldiers sacrifice themselves so others can enjoy the fruits of peace.
Earlier in the story, Kisame had turned on his own village upon discovering that his higher-ups were leaking their plans. After being betrayed, he took the war to defend the truth. His tale is a reflection of how countries such as Britain and the US prepared for war after devastation of trust and political discord.
Zetsu: War for land and loyalty
Image keywords:
Zetsu Naruto
, bloodbath over territory, Naruto cultural awareness motifs
Zetsu pretends to be an advocate for land, but the reality is that he is an agent for Madara Uchiha. He stands for fatalistic, blind loyalty — the sort that we've seen up-close used against any tyrant by their
Robespierre
. Zetsu teaches us that not everyone is fighting for themselves, many fight to protect or continue someone else's dream.
Konan: War for love
Keywords, from left to right, bottom to top: Konan Naruto, Trojan War in anime, Naruto kunoichi
Konan battles to uphold the dream of her deceased comrade, Yahiko. Her loyalty to Pain and the Akatsuki comes from an understandable place of love and loss. Her motivation echoes that of the mythical Trojan War, where empires fought over the ill-gotten prize of one kidnapped queen. With Love, Beauty & Bloodshed, Konan proves that love brings us beauty, and beauty can bring a great deal of bloodshed.
Pain (Nagato) war to end all wars
Keywords:
Pain Naruto
, Naruto fighting for peace, anime moral tales
From an early age, Pain (or Nagato, as he is known) was forced to live in a world filled with death and despair. He argues that peace will only be achievable through mutual suffering by making the world experience real devastation. Like leaders in civil wars who think violence is a path to peace, Pain's reasoning may be warped beyond comprehension, but it's human and easy to get. So much so, he'll go to war to achieve peace. In fact, he wants peace so badly he's willing to destroy for it.
Obito & Madara: War for control and perfection
Image keywords: Obito Uchiha Madara Uchiha Infinite Tsukuyomi Naruto final villains
Obito and Madara are the true villains and masterminds of the Akatsuki. Their aim? Trap everyone in a deceptive dream world with the Infinite Tsukuyomi — essentially a fake, peaceful Moon-dictated dream. Just as insidious, they convinced themselves that only they could 'fix' the world. That's the mentality of historical imperial powers just like Rome, who justified their conquests by arguing that their brutal assimilation of a people introduced law and order.
What the Akatsuki can teach us about war
Keywords naruto akatsuki explained anime life lessons war psychology
Each Akatsuki member is more than just a villain — they are an embodiment of real-world conflict. Their motivations for waging war allude to how we've fought for millennia— dominion, honor, passion, wealth, vengeance and serenity.
By revealing the sources of their pain, Naruto invites us to empathize with the roots of violent behavior. It's a reminder that war is never black and white — and neither are the heroes who are willing to fight it.
The Akatsuki's story is more than a tale of nigh-unstoppable combatants or forbidden jutsu. It represents a powerful exploration of the reasons that people choose to engage in combat. Specifically, the way Masashi Kishimoto transformed a motley crew of anime antagonists into an allegorical representation of human civilization. That's why the Akatsuki are still one of the most iconic elements of the Naruto universe.
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