Akatsuki Members: History and Powers

Akatsuki is a criminal organization from the Naruto universe that played a significant role in the plot of the manga and anime, rising to prominence as one of the most dangerous and feared organizations in the ninja world. In this article, we'll explore each Akatsuki member, their history, and their unique powers.

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All Akatsuki Members

Cosplayer as characters from Akatsuki from Naruto at Japan Festa in Bangkok 2013.

Pain, whose real name is Nagato Uzumaki, is one of the most iconic members of Akatsuki. He possesses the power of the Rinnegan, a supreme dōjutsu that grants him incredible abilities, such as control over the Six Paths of Pain. Each path represents a specific ability, such as the ability to absorb chakra, control gravity, manipulate souls, and even perform resurrection of the dead.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers
Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Itachi Uchiha

Itachi Uchiha, initially introduced as an antagonist, was revealed to be a dual member of Akatsuki. He possessed the Sharingan, a dōjutsu characteristic of the Uchiha clan, which granted him abilities to predict movements, read minds and the ability to cast powerful genjutsu. Itachi also mastered the Mangekyou Sharingan, which gave him access to even more powerful techniques, such as Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Kisame Hoshigaki

Kisame Hoshigaki, known as the "Mist Monster", was an extremely powerful shinobi and partner of Itachi Uchiha. He was recognized for his unique shark-like physical appearance. Kisame possessed an enormous amount of chakra and was skilled in the use of water-based ninjutsu, such as the famous "Flying Shark" technique. Additionally, he carried Samehada, a living sword that absorbed chakra.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Sasori

Sasori, also known as "Sasori of the Red Sand", was a master puppet master. He transformed his own body into a puppet, eliminating any trace of his original humanity. Sasori controlled puppets with deadly and poisonous abilities, as well as having in-depth knowledge of poison manipulation. He also had the power to convert humans into living puppets.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Deidara

Deidara was an explosive artist and an expert in explosives. He possessed the Kekkei Genkai called "Explosion", which allowed him to create and manipulate explosive clay. Deidara carved his creations into animals and other figures, activating them with a seal and detonating them at will. He also had the ability to fly using explosive clay wings.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Kakuzu

Kakuzu was a greedy and immortal ninja, due to his ability to regenerate. He could extend his life by stealing hearts from other ninja, using them as a source of life energy. Each heart he acquired granted him different elemental abilities, allowing him to manipulate techniques such as fire, wind, earth, and lightning. Additionally, Kakuzu possessed tentacles that could extend and act as powerful weapons.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Hidan

Hidan was an extremely peculiar member of Akatsuki, known for his religious beliefs and his unique fighting style. He was a practitioner of the Jashin cult, which involved rituals of human sacrifice. Hidan possessed the ability of immortality, thanks to a ritual in which he injured himself and drank the blood of his opponents. Additionally, he wielded a scythe as his primary weapon and could link his life to his opponent's through a ritual, allowing him to deal damage to himself and reflect it back at his opponent.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Orochimaru

Although Orochimaru is not an official member of Akatsuki, he has played a significant role in the organization's formation and influence. Orochimaru was a former member of the Hidden Leaf Village and a renowned ninja traitor. He sought immortality and had an obsession with obtaining new bodies to prolong his life. Orochimaru was a master of forbidden jutsu and genetic experimentation, granting him the ability to use serpents in his techniques and manipulate his own body in frightening ways.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Zetsu

Zetsu is a singular being composed of two individuals, one white and one black, who share a single body. He acts as a spy and informant for Akatsuki, providing crucial information about the other ninja's activities. Additionally, Zetsu has the ability to merge with the vegetation around him, becoming virtually invisible. He also possesses the ability to split his body into clones and absorb his enemies' chakra.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Tobi (Obito Uchiha)

Initially introduced as a low-ranking member, Tobi is later revealed to be Obito Uchiha, one of the story's key protagonists. He becomes the leader of Akatsuki after Pain's death. Obito possessed the Sharingan and later the Mangekyou Sharingan, allowing him to utilize space-time techniques such as the "Teleportation Technique" and the "Kamui Dimension". Furthermore, he controlled the "Tailed Beast" known as the Ten-Tails.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

conan

Konan was the only female member of Akatsuki and was a loyal companion of Nagato. She possessed the ability to manipulate explosive tags, turning them into deadly weapons. Konan was also known for her ability to create numerous explosive traps using paper. She has shown great ingenuity and strategy in her battles.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Akatsuki's History

Akatsuki's history is filled with complex events and twists. From its formation to its final developments, Akatsuki's trajectory is marked by betrayals, ambition and conflicts with other key characters in the Naruto series. Next, let's run through the key moments in Akatsuki's history:

Origins and Foundation:

Akatsuki was originally founded by Yahiko, Nagato (known as Pain) and Konan. They were born in the Hidden Rain Village, which was in the midst of a devastating war. Determined to create a peaceful world, the three friends formed Akatsuki as an organization that would work towards that goal.

Under the influence of Jiraiya, the legendary Sannin, Akatsuki began to adopt a peaceful and selfless approach, helping those in need. However, Yahiko's death under mysterious circumstances and the influence of Obito Uchiha (acting under the name Tobi) ultimately corrupted Akatsuki's initial goals.

Nagato's leadership

After Yahiko's death, Nagato took over Akatsuki and became known as Pain. He believed he could bring peace through absolute control, using force to suppress any form of resistance. Under Pain's leadership, Akatsuki grew into a feared and powerful criminal organization.

Purpose of the Bijus

Akatsuki's main ambition was the capture of the Biju, powerful creatures with enormous amounts of chakra. Akatsuki's plan was to extract the tailed beasts' chakra to create weapons of mass destruction and thus establish their dominance over the shinobi world.

Cosplayer as Akatsuki characters from Naruto at Japan Festa in Bangkok 2013.

Conflicts with the Shinobi of the Hidden Villages

Akatsuki's pursuit of the tailed beasts led to clashes with the Hidden Villages' shinobi. They engaged in battles with ninja from various villages, including Naruto Uzumaki and his allies. These clashes revealed the true strength and powers of the Akatsuki members, putting them in direct opposition to the story's protagonists.

Revelations about Obito Uchiha

As the story progresses, it is revealed that Tobi, initially a lowly member of Akatsuki, was actually Obito Uchiha, a former comrade of Kakashi Hatake. The revelation of his motivations and his role in Akatsuki's manipulation of events completely changes the dynamic of the story.

The Great Ninja War

Akatsuki played a significant role in the Great Ninja War, a global conflict that involved several shinobi villages. During the war, Akatsuki showed its power by controlling the Ten-Tails, a fearsome beast and the most powerful being in the Naruto universe.

Akatsuki - all members history and powers

Redemption and Ending

After intense confrontations, Nagato's true nature is revealed by Naruto, the protagonist of the series. Influenced by Naruto 

and his words about the importance of love and understanding, Nagato begins to question his actions and the distorted vision of peace he sought to achieve. Before dying, Nagato uses his powers to revive all the people he killed in the Hidden Leaf Village, as an act of redemption.

After Nagato's death, Akatsuki's leadership is assumed by Obito Uchiha. However, Obito begins to question his own goals and motivations as revelations about his personal history are revealed. Eventually, he regrets his actions and sacrifices himself to help Naruto and his allies defeat Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, a powerful entity that threatened the existence of the shinobi world.

After Obito's downfall, Akatsuki begins to gradually disband. Some members leave the organization, while others are killed in clashes with the heroes of the story. However, it is important to mention that even after the official dissolution of Akatsuki, some of its members continue to play important and complex roles in the Naruto story, including Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha.

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