All right, so we got to talk about the Akansky, man, because these guys are just too cool. They have too much sauce. Like, they got so much sauce, they got matching coats. Like, who does that, bro? These guys actually just horrified me as a kid. And I thought they worked really well as villains. And re-watching the story as I got older, I understood a lot more why they worked as well as they did. And the first reason for that is that they get [ __ ] done.

To me, something that's often important with villain characters is that they are actually capable and feel like a legitimate threat to the main characters. If we don't actually see them do anything impressive or see them put the main characters in any bad situation, we're just going to look at them as bums. But with the Akotssky, our first introduction to them is when they show up and completely body Kakashi like my man is gone.

And as we know from before, Itachi killed his whole clan, including his parents. So just knowing he's in the group makes us wonder what other type of sick twisted individuals they got there. Then they just straight up kill Gar. Like they dead ass murder him. He's dead, >> man. I'm dead. >> Like the guy that was just the main antagonist of an arc got killed by one of the weaker Akansky members. Then they body Conquo. Then they kill Osma.

Then they kill Jeriah. And then it's revealed that the leader of the Akoski was the one who killed both of Naruto's parents and was the one that made the Ninetailes destroy the village. We even learned that Orochi Maru, the most evil, despicable guy on the planet, got kicked out of the Akski. Like what? How did they kick out the most evil dude in the land from the evil organization? Like clearly these guys are not to be messed with.

And whenever the main characters actually manage to defeat one of them, they're almost always on the brink of death. Reason number two, they all have their own individuality. Because they're all part of the same group, it's important that they aren't just evil henchmen for the main characters to be. But every one of them has their own motivations and goals outside of the Akotssky. They all have their own philosophies and things that drive them.

Like Kau wants to get as much money as possible. Dadu wants to make people acknowledge and validate his art. Heddon wants to sacrifice people to his god. Kind of like with the Straw Hat crew in One Piece. While they all follow Luffy, each and every one of them all have their own goals they want to accomplish. Reason number three, their theme song. Their theme song is just so [ __ ] good. I remember as a kid, every time either that or the Orochi Maru theme song came on, I would just be [ __ ] my pants, bro.

Music can be so effective to make certain characters embody certain vibes. And the Akotssky theme song really does embody evil and just pure [ __ ] Reason number three, they are all good characters. A villain can be as evil and capable as humanly possible, but if they're just bland as hell or annoying as [ __ ] with nothing going for them, I won't care about them. I'm not like a massive Boruto hater or anything like a lot of people seem to be, but one thing that disappointed me a lot about one of its arcs was Cara.

This is effectively Boruto's version of the Akatsky with a few key differences. And man, is it so much worse in every single way. Particularly so because again, aside from like the most important members, none of them are good characters, which is really baffling because there are so much fewer car members compared to the amount of Akotssky members. Delta is literally just annoying. Like that is her character trait and she has nothing else going for her.

Borro is just the most bland generic villain of all time. But every single one of the Akotssky members, even the ones that don't end up mattering much in the grand scheme of the story, are in my opinion pretty well-written characters. So, we're going to go through all of them and explain why that is and also rank them from worst to best. Starting with Okay, so I might have lied a little when I said every single one of them was a good character.

Now, I'm not one of those people that like vehemently hates Setsu. I just think he's extremely mediocre as a character. Also, he's technically like two completely separate characters, but anyway, Setsu's number 10, mid as hell. So, I struggle a bit with finding out who number nine would be, but it had to be Kakuzu. Kakuzu is one of the few characters that don't really have anything actually going for them. He's just kind of an intimidating force for the main characters and an incredibly good intimidating force at that.

Like, he does that job great, but he never really gets anything beyond that. Although he does have a clearly defined motivation which is money. Like I said before, this really helps elevate their character. Remember Delta? What is her motivation? I have no idea. Literally, she is just there to exist. And while I think Kakuzu's motivation is consistently acted upon and gives us a better understanding of what type of person he is, this never really gets expanded on and doesn't get brought up at all in the final encounter.

Okay, so Hon used to be my least favorite aside from Satsu. He's like the weakest Akotssky member. No one really takes him seriously. He's just kind of whack, you know, but I've definitely come to appreciate the things that makes him unique, like his religion and crazy ritual. It's actually really interesting and I wish that got expanded upon. He's also responsible for giving Shikamaru his best moments in the whole story and has the most satisfying death scene ever.

Like Kau, there isn't really a whole lot to him, but I think between the two, he's just a lot less boring. Conan is the goat. I love her paper jutsu. It's so unique and different from everyone else. And every time the animators animate her, it's like they lock the [ __ ] in. Like all the scenes where she uses it looks so damn good. I love her design and her and Nagito's backstory is insanely good. She also has an amazing fight against Obito.

Like when she revealed the whole [ __ ] ocean was filled with like 600 billion paper bombs, I was just like, damn. I You got it. Do you know how many explosives that is? Like that's got to be the power of like three atomic bombs. Like she actually would have killed Obito if he hadn't coincidentally gotten a hold of the Isanagi like a week before. Honestly, I think she kills every scene she is in. But unfortunately, that's just the problem.

She has no scenes. I really wish she got to do more in the series and that she acted a bit more independently from Nagito because there's honestly so many chances for that to happen. Like when Dra almost gets killed by Kakashi's Kamui, she could have shown up and saved them. After all, she is the second in command in the Akatsky, but she never really feels like it. We never even see her capture a Gingeriki. And I really wish she could have gotten like an actual fight against someone in the leaf village.

I mean, she kind of sort of has like a really short fight against Chino, but like come on, dog. Pay has a 1v one against Jeriah, Kakashi, and Naruto, but you couldn't give her a single person. I feel like her not fighting Sakura is one of the biggest missed opportunities in the story. Again, the highlight of her is definitely the flashbacks. I really liked her and Yaiko's romance, and it really made Yaiko's death a lot more tragic.

So yeah, I wish he got to do a bit more, but she's still pretty goated. Okay, so these next three I struggled with a lot, and honestly, they're all basically as good as each other. But I ended up with Dayra. I don't think I appreciated Dora enough as a kid cuz he is genuinely such a fun villain. And I love how he doesn't just die in the arc he's introduced. He actually stays around for a long time to [ __ ] [ __ ] up.

I mentioned that every Akoski member has their own motivation and I think Darus is one of the ones that works best. Data sees art as something that is quick and fast instead of longlasting and I love how that reflects his explosion ability. His explosions is what he sees as the epitome of art. A quick explosion that is nice to look at while it's there, but quickly disappears. This is why Saucery was the perfect person to team him up with. someone that sees art as eternal, which is why he kept himself looking like his younger self for so long and ensured that he would never age.

And this is also why Darus from the stone village. Stones and rocks themselves embody what data sees as the opposite of art. They're hard, solid, never move, and never change. And then of course, we have the Tsui Kag. I really wish we got to see more interactions between them, but the Tsuchi Kag is also something Dora sees as the opposite of his vision of art. He's old as hell and refuses to step down. When we see him in the five kag summit, we see how set in his ways he is and refuses to change.

I love how insecure he feels towards the Uchia and the charinggon as he feels so threatened by their existence. All of these things come together to give us a much better understanding of who Dora really is. And at the end, he shows off his philosophy by launching a huge explosion at the cost of his own young and short life. And he doesn't even succeed. Not only does he fail to kill Sasuke, but no one is really there to be in awe of or remember his art.

He tried his whole life to make people see, understand, and recognize his art, but ultimately fails completely. Kasame is so [ __ ] cool. He definitely has the best character design out of all of them. And like Dora, I love how long he sticks around for. He has like four whole fights, which is more than like a lot of characters in the series. He's just so badass in every way and his rivalry with Guy is so funny, bro.

Part of the reason why I love Kizame so much is because how much his character deals with existentialism, something I always find interesting when explored in stories. He is someone that throughout his life is seeking a purpose and is envious of Itachi for how determined he is for his cause. Itachi sacrifices everything he has in his life to ensure the village's safety. And yet, he never flinches. He never changes from his calm, laid-back expression because he is so devoted to his cause despite all the pain he's going through.

This makes him a great matchup with Kisame who is so disillusioned with the shinobi world that he sees himself as nothing more than a weapon for others to make use of. Every time he meets Guy, Guy never remembers Kisame because Kisame doesn't stand out due to his lack of ambition or drive. But at the end, he finally finds his purpose. And that's when Guy remarks that he will never forget the name Kisame Hoshiaki for the rest of his life.

A great journey for Kisame to undergo and a great way for his character to end. You know, Sasur is probably the most forgettable Aksky member out of all of them. Mostly because he's introduced pretty early on in the story and dies in that same arc. You know, it's actually pretty ironic that Darus survived for as long as he did and that Saueri died so quickly. He also just isn't super important to the overall story or even the story in that arc.

So, you kind of forget he exists a little bit. Even someone like Hakuzu, who is still pretty forgettable in the grand scheme of things, is still ingrained into your mind forever because of the rust and shuriken. Again, I really wasn't sure who I liked more between these three. But part of the reason I went with Saucery is because unlike everyone else so far, he's the only one that actually has his story fully fleshed out and explored, leaving no loose ends behind.

And his story is actually so [ __ ] good. A perfect character to include in an arc all about loneliness. And he actually gives us what I'd say is one of the best fights in the whole series and easily Sakura's best moments, period. This scene right here in particular is absolute cinema and easily one of the best scenes in the story. This is one of those drawings that speaks a thousand words. And part of the reason why I love it is because it will only make sense to you if you have seen or read Naruto.

If I show you this panel right here, you can guess pretty roughly what's happening. Even if I show you this from Naruto where they use a jutsu, you can still understand that they're using some big energy ball technique on a bad guy. But with this, you have to know exactly how the puppet mechanics in Naruto work to understand what's happening. I love panels and scenes like these because it speaks to how well woven together the story, world, and abilities are to the point where this couldn't happen in something like Dragon Ball or One Piece.

He also makes the fight against Sakura and Chio so [ __ ] cool. Easily a top tier Naruto fight and easily Sakura's best fight, which doesn't really say much, but still. Now, you probably already figured out who the top three is. The question is just what order they're in. And honestly, I have nothing negative to really say about Obito. Just like Saucery, I think his story is very well done from beginning to end. Seeing him start as this young kid that turns into some crazy extremist that's completely given up hope on the world is awesome, and he works as such a great foil for Naruto.

And my favorite moment from him will always be when he sacrifices himself at the end. such a great journey to take this character on. His ability always makes for some really cool action sequences. I particularly love the one where he takes out Donso's omboo guards. Like, he had no reason to be this disrespectful, bro. I really have nothing negative to say about him as a character. The only reason I didn't put him higher than the other two on the list is that at some point in the story, he really loses his cool factor.

Like, as soon as he puts on this bum ass mask with this sauceless ass fit, he never really does anything cool. And a little after he loses the mask, we really just start seeing him as incredibly pathetic. And obviously that's the point. You're supposed to see Obito as this pathetic loser that's lost his way completely. And I really like that. It's just that I find more enjoyment than the characters above. So with that being said, Pain is probably my favorite villain in Naruto.

Everything about him is just perfect. >> It was perfect. >> His design is so distinct and unique. His ability is so complex and makes any fight against him into a really strategic one. His backstory is amazing. Dialogue is always on point. And most importantly, everything about him feels completely thought out beforehand, even down to his name. It's such a well-realized character that honestly never misses a step. Like I mentioned in the beginning, to me, a good villain is often a capable one, and Payne is certainly that as he kills Jeriah.

This is a great way to make the audience hate the villain, which is perfect because this arc is all about breaking the cycle of hatred. Hell, he even kills Kakashi. Like again, this dude is just not to be [ __ ] with whatsoever. I also think the flashback of these three is easily one of the best in the series. Seeing their journey completely recontextualizes both Pain and Nagato's actions and also recontextualizes the Akanssky itself as a group as we learn their original purpose was to bring peace to the world and stop all wars.

Even though the group goes on to create the biggest and deadliest war of all time and honestly I think out of all the times Naruto uses his talk no judu, this is the most effective for me. There are so many episodes of just straight up dialogue between these two characters while still managing to hold my attention, which is really impressive. I especially like it because Nagito actually almost manages to convince Naruto to give in to hate.

Obito made some efforts with trying to corrupt Naruto, too, but he definitely didn't have as much success as Nagito does. And that really highlights one of his biggest strengths. Like I said earlier, his dialogue. A good villain will make you fear them through their actions. But a great villain will make you fear them just by speaking. >> Hey, I'm out. I'm out. I swear to God, I'm out. Hey, this has nothing to do with me no more. >> Like I said before, him and Orochi Maru are probably tied for my favorite villain of the series.

And it just so happens that the number one spot on the list is actually not really a villain. It's a bit ironic that my number one member of the Akanssky is the spy. And honestly, I wish I could put Pana at number one, but ultimately this is my favorite character in the Akotssky and not my favorite villain. And I just so happened to like Itachi a lot. So much so that I read both of his life novels. Like I deadass picked up and read two whole ass books just to read a story I already largely knew.

That being said though, as much as Itachi isn't a villain, he does make for a pretty damn good one. Like it's pretty impressive how well written he is both when he's pretending to be evil and after the facade is up. And I think that's probably my favorite part about him, which I touched on earlier when I talked about Kisame. I tend to really like characters that are so dedicated to their goal that they're willing to sacrifice everyone and anyone and most importantly themselves all to achieve it without even flinching.

I've talked a lot about the different members's motivation, which is because to me that is one of the most important aspects when it comes to writing characters. Through their motivation, we get to learn so much more about them, like why it means so much to them, what they're willing to sacrifice for it. And in Itachi's case, his refusal to kill Sasuke because he loves him so much, even when he's evil, I think adds a lot of humanity to his character that otherwise could have made him feel a lot more stale or one note.

And I think that's why I honestly find him as a more entertaining character when he's reanimated compared to when he was still alive. He worked as an incredibly good villain when he was alive. And seeing his whole character get completely recontextualized after we learn his true goal is incredible. But I think that recontextualization gets properly paid off when we meet him again after the fact because we get to see it for ourselves firsthand.

I think he honestly has one of my favorite quotes in the whole show as he speaks to Naruto. This [ __ ] means something to me, man. >> Like, damn, bro is just dropping bars left, right, and center. >> This jutsu has one weak point, one risk, me. And I think just in general, the way Kishimoto makes us view a character in a completely opposite way than we originally did is an incredibly impressive feat. Although I find that a lot of people fixate on whether or not Itachi was a good or bad person, which to me is such a strange way of looking at a story.

Of course, it can definitely be a fun topic to debate or philosophize over, but whether he was good or bad is never something the show attempts to make a definitive statement of because that's not really important. Itachi was a 14-year-old boy who had to make one of the most stressful and important decisions ever, where inaction means action, and no matter what choice he makes, there will be tons of death and destruction.

He tried to make the decision he thought right and selfless and at the end regretted his decision. The Naruto world uses children as soldiers in war. Itachi was exactly that and a child who was so sick of war that he was willing to commit atrocities to end them. The focus should be on how messed up the shinobi world that created this child is, not whether or not the child was a good person. Because after all, what kind of world creates a situation where a child feels like genocide is the lesser evil.

But really, what I think this choice Itachi makes adds the most to end the story is how it elevates Naruto's character. When Naruto and Itachi talk to each other in the forest, Itachi poses a question. If Sasuke was to attack the village, would Naruto have what it takes to stop Sasuke, even if he had to kill him? >> These scenes exist to show us just what makes Naruto so different from not just Itachi, but every prodigy type character that came before him, where they saw ultimatums or choices, Naruto refused to compromise.

He always strove to achieve the best possible outcome, no matter what it cost him. Throughout his whole life, Itachi was plagued with choices. Duty or family, clan or village, war or peace. But Naruto rejected the idea that those choices had to be made in the first place. And it's these types of misconceptions and arguments that I find getting repeated over and over again, which is totally fine and all, but every time I hear them, it always sounds like it's coming from someone that hasn't seen or read the story in a while.

Like, I still see people unironically say Naruto was about hard work. >> And you have to check out why that isn't the case in this video right here. [Music]