Was Itachi a villain or a hero?

What is your opinion?

Oct 18, 2024 8:29 PM

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Jan 2020

852

One thing that few fans may know is that when Masashi Kishimoto (creator of Naruto) introduced Itachi in the story, he already knew that the character would not be a complete villain, although he did not have a fixed idea of how he would do it.

This information was shared in an interview conducted by Tsuneo Kobayashi with Kishimoto at the time of the release of “The Last – Naruto, the Movie”.

I realize that some people exaggerate a lot by calling him a hero, what do you think about that?

Oct 18, 2024 8:56 PM

youssef_fathy200

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Dec 2021

For someone that killed his entire clan (including his parents, the girl that had a crush on him and children) he is definitely a villain, even if it was for the greater good of the village and his brother still what he did was just so bad and that’s why this character confuses me a so much like I don’t know how to feel about him.

Oct 18, 2024 8:58 PM

Liental

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Apr 2024

Wouldn't exactly call him a hero more so an anti-hero. Just a character that had to be one of the ones, to get their hands dirty for the overall safety of the Leaf Village.

Oct 18, 2024 9:05 PM

SoulessAnime

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Jan 2021

849

he's a third party, he sucks for what he did, but he feels feelings and believes he was doing the correct thing that was the only way, so it's up for interpretation. I don't think he's either (definitely don't think he's the hero a lot of the fanbase thinks he is, he's like Tobirama if I had to make a comparison - who I would definitely say is unforgivably trash irl)

Oct 18, 2024 9:36 PM

Liental

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Apr 2024

@youssef_fathy200 It wasn't just Itachi, both Obito and Itachi killed the clan together. Itachi killed the clan before they revolted so that he can spare Sasuke, had the Uchiha revolted then Sasuke would be included in the ensuing conflict that would wipe out the Uchiha from Hanzo forcing Itachi to make a choice. I think it's mad messed up to be asking/forcing a 12 yr old the burden of massacring their whole clan. To then continue as a double agent for the Leaf as an akasuki member.

If you still want to condemn him for his actions. Then there are currently soldiers in the military getting their hands dirty so that you are able to post on this forum from the safety of your home. It's so easy to label him as a villain if you saw it from a one sided view as Sasuke did.

LientalOct 18, 2024 9:41 PM

Oct 18, 2024 10:45 PM

youssef_fathy200

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Dec 2021

Liental said:
@youssef_fathy200 It wasn't just Itachi, both Obito and Itachi killed the clan together. Itachi killed the clan before they revolted so that he can spare Sasuke, had the Uchiha revolted then Sasuke would be included in the ensuing conflict that would wipe out the Uchiha from Hanzo forcing Itachi to make a choice. I think it's mad messed up to be asking/forcing a 12 yr old the burden of massacring their whole clan. To then continue as a double agent for the Leaf as an akasuki member.

If you still want to condemn him for his actions. Then there are currently soldiers in the military getting their hands dirty so that you are able to post on this forum from the safety of your home. It's so easy to label him as a villain if you saw it from a one sided view as Sasuke did.

I know it’s missed up and thats why i have mixed feelings about him but realistically speaking there was innocent lives wasted, you can’t kill innocent people and say that it was for the sake of the village just because the US does it doesn’t make it right.

Oct 18, 2024 11:15 PM

Liental

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Apr 2024

youssef_fathy200 said:

You should be taking that up with the third hokage for talking to him about it and Hanzo for cornering him to make the choice. Not the person that was used as a tool for a means to an end. I never said what Itachi did was right, since even the US has been on the wrong side of war with the most recent war taking place. When politics comes into the equation the lines between good or bad are not just cut and dry.

But it's an oxymoron for someone to criticize someone else that stained their hands, so that you can complain about them having to stain their hands so that you don't need to.

LientalOct 18, 2024 11:28 PM

Oct 18, 2024 11:50 PM

youssef_fathy200

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Dec 2021

I really like your perspective on this and 100% agree with what you said and i’m well aware that its so messed up and much more complicated than just a hero or villain but it just didn’t seem right to call him a hero although i really like itachi for everything that he did for sasuke i also didn’t like what he did to his parents and the girl that had a crush on him specially the girl and thats why I don’t know how to feel about him.

Oct 19, 2024 12:10 AM

_otaku_man00

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Jun 2023

711

anti hero ,,he may be villain but he was thinking about greater good,,he wasn't selfish

Oct 19, 2024 1:09 AM

#10

Piromysl

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Jul 2015

13596

He was still a villain, while him being forced into what he did was just a Freudian excuse. He still deserves sympathy and is a tragic character.

Oct 19, 2024 3:52 AM

#11

GreatCarerJack

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Jun 2021

484

itachi was an example that sometimes their are no heroes or villains in a situation. to be more direct itachi was used like a tool, first for danzo and later for the akatsuki.

Oct 19, 2024 3:55 AM

#12

GreatCarerJack

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Jun 2021

484

_otaku_man00 said:
anti hero ,,he may be villain but he was thinking about greater good,,he wasn't selfish

anti heroes go against the law and do bad things for the greater good, iatchi merely followed orders, being told he was doing the right thing.
maybe hes a rare example of the anti villain, especially seeing as his actions directly cause sasuke to become an anti hero, hes the anti villain to sasukes anti hero

Oct 19, 2024 4:39 AM

#13

ricejelly

Wannabe Idol ✌ ♥

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Jan 2018

157

Itachi was a victim. He was a child who happened to be born with an innate talents that could be used for killing others. His kind heart and desire for peace were exploited by every adult around him until the weight of trying to reconcile his actions with his values broke him down entirely. He’s neither a hero or a villain, he’s simply a tragedy.

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I said I'm gonna do my best!!
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Oct 19, 2024 4:53 AM

#14

riqmoran

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Feb 2024

315

Though he had cause for doing what he did (that is, to ward off a great ninja war due to a destabilized Konoha), i think the story unfortunately undermines Itachi's effort and retroactively makes him look dumb.

We have several instances in the storyline where Konoha is destabilized arguably more than a hypothetical coup or power struggle would have, yet there was no great ninja war. It all unfortunately points to Itachi having sacrificed his people for nothing.

Itachi is like a reverse Eren Yeager, and I can't respect a character that sold out every single one of his kind for the "greater good" of the very people that subjugated them unjustly.

Also, if Itachi is so smart and so powerful, you'd think he would have considered strongarming the rest of his clan into falling in line with him without wiping them all out. Would it not have made more sense for him to use his own strength to become the leader of his clan? He's stronger than all of them combined.

Oct 19, 2024 8:46 AM

#15

Shoutouttogirls

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Jun 2024

i mean it depend for the village he was a hero (in the context)
in the village POV he was the villain who killed his entire clan except sasuke uchiha and is now a S ranked criminal

but the real villain im my opinion is the government who made itachi kill his clan

i think he is a hero in rhe context but not in the POV of the village

Oct 19, 2024 1:37 PM

#16

Prideful_Lion

Aries Saint

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Oct 2024

451

I don't support someone killing their family and clan. But the situation that Itachi was in was very complex. Even if he did fight alongside his clan against the village, it wouldn't have really made him a hero. He would have been just protecting his own and killing other people's loved ones. Children would have been orphaned and innocents possible caught in the middle of the conflict. Plus, other nations would have possibly interfered. Leading to even more fighting and bloodshed. Itachi may not be innocent by getting his hands dirty with the blood of his own kin. But he did it for the benefit of everyone else while sacrificing his own happiness and bearing the guilt of his actions for the rest of his life.

Oct 20, 2024 9:41 PM

#17

Mannataku

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Dec 2022

HE WAS A CHILD ABUSER

Oct 23, 2024 10:54 PM

#18

babajeeds

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Jul 2024

242

Relative to Hidden leaf in the long-term, un-sung hero for sure. Although almost no one knew what his real plan was, the leaf uchiha war would have been far more devastating than what actually happened. (probably)

Oct 24, 2024 10:07 AM

#19

zrjcoo

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Aug 2024

He was a Hero 100%.

Oct 25, 2024 12:13 AM

#20

mmikulski

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Apr 2023

he killed all members od his clan to protect The village

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Was Itachi a villain or a hero?

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