This post contains spoilers for Naruto.
When it comes to popularity polls, Itachi Uchiha is always at the top end of them. He made a great debut and was instantly captivated by fans. As the story continued, Itachi's fame began to rise as well. By the end of the year NarutoItachi Uchiha became a fan favorite.
Naruto: 9 Characters Stronger Than Itachi Uchiha, Ranked
Itachi was a powerful ninja, but even he was outmatched by these Naruto characters.
Surprisingly, many supporting characters have come and gone, but almost none of them have impressed on the same level as Itachi Uchiha. He was able to surpass everyone due to his immense story and extraordinary fighting skills. The combination of the two was enough to push Itachi ahead of the rest Naruto characters. Needless to say, Itachi's popularity is a lesson in how to write a supporting character.
How Itachi Uchiha awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan
Itachi Uchiha was part of the Anbu, an organization that operated in the shadows and was tasked with dealing with threats to the Hidden Leaf. The main reason Itachi worked for the organization was the sheer horror he witnessed as a child. He understood that war brings nothing but death and misery. These experiences shaped his ideology, which is why he always chose the most peaceful way to solve the situation.
This was another reason why Itachi looked up to Shisui, another Uchiha who saw the dark side of wars. Shisui and Itachi were naturally very close. When Itachi had to watch Shisui commit suicide, the former was so emotionally overwhelmed that he eventually awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. As with all the other eyes, Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan also gave him access to special abilities. Itachi's eyes gave him access to Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu.
Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan abilities
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Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan gave him access to Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu
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He could also use Susanoo
Both Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi are dangerous abilities, which is why Itachi was so feared by his opponents. With Amaterasu, Itachi was able to conjure up black flames that were so powerful they could burn anything, including other flames. Once Amaterasu's flames attack an individual, they continue to burn until the target is completely exterminated.
Can you understand the pain felt by the dead who are forced to fight? The pain of life is even greater. After finally getting over the sadness and grief, your Jutsu reawakened those feelings!
Itachi is known as one of the best Genjutsu users in the series, so it's no wonder he was blessed with Tsukuyomi. Genjutsu is easily one of Naruto's strongest, being able to overpower even an experienced Jonin like Kakashi Hatake. Anyone trapped in Genjutsu is subjected to immense torture. Even if the target is tortured for only a few seconds, it feels like an eternity to them. This is why when Itachi used Tsukuyomi on Kakashi, he was hospitalized for several days. With these two abilities at his disposal, it's no wonder that Itachi was feared by everyone around him.
Itachi Uchiha's Ethereal Weapons
While these skills would be enough for most ninja, Itachi had one card up his sleeve – Susanoo. Itachi didn't use the Susanoo often because it required a huge amount of chakra to maintain it. In fact, he only used Susanoo against Sasuke and it was his way of preparing his brother for life after him. The basic version of the Susanoo is sufficient to stop most physical and ninjutsu attacks, but Itachi's version had two special tools.
The the first of these ethereal weapons was the Yata Mirroran ethereal shield that could change its properties to match any incoming strike. So it could stop any physical or spiritual attack. Yata Mirror was composed of all five natures, making it almost impossible to harm him in battle.
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The the other otherworldly weapon was the Totsuka Bladewhich was another version of the Kusanagi sword. Unlike a normal sword, Totsuka's blade was encased in a gourd. The sword was enchanted with a sealing justu, so anything pierced by it was instantly sealed away. However, it did not work like most sealing techniques. Anyone who was stabbed by Totsuka's blade ended up trapped in Genjutsu forever. With the Yata Mirror and Totsuka Blade at his side, Itachi was called the invincible Zetsu. But is this claim true or far-fetched?
Itachi might have been the strongest ninja in the world
Zetsu's statement wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't false either. Itachi had the potential to become the strongest ninja in the world, but he just couldn't reach the level, which isn't entirely his fault. Kishimoto probably realized that Itachi would be too powerful an enemy for Naruto and his friends, so the author probably decided to give the Uchiha an incurable disease. Whatever the illness was, it affected Itachi's chakra reserves, making him unable to use multiple techniques in quick succession. As his stamina was affected, Itachi was unable to fight for long. Moreover, it was the main reason why Itachi chose to die during the fight against Sasuke.
However, if Itachi had not been sick, he could have become the strongest ninja in the world. He could easily take down any Akatsuki member and wouldn't have to let Sasuke win. Maybe Itachi wouldn't have to lie to Sasuke either. He could have told Sasuke what happened which would have saved him a lot of trouble.
Itachi remains an amazing character
No matter what happens with Itachi in the story, there's no denying that he's one of the best written characters out there. Although emotional, Itachi always made wise decisions. He took on the burden of slaughtering the entire Uchiha clan while protecting his little brother from harm. Itachi took all the blame on himself so that the reputation of the Uchiha clan members would not be tarnished.
That's okay. Living a life of hatred is one path for a ninja.
Itachi also made sure Sasuke hated him so he could strive for power and become strong enough to protect himself. If Sasuke remained weak, his life would be in danger. When the time finally came, Itachi fought Sasuke and explained the functions of the Mangekyou Sharingan. He also revealed how Madara obtained the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan so that Sasuke could use the information, which is exactly what happened. Sasuke took Itachi's eyes and placed them in his own.
However, Itachi regretted not being able to properly explain himself to Sasuke. Fortunately, he was given the opportunity to do so when Kabuto revived him. Itachi's words were important to Sasuke and it was safe to say that he was excited to have his last conversation with his brother. It would be remiss not to mention that Itachi also played a key role in stopping Nagato Uzuamki who nearly killed Naruto and Killer B. Additionally, Itachi also teamed up with Sasuke to stop Kabuto who was constantly summoning old ninjas to fight the Alliance. If Itachi hadn't used Izanami, then the Ninja Alliance would have suffered many more casualties and possibly lost.
Naruto
- Release date
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2002 – 2007-00-00
- Showrunner
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Masashi Kishimoto
- directors
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Hayato's date
- Writers
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Masashi Kishimoto
