Forgettable villains in Naruto

Summary

• Black Zetsu is a manipulative tool lacking depth in Akatsuki Naruto Shippūden.

• Kakuzo is an unstable antagonist who fails to stand out among the Akatsuki.

• Mizuki is memorable as Naruto's first villain, but easily forgotten in the grand scheme of things.

As one of the best anime of the 2000s Naruto They continue to be praised by anime and pop culture fans around the world and have a plethora of movies and series. This is mostly due to the franchise's ability to create incredible characters that audiences relate to, but also care deeply about. Especially Naruto The anime featured some incredible villains that not only help in the development of the characters, but also have their own development.

Still, not every villain can be as skilled as Orochimaru or as feared as Madara Uchiha, resulting in an anime with many boring villains that failed to make a lasting impression or impact the series in the desired way. Not counting the movies and many villains per episode, the anime series has some underdeveloped villains, forgettable antagonists, and even hated villains who serve no purpose in the grand scheme of things.

1

Black Zetsu

A manipulative tool for a villain with the potential for more

• First appearance: Naruto Episode no. 134

Black Zetsu was a key part of the Akatsuki and Naruto Shippūden As a whole, it appears consistently throughout the entire Anime series. Despite his looks and great visuals, the antagonist lacked the depth that so many others possessed, making him more of a tool for other villains.

While he eventually betrayed Madara and was partly responsible for the series' entire plotline, his character was there to be manipulated rather than for actual power like many others, all for the sake of freeing Kaguya. Therefore, despite his potential, Zetsu never became a true antagonist even though he had screen time, power, and potential.

2

Kakuzo

An unstable antagonist who fails to stand out among the Akatsuki

• First appearance: Naruto Shippūden Episode #71

While Kakuzo had one of the best introductions in the series, he failed to stick around long enough to leave his true mark, despite having some sporadic appearances as a member of Akatsuki. Overall, it's hard for a villain to stand out among the Akatsuki considering the group's many incredible villains.

Still, Kakuzo is one of the few villains on the team that doesn't really develop as he's mostly an unstable individual looking for more power. Without a deeper meaning to his actions, he finds it difficult to compete with many other villains inside and outside of Akatsuki, even if he is in a memorable battle.

3

Mizuki

His most memorable attribute is being the first anime villain

• First appearance: Naruto Episode no. 1

Throughout the Anime series, most villains serve to further the development of Naruto or another protagonist, and no antagonist is a better example than Mizuki. He was there to help Naruto develop his Shadow Clone Jutsu, which became the main jutsu for the rest of the franchise.

In addition, he helped Naruto with character development as he made his first real connection with Iruka. The truth is, if Mizuki had been introduced in an episode other than the first one, he would probably have been forgotten by the vast majority of people, despite him appearing later in a filler arc.

4

Yugo

The most forgettable member of an uninspiring team of antagonists

• First appearance: Naruto Shippūden Episode no. 116

Created by Sasuke on his quest to defeat the Hidden Leaf Village, the entire Taka team is almost forgettable, especially compared to other villainous groups such as Akatsuki or Orochimaru's gangs. Yet of all the antagonists on the team, Yugo is the easiest to forget.

Although he could be one of the most evil secondary villains, he is not really an antagonist as he initially goes to Orochimaru to cure his violent rage and goes along with Sasuke's plans for no real reason. Although he has some moments of uncontrollable urges, most of the time he just fades into the background as the “quiet” member of Sasuke's careless team.

5

Team Dosu

Small antagonists introduced in the middle of other great characters

• First appearance: Naruto Episode no. 21

This team of antagonists was introduced during the Chunin Exams and was immediately unlikely to merely follow Orochimaru's orders. Besides showing no redeemable qualities, they were there to test Sasuke's power, having no ambition of their own other than to put others down.

The Chunin Exams were responsible for introducing so many memorable characters that these individuals just faded into the background, mainly because they got very little personal focus.

6

Hanzo

An important role was reduced to an anticlimactic End

• First appearance: Naruto Shippūden Episode #128

Although Hanzo has a very important role in the creation of the Akatsuki and the founding of the legendary Sanin, he didn't stand out as much as he should have. Unlike most antagonists, Hanzo's goals were once noble, but Hanzo became twisted, eventually becoming the cause of great suffering.

Although his strength is repeatedly praised, he eventually met an untimely demise as he hung up helplessly on his self-preservation. Overall, his bravery was talked about but very little shown, especially considering the few times he actually showed up.

7

Gold and silver brothers

An underrated but underutilized antagonist in a war full of great villains

• First appearance: Naruto Shippūden Episode #267

Kinkaku and Ginkaku, known as the Golden and Silver Brothers, were two powerful Shinobi descended from the Sage of the Six Paths who were captured and consumed by the Nine Tailed Fox. Still, they were able to survive for two weeks by eating the animal from the inside out, which not only caused them to be regurgitated, but also left them with new powers.

While their unique story and key connection to the Shinobi world made them underrated, they were also underutilized in the anime, only appearing in the final arc as one of the many villains threatening the world.

8

Kaguya

No substance overshadowed by Madara's magnificence

• First appearance: Naruto Shippūden Episode no. 458

Kaguya may have a memorable appearance and a key role as the ultimate villain Naruto Shippūdenyet, she might just be one of the franchise's biggest downfalls. Her sudden and unnecessary entrance gave the antagonist little time to develop and leave her mark, especially in proportion to how powerful she is.

After so many episodes and the ARC establishing Madara as the big bad villain, Kaguya's anticlimactic Manipulation made her a forgettable antagonist, even though she is said to be the strongest antagonist Shippūden series. At the end of the day, they were used as shock devices.