Madara isn’t just Naruto’s best villain, he’s one of anime’s best, and here’s why

Naruto is full of memorable villains, but when I look back on the series, which happens to be among my favorite anime of all time, one stands out as not only the best in NarutoBut one of the top villains in anime history, and this one Uchiha Madara. one of Narutos most intriguing aspects is As the stories surrounding its antagonists unravel. From the horrifying revelations surrounding Payne and Conan, orphans from war-torn Amegakure, to the narrative twists involving Itachi Uchiha and the Uchiha clan, Naruto Excels in the presentation of its villains.

Madara, who shares a spot with the controversial Kaguya as the strongest villain of all Narutois a force to be reckoned with. He acts like a near-mythological criminal, carrying on with the unconscious background of the show – until he is no more. At this point, his mystery only grows.

while many Naruto Fans have mixed feelings towards Madara, and most of them revolve around issues of power scaling and how dominating he is when he appears at the end of the series, I disagree. I couldn’t care less about Madara’s power levels. From his backstory to his role in the story to his personality, Madara Uchiha is one of anime’s all-time greatest villains.

A slow reveal made Madara even more menacing

Madara’s importance is clear to all NarutoBut his identity is not

In truth, Madara did not simply appear out of the blue during the Fourth Great Ninja War. The first time Madara appears is in episode #127 (“Vengeful Strike! The Broken Dance!”), during the Sasuke Recovery arc. Naruto tracks Sasuke down and confronts him in the Valley of the End, where the two Fight on the heads of Hashirama, the first Hokage, and Madara.

Madara’s identity is not revealed until later, though. Sasuke, the only survivor of the Uchiha clan along with Itachi, had no idea who he was when Kurama mentioned that Sasuke’s chakra reminded him of Madara’s. Naruto Shippuden Episode #52 (“The Power of the Uchiha”).

Eventually, another Uchiha, Obito, joins Akatsuki with the intention of carrying out Madara’s Eye of the Moon plan. The viewers are left unaware of this, with Obito first joining Akatsuki under the name Tobi and pretending to be AOF. After Paine’s death during the Five Cage Summit arc, he claims to be Madara in order to strike fear into the Cage, finally telling the Five Cage about the Eye of the Moon plan. Madara demands that Naruto and Killer B be handed over, and upon refusal, declares war on the Five Kage.

The viewers and the Kage are at this point both under the impression that Tobi was Madara all along. The story flows forward until Kabuto, a former protégé of Orochimaru, catches Madara to ask for an alliance. After a short battle, Kabuto Reincarnates the real MadaraShows Tobi that he was found nearby. After Tobi finally agrees, Madara is de-summoned.

Madara finally reappears during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Realizing that his body has been made even stronger, he tests it against the Fourth Division of the Allied Shinobi Forces. The next battle is A display of his raw power and combat dominanceTearing through countless shinobi single-handedly while making time for taunts and sarcastic jeers.

His effortless power combined with his undeniable charisma and self-assurance is memorable Jojo’s Strange AdventureIt’s Dio Brando. After being angry for so long, Seeing Madara tear apart the Fourth Division is an incredible payoff. As the arc continues and his power ceiling only seems to climb, the payoff grows even greater with Madara even killing Naruto and Sasuke.

Madara’s backstory shows Narutos depth

Madara builds the history of Konoha as he explains Narutos policy

I have always been fascinated by the political subthemes of NarutoAnd Madara’s story unravels before the viewer’s eyes during the war. Naruto’s world is plagued by gaps and mysteries, but Madara is one of the bright spots. Compelling and strangely relatable, Madara’s backstory contrasts beautifully with the on-screen carnageShowing that every action he takes is intentional: the result of sheer pain, isolation, and a contorted (but ultimately sincere) empathy for humanity.

As children, Madara befriended Hahirama Senju. They had the misfortune of being born in the Warring States era before NarutoS cage system, when The Senju and Uchiha clans have an ongoing rivalry. Madara was forced to face Hashirama (and his brother, Tobirama) on the battlefield.

Many heartbreaks followed, including the deaths of the brothers of Madara (Izuna) and Hashirama/Tobirama (Kavirama and Itama). Eventually, Hashirama wanted to bring peace and founded Konohagakure as a way to inter-clan unity. Madara saw Hashirama’s efforts for peace as an attempt to erase the past, and lost any faith in the Kage system Hashirama wanted to establish. He believed that the peace would only last as long as Hahirama’s own life, and was also afraid that incorporating the Uchiha clan into Konoha would only be a way to a new kind of subjugation.

Hashirama wanted to make Madara the Hokage: partly as a celebration of a long-standing unity between the Senju and Uchiha clans, and partly as a way to quiet Madara’s concerns. Madara refused, as did Tobirama. As fate would have it, The Uchiha are discriminated against. Madara tried to lead his clan away from the alliance and offended many sympathizers, leading to Hahirama making an attempt on his life. Madara survived and started crafting his plans for a different peace: the abolition of all pain through the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

In his exile, he would do two pivotal things:

1. Save Obito’s life and take him under his wing, ensuring his plans would be carried out after his death, (including by leaving him with Black Zetsu, which Madara believed to be an embodiment of his will).

2. Given Nagato his Rinnegan by Obito, hoping to retrieve it after Nagato eventually revived him (an ability he instead used to revive Konoha).

Meanwhile, Tobirama, who had become Second Hokage and held an enduring grudge against the Uchiha, Started the Konoha Military Police Force. Intended as a way of rooting out any remaining support for Madara, in part by weaponizing the Uchiha against himself, this would force them to the margins of Konoha. Meanwhile, it raised suspicion both within and without the clan. The ripple of this decision would lead to Itachi massacring the entire Uchiha clan.

Madara is one of anime’s best villains

Madara is a masterclass in foreshadowing and rewarding the patience of readers

After enduring tension and misdirection, Madara’s backstory improves Naruto As it draws to a close. Madara’s thighs Narutos story together, acting as the missing link driving both Naruto And Naruto Shippuden of the shadows. His influence on Nagato and Obito is a wonderful revelation that turns Akatsuki from a renegade organization into an organized front to attack the pain of inter-clan wars and the foundations of the Kage system. Furthermore, Sasuke’s own development starts to become key, as the connection between the Uchiha and the Senju clans is finally explored.

The childhood moments spent with Hashirama are incredibly sweet, which shows that Madara didn’t become “evil” so much as his “good” side was closed By way of relatable tragedy and alienation. I think that a perfect parallel is Suguru Geto from Jujutsu Kaisenwho also turned to a more apocalyptic concept of peace when his belief in peace between collectors and non-collectors was frustrated. The Pine arc is just one example of how the message would obviously resonate with those affected by the fallout when the Cage imposed their version of ​​peace, which (in a certain light) seems to care above all for themselves.

Unlike many other villains in anime, Madara is also perfect closure. When Madara finally dies on the battlefield, His remaining time is spent with the resurrected Hashirama.. Hashirama confirms that despite everything, they are still friends. Madara meanwhile admits that since Hashirama’s ideal for peace won in the end, it must have been better.

Through all this, Madara was given An inevitability and grounding rationality that many anime villains lack. Between his mystique, charisma, backstory and power, his return provided a natural conclusion to Naruto. However, his reputation is somewhat tarnished by the fact that he is the subject of endless Powerscaling debates. It is true that the story is partly responsible for this, as Madara’s overwhelming power feels excessive at times, but I also believe that this has nothing to do with his effectiveness as a character.

In fact, Madara is the blueprint for writing villains effectively: villains who are turned into such by the world, and considered villains only by those who don’t listen. Madara Uchiha Is not only the best villain in Naruto – He proves to be one of the best, most thoughtfully written villains in all of anime.