What's up with all of these "tragic villains" in Naruto?

[Strata Spartan]

If you don't know, then let me brief you on the subject.

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A character who, although acting for primarily "evil" or selfish goals, is either not in full control of their actions or emotions and the reader or viewer can sympathize for due to them not being evil by choice, but rather by them being a victim of circumstance.

These villains can face a crisis of conscience in which they submit to doing evil, as well as having tragic pasts, which sometimes cause them to do their evil deeds. These villains often have confused morals believing that they are doing moral when in fact they are doing evil.

Even the protagonists can feel sympathy for tragic villains Often the hero will try to reason with the villain and implore him/her to stop their acts of evil. If the villain does do, he/she is usually redeemed. If not and is arrested or killed, the hero sometimes mourns him/her.

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Here are the following characters that fit the bill in the Narutoverse:

Obito Uchiha (his significant other was killed by his best friend)
Sasuke Uchiha (his entire clan was slaughtered and he holds the Hidden Leaf's top brass responsible)
Nagato (sucky childhood where his native land the Hidden Rain Village was always the battleground for wars)
Orochimaru (technically...he didn't give a reason as to why he does messed up stuff, but both his parents did die.)

The only dynamic villains who I can think of who aren't tragic villains are Danzo, Hanzo, and Madara. However, they aren't the main antagonists of the series.

Naruto Shippuden lacks a villain who is just pure evil and rotten to the very core like Frieza or Kid Majin Buu from DBZ. There past wasn't tragic at all, and you didn't feel remorseful for him when it came time for there demise.

Thoughts? Discuss.

[KGB Kakuzu]

It is entirely possible Madara csn be true evil. He has never revealed his reasons for the Moon eye plan. It is possible that the reason could be purely based on his own ambitions

[NarutoSageUzumaki]

Villains become they way they are due to some childhood trauma

it is a trademark for villains that has been that has been that way for a long time



Hitler - driven by childhood trauma , ( his father was Jewish and he left him , thus he started hating jews )

[markdabomb22]

I agree most shonen villains are pamper ass. Out of the big three Bleach Villians are my favorite for there ruthlessness

[Strata Spartan]

I agree most shonen villains are pamper ass. Out of the big three Bleach Villians are my favorite for there ruthlessness

Like Sousuke Aizen!!!!!

^ He didn't have a rhyme or reason of becoming evil except that he wanted to occupy the throne that was above everyone else.
No traumatic past that made you feel sorry for him.

[Zaiigoukyou]

Like Sousuke Aizen!!!!!

^ He didn't have a rhyme or reason of becoming evil except that he wanted to occupy the throne that was above everyone else.
No traumatic past that made you feel sorry for him.

IMO aizen wasn't evil.

He was ruthless, and insane but not evil.

The hollow shieker now that is an evil character.

The guy killed some boys mother and killed the boy when he was alive. When he died he trapped the boy's soul in a parrot and toyed with his soul in the afterlife and ate anyone's soul who came near the boy. He blamed every victim's soul he consumed on the boy to torture him

That was the most emotional moment in Bleach ever.

[Zaiigoukyou]

He was certainly not insane. Look up the definition of insane, Aizen doesn't fit it.

If you don't think killing your subordinate who was already on his deathbed (Tosen) or cutting down another just for being weak (Halibel) isn't evil, then that is indeed your own perception and reality of what is evil and what is not.

However, I believe you'll find a majority will disagree with you.

He cut down tousen because he was beginning to have a change of heart.
He killed harribel because she failed to get the job done.
Thee espada failed.
You know samurai use to off themselves if they had failed a mission right?
He used manipulated and did what he had to do in order to ascend to power.
If aizen is evil...america is evil.(dropping the atom bomb on japan, outsourcing jobs overseas)..china is evil....everything is evil.
everytime u eat a pig your evil.
The point is aizen was fighting for an ideal.
Evil to me is commiting malicious crimes out of sheer pleasure.

[Strata Spartan]

He cut down tousen because he was beginning to have a change of heart.
He killed harribel because she failed to get the job done.
Thee espada failed.
You know samurai use to off themselves if they had failed a mission right?
He used manipulated and did what he had to do in order to ascend to power.
If aizen is evil...america is evil.(dropping the atom bomb on japan, outsourcing jobs overseas)..china is evil....everything is evil.
everytime u eat a pig your evil.
The point is aizen was fighting for an ideal.
Evil to me is commiting malicious crimes out of sheer pleasure.

What are you talking about? Aizen is evil! (And he's still alive)
He wants to kill the Soul King, and take his throne. To do this, he has to sacrifice every single person in Karakura Town to create "The Ouken Key."

Not only that, but Urahara said that if the Soul King dies then the Soul Society will crumble.

[~Puppet Master~]

Hidan...

[MilicaS]

I do not agree bcs that is what makes Naruto manga/anime an exemption from the others, that's why it is unique, but I do understand what you wanted to say.

[theRPGdude]

Orochimaru was the main bad guy.

[narutonish]

The problem with villains in naruto shippuden is, they lack the intellect to explain their acts properly which makes them annoying. I can understand the reasons for Nagato, he lost his parents right in front of his eyes. Sasuke rejected the countless plea of Naruto, but after he killed Itachi and found out the real truth, he should have just killed danzo and call it even but no he wants to kill entire village now ? lol so that makes him another idiot. But Obito & madara ? Their reasons are dumb and pure bullshit.

Personally I cant wait for 10 tails to brutally rape Madara and show him whos the boss :P As far as Obito goes, he is useless just riding on Senju DNA, I expect naruto and Kakashi to own him.

[Deadai]

I like it this way, it makes the series more interesting besides black n white villians are boreing.

[Strata Spartan]

I like it this way, it makes the series more interesting besides black n white villians are boreing.

It's possible for villains to be very intriguing even if they are bad guys "without" that whole "feel sorry for me...I'm a tragic villain."

For example.


^ Akuma is evil, however, he follows a "moral code" and has "honor" which makes him a complex character to figure out.
He stopped a death battle with one of his main rivals by the name of Gen because his very ill coughing up blood. (tuberculosis)

[abnthug210]

I heard that most readers/viewers in Japan don't favor antagonists who are evil just for the sake of being evil. The villains without tragic pasts (Aizen from Bleach for example) are better received by Western audiences apparently. You shouldn't take my word on that though as I've only heard it from one person.

[Zaiigoukyou]

If you don't know, then let me brief you on the subject.

-------------------------------------------------------------

A character who, although acting for primarily "evil" or selfish goals, is either not in full control of their actions or emotions and the reader or viewer can sympathize for due to them not being evil by choice, but rather by them being a victim of circumstance.

These villains can face a crisis of conscience in which they submit to doing evil, as well as having tragic pasts, which sometimes cause them to do their evil deeds. These villains often have confused morals believing that they are doing moral when in fact they are doing evil.

Even the protagonists can feel sympathy for tragic villains Often the hero will try to reason with the villain and implore him/her to stop their acts of evil. If the villain does do, he/she is usually redeemed. If not and is arrested or killed, the hero sometimes mourns him/her.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Here are the following characters that fit the bill in the Narutoverse:

Obito Uchiha (his significant other was killed by his best friend)
Sasuke Uchiha (his entire clan was slaughtered and he holds the Hidden Leaf's top brass responsible)
Nagato (sucky childhood where his native land the Hidden Rain Village was always the battleground for wars)
Orochimaru (technically...he didn't give a reason as to why he does messed up stuff, but both his parents did die.)

The only dynamic villains who I can think of who aren't tragic villains are Danzo, Hanzo, and Madara. However, they aren't the main antagonists of the series.

Naruto Shippuden lacks a villain who is just pure evil and rotten to the very core like Frieza or Kid Majin Buu from DBZ. There past wasn't tragic at all, and you didn't feel remorseful for him when it came time for there demise.

Thoughts? Discuss.

I kind of like it.

It's more realistic.

Very rare are people just pure evil.

There is usually some sort of traumatic experience or experiences in their lives which leads them down the path of evil.

Most people who commit massacres by shootings suffered some sort of trauma in their lives.

Like another poster said hitler's hatred stemmed from his childhood.

People who are "born" evil and have the evil gene still have the chance to be good but if they are traumatized or not filled with love their natural instincts will consume them.

This was the case with Gaara.

It gets very old seeing the typical "NOW I SHALL TAKE OVER THE WORLD/NOW I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING" villian in every game, comic, movie etc. etc.

Sasuke is my favorite villian beause the pain he suffers is the pain most of us deal with on a daily basis.

The urge for revenge.

[Strata Spartan]

I kind of like it.

It's more realistic.

Very rare are people just pure evil.

There is usually some sort of traumatic experience or experiences in their lives which leads them down the path of evil.

Most people who commit massacres by shootings suffered some sort of trauma in their lives.

Like another poster said hitler's hatred stemmed from his childhood.

People who are "born" evil and have the evil gene still have the chance to be good but if they are traumatized or not filled with love their natural instincts will consume them.

This was the case with Gaara.

It gets very old seeing the typical "NOW I SHALL TAKE OVER THE WORLD/NOW I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING" villian in every game, comic, movie etc. etc.

Sasuke is my favorite villian beause the pain he suffers is the pain most of us deal with on a daily basis.

The urge for revenge.

I do like Sasuke because he's all over the place.

First he was a tragic hero. Then an anti hero. Then a cold blooded tragic villain. And now more recently, a villainous philosopher that perhaps his sins may be redeemed. He kind of reminds me of Vegeta in a bunch of ways.

[Chatte]

They are not seriously villains because this whole manga is centered around one subject: emotions.
All did this because of their emotions. Oro had his parents killed, Obito had Rin killed, Sasuke we know the case, Nagato.. the same.

[Sasunarufan13]

I'd say Orochimaru is pretty evil >_>
Madara seems to be just power hungry and that gives him the evil bad guy status, but well, we don't know a lot about his motives.
But Hidan seemed evil/insane to the core if you ask me. Thrived on killing other people. Kakuzu fits that bill as well though for him it had more financial reasons. But the again, they weren't the main villains ...

[Strata Spartan]

I'd say Orochimaru is pretty evil >_>
Madara seems to be just power hungry and that gives him the evil bad guy status, but well, we don't know a lot about his motives.
But Hidan seemed evil/insane to the core if you ask me. Thrived on killing other people. Kakuzu fits that bill as well though for him it had more financial reasons. But the again, they weren't the main villains ...

I was going around the lines of main villains, but yeah you do bring up some valid points.

Kakuzu is so bo$$! "Even Hell runs on money. I'd be just fine" He just had to be trolled in this war.....

[l Sasuke Uchiha l]

We can't be to sure about Madara, cus we don't know his reason behind the "Eye Moon Plan". For all we know he could be doing it for Izuna, which basically makes him the same as Obito.

[AlexXx]

We can't be to sure about Madara, cus we don't know his reason behind the "Eye Moon Plan". For all we know he could be doing it for Izuna, which basically makes him the same as Obito.

that will be probably the case.

[AlexXx]

yes there are no villains who are just evil and they know it. evil villains think there are good (madara, obito, nagato) and thats why the will be victim of talk no jutsu.

first i thought tobi is just pure evil but after that rin history....
and i doubt madara is pure evil.

[apple pie of doom]

Obito and Madara's goal, infinite tsukiyomi, is'nt evil evil.
You're trapped in a good dream forever, that does'nt sound too bad to me.

Evil does'nt exist in the narutoverse.
Danzou, for example, is one of the noblest persons in the Narutoverse.

[Strata Spartan]

Obito and Madara's goal, infinite tsukiyomi, is'nt evil evil.
You're trapped in a good dream forever, that does'nt sound too bad to me.

^ The Eye of the Moon Plan is evil because it requires sacrifices of the Jinchuriki especially since it requires that Naruto, The Second Coming of the SO6P, be killed.

That and it's a fake world.....a facade controlled by Madara and Obito.