The Akatsuki is a popular organization featured throughout Naruto, housing some of the most well written, interestingly developed and powerful characters in the series. The majority of the group have well-defined personalities that separate them from the rest of the Naruto cast, giving them their own voice and appeal. The Seven Deadly Sins anime had its own ten-man organization that made quite the impact in the series, named the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments were gifted with powers which were named with a word that represented a positive and almost holy impression in a religious interpretation. However, if each member of the Akatsuki were to be described with the gifted label of one of the Ten Commandments, there are certain personality traits, desires, ambitions and actions that collate surprisingly well with each.
Truth – Love
Truth can only be associated with Kisame Hoshigaki. Kisame’s character arc and dedication to the Akatsuki plan is based on shedding the World of Lies he so detests. For his entire life, Kisame had dealt with hiding the truth, killing those with the truth even if they were on his side, and finally was given the opportunity to break free from the lies in a future offered by Obito. In his final moments, he is able to withhold the truth of the Allied Shinobi Forces for the benefit of his comrades.
Similarly to Kisame, Itachi Uchiha has an obvious gift in the form of Love. Unlike the other Akatsuki members, Itachi was a hero shrouded in the cloak of a villain. The very fabric of his decisions are based on his love for his brother, Sasuke Uchiha, and his love for the Hidden Leaf Village. He betrays his entire clan to avoid an uprising and the possibility of many deaths, but is unable to slay his brother Sasuke out of the overwhelming love he carries for him. His brotherly love is unequaled.
Faith – Reticence
There is a little doubt Hidan represents the gift of Faith. The purpose for this is not only in his unyielding devotion to his God, Jashin, which is the hallmark of his character. It is also due to the very aspect of his characterization revolving around this fact. Hidan prays before a battle, sacrifices enemies to his God, begs for forgiveness for his failure to kill in a certain fashion, and has been granted immortality through this devotion to his faith, though more scientifically than religiously. Hidan is a bloodthirsty killer, but everything about his character is devoted to Jashin.
Whilst it is stated that Kakuzu can become a beast of rage and killed his former Akatsuki partner before Hidan out of anger, this trait is never truly witnessed in Naruto. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Kakuzu shows a level of restraint that his fellow Akatsuki members tend to lack and is able to carefully strategize in an intense battle situation. He embodies the gift of Reticence due to his ability to remain reserved and controlled in every event he is shown to be in, being quite the contrast to his partner Hidan.
Purity – Repose
The next two Gifts come from two characters expressive actions and the nature of them, more so than their personalities or ideals. Deidara’s art is the perfect expression of Purity. It has been claimed that nothing purifies quite like fire, and an explosion is the purest of them all. With his self-destructing jutsu at the end of his life, his entire being was blown away in a spectacular fashion, encapsulating the purest death of them all.
On the other hand, Sasori’s ideology of death and art is the complete opposite of his partner. Sasori’s practice of artistry is through his puppetry, which in a sense completes transforms the human body in an everlasting creation that transcends death. This sort of tranquility achieved through a human life and body being melded into an everlasting figure of their former being summons a feeling of the gift Repose — it is a peaceful existence, barring being used as a weapon in combat, that brings a feeling of everlasting rest, yet bordering death.
Pacifism – Selflessness
It is a difficult case to make that any of the Akatsuki, or Shinobi in general, are pacifists. When analyzing the collection of rogue ninja there was only one that could be considered for the role. Nagato had a deadly agenda — with the end goal of understanding the reality of pain. If those who suffered could respect the weight of the pain, then they would have no other option to adopt pacifism. Nagato may not have embodied the gift of Pacifism in his actions, yet his intentions reflected a future where none had a choice but to accept it.
Konan served the difficult role of supporting Nagato in his endeavors. She was his most loyal follower, supporter and friend. In fact, Konan sacrificed everything to ensure Nagato could achieve his dream of peace. Once he died, she did what she could to stop Obito Uchiha from abusing his memory and powers by hiding and protecting his Rinnegan. Even when she was alone in the world, she completely embodied the gift of Selflessness, carrying this gift until her dying breath.
Patience – Piety
There is no member of the Akatsuki who bided their time longer than Zetsu. Zetsu’s arc contains the interesting twist, being the physical manifestation of Kaguya Otsutsuki’s will. For years, Zetsu plotted and schemed to prepare the world for Kaguya’s return. From Indra Otsutsuki to Madara Uchiha, Zetsu manipulated their perceptions and led the ninja world into the creation of the Eye of the Moon Plan. The gift of Patience can only befall Zetsu and his dedication to the longest plan in the Naruto Universe.
Finally, there is the gift of Piety. The concept of righteousness can be observed in a few ways, and the only member that it truly corresponds with is Obito Uchiha. Before Naruto Uzumaki is able to talk him into seeing the horror of his actions, his righteous indignation is his own objectives blinds him to the reality of his actions. The ends justify the means, and Obito would do whatever it took to ensure the ends are met. He believes his actions are just and believes he is right in wiping away war, death, and pain from the world. Whilst the world would be better off without these things, the means also matter.
When comparing the Ten Commandment’s Gift’s labels to the Akatsuki, it is clear that each character does resemble at least one in some manner. Whilst some may encompass a few, there are particular gifts that the Akatsuki members represent more than any of their counterparts. It is definitely a coincidence, but it is an interesting observation when analyzing aspects of each members’ characterization. It reveals a depth to the antagonists, helping in the explanation of why the group of rogue ninjas were so popular to the fan base.
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