Redemption is a common theme in the Naruto universe. Whether absolving villains or forgiving the sins of bad friends, the shinobi world could not survive without the ability to let go of past mistakes. Despite the series’ roguish villains, many of them have actually saved the heroes from what should have been a fatal situation.
The antagonists’ intervention isn’t always expected, yet it illustrates how complex they are and that there is potential to redeem them given enough compassion and effort. In the end, many villains operate on shades of gray that the heroes need to understand in order to rehabilitate them.
10 Obito
Obito Uchiha ranked among the series’ most influential and dangerous villains. Having worked for both Pain and Madara, he fulfilled the latter’s ambitions excellently when helping to unlock the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
However, a conversation with Naruto gave Obito such a profound change of heart that he was willing to sacrifice his Rinnegan solely so that Madara wouldn’t steal it. He even gave his life in the battle against Kaguya Otsutsuki to defend Team Seven from the villain’s bone spikes.
9 Neji
Neji was once an antagonist who bitterly enforced the concept of destiny. During the Chunin Exams, he abused Hinata and repeatedly chastised Naruto’s dreams for being naive. However, Neji became a much different person after losing the tournament.
It made him reconsider the fundamental bedrock of his philosophy and he become much more like the shinobi who defeated him in the first place. Later, Neji was one of the few ninja to single-handedly defeat a member the Sound Four. He also sacrificed himself to save Naruto from the Gedo Statue during the final chapters of the Forth Shinobi War.
8 Kankuro
Kankuro was a proud shinobi who once bullied and intimidated the people of Konoha. Following Gaara’s example, he fully embraced the truce with Konoha and resurfaced after the Chunin Exams as an ally. During the Sasuke Retrieval arc, Kankuro was directly responsible for saving Kiba’s life.
His puppets were perfectly geared to defeat Sakon/Ukon’s melee-based abilities without exposing himself to any serious harm. He may have failed to defeat Sasori when the Akatsuki attacked the Sand Village, though he performed much better during their rematch at the beginning of the Forth Shinobi War since he knew what to expect.
7 Gaara
As a child, Gaara was bloodthirsty and beholden to the whims of his Tailed Beast, Shukaku. He embraced loneliness and used it to justify his wanton killings of other people. This changed after meeting Naruto, who proved to him that a better way was possible.
Ever since, Gaara has been an instrumental asset to Konoha, arguably saving the day more than any other former villain. Whether helping Lee defeat Kimimaro, sealing Raza, or even marshaling the Allied Shinobi Forces themselves, Gaara has been completely loyal and respectful to the pact he made with his newfound allies.
6 Konan
Konan was once Pain’s most reliable subordinate and a serious threat to Konoha. She participated in the invasion of the village and validated her friend’s darkest desires for mutually shared agony. When Naruto changed Pain’s mind about the world, he made a believer out of Konan as well.
She became so dedicated to his mission that she prepared thousands of paper bombs in order to defeat Obito. While ultimately still failing, Konan’s actions severely wounded him and forced the secret of the Izanagi to come to light. This forbidden technique would later be used again by Danzo Shimura.
5 Nagato
Nagato controlled the Six Paths Of Pain through rods inserted in his body. Their combined strength killed Jiraiya, obliterated the Leaf, and massacred many of its denizens. When finally made to confront his sins, Nagato realized that his philosophy was flawed.
Although the battle with Naruto left him weakened, he harnessed the last of his strength to resurrect those who died in Konoha’s attack. Konan cautioned him that overexerting his body that much would result in death, yet Nagato had been so determined to atone that he didn’t mind.
4 Zabuza
At first, Zabuza carried himself like a mercenary above the rest of the world. He did not reciprocate Haku’s sentiments until the young man had already given his life for him. When Gato and an army of mercenaries arrived, they disrespected his servant’s memory and compelled him into a rage.
Despite his injuries, Zabuza annihilated Gato’s legion of thugs using a single kunai. This prevented Team Seven from taking the risk themselves, which was particularly fortunate since the swordsman succumbed to his wounds and died. Zabuza may have been an enemy, but Kakashi respected him as a worthy rival.
3 Kurama
In the beginning, Kurama was a flagrantly hostile entity who distrusted humans due to enslavement from the Uchiha Clans. He constantly jockeyed for control of Naruto’s body and was dangerous when left unchecked. For this reason, Yamato accompanied Naruto to ensure his abilities did not get out of control.
Fortunately, Naruto’s training under Killer Bee helped him understand and eventually even align with Kurama. The Nine-Tails proved instrumental in the Forth Shinobi War, whether empowering Naruto or spreading his chakra to protect the members of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
2 Orochimaru
When Orochimaru first appeared, many anticipated that he would be the series’ main antagonist. Having corrupted Sasuke and murdered Hiruzen Sarutobi, he left a daunting impact on the original series. During the Forth Shinobi War, Orochimaru’s services were needed in order to resurrect the past Hokage.
Sasuke summoned him from Anko’s curse mark, and he was more than willing to comply with any demands issued. While Orochimaru is kept under close watch ever since the conflict’s resolution, many question if his contributions to the war effort outweigh the sins of his past. Orochimaru claims that he is content to watch the world develop, as it no longer needs his influence to be interesting.
1 Sasuke
Despite eventually becoming the series’ greatest threat, Sasuke has saved the heroes on multiple occasions. One of the most memorable early examples was in the Forest Of Death, where he single-handedly defeated Team Dosu using his newfound curse mark.
Even after defecting from the Leaf, Sasuke defeated powerful, otherwise problematic villains like Deidara, Danzo, and even Orochimaru himself. He also proved invaluable in the final battles against Madara and Kaguya Otsutsuki before his last duel with Naruto. Sasuke’s vision of justice may have been warped, yet he ultimately caused more good than harm.
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