Strongest Akatsuki Members in Naruto (2023)

Akatsuki is undoubtedly the most popular anime villain group in the anime community. The group consisted of rouge ninjas from all the Naruto universe villages. Akatsuki’s main object was to collect all the “Tailed Beasts” (Bijuu) and combine them to create the ten tails(Jyubi). Each Akatsuki member had their own unique powers making the group a formidable threat to all the villages across the Naruto universe. 

Every Naruto has its favorite member from the group, but they can’t be biased toward choosing the strongest Akatsuki members. We gathered all the Akatsuki members and put them together in the strongest Akatsuki member list. 

Major Spoilers: This piece of writing contains information that might reveal key plot points about the members of the Akatsuki. You should watch the anime or read the manga before reading this to ensure your experience is maintained.

• Episode Debut: 173 (Shippuden)
• Manga Debut: 238
• Death: Episode: 174 (Shippuden)

The strongest Akatsuki member is definitely Obito, but it’s not really fair to the other members because his powers are broken. He can use Kamui to phase through stuff and suck things into another dimension, which makes most other abilities useless. Plus, he’s really good at Genjutsu and countering other jutsus.  

The only other Akatsuki member who might have a chance against him is Itachi, but it’s not a sure thing. Everyone else would just get destroyed by Obito, even Pain (whose most powerful jutsus wouldn’t work against him). But don’t get it wrong, Obito isn’t invincible. He almost got killed by Konan, and he himself thinks that Itachi could have taken him down if he knew all his secrets. And if we’re talking about Obito when he was wearing his white mask or were Jubito, then he’d be even worse for the other Akatsuki members. So yeah, Obito is definitely the strongest.

• Episode Debut: 173 (Shippuden)
• Manga Debut: 238
• Death: Episode: 174 (Shippuden)

Number two on the list is Pain/Nagato, with the version of Pain being the more accurate one since that’s what Nagato uses when he is in the Akatsuki. Pain has powerful abilities, including six different bodies, which complicates fighting against him. His abilities, such as the Catastrophic Planetary Devastation and Chibaku Tensei, hit extremely hard, and he also has Ninjutsu absorption. His summonings are very strong, such as the summoning of the giant dog, which can solo Kakuzu without much problem. The Asura Path can hit pretty hard too, and he can extract people’s souls and resurrect the other Paths of Pain. 

He fought Kakashi, killed him, and destroyed the entire Village with the Shinra Tensei technique. He still had enough energy to fight against Sage Mode Naruto and beat him, and it was only because the Nine-Tailed Fox intervened that he was ultimately defeated. Pain/Nagato is undoubtedly one of the strongest Akatsuki members of the series.

• Episode Debut: 81 ( Naruto Part One)
• Manga Debut: 139
• Death: Episode: 138 (Shippuden)

Itachi Uchiha is ranked number three on this list, and although he could potentially compete against Pain and Obito, some factors may hold him back in a battle against them. Itachi’s chakra reserves and durability are lower than some of the other members, and he does not possess the same level of hacks as Obito. However, Itachi is still incredibly powerful and possesses some of the most formidable jutsu in the series, such as Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo. He is also highly intelligent and fast, having been able to keep up with KCM1 Naruto.  

One of Itachi’s most powerful techniques was the Amaterasu, a black flame that could burn anything to ashes and was nearly impossible to extinguish. He also had access to the Susanoo, a massive humanoid construct that could protect him from attacks and unleash devastating attacks on his opponents. In addition to these abilities, Itachi also possessed the Yata Mirror and Totsuka Blade, two weapons that were said to be invincible and could seal away any enemy they struck. All these techniques make him one of this list’s strongest Akatsuki members.

• Episode Debut: 80 ( Naruto Part One)
• Manga Debut: 139
• Death: Episode 251 (Shippuden)

Kisame Hoshigaki was a popular villain in the show and worked closely with Itachi Uchiha. His high chakra reserves and strong water-style techniques make him a dangerous opponent to face, earning him the nickname “Tailed beast without a tail.” His ability to drain chakra and regenerate from it also gives him an advantage in battle. He had a sword called Samehada, which could absorb the chakra of his opponents. He was known as the Monster of the Hidden Mist because he was a member of the elite Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist group. His loss to Guy was mainly due to Guy’s unique fighting style and natural counter to Kisame’s abilities. 

Kisame’s massive water bubble technique is indeed a powerful tool, and his opponents would need to find a way to escape it quickly to avoid being trapped and potentially killed. Overall, Kisame’s strength and abilities make him a worthy opponent and deserving of his fourth-place ranking on this list.

• Episode Debut: 2
• Manga Debut: 247
• Death: Episode 124 (Shippuden)

Diedara is definitely a very formidable opponent with a unique and powerful set of Jutsus. His explosive attacks are indeed very destructive, and his ability to fly gives him a significant advantage in battle. The C2 Dragon and C4 Karuri techniques are particularly deadly. Also, his training in countering Genjutsu is a valuable skill to have.

One thing to note is that while Diedara’s explosive attacks are indeed powerful, they also have a drawback in that they can be avoided or countered if the opponent is fast and skilled enough. Additionally, his reliance on his explosive attacks and lack of other offensive options can make him vulnerable if his opponent is able to get close enough to him. Ultimately he faces his demise while battling with Sasuke but is later revived through “Edo Tense” by Kabuto during the war arc. Overall,  Diedara is a powerful character and deserves to be ranked high on the strongest Akatsuki members list.

• Episode Debut: 2(Shippuden)
• Manga Debut: 247
• Death: Episode 27 (Shippuden)

At number seven, we have Sasori of the Red Sand. Sasori is a limited ninja who only has a few powerful attacks. His poison is the most dangerous thing he has, which is deadly but not impossible to counter. Sakura could counter the poison cloud with a paper bomb, and Sasori could easily kill someone with his poison if they didn’t have an antidote.

Sasori also has the third Kazekage puppet, the Iron Sand, a powerful Jutsu but stronger than the original when the third Kazekage was alive. Sakura fought Sasori and punched away at the Iron Sand without much trouble. Sakura may be strong, but everyone else on this list has more firepower than she does, and they would easily be able to destroy the puppets as well. Sasori is also not very fast, and Sakura is able to keep up with him during their fight. Sasori is not weak,  but everyone on this list is stronger.

• Episode Debut: 125
• Manga Debut: 363
• Death: Episode 78 (Shippuden)

Moving on to the strongest Akatsuki members list, Let’s talk about Konan. Without prep time, she doesn’t have a lot of feats to speak of. There’s a video game scene where she recruits and defeats Sasori, but it’s not even considered canon by some fans. Her only other notable feat is being confirmed to be stronger than Hidan, but that’s not saying much.

She only did well in the fight against Obito because he initially underestimated her and forgot that she was a strong Akatsuki member. It’s hard to scale her based on that fight alone. Her only other combat showing is against Jiraiya, who was able to tag her with a questionable attack. All in all, it’s hard to rate Konan as a top-tier fighter without more screen time. She doesn’t have many notable feats or showings that put her on the same level as some of the other Akatsuki members.

• Episode Debut: 71
• Manga Debut: 321
• Death: Episode 78 (Shippuden)

Moving on to the 8th member of the strongest Akatsuki members list, we have Kakuza. While he does have a powerful defense jutsu called Stone Skin, it can be countered by lightning style and other strong jutsus. Kakuzu has five lives making him a formidable opponent. Some believe Kakuzu is better than Kakashi in taijutsu but that the fight between them wasn’t exactly fair since Kakuzu had Hidan’s help while Kakashi was protecting Choji and Ino. Kakashi didn’t use his Mangakyu Sharingan during the fight and would have used it if Naruto and reinforcements didn’t arrive.

His offensive jutsus are just basic elemental jutsus, which are powerful, but not enough to go above a certain tier of strength in the Narutoverse. But still, he was blitzed by Naruto twice with the Rasenshuriken, and Naruto at that time wasn’t even that powerful compared to other Akatsuki members.

• Episode Debut: 71
• Manga Debut: 321
• Death: Episode 89 (Shippuden)

The second last official member of the strongest Akatsuki members list is Hidan. Many people consider him the group’s weakest member, and it’s not hard to see why. Even though he’s stronger than someone like Asuma, who’s a pretty skilled fighter in his own right, Hidan admits that he’s not very accurate and is pretty slow compared to the rest of the group. He and Kakuzu are a duo, but it’s clear that Kakuzu does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to fighting.

Hidan fought Yugito(Two-Tailed Jinchuriki) once, but some argue that his immortality and Kakuzu’s help made it a lot easier for him. Hidan doesn’t have much going for him besides being stronger than Asuma. Even then, he’s usually at the bottom of the list when it comes to comparing him to other characters in the show.

• Episode Debut: 134(Shippuden)
• Manga Debut: 134
• Death:N/A

Number tenth on the list is Zetsu, specifically the original black and white Zetsu from the Akatsuki. Many people overlook Zetsu’s abilities, but both the black and white versions have impressive powers. Black Zetsu was able to keep up with the Fifth Mizukage and a KCM Naruto clone and even tripped KCM1 Naruto. He also has a powerful wood style and dealt with many powerful ninjas at once. 

White Zetsu has spore power, which drains chakra from the target and can be transferred to someone else. He can also transform into other people and mimic their chakra, making it difficult to tell the real person apart. While some may argue he is one of the strongest Akatsuki members for putting Zetsu in the first place ( because he stabbed Madara), It is not necessarily a power move so, other members of the Akatsuki are more credible. Nonetheless, Zetsu should not be underestimated.

Other Akatsuki members

• Episode Debut: 1 (Shippuden)
• Manga Debut: 1

Sasuke joining the Akatsuki was a significant turning point in his character arc.  Sasuke was tasked with capturing the eight-tailed beast, Gyuki, with the help of his partner, Itachi Uchiha. However, their mission ultimately failed, and Sasuke was forced to flee from the Akatsuki. However, things took a different turn, and Sasuke ultimately had a change of heart, deciding to align himself with the Allied Shinobi Forces during the final showdown.

• Episode Debut: 27(Shippuden)
• Manga Debut: 45

Orochimaru’s time at Akatsuki was marked by his insatiable desire to further his own goals and ambitions. He was initially drawn to the organization due to its access to powerful jinchuriki, which he hoped to use to further his own research into immortality.

In Akatsuki, Orochimaru teamed up with Sasori, who worked together to capture and extract the tailed beasts from their jinchuriki hosts. Both teaming up created the strongest Akatsuki members duo. Orochimaru’s extensive knowledge of ninjutsu and nature transformation proved invaluable in these missions, and he quickly established himself as one of the organization’s most valuable members.

However, Orochimaru’s thirst for power and knowledge led him to clash with fellow member Itachi Uchiha. Orochimaru sought to steal Itachi’s Sharingan eyes to add their power to his own, but Itachi was able to overpower him with his powerful genjutsu.

• Episode Debut: 419(Shippuden)
• Manga Debut: 668

The last member on our strongest Akatsuki members list is Jūzō Biwa. He was a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and a skilled shinobi from Kirigakure. He carried the Kubikiribōchō sword and was proficient in Kenjutsu and water release jutsu. He was Itachi’s partner in the Akatsuki but died during a mission in his village after being heavily injured in battle against the Mizukage.

• Episode Debut: 455(Shippuden)
• Manga Debut: 322

The unnamed shinobi was one of Kakuzu’s ex-partners in the Akatsuki from an unknown village, and his powers remain a mystery. He was Kakuzu’s fourth partner, and he killed him during a battle. Kakuzu collected his heart, indicating his strength. He was skilled in Kenjutsu and seen carrying a large sword in battles. Since very little is known about him, he is considered the weakest Akatsuki member known to date.

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