Akatsukiwas the most feared organization inNaruto. Originally founded by Yahiko, it was turned into a criminal organization after his death. Feared far and wide, Akatsuki comprised of rogue ninjas from different villages. These included some of the strongest, most fearsome fighters in the entire series.
Each member of the group was very powerful and had unique abilities in their arsenal. The group had several Kekkei Genkai users, which made them difficult to deal with. Yet, the members ofNaruto’sAkatsukiweren’t necessarily equal in terms of strength. Some outclassed others in their prowess, as listed below.
Updated on June 04, 2025, by Suzail Ahmad:The Akatsuki existed years before the current timeline. It was originally founded by Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, the three Amegakure orphans. They wanted to use the organization for the betterment of people, so nobody would suffer like them. Unfortunately, fate had other plans for them. The new Akatsuki was originally a mercenary organization that took requests from villages for money.
Initially, the Akatsuki did not have many members in its ranks. However, they recruited new and powerful fighters. With each person having a different motive, the Akatsuki had to employ unique methods to recruit them. With that in mind, the list has been updated with information that explains how theAkatsukirecruited its members.
15Kyusuke
Could Use Lava Release
Kyusuke was among the original founding members of the Akatsuki. While being unnamed in the manga, Kyusuke was given screen time in the anime. He was also known as “Swift Foot Kyusuke,” which indicates that he was very agile.
In the anime, Kyusuke could also use Lava Release. He was killed by the combination of Obito and Zetsu.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat: Kyusuke was killed before he could make any kind of valuable contribution to the series. His strongest ability was Lava Release, but his expertise over the Kekkei Genkai remains unknown.
Defeat:Kyusuke’s defeat came at the hands of Obito Uchiha. Kyusuke wanted to stop the Uchiha from achieving his goal, but when all his efforts proved to be futile, he decided to risk his life. Unfortunately, Kyusuke was still unable to beat Obito, and his sacrifice proved useless.
Reason for joining:Kyusuke joined the Akatsuki after being beaten by Yahiko. Another reason why he was ready to be a part of the organization was his hatred towards Hanzo, who ruled Amegakure with an iron fist.
14Zetsu
Proficient At Infiltration
Zetsu was the weakest member of the Akatsuki. He specialized in infiltrating different places and gathering intel. Throughout his time in the organization, he was never involved in a serious fight that would show his fighting capabilities.
In the end, Zetsu was just biding his time so thathe could resurrect Kaguya Otsutsuki. He had no real powers, and instead mainly acted as support for others.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat:Zetsu’s ability to manipulate other people around him was second to none. For years, he controlled the actions of people without them ever finding out. Zetsu’s biggest feat was successfully freeing Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Defeat:SinceZetsu was made up of two entities, its deaths came at different times. White Zetsu was killed by Sasuke, while Black Zetsu was sealed along with Kaguya Otsutsuki by Naruto.
Reason for joining:Zetsu can be considered the founder of the Akatsuki, as it was the one who manipulated Madara and then Obito. Without Zetsu, the group would have never existed.
13Juzo Biwa
Former Member Of The Seven Swordsmen Of The Mist
Juzo Biwa used to be a part of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He left the village andbecame a rogue ninjaand eventually ended up joining the Akatsuki, where he was partnered with Itachi Uchiha. His acceptance into the group shows that he was a very strong ninja.
Juzo and Itachi were chased by the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, and the fight ended in a disaster for both sides. Yagura launched a tailed beast ball toward Juzo, who tried to deflect the attack, but it backfired terribly. Juzo ended up being impaled by his sword, which led to his death.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat:Juzo did not get enough screen time to showcase his abilities. If one were to take the anime’s content into consideration, he was quite resilient, as he managed to survive Might Dai’s attacks, who was using the eighth gate.
Defeat:Juzo Biwa’s life ended during the fight against Yagura. The swordsman underestimated the power of his opponent, which proved fatal. Juzo died after being penetrated by his sword.
Reason for joining:Juzo became a missing ninja after surviving Might Dai’s onslaught. Although not canon, he joined the Akatsuki after this incident.
12Hidan
Blessed With Immortality
Hidan was a missing ninja from Yugakure, who joined the Akatsuki and teamed up with Kakuzu. Kisame called the two of them were called the Zombie Duo, as they were almost unkillable.
Hidan was immortal and used the blood of his opponents to subdue and kill them. His immortality made it very difficult to fight him; however, despite his immortality, Hidan didn’t make the most of it. He was eventually defeated by Shikamaru Nara.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat:Hidan was extremely proud of his inability to die, and he would often charge head-first into situations. Hidan’s most powerful ability was the Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood. Hidan used this technique to take control of Asuma’s body, ultimately killing the Hidden Leaf Jonin.
Defeat:Hidan developed arrogance because of his immortality. He was confident that nobody would be able to beat him. His insolence proved costly as he foolishly chased Shikamaru and fell right into his trap.
Reason for joining:Hidan was confronted by Konan, Itachi, and Kakuzu as part of their mission. In the fight, Hidan destroyed one of Kakuzu’s hearts. Subsequently, Konan offered Hidan a chance to join the Akatsuki, which he accepted because of his interest in Kakuzu.
11Deidara
Could Produce Explosive Clay Objects
Deidara was the youngest member of the Akatsuki. Initially, he wasn’t ready to join the group, but Itachi defeated him and forced him to join the organization.
Deidara was a proficient user of Explosion Release. With his special molding clay, he could create all kinds of shapes. Deidara also created a way to bypass the genjutsu of the Sharingan. His rashness limited his thinking capability and stalled his growth as a fighter.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat:There was a reason why the Akatsuki sought out Deidara. His talent for creating different kinds of bombs was unparalleled. Deidara’s strongest technique was C0. He used it as a final resort in his fight with Sasuke, and he almost managed to kill Uchiha, who narrowly escaped due to his quick thinking.
Defeat:Deidara was a prodigy from the Hidden Stone village. He had a lot of room to grow, but his life came to a premature end while fighting Sasuke Uchiha. As he was staring down the barrel of defeat, Deidara decided to use a massive attack that would take out both Sasuke and him.
Reason for joining:After learning about Deidara’s skills, the Akatsuki sent Itachi, Kisame, and Sasori to recruit him. Deidara was arrogant, so he refused their request. Ultimately, he made a bet with Itachi which he lost. This led to him joining the Akatsuki.
10Shin Uchiha
Expert Medical Ninja
Shin Uchiha was one of Orochimaru’s test subjects. At some point, he became obsessed with Itachi Uchiha and decided to create a new Akatsuki by himself. He believed that peace was the biggest hindrance to the evolution of mankind.
Shin Uchiha was a powerful fighter who was armed with the Mangekyou Sharingan. With his Mangekyou Sharingan, Shin was able to manipulate tools that had a special mark on them. He was also adept at using medical ninjutsu.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat:Shin Uchiha was quite arrogant, as he believed that his Mangekyou Sharingan would enable him to take down anyone. With his telekinetic ability, Shin was able to stab Naruto with Kusanagi.
Defeat:Shin Uchiha’s plan to revive the Akatsuki never came to fruition, all thanks to the efforts of Naruto and his friends. Without their intervention, there is no telling what he would have done.
Reason for joining:Shin Uchiha was obsessed with Itachi Uchiha, which is why he tried to recreate Akatsuki.
9Kakuzu
Possessed Various Hearts
Kakuzu was one of the oldest characters in the series. He was the partner of Hidan, and together the two of them formed a formidable duo. Like Hidan, Kakuzu was “immortal,” as he had several hearts.
He was sent to assassinate Hashirama Senju, but the attempt ended in failure. Kakuzu could use several nature releases as well, and could even use his hair to stitch back parts of his body if they were ever severed in battle.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat:Kakuzu’s ability to steal the hearts of other people and use them for his own benefit made him a dangerous foe. Kakuzu managed to survive a fight with the First Hokage, which is undoubtedly his best feat.
Defeat:After living for so many years, Kakuzu had managed to learn about all kinds of different jutsu. However, all his experiences couldn’t help him overcome the group of Hidden Leaf ninjas. He was beaten by Naruto with the help of the Rasenshuriken.
Reason for joining:Kakuzu ended up joining the Akatsuki after defecting from his village. Considering the organization was invested in earning money, Kakuzu’s choice made sense.
8Sasori
Master Puppeteer
Shooting to fame during the Third Great Ninja War, Sasori gained the reputation of a notorious ninja and earned the nickname “Sasori of the Red Sand.” He was a master of puppetry, who could even turn humans into puppets.
Sasori managed to turn the Third Kazekage into a human puppet, which is a huge achievement considering that the latter was thestrongest Kage in the historyof the village. It took the combined efforts of Sakura and Chiyo to finally bring down Sasori.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat:Sasori’s ability to control puppets with finesse made him a dangerous opponent, and on top of that, he had access to some of the most lethal poisons. Sasori’s biggest achievement is taking down the Third Kazekage without any help.
Defeat:Sasori’s defeat was different from that of the other members of Akatsuki. While he was fighting Chiyo and Sakura, the two kunoichi were unable to gain a significant advantage. Towards the end of the fight, Sasori didn’t dodge the attack by Chiyo, instead choosing to be killed.
Reason for joining:Sasori was challenged by Konan at some point after he left the village. She proposed that he join the Akatsuki. Sasori accepted on the condition that she beat him. The master puppeteer was no match for Konan’s skill and ended up losing.
7Orochimaru
A Member Of the Sannin
Orochimaru used to be a fearsome criminal whose mere presence was enough to strike fear into the hearts of people. He became a rogue ninja after Hiruzen found out about his inhuman experiments.421`
Orochimaru was one of the Sannin, who made a name for themselves in the Second Great Ninja War. Orochimaru had knowledge about almost every kind of jutsu, and because of that knowledge, he developed new jutsu and perfected many old ones.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat:Orochimaru lived through the era of various powerful ninjas. Over time, he amassed a great deal of information, and eventually, he found the jutsu to become “immortal.” Orochimaru’s biggest feat is surviving a fight against Naruto, who was using his four tails form.
Defeat:Orochimaru’s biggest loss as a member of Akatsuki came at the hands of Itachi Uchiha. Orochimaru tried to take over the body of the Uchiha, but the latter was able to secure an easy victory. Not long afterward, Orochimaru left the organization.
Reason for joining:Orochimaru became a member of the Akatsuki after escaping from the Hidden Leaf. Upon joining, he was partnered with Sasori.
6Kisame
Chakra Reserves That Rival A Tailed Beast’s
Partnered with Itachi in Akatsuki, Kisame defected from Kirigakure and became a missing ninja. Kisame wielded Samehada, one of the legendary swords. This weapon possessed the frightening ability to absorb chakra.
Kisame had incredible chakra reserves, which led to his moniker “Tailless Tailed Beast.” He was able to overwhelm several jinchuriki with ease. Kisame has many noteworthy feats to his name, including getting the better of Asuma and capturing jinchuriki.
Strongest Ability and Biggest Feat:Kisame was a no-nonsense ninja who would see to it that the mission was completed at all costs. Kisame’s most powerful ability was being able to absorb the chakra from other jutsu. His biggest feat is surviving the onslaught of Guy, who was using the Sixth Gate.
Defeat:Kisame’s abilities made it difficult to beat him in a fight. All kinds of chakra attacks were useless against him. In that sense, he was unlucky that his opponent was Might Guy, a taijutsu expert who could wreak havoc with his fists and kicks.
Reason for joining:Kisame was said to be involved in a plot to overthrow the government, which is why he was forced to flee. Not long afterward, he joined the Akatsuki.
