Akatsuki is one of the most fearsome organizations in the Naruto anime, but not all its members are equal in strength.
Akatsuki was the most feared organization in Naruto. 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 of Naruto’s Akatsuki weren’t necessarily equal in terms of strength. Some outclassed others in their prowess, as listed below.
Updated on November 24, 2024, 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 the Akatsuki recruited its members. 15 Kyusuke
Affiliation: Amegakure
Clan: Unknown
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.14 Zetsu
Affiliation: Akatsuki
Clan: Unknown
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 that he 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: Since Zetsu 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.13 Juzo Biwa
Affiliation: Kirigakure
Clan: Unknown
Juzo Biwa used to be a part of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He left the village and became a rogue ninja and 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.12 Hidan
Affiliation: Yugakure
Clan: Unknown
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.11 Deidara
Affiliation: Iwagakure
Clan: Unknown
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.
