Last Updated on June 4, 2025 by Dante
The Akatsuki weren’t just anime villains — they were a collection of some of the most powerful, broken, and iconic shinobi in Naruto history.
Every member brought something deadly to the table, but let’s be real: not all Akatsuki were built equal.
Here’s our definitive Akatsuki members ranked guide — based on power, feats, legacy, and yes, how much they scared the hell out of the shinobi world.
Akatsuki Members Ranked: My List
1. Obito Uchiha
There’s no debate here. Obito is the strongest Akatsuki member, full stop.
He manipulated the entire organization from the shadows. Fought Minato as a teenager. Controlled the Nine-Tails. Took on the Five Kage. Became the Ten Tails’ Jinchuriki. Teleported at will. You can’t even touch him without a cheat code.
People forget how busted Kamui really is. Even when he wasn’t at full power, Obito was moving pieces like a chess grandmaster. When he was at full power? He declared war on the entire world with a laugh.
2. Nagato / Pain
Nagato was a literal god for most of the series. The Six Paths of Pain made him untouchable. Dude pulled up on Konoha, killed Kakashi, blew up the entire village with Shinra Tensei, and nearly crushed Sage Mode Naruto.
Even when Naruto went crazy, the Deva Path was tanking every attack. No member of the Akatsuki is doing that (except Orochimaru).
He took out Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, with a fully thought-out trap. And that wasn’t even his real body.
Nagato’s only real weakness was his health. If he hadn’t been stuck in that walker, he might have made Obito sweat.
3. Itachi Uchiha
Yeah, Itachi’s ranked third — but he’s still a monster.
He never lost a fight he didn’t let someone win. Genjutsu god. Master strategist. One-shotted Orochimaru before he was 21. Beat Sasuke while literally dying. Beat Kakashi is relative ease, and one of the few people Kakashi feared (he knew he was going to lose). Sealed Nagato with ease during the war.
If he weren’t terminally ill, Itachi might’ve rivaled Nagato. He was that precise, that skilled, and that terrifying.
And let’s be honest: everyone respects Itachi. No one wanted smoke with him. Not even the other Akatsuki members.
4. Kisame Hoshigaki
Kisame gets wildly underrated, but hear this: he’s an absolute tank.
He went toe-to-toe with Might Guy, absorbed chakra like a black hole, and had one of the most dangerous swords in the series — Samehada. He wasn’t just strong, he was relentless. His chakra reserves were so massive they called him the Tailed Beast without a tail.
If Orochimaru isn’t on the list, Kisame holds the fourth spot proudly.
Honorable Mention: Orochimaru
If we’re counting former Akatsuki, then Orochimaru absolutely cracks top 4.
Immortal body-hopping scientist with every forbidden jutsu known to man. Took on Jiraiya and Tsunade at the same time with no arms. Fought Hiruzen to the death. Trained Sasuke into who he is today, and was known throughout the entire world.
Oh, and he fought Four-Tails Naruto.
Now, he wasn’t about to do shit to Naruto in that stage, but he survived attacks no one would’ve. Just ask Jiraiya:
The only reason he’s not higher is because he rarely fought at full power — but don’t let that fool you. Orochimaru’s legacy runs deep.
5. Konan
The only female member of the Akatsuki — and one of the most underrated.
Konan created an ocean of explosive tags that nearly killed Obito. The only reason he survived was Kamui + plot armor.
Her paper jutsu was insanely tactical, and she was the only one who dared defy Tobi after learning the truth about Nagato and Yahiko.
She was strong, loyal, and smart — and had the guts to go out swinging.
6. Kakuzu
Kakuzu was built to be annoying. Five hearts. Elemental mastery. Immortal unless you took them all out. He was a living weapon system — and rich as hell while doing it.
He tanked direct hits, fought multiple high-tier shinobi at once, and gave Kakashi and Team 10 everything they could handle.
Not flashy. Not popular. But lethal.
7. Sasori
Sasori of the Red Sand gets style points for being one of the most terrifying puppeteers in the series.
He made himself into a literal puppet, controlled an army, and killed the Third Kazekage. His poison was almost impossible to counter, and even in death, he stayed cool.
But in terms of raw matchups, Sasori didn’t scale well. His loss to Sakura (with Chiyo) showed his limits — especially when opponents figured out how his body worked.
8. Deidara
“Art is an explosion!” — yeah, but sometimes it’s just loud.
Deidara had one of the most destructive kits in the Akatsuki. Aerial bombs, suicide nukes, clay animals — the guy had range. But he also got beat by Genjutsu and lost to Sasuke in one of the most lopsided battles in the series.
He was dangerous, but reckless. And against the top-tier Akatsuki, he wouldn’t last.
Deidara’s cockiness cost him numerous times. He underestimated Kakashi and Naruto and paid the price with his arm. He fought Sasuke for absolutely no reason (he hated Itachi?) and died a pointless death.
His final move was absolutely insane, along with the nano-bombs he used which could’ve killed anyone except a Sharingan/Lightning style user (so not Kakashi).
Sasuke only survived due to plot armour. Seriously, the guy somehow had enough time to weave handsighs, bite his thumb, and summon Manda in the 0.5 seconds Deidara took to detonate.
LOL.
But still, Deidara had a niche skill set that does nothing against the more powerful Akatsuki.
9. Hidan
Let’s be honest: Hidan’s gimmick was amazing — immortality and a ritual kill technique? Cold.
But beyond that? He was kind of trash.
Slow. Arrogant. Dependent on ritual circles and prep. He got clapped by Shikamaru — a support ninja — and never even got a second chance. He was a great villain thematically, but power-wise?
Dead last.
I’ll say it like this.
When no one knew his ability, he was extremely dangerous. But once you knew, it was over for him. Any taijutsu master would’ve bodied him on sight.
We knew this as Kakashi fooled him with a shadow cloned and didn’t even take him seriously, focusing most of his energy on Kakazu.
I still to this day don’t know why Ino didn’t use her mind transfer jutsu on him while he was busy fighting. He couldn’t dodge.
Hell, why didn’t Lee or Neji come? He took out a Konoha brother. Lee would’ve dog walked him, and Neji can block any attack he throws.
Hinata would’ve been great here too by cutting off his charka and limbs with her gentle fist technique.
And, don’t even get me started on how Shino could easily incapacitate him. I think Shino would’ve been a nightmare for Hidan.
But, whatever…
Someone with strong ninjutsu would’ve broke his body into bits. And a Genjutsu user would’ve ended the fight in seconds. Hidan had no physical or defensive buffs to speak off.
He was simply a scythe-wielding homicidal maniac. Any competent ninja with knowledge would’ve clapped him.
NA: Zetsu
Zetsu doesn’t get ranked. He’s a plant, a spy, and a plot device. Not a fighter.
Useful?
Yes.
Strong?
Absolutely not.
Akatsuki Members Ranked: Final Thoughts
The Akatsuki were more than just boss fights — they were ideologies with chakra. And while all of them had moments, only a few had the power and legacy to shape the ninja world.
Obito, Pain, and Itachi are in a league of their own.
Kisame and Orochimaru deserve more love than they get.
And the rest? Solid threats — but not built for the final war.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is the strongest Akatsuki member in Naruto?
Obito Uchiha is the strongest Akatsuki member, due to his Kamui, Ten Tails powers, and influence over the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Is Itachi stronger than Pain?
No. Itachi was incredibly powerful, but Pain’s Rinnegan and Six Paths gave him the edge in large-scale battles.
Dante is Editor-in-Chief (Lord Hokage), which means he runs editorial and operations at BrandAnime. That means this whole thing was his idea, and he spends his time making stuff work and covering the latest anime and games. When he’s not doing 100 things at once, he’s usually… watching anime or playing games. His life isn’t that interesting, honestly.
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