Itachi Uchida
Uchiha Itachi
Itachi Uchiha is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. In the series, Itachi is the older brother of Sasuke Uchiha responsible for killing all the members of their clan, sparing only Sasuke. Itachi is treated as an antagonist for much of the series, however around the time of his death his villainous role is greatly downplayed. It is revealed that he was ordered by the former leaders of Konohagakure to kill the clan in order to prevent the Uchiha coup d’état which would have resulted in war. Despite his reservations, Itachi fulfilled his mission and defected from Konohagakure to become part of the criminal organization Akatsuki to continue protecting Konohagakure from behind the scenes.
Itachi has not been featured in the films and original video animations from Naruto, but he is a playable character in most video games of the series. His character has been very popular within readers from the manga, having ranked high in various popularity polls from the series. Also numerous anime and manga publications have commented on Itachi’s character. His fights are often noted to be “one of the best” in the series. His appearance as an antagonist has been praised by several writers although some considered his initial not to be very surprising. The gradual revelations of his past and its impact on the story has also been praised . Several types of merchandising have also been developed based on Itachi’s appearance including figurines and plush.
Within the series, Itachi is renowned for his mastery of all ninja abilities. From his days as a ninja of Konoha, Konoha ninja know by reputation not to underestimate Itachi, his killing of the Uchiha clan only elevating him to the classification of an extremely dangerous criminal. During his appearances he is shown to be very fast with his movements, attacking before his opponents have the chance to respond. Generally, however, Itachi does not actively participate in battles, remaining in a stationary position where he analyzes an opponent’s actions, only then acting in self-defense. In these instances he relies heavily on trapping opponents in illusions to keep them preoccupied, something he can do merely by pointing or looking at them.
As an Uchiha, Itachi possesses a Sharingan, an eye technique that gives the user heightened analytical capabilities. Before he assassinated the Uchiha he killed his best friend to advance his Sharingan to its next level: the Mangekyo Sharingan. When activated, the Mangekyo Sharingan changes the Sharingan’s appearance and grants Itachi with abilities derived from Japanese mythology. The first, Tsukuyomi, traps his opponent in an illusory realm in which Itachi is allowed to torture said opponent for what seems like days in a matter of moments. The second, Amaterasu, generates black flames at his focal point that will continue to burn until the target is reduced to ash. The final ability, Susanoo (creates a massive ethereal warrior that attacks on his behalf and uses the Yata no Kagami to protect him from all attacks. Despite the effectiveness of the techniques, use of the Mangekyo Sharingan deteriorates Itachi’s eyesight to the point of blindness. Only by taking Sasuke’s eyes can he restore his vision.
