Danzo’s role in Naruto is a reflection of the dark steps governments take to stay in power

Naruto is filled with many morally reprehensible characters. From Madara, Orochimaru, and the fourth Mizukage, each of these characters committed evil for evil's sake. Madara was a narcissist, Orochimaru had a twisted sense of morality, and the Fourth Mizukage was an extreme psychopath. These characters were also mostly on the wrong side of the Shinobi world, with the exception of the Mizukage. Due to the Mizukage’s position, he was able to get away with his crimes.

Some characters in Naruto were able to commit crimes and still be on the side of good. These characters would take actions that are brutal but are well-intentioned for their villagers. Tobirama, Hiruzen, and most especially, Danzo, are on this table. Danzo and Tobirama are responsible for most of the terrible occurrences that happened in Naruto, but they did some good.

Danzo’s acts of espionage with the ANBU roots were key in Konoha retaining its power. He also played an advisory role to the Hokage from Hiruzen to Tsunade. Danzo’s role in Naruto is Kishimoto drawing parallels to the real world, as history has shown governments using underhanded tactics to achieve their goals. Keep reading to find out more about how Danzo reflects the dark side of governments.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers. There are also mentions of sensitive topics. Reader’s discretion is advised.

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How Danzo’s role in Naruto represents the dark side of governments

Danzo conspiring with Hanzo (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Naruto markets itself as a fantastical Shinobi adventure, but in reality, it is an anti-war story, and it draws parallels to how nations in real life are formed: conflict. Conflict is a key factor in the formation of many nations, and Naruto illustrates this in detail. The birth of Konoha bears similarities to how the Roman Empire was formed, with Madara and Hashirama drawing comparisons to Remus and Romulus.

For nations to thrive, they need resources, and one way to get resources is by extracting them. The ninja villages do this by pumping a steady stream of ninjas into the world. Another way ninja villages thrive is through war. War can be fought in two ways: overtly and covertly, and no Shinobi fought wars covertly like Danzo Shimura.

Danzo also tried to assassinate his childhood friend, Hiruzen (Image via Studio Pierrot)

To Danzo, war was just a game, one for total power and domination. This meant that Danzo would take the most illegal actions to achieve some sort of peace. Danzo inherited this morbid pragmatism from his teacher, Tobirama, and took it to a higher level. When he saw the rise of a power he could not control in the Hidden Rain, he planned with Hanzo to cripple it. This action later led to the rise of Pain, but at that moment, Danzo only cared about the evil he knew—Hanzo.

There was his handling of the Uchiha crisis. Danzo saw the possibility of a civil war that could have ripple effects and affect Konoha’s standing among the other Hidden Villages. So what did Danzo do? Danzo plotted to have the entire Uchiha clan eliminated, and for a short while, Konoha experienced peace. All of Danzo’s plans were concerned with the peace and well-being of Konoha, with some plans of his own.

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Final thoughts

The problem with Danzo’s plans is that they were short-term and were driven by bigotry. The true reason he participated in the Uchiha extermination was out of hate. He also saw the citizens of other villages as inferior.

His short-term fixes led to major problems in Naruto. For example, when Pain was destroying Konoha, Danzo could have stepped in with his ANBU roots, but he remained in the shadows because he wanted to consolidate power. He also worked with Orochimaru, the person responsible for the death of his childhood teammate, Hiruzen.

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