Was Itachi a hero or a victim in Naruto? His actions in the Uchiha Massacre explored

Modified Jun 16, 2024 19:30 GMT

Was Itachi a hero or a victim in Naruto? His actions in Uchiha Massacre, explored (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Itachi Uchiha is one of the most beloved and controversial characters in Naruto mostly because of the Uchiha massacre that the character conducted, betraying his entire clan and only leaving his brother, Sasuke Uchiha, behind.

Just like every villain, Itachi was also born a normal human being but because of conflicting thoughts, he had to become a villain for the sake of both his clan and his home village, the Hidden Leaf Village. So, his sin had two sides to consider, whether he was a hero or a victim.

There is no answer to this because the Uchiha killer was a hero in the eyes of Hidden Leaf Village leaders, who thought he prevented a big war, and a victim in the eyes of the Uchiha, more specifically his parents who died at the hands of their son considering how their son had to take such a big step.

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Naruto: Itachi's character after the Uchiha Massacre

Itachi as seen in Naruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Itachi Uchiha was the first-born of Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the Uchiha clan and the Hidden Leaf Village Military Police Force. Being born in an era where war was common, Itachi developed a phobia for war and became strong.

As he reached 4 years of age, he became the Uchiha prodigy who could beat a jounin in battle. At age 5, he became the big brother of Sasuke Uchiha and cherished him as any brother would. At age 6, he entered the Academy and soared through every exam with great ease.

At age 11, he joined the Anbu Black Ops as its youngest member. He joined because Danzo, the leader of Anbu, saw promise in him. Unfortunately, this was also the time when his destiny as the 'Uchiha killer' was sealed.

Hashirama (left) and Madara (right) (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The Uchiha clan members had always faced discrimination from the villagers as outsiders. This was because of their legacy as descendants of Madara Uchiha, the traitor who didn't change until he met his end at the hands of Hashirama Senju. Since then, the Uchiha clan members have always been planning to revolt against the Hidden Leaf Village and take over it.

Unfortunately, the plan was to be executed when Itachi had become an Anbu Black Ops member. Scared of the times of war when he was born, he wanted to prevent it at all costs. So, he informed Danzo about this.

Ultimately, Danzo gave Itachi the choice to either join them and eliminate every Uchiha clan member, they were the minority, or join the side of his clan and die alongside them, specifically mentioning his little brother Sasuke. As Itachi adored his little brother, he joined Danzo's side on the condition that they would leave Sasuke alive.

Itachi sparing Sasuke after the Uchiha massacre (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Itachi entered every house of the Uchiha clan and killed everyone, be it women or children. He also killed his parents after telling them what had happened. They understood and died at the hands of their own for the sake of him and Sasuke.

Sasuke, who had just returned from his academy, witnessed a horrific scene he couldn't have imagined even in his wildest dreams. He saw his brother and demanded answers. This was the point where he couldn't act compassionately towards his brother, as Itachi now had to survive alone. So, he bore the seed of vengeance inside Sasuke and cast a genjutsu on him, telling him to get strong enough to kill him.

While this scene made the Uchiha prodigy the favorite of fans, it also disgusted a part of the fandom that wasn't accepting him for killing his brethren. But as he was compelled to do this, fans understood the risk he took. But the question most fans ask is whether he was a hero or a victim.

Itachi was the unknown hero in the eyes of the residents of the Hidden Leaf Village as he prevented a war that would have resulted in a huge massacre. But he was also a victim in the eyes of his parents, who saw their son do things just to keep the peaceful days alive. So, branding him with one title would be unfair to his character.

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Edited by Pradyot Hegde