Every shonen anime series needs some cool villains, and there are all kinds of awesome villain organizations, too. My Hero Academia has the League of Villains, Fairy Tail features terrifying dark guilds, and Bleach has the Espadas. Meanwhile, in the world of Naruto, some of the biggest villains belong to the Akatsuki ("dawn") organization.
Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki were the first two members of this shady organization we met, and more soon followed in Naruto Shippuden. The fans love these guys just like we do, and they made a terrific effort to bring them to life with some stunning cosplays they shared on the internet. So, we found some of the top Akatsuki cosplays out there and gathered them up for your viewing pleasure. Let's see what the fans are capable of!
10 Uchiha Menace by pikabellechu
We begin with the most distinctive and menacing Akatsuki member of all: Itachi Uchiha, the man who slaughtered his own family one moonlit night. Cosplayer pikabellechu didn't leave anything out for their cosplay; the robe looks great, and Itachi's hands are hidden. What's he plotting?
We also love that eye-popping background, which matches the color scheme and features twisted dead trees as well as the all-seeing Mangekyo Sharingan. This looks like the cover art of a Naruto manga volume, or perhaps the full-page art for a chapter.
9 Shark Girl by ShadowShrimp
Who doesn't love a good bender-bend cosplay? That's half the fun of anime cosplay; you can imagine, then dress up as, alternate versions of the character and balance the new elements with the original material. Cosplayer ShadowShrimp did a fine job with Kisame Hoshigaki.
The shark-man (now woman) is Itachi's brutish partner, and this cosplayer opted for a leaner, lighter look by discarding the robe and baring her arms while retaining the red cloud pattern to mark her as an Akatsuki member. Is it just us, or does this cosplay look a bit like Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy?
8 From Behind The Scenes by Omega19x
Our third cosplay, courtesy of Omega19x, brings us Nagato, an Akatsuki member whom we don't meet until much later. At first, it's tempting to think that Pain is orchestrating the whole thing, but he is an undead puppet being controlled by... this guy.
Nagato has seen better days, and he's using the last of his strength to control Pain through his piercing-implants. So, this cosplayer expertly brings us Nagato's emaciated but stubborn form, messy hair, and sinister puppet-control devices all in one shot. You don't forget a villain like this.
7 I See You! by ARTesstR
If Nagato is a gruesome puppet master of the Akatsuki, then Obito takes it to the next level. The world of Naruto often emphasizes the eyes, with some of the most powerful jutsu being based on them, such as the Sharingan. But as cosplayer ARTesstR shows us, Obito hungers for more.
We love this menacing close-up cosplay shot, from the washed-out and eerie colors to the realistic scars all over the cosplayer's face (plus that messy hair). But most of all, we are stunned by those mismatched eyes, with a blood-red Sharingan and the bizarre Rinnegan making for quite the pair.
6 Bad Things Come In Twos by Aqua-Monkey13
Kisame and Itachi return, but this time, they are side by side, and good luck handling their combination of brute strength and powerful illusions! From cosplayer Aqua-Monkey13 comes this terrific shot, which puts us right into the action. It's like a freeze-frame from the anime.
We can tell that the action has started, given Kisame's incoming fist and Itachi's deadly eye contact, and out in this open field, anything can happen. Both cosplayers gave their costumes some serious attention to detail, especially Kisame's wild hair. He's used to letting the fur fly!
5 Reluctant Allies by sleepyfantasy
Our sixth entry in the Akatsuki cosplay list comes from sleepyfantasy, who shows us that not all members of this sinister group get along. To the left is Konan, Yahiko and Nagato's friend, and to the right is the thuggish Hidan, who loves only pain and torture.
Both cosplayers are in fine form, and indeed, Konan is a determined but gentle woman who isn't too quick to lash out. She sits elegantly while Hidan tries to intimidate her, and she just laughs it off. Something must have made Hidan mad... perhaps he was told "no" to a fight he was looking forward to?
4 Sand Village Mission by Shazzsteel
When Naruto Shippuden started, we soon visited the arid Hidden Sand Village, where Gaara is the boss... and two new Akatsuki members are on the prowl! Deidara (left) and Sasori (right) have differing ides of art, but they agree that Gaara must be captured at all costs.
We couldn't ask for more from these cosplays from Shazzsteel. The dry, rocky background echoes the Land of Wind, and Deidara is looking elegant and refined while Sasori strikes a cool pose and brings out the chakra strings for battle. And just look at that smug face of his... he's ready to take on anyone.
3 Brothers Forever by Lauria88
Our eighth entry is an unusual take on the characters of Kakuzu (left) and Hidan (right), but it's a remarkable shot from cosplayer Lauria88. Kakuzu is the oldest Akatsuki member, a sort of chimera who assembled different body parts to wield all types of chakra at once. And Hidan is simply bloodthirsty and oh yeah, immortal, too.
But this time, these terrifying guys are more interested in friendship, and Hidan lets Kakuzu take his hand and lead him... where, we can only guess. And just look at that background, and the snow effect. It's a gorgeous scene for two of Naruto's must brutish characters.
2 Paper Girl by fumikoai
"Paper tiger" describes anything that looks dangerous but is actually harmless. Meanwhile, we wouldn't dare say that about Konan of the Akatsuki! Her paper is very real, and cosplayer fumikoai made sure to bring her full power to bear in this shot.
What's not to love? Konan is striking a dignified but tough pose, and her wig and expression are just right. And most of all, just look at those prop wings, like a bizarre angel's wings. How long did it take to make those things? Hats off to this cosplayer!
1 Saturday Morning Heroes by ChaosPhoto
Now, ordinarily, the Akatsuki members are all total villains, but when they get together like this and strike a team pose, we're tempted to think that they are here to save the day instead. With these cheery poses and warm sunlight, the effect is pretty convincing.
Cosplayer ChaosPhoto chose Kakuzu (rear), Sasori (right) and Deidara (center) for this team, all of them being shady Akatsuki members from Naruto Shippuden. If you combine deadly puppets, exploding clay dolls, and Kakuzu's four elements, what do you get? Probably a lot of chaos indeed!