The Akatsuki were some of the most well-known and charismatic villains in the Naruto universe. Most of them hailed from different villages and had dramatically clashing personalities, rendering them as entertaining to watch as they were formidable to fight.
Similarly, many of the organization's members have drastically varying levels of maturity. While several are respectful of their comrades and even their enemies, others are frequently manic, derisive, and cruel. By ranking the Akatsuki by maturity, we can better distinguish the most level-headed individuals of the villainous cult.
10 Tobi Acted Like A Child To Hide His True Identity
When infiltrating the Akatsuki, Obito assumed the moniker of Tobi and behaved much differently in order to throw his associates off. Oftentimes, he would act completely manic and buoyant, much to the annoyance of those he surrounded himself with, especially Deidara.
His immaturity was so profound that it actively interfered with his ability to fulfill his duties. This was seen during his confrontation with Kakashi's team in the forest, where he was too preoccupied toying with them by using the Kamui to fight back.
9 Hidan Cackled Like A Lunatic And Didn't Take Enemies Seriously Due To His Immortality
Hidan was perhaps the cruelest and haughtiest member of the Akatsuki's ranks. He used his immortality as an excuse to fight recklessly, despite the fact that his body could still be dismembered, and adored tormenting his opponents before they died.
This was primarily seen in his defeat of Asuma, where the blade he used to pierce his own chest was inserted at a leisurely pace. Hidan's unapologetically sadistic approach to his enemies gave Shikamaru a tremendous drive for revenge.
8 Zetsu Was Only Mature Half Of The Time
In general, Zetsu's maturity — or lack thereof — didn't interfere with his ability to perform his duties. He was a capable spy for the Akatsuki until his ultimate betrayal of Madara at the conclusion of the Fourth Shinobi War.
Although Black Zetsu is grizzled and dangerously intelligent, White Zetsu is ebullient, childish, and oftentimes playful. He served as a muse for Black Zetsu to share exposition with in order to inform audiences of what was happening in the current battle. Bizarrely, the two dramatically clashing sides of the same being never seemed to perturb one another, allowing them to herald Kaguya's return to the best of their ability.
7 Deidara Is Enthralled By Cheap Explosions And Is Carelessly Aggressive
Deidara only joined the Akatsuki under the pretense that he would be able to practice his "art" without fear of serious repercussions. Instead of actually attempting to remake the world for a moral cause, he simply wanted to blow things up with his explosive clay.
After Sasori's death, he was forced mature due to his new and begrudging partnership with Tobi. He was ultimately undone by creating a massive explosion that took his life.
6 Sasori Was Antisocial, Impatient, And Saw Humans Only As Material For His Creations
Sasori was a man with many character flaws. In addition to finding his partner an annoyance, he was profoundly impatient, often reminding allies and foes alike that he didn't like to be kept waiting.
Although his art allowed him to create wonders, it also detached him from his humanity and fostered a more jaded and cynical perspective. Ultimately, many of his personal issues can be attributed to the loss of his parents at a young age and their ersatz replacement of Granny Chiyo.
5 Kakuzu Was Sometimes Verbally Abusive To His Own Partner
Although Kakuzu seldom taunted the heroes, he was known to occasionally verbally abuse his own partner, Hidan. This was for a number of reasons, the most evident of which was for the cultist's asinine worship of his god and excessively haughty mannerisms.
When engaging with Kakashi and the other shinobi of Konoha, Kakuzu treated them as credible threats and was therefore able to survive longer than Hidan. Nonetheless, he was overwhelmed due to the sheer number of his opponents and executed with a Chidori.
4 Kisame Is Competent But Often Unnecessarily Brutal
Kisame managed to temper the gleeful sadism of Hidan and Deidara with moderate success. However, that vicious streak would often slip out in the middle of missions, especially when he sought to intimidate those he intended to fight.
For example, he told Naruto Uzumaki that he was going to cut off his arms and legs so that it would be impossible for him to escape during the hotel confrontation in Konoha. The shark shinobi was also unreasonably flustered that Might Guy never remembered who he was.
3 Itachi Meant Well But Was Nonetheless Cruel To His Enemies
Despite being a spy in service of Konoha's best interests, Itachi was completely barbaric to those who had the misfortune of crossing him. The most infamous example comes from his treatment of Sasuke, where he hoped to emotionally and physically abuse him into evolving his Sharingan.
While honing his brother's potential may be a passable excuse, he also subjected Kakashi to an excruciating genjutsu that nearly tortured him into insanity. While Itachi may not be a howling braggart or antisocial maniac like Hidan or Sasori, he was nonetheless needlessly brutal to the same people he was trying to save.
2 Pain's Maturity Brought The Akatsuki Together
Pain's maturity was conducive to his leadership and allowed him to make calculated decisions regarding the Akatsuki's future. Although his actions were excessive, he never betrayed any joy when inflicting them, instead assuming an entirely utilitarian approach to his evil.
The only "immature" quality that could be levied against the villain is that he took the worst possible conclusion from Jiraiya's lessons. Otherwise, he carried himself with class, eloquence, and grace becoming of his station as one of the most memorable antagonists of the entire Naruto series. He was even willing to take accountability for his crimes at the end of his life and sacrificed everything to make amends.
1 Konan Was Responsible For The Least Amount Of Destruction And Only Wanted To Keep Nagato Safe
Out of all members of the Akatsuki, Konan caused the least amount of destruction and appropriately received little retribution for her actions. She was present at the organization's founding, having only tolerated its descent into depravity with Nagato's best interest in mind.
After his death, she realized the gravity of what the Akatsuki had done and felt accountability for her role in its success. To protect her friend's body from being defiled and as a final act of service, she mounted a failed assassination attempt on Obito Uchiha.