The Akatsuki is the primary evil organization that Naruto and his friends have to face off with over the course of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. But they are arguably the strongest, most organized, and most dangerous criminals out there.

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In Boruto, there is a similarly powerful evil organization in Kara, which has leveled its own threats against the ninja world (and worlds outside of ninja), which Naruto and the rest of Konoha have to contend with. When put up against each other as potential rivals, it’s hard to tell which of them is better, stronger, or more organized, but there are ways in which both are very successful.

10 AKATSUKI: Their Ninja Are Remarkably Strong

Hidan in naruto

The Akatsuki is a group that exists outside of the influence or authority of any individual ninja village. For this reason, they also are able to recruit people from different villages to be a part of the organization. Several of them are missing-nin who are wanted for the murders of a lot of people. And it would be impossible not to mention that multiple Uchihas have been involved with the group, showing just how strong the member sometimes are.

9 KARA: They Have Secret Agents

kara

Kara’s greatest success as an organization is in the fact that they have members of the organization placed in areas where people aren’t aware that they’re there. These secret agents are able to collect information that they might not have been able to if they had been successfully identified as members of the Kara. Since their true alignments are unknown, people speak freely around them, leveraging Kara’s power in specific communities and allowing them to use information to their advantage.

8 AKATSUKI: They Are Hard To Find

Konan Akatsuki paper technique

As soon as the Akatsuki show up in Konohagakure for the first time, particularly since Itachi Uchiha is one of the members who come, the allied ninja villages have been on the lookout for them, concerned about what they’re planning.

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But despite looking for them over the course of several years, they’re actually never able to locate or, thanks to the many traps they set, infiltrate one of their lairs, showing the care and caution with which they operate.

7 KARA: They Have Lots Of Members

Kara Boruto Anime

Kara is such a large organization that they just exist out in the world, and anyone could potentially be a member. While their main members have markings which make them stand out from the crowd, most members aren’t so marked, and they don’t wear uniforms the way the Akatsuki did. But having so many people working for them means they can get things accomplished much more quickly, unlike the Akatsuki, who rely on groups of two on missions that can sometimes take years.

6 AKATSUKI: There Have Been Several Leaders

Pain and Madara in Naruto.

One surefire sign that a philosophy is solid, or at the very least that it speaks to a lot of people, is that after the person who originally created the group is gone, the organization continues to exist. The Akatsuki have gone through several iterations, with different members and different leaders, all working more or less toward similar goals.

5 KARA: The Members Look Cooler

Delta is an Inner of Kara

This doesn’t necessarily mean much about the organization itself, but it does make it more fun to root for them as viewers of the series. While the black robes with the red clouds that the Akatsuki wear are cool, the black robes and tattoos of Kara make them seem awesome. The character designs rule, especially with the Roman numeral face tattoos that each member of the organization has, and their individual looks help the characters give a strong impression of the group.

4 AKATSUKI: It’s Been Around For A Long Time

The Full Akatsuki from Naruto

The thing that’s interesting about the Akatsuki is that they’ve had a very specific plan in place for literally decades, and there have been several leaders who have attempted to see that plan through to fruition. Despite this, they never act too early or blow their chance to get the job done. They’ve been remarkably careful over the course of the series, and this thoughtful approach to their plans is definitely a hallmark of their success.

3 KARA: They’re A Bigger Organization

Deepa is defeated in the land of valleys

While the Akatsuki at any given time is a fairly small group of individuals, rarely numbering into the double digits, Kara is a huge organization.

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It’s split up into the Inner members, who are responsible for the actual planning of their goals, and the Outer members, who actually go out into the world and carry out the actions that need to be done in order for those goals to be successfully achieved. It’s much more efficient in this way.

2 AKATSUKI: The Hidden Goal Is Achieved

Kaguya Otsutsuki From Narutosutsuki From Naruto

They aren’t a lot of evil organizations in anime that actually succeed at the thing they’re trying to accomplish, but the Akatsuki do manage to pull it off. Through manipulation, the collection of the Tailed Beasts, and the creation of the Ten-Tails, Zetsu manages to actually resurrect Kaguya Otsutsuki. If it weren’t for Naruto’s efforts, they very nearly would have completely pulled off their plan, but Team 7 manages to defeat Kaguya at the last second. Still, getting this far is a testament to the Akatsuki’s determination.

1 KARA: They Have Infiltrated Communities

boruto victor eyepatch

Thanks to their large numbers and secret agents, Kara is just about everywhere in the world, going unnoticed. They work in pretty much every field, acting both as ninja in the ninja villages and also in more commonplace as professionals like merchants. They have managed to accumulate a great deal of wealth and power through patience and duplicity, in a way that the Akatsuki couldn’t hope to due to the fact that they’re so out in the open.

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