Hands down, Pain is one of the most brutal members of the Akatsuki to be revealed in Naruto Shippuden. Broken and embittered, viewers learned that Pain changed his name from Nagato after losing his closest friend, Yahiko. Having seen so much horror and suffering through acts of war, his ultimate goal became inflicting pain and suffering throughout the shinobi world to show them the error of their ways. His name reflected his philosophy, and he wholeheartedly believed he'd found a foolproof way to establish peace. To this day, Pain remains one the most compelling characters Naruto ever faced, because though he's a villain, his philosophy wasn't entirely wrong.

Pain's method of forcing others to acknowledge and understand suffering by causing death and devastation is inhumane, but his theories made sense. Pain gave captivating speeches on society, humanity, suffering, empathy, war, violence, and understanding throughout the course of the Pain's Assault arc, which spanned chapters 413-453 of the manga, and episodes 152-169, plus 172 to 175 of the anime. As a result, his villainous role didn't stop fans from acknowledging his illuminating ideologies, instead finding compassion and understanding for one whose suffering knows no bounds.

Updated on January 25, 2024 by Jennifer Melzer: Pain's Assault arc in Naruto remains one of the most emotional and devastating storylines in Shippuden. As Pain doled out wisdom slathered in darkness and misery, it was difficult at times to see how Naruto would overcome the obstacles before him. And yet, by acknowledging their common ground--sharing the same sensei--the two eventually came to understanding. This list of Pain quotes has been updated to meet with CBR's current standards in formatting.

20 "Knowing Pain Controls One's Words And Thoughts."

Season 6, Episode 18: "The Man Who Became God"

Knowing pain controls one's words and thoughts.

Though their battle had already begun, Jiraiya was still curious about what had happened to Nagato to turn him into such a cruel person. The young boy he took under his wing and taught to protect himself after the war was gone. Despite the cruelty the war orphans Jiraiya mentoered endured, under his tutelage they showed great promise, so it was only natural that he wanted to understand why his star pupil became so cold.

Nagato's answer was simple: "Nothing, just war." Though Nagato lost everything during the Third Great Ninja War, he still had Yahiko and Konan — his newfound family. Unfortunately, Yahiko was fooled by Danzo and Hanzo into believing his death would bring peace, but instead it made Nagato bitter. He came to believe there wasn't any good left in the world and that only suffering could bring about understanding. Perhaps a sense of mutual understanding would make a big enough impact that people in general would see how devastating war was and finally give it up. Ranking at the very bottom of the list, this moment is definitely memorable, but there were plenty of Pain speeches throughout the course of his arc that made a much bigger impact.

19 "The Most... Innocent Child Will Eventually Grow Up."

Season 6, Episode 18: "The Man Who Became God"

Even the most ignorant, innocent child will eventually grow up as they learn what true pain is. It affects what they say, what they think…and they become real people,

Pain understood the harsh realities of growing up in wartime. He knew firsthand that, sometimes, children are forced to grow up and mature way too soon. Pain didn't get to have a childhood; his parents were murdered right in front of him during the war. Out of fear and sorrow, he activated his Rinnegan and killed the soldiers who murdered his mother and father. The impact of that horrific tragedy forced him to leave home and fend for himself. He almost didn't make it, with many people turning the starving boy away, refusing to share their food and warmth with an orphan. The amount of suffering he endured forced him to face the harsh reality of his painful existence, shaping him into the cynical man he would later become.

18 "Pain Will Give Rise To Momentary Peace."

Season 8, Episode 14: "Nine-Tails, Captured!"

Pain will give rise to momentary peace.

Even though many of Pain's actions are reprehensible, his thoughts on suffering are pretty insightful, providing guidance when facing tragedy. It's impossible to overcome something without facing it. People naturally run from it, but Pain experienced so much agony he'd become immune to it. As a result, Pain ruthlessly inflicted pain and suffering upon others and callously bid them to embrace it. To instruct people to ignore the destruction and death he caused was insensitive, to say the least, but Pain viewed his actions as enlightenment. Once everyone came to understand his lessons, the suffering would end, theoretically.

17 "We Act According To Our Own Sense Of Justice."

Season 8, Episode 14: "Nine-Tails, Captured!"

We act according to our own sense of justice.

When Pain temporarily gained the upper hand in his fight against Naruto, he took the time to have a discussion. Pain explained to Naruto that his family, his friends, and his village were destroyed by the Hidden Leaf Village years ago. His nation became a battlefield for the Great Nation's war. This revelation caused Naruto to realize that Pain suffered just as much, if not more, than he did.

Pain wanted Naruto to recognize their similarities, and in the end, they wanted the same things. Pain asserted, "You have your justice, and I have mine." Though fans can't agree with his methods, his thoughts are insightful — there's no clear hero or villain in their world.

16 "Never Let My Guard Down..."

Season 6, Episode 21: "The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant"

Didn't you teach me never to let my guard down?

When Jiraiya found himself face to face with his former students, it rattled him to his core. Despite Orochimaru telling him to put the three war orphans out of their misery by killing them, Jiraiya stuck around and taught them how to protect and defend themselves. He believed for a long time that Nagato was his prophesied student, so coming face to face with him as an enemy no doubt threw him off guard.

Anyone watching "The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant" had a knot of dread in their gut. After all, the student rising to kill his own master is not an unheard of trope. Still, for Jiraiya to let down his guard cost him dearly, and knowing the level of his skill and talent, it was a devastating mistake that cost him his life in the end. One could almost say teaching Nagato was his greatest mistake, however, philosophically, it is also his greatest achievement. After all, he primed him for Naruto, and his last student was more than worthy of rising to the challenge.

15 "If You Kill People, You Shall Be Killed."

Season 8, Episode 11: "Pain to the World"

If you kill people, you shall be killed. Hatred brings about this cause and effect.

Pain recognized that, more often than not, people's idea of justice was just a means to making them feel more exceptional than the rest. During peacetime, such individuals would put themselves on a pedestal and take credit for ending the war — even if they committed the most atrocities during its most brutal peaks. Despite their involvement, those people are never brought to justice for their crimes.

Everyone is consistently seeking their own sense of justice, even the most powerful heroes in Naruto. Pain understands this concept on a fundamental level, because he doesn't have anything else to lose. He is no longer blinded by a singular need for revenge; as such, he feels connected to anyone that hurt the way he once did. From his point of view, putting oneself above the rest should never excuse them for their atrocities. This quote, memorable as it is, is one of the most chilling Pain quotes of them all, and its dark nature earns it a spot in the lower-half of the rankings.

14 "Know Pain."

Season 8, Episode 11: "Pain to the World"

Feel pain, contemplate pain, accept pain, know pain.

Pain wants humanity to evolve by forcing them to embrace their fear, suffering, and inner darkness. Enduring acts of pain can be a cleansing factor, considering one can't truly understand loss if it isn't personally experienced. While his thought process isn't wrong, his means to achieving the kind of awakening he wants the world to have are more than questionable up until his death.

Pain doesn't mind serving as the catalyst for everyone else's suffering, since he thinks the world should experience suffering in order to grow. Ultimately, Pain conveys the idea that for one to grow past their suffering, one must experience it, sit with it, and learn from it, just as he did. The problem with that, as Naruto understands it, is that focusing on nothing but pain and suffering prohibits a person from seeing the joy and beauty that still exists in the world. Those things are worth protecting, worth fighting for.

13 "It's Enough To Start A War."

Season 4, Episode 10: "Sad News"

No matter how pathetic the reason, it's enough to start a war.

It wouldn't be fair to call Pain a nihilist. He wants to reform society because he sees the potential within it — no matter how twisted his methods may seem. Instead, it makes more sense to label him a cynic. His contempt for humanity stems from disappointment. Over the course of his life, he bore witness to humanity's never-ending transgressions and the suffering it brought to the innocent.

He's seen too much war. Because of this, he's convinced that people will always find a reason, any reason, to fight and kill, which is the antithesis to what he truly longs for. He has lost his trust in humanity, especially the ninja world, who have jumped at the chance to war and rage against one another since the dawn of time. Having witnessed this firsthand since he was a little boy, it's impossible for him to see any hope that humanity will ever change.

12 Do You Hate Me Now?

Season 8, Episode 14, "Nine Tails, Captured!"

Do you hate me now?

As Pain destroyed Naruto's home, his hopes and dreams for the future, he expected to get a reaction he could relate to. After all, he tormented and killed many of the people Naruto loved. Despite this, Naruto refused to give into the hatred Nagato hoped to inspire in him. Hatred bred from pain shaped Nagato's entire philosophy, and because it reflected everything he'd experienced throughout his life, he was certain that everyone who suffered would understand his point of view and come to his way of thinking.

Despite provoking Naruto, it took a great deal to coax him to the point of no return. It was only when he began hurting Hinata, who rose again and again to try and save Naruto, that the Nine Tails chakra began to overwhelm Naruto with rage. Even despite giving in to Kurama's seething rage, the failsafe Minato secured inside Naruto allowed him to return to himself and face Pain at his very core.

11 "People Hurt Others Without Even Realizing It."

Season 8, Episode 23: "Tale of Naruto Uzumaki"

Just by living, people hurt others without even realizing it.

Pain often pondered heavy topics, so it was unsurprising that he wasn't afraid to dissect dark subjects. He believed humanity to be inherently evil, often claiming humans were only good for one thing: hurting each other.

Pain also believed cooperation and peace could never exist between people of different social classes and backgrounds. In the end, humanity is bound to head back to the battlefield again and again, continuing the cycle of hatred and suffering until nothing was left. According to Pain, as it stands, "There is no peace in the world," and "War is just a crime paid for by the pain of the defeated."

10 "Share Someone's Pain..."

Season 8, Episode 17: "The Fourth Hokage"

If you don't share someone's pain, you can never understand them.

Pain made it his personal mission to inflict pain and suffering on the world. He deemed himself the arbiter of truth and thought he alone could redeem the world by forcing his philosophy on its people. His misguided attempt to share his flawed enlightenment only brought about the same anguish he endured most of his life, and because it was all he truly knew, he saw nothing wrong with it.

Instead of waiting for the next war, Pain decided to wreak havoc throughout the Hidden Villages to ensure his version of understanding reached everyone. Though there is truth to understanding through shared experiences, forcing those experiences is wrong. Instead of invoking the peace he sought, he brought unnecessary pain to others, many of whom were as innocent as he was the day he watched his mother and father die at the hands of Hidden Leaf ninjas.

9 "Then You Can Know Pain."

Season 8, Episode 15: "Confessions"

Love breeds sacrifice, which in turn breeds hatred. Then you can know pain.

Much like his view on everything else, Pain's take on love is relatively cynical. While most embrace the ability to love and form meaningful bonds as a strength, he believes love and bonds to be weaknesses that hold humanity back.

Pain recognized the fact that society has gotten comfortable with toxic, shallow relationships. He claimed such connections only created jealousy, resulting in a loss. He saw every emotion as a gateway to pain — even love. He loved his parents, and they were mercilessly slaughtered. Nagato loved Yahiko and Konan deeply, cherishing the bond they formed when they had no one but each other to rely on. When he recognized romantic love blooming between Yahiko and Konan, he said nothing, which leaves one wondering if, even then, he had his doubts that such an attachment was a good idea. Losing Yahiko to death and betrayal was the final straw, the moment Nagato let go of his attachments and embraced Pain.

8 "Their Pain Is What Helped Me Grow Up."

Season 6, Episode 21: "The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant"

Too many people have died here. Their pain is what helped me grow up.

Before he became Pain, he was Nagato. Nagato lost everything and everyone he ever loved, except Konan, one of the best female characters in Naruto. To Pain, his attachment to his parents, his village, and Yahiko only resulted in his anguish.

Losing everything he held dear hardened his heart, and he no longer feared pain and loss. Death was just a part of life to him, and that is as it should be, but his perception was incredibly skewed. He refused to let himself feel closeness with anyone, not even Konan when she was the only one left that he trusted and felt safe with. Tragically, Nagato's consistent misfortune caused his twisted kinship with pain. Anger, loss, and suffering became the most familiar emotions to him.

7 "Revenge In The Name Of Justice."

Season 8, Episode 14: "Nine-Tails, Captured!"

We are just ordinary people driven to revenge in the name of justice.

Pain has made some rather astute observations about the nature of vengeance — especially considering that he seeks to avenge humanity as a whole by causing widespread unrest and death. Pain is quite insightful about the nature of society.

In particular, Pain criticizes humanity's hypocrisy in declaring their pursuit to avenge their loved ones and force the "bad guys" to take accountability. Pain declared, "Justice would only breed even more revenge." There will always be someone who feels wronged, and if they enact their revenge, those who suffered, as a result, will also seek vengeance — the cycle is never-ending.

6 "...True Peace."

Season 8 Episode 11: "Pain to the World"

Those who do not understand true pain can never understand true peace.

The crux of Pain's entire endgame is the idea of harboring peace through suffering. He believes people cause each other harm because they don't comprehend the consequences of their actions. If they've never truly felt pain themselves, then they wouldn't understand it.

People can claim to be empaths, but it's just an empty word if they don't actually truly put themselves in another person's shoes. Pain claims such inconsiderate behavior results in constant war, and, in many ways, he was right. The reasons ninja warred against each other repeatedly were often over petty slights or jealousy, and the fact that only Nagato seems to recognize this pushes this quote closer to the top spot in the rankings.

5 "You And I Are The Same"

Season 8, Episode 14: "Nine-Tails, Captured!"

You and I are the same. We're both motivated by our desire for peace and justice. The justice that I have delivered against the Leaf Village is no different than what you are trying to do to me.

One of Pain's greatest downfalls was his ability to see beyond the scope of his own vengeance. He may have called it justice, what he did to the Hidden Leaf Village, but making the current generation pay for the losses in his past is not just. He believes that in order to end the cycle of hate, everyone must come to know the same sensations of pain, but this shortsighted view is not enough.

Even with a tailed beast weapon at the ready, it would still only be a temporary solution, at least until the Otsusuki came along. Had Pain been able to connect the real similarities between Naruto and himself, a lot of devastation might have been avoided, but it's doubtful. Bearing witness to the brutal death of those he held most dear, time and again, distorted his view.

4 "The World Will Know Real Pain."

Season 8, Episode 14: "Nine-Tails, Captured!"

The world will know real pain.

Pain repeatedly states that he wants the world to know pain. He believes that "the fear instilled by that pain [will] prevent wars." Ironically, Pain wants a world filled with "stability and peace," but his methods are gruesome and unforgiving. He is willing to enact decades of torment and misery because he believes peace will be achieved eventually.

However, Pain also asserts that this peace will be temporary and fighting will ensue once more, but peace will be found yet again. He dreams of an "endless cycle of hatred" that will bring about sporadic moments of true peace. This is exactly what he meant in his speech before his fight with Naruto.

3 "I Am A God."

Season 6, Episode 18: "The Man Who Became God"

Things I couldn't see when I was human are clear to me now that I am a god.

Pain believes that through "never-ending pain," he has evolved past human understanding. When Jiraiya asks Pain his thoughts on abandoning the love of friends, Pain states that Jiraiya is "still just a man." He trivializes human emotions and declares himself a god — believing his "words and thoughts [are] absolute."

Pain's able to reject his sensei's pleas because he believes Jiraiya simply doesn't understand what he is saying — his mortality prevents him from comprehending Pain's self-proclaimed godhood. When Pain decides to rebuild the "war-torn world," he convinces himself that it's the work of a god and that there are "things [he] can do which man cannot." Pain deludes himself into thinking he is "the god of peace," and that total devastation is the only way to mature the world.

2 "Can You Have Such Faith In Yourself?"

Season 8, Episode 14, "Nine Tails, Captured!"

How can you say that you will never change? That you will not change, no matter how great the pain you face? Can you continue believing in yourself forever? Can you guarantee it? Can you have such faith in yourself?

Pain and Naruto couldn't be more different than night and day, despite the similarities of their upbringing. Despite both being orphaned, both being mentored and trained by Jiraiya, they each took a very different approach to the Toad Sage's wisdom. Pain's suffering distorted his view, making it impossible to see hope, while Naruto had nothing but hope for a brighter future.

A lack of control over one's own circumstances can be daunting, and for Nagato to have suffered the way he did, it's no small wonder he lost his way. He saw Naruto as naive and foolish in the beginning, but by the time their final conversation was done, he came to see the barest shred of hope for a world Naruto wanted to shape for the better.

1 "I Shall Believe In You Naruto Uzumaki."

Season 8, Episode 21, "The Tale of Naruto Uzumaki"

You are a curious fellow. You remind me of how I once was. I wasn't able to believe in Jiraiya. Nor...could I believe in myself. However...I have a feeling that, unlike me, you will walk towards a different future. I think I shall believe in you...Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto's hyperactive enthusiasm and positivity may have often come across as annoying to his friends and mentors, but in the end, it was enough to stop one of the greatest threats in his world: Pain. By showing Nagato a different path in which pain and suffering wasn't the answer, but a sign of necessary change, Naruto was able to change his view and end his reign of agony and horror.

Pain sacrificed himself in order to reverse the damage he'd done, but it's a certainty that had he lived, he wouldn't have regretted his choice to believe in Naruto. Naruto may not have been perfect, but he did exactly what he promised to do in uniting the world's ninja forces and striving toward true peace. Nagato yielding to Naruto in this way marks this as the single most memorable quote of them all.