One of the oldest villains in the Naruto series, Kabuto's presence has been felt almost since the very beginning alongside that of his closest friend and associate, Lord Orochimaru. The medical ninja has a long list of atrocities that support his status as one of the anime's most competent villains.
Because he has been such a recurring character, fans have a sterling opportunity to gauge whether or not he was a worthy antagonist to the story's heroes. By analyzing his personality, capabilities, and history, it can be conclusively assessed whether or not he deserved the time he received.
10 BAD VILLAIN: Unoriginal
One of the greatest downfalls of Kabuto's character is that he attempts to take after Orochimaru. It inspires everything he does, from his mannerisms to actions and even his jutsu.
Though one might suspect this to be flattering, the fallen Sannin himself is disinterested by it. He claims that because Kabuto so emphatically tries to emulate himself, he will never reach his full potential as an individual and has too predictable of a path to be worthy of his master's investment. This was partially why the snake shinobi preferred Sasuke instead.
9 GOOD VILLAIN: Protecting Orochimaru
After Orochimaru's partial defeat in Konoha at the hand of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he lost his ability to channel chakra from his arms. This meant that he could no longer weave hand signs, considerably debilitating his usefulness as a fighter.
With more enemies than ever before, he needed reliable minions to protect him. Though Kabuto was not one of the strongest shinobi at the time, he was nonetheless a loyal vassal to his lord, faithfully protecting him and guaranteeing his safety against the many adversaries his actions had earned.
8 BAD VILLAIN: Inactive During Chunin Exam
The Chunin Exams were perhaps one of the most essential arcs to the series, as it was able to properly introduce many of its key characters and antagonists (including Rock Lee, Gaara, and even Orochimaru himself).
Though Kabuto was able to once again successfully infiltrate them as a participant, it was more to act as an informant to his master than to actually defeat any of his adversaries. It limited what we could perceive of his ability and rendered the character much more unintimidating than he actually should have been even at the time.
7 GOOD VILLAIN: Capturing Anko
When rumors of Kabuto's activity began to spread, Anko felt it the most appropriate that she herself investigate. As Orochimaru's former pupil, she was more connected to him and the jutsu at his disposal than anyone else alive in Konoha.
Though this compromised the plan Kabuto intended to hatch, he was able to kidnap her and take her as his prisoner. As the war raged on, he would brag (or lament) to her about its progress, and unbeknownst to him, her presence would result in Orochimaru's rebirth and the return of the fallen Hokage.
6 BAD VILLAIN: Inability To Defeat Naruto
When Jiraiya and Tsunade had confronted Orochimaru, another battle raged between Naruto and Kabuto. Despite the medical ninja's vast experience and his adversary's refusal to excessively rely on Kurama's chakra, he was ultimately unable to kill him.
Further, he could not adequately heal through a single of Uzumaki's Rasengans despite having only been struck once in the chest. It was a strong example of his sheer incompetence as an antagonist since there were a plethora of advantages working in the fallen shinobi's favor throughout the battle. Tsunade's healing ensured that what damage he dealt was swiftly reversed.
5 GOOD VILLAIN: The Edo Tensei Army
Though Obito intended to resurrect Madara and fulfill their decade long plan, he knew he couldn't do it alone. Kabuto had assembled a massive number of Edo Tensei undead soldiers, ready to unleash them upon the unsuspecting Allied Shinobi.
Kabuto was able to procure such legendary villains as Sasori of the Red Sand, Zabuza of the Mist, and even Jiraiya's former student, Nagato. He stole these corpses beneath the notice of the Five Nations, demonstrated his skills as a spy and proficiency for subterfuge.
4 BAD VILLAIN: Incompetence In Leading The Army
Kabuto may have been an impressive spy in procuring the Edo Tensei corpses, but he was far less talented of a commander. He had hoped that by allowing his vassals to retain their personalities from life, it would be more traumatizing for the shinobi they fought against to win the day.
It would ultimately have the reverse effect. Not only would the undead instruct their opponents on how to defeat them, but some would also even muster enough will to simply refuse to fight (such as Hanzo). It would be a mistake Kabuto would have to make several times before learning it wasn't an effective tactic.
3 GOOD VILLAIN: Sympathetic Backstory
Though many of Naruto's foes have had sympathetic backstories, Kabuto's is perhaps one of the best. Having no memories of his past on account of his amnesia, the first person to take care of him was an adoptive orphan matron.
In need of more spies to fight the Leaf's wars, Danzo insisted that the orphanage either relinquish some of its children to his Foundation or its leader go in their stead. Ultimately, both Kabuto and his new mother would be volunteered for his missions and tragically turned against one another, irreparably shattering the young boy's heart.
2 BAD VILLAIN: Redemption
While Kabuto's sympathetic backstory may entail that his redemption makes sense, neither he nor Orochimaru demonstrated sincere remorse for their actions. It makes his presence in the Leaf a travesty against those he had wronged, including many widows and widowers of the casualties in the Fourth Shinobi War.
More inexplicably still, he was charged with overlooking an orphanage. Though it does give poetic justice to his origins, it presents an opportunity for future disaster, especially considering that he was already responsible for genetically mutating many young victims (which would result in the rise of the Sound Four).
1 GOOD VILLAIN: Facing Down Sasuke & Itachi
Few shinobi can withstand the unbridled might of Sasuke or Itachi Uchiha, let alone their power combined. From the advancements Kabuto had made to his own body, he bested both ninja with relatively little difficulty despite his older adversary's immortal condition.
Kabuto obliterated them so utterly that it forced Itachi to rely on a forbidden clan technique, the Izanagi, to put his opponent out of commission. While this would deceive the medical ninja for a prolonged period of time, the necessity of such measures depicts how far he had come as a fighter since his debut in the original series.