It doesn't take an expert to recognize the immense influence Naruto has had all over the world when it comes to popularizing shonen anime. As a part of the once-celebrated big three, one can argue that Naruto has had the biggest mainstream presence when compared to its competition. A story that feels equal parts larger-than-life yet accessible, combat sequences that have become legendary in every sense of the word, and — perhaps the most memorable aspect of the entire series — characters that ooze charm into every facet of this massive universe have all propelled Naruto and helped it attain the massive popularity it still holds to this day.
The last point is especially important to gauge the popularity of the series — the characters of Naruto are truly the crowning jewel of the franchise. A large part of the reason why the last arc of the main series was so reviled was due to a lack of focus on these characters in order to propel a less-interesting narrative. One such character is Itachi, a man shrouded in mystery up to the very end — after his motivations were revealed. Here are 10 things you didn't know about the legend of Itachi.
10 Itachi Could've Looked A Lot Like Danzo
This might shock a lot of people, but the original concept of Itachi's looked a lot like the final character sketch of Danzo!
Initially, it was planned for Itachi to have a massive squad that would carry out missions similar to what The Root did in Shippuden. While that might just be a coincidence, what definitely proves this point is that Itachi was also supposed to have a cross-like scar on his chin — a design that applied onto Danzo instead.
9 Itachi Has The Second Highest Academic Score Of Any Ninja In The Academy
Any fan of Naruto is pretty familiar with Itachi's brilliance, but they might not know to what extent. Itachi's label as a prodigy is justified via his performance in the Chūnin Exams, where he managed to attain the second-highest score in the academic portion of the exam!
He managed to do so without any cheating, choosing to analyze his opponents instead during the free time he had to gauge their strengths and weaknesses. Oh, and just an FYI — the person who's gotten the highest score in this exam is the Fourth Hokage.
8 He Passed The Chūnin Exams Alone... And Set A Record In The Process!
Excelling academically isn't the only achievement of Itachi in the Chunin exams. He also managed to clear the Forest of Death... alone!
Since Itachi was way too ahead of his squadmates in terms of power, he was allowed to take the test solo. Not only did he pass with flying colors, but he also cleared the test within the record time of five minutes and thirty seconds. Jeez, no wonder people considered him to be a prodigy.
7 Apparently, Itachi And Jiraiya Are Equally Powerful
According to the official Naruto databook, Itachi and Jiraiya are equally matched in terms of power.
While Jiraiya's power level in itself is up for debate, one can't deny the fact that this is an impressive feat for both gentlemen, regardless.
6 Itachi Had A Lover
Little is known when it comes to Itachi's love life, so it will be surprising to many when they find out that this seemingly stoic individual actually had his heart stolen by another ninja by the name of Izumi Uchiha.
Unfortunately, during the destruction of the Uchiha clan, Itachi was forced to end Izumi's life. She was the first person he assassinated, but to make her death less traumatic he used Tsukuyomi on her, leading her to believe that she enjoyed a happy life with him.
5 He Almost Ended His Own Life
Itachi is no stranger to struggles, with his experience in a war-torn landscape shaping his entire being. The worst instance of this is when a four-year-old Itachi encounters a wounded ninja on the battlefield. He tries to help him... but is forced to cut the ninja's life short instead.
The ensuing trauma pretty much scarred him for life, to the point where he almost contemplated suicide. Thankfully, he decided not to go through with this drastic course of action and support his little brother as much as possible.
4 Itachi Is Actually A Pacifist... Kinda
While this might be a tad too much to stomach, Itachi's disdain as a kid when it came to war and conflict shaped a person who wanted to be a pacifist.
While his actions don't reflect this stance at all, there are certain instances — aside from his "master plan" that we'll discuss in detail later — when he tries to avoid any needless killing. For example...
3 He Can't Bring Himself To End The Lives Of Siblings
Brotherly love isn't a concept that Itachi has reserved for himself — he's vehemently against killing siblings of any kind.
The light novel about him expands on this detail, with Itachi straight-up refusing to kill a pair of twins who'd paralyzed Kisame and had backed him into a corner.
2 He's A Favorite Of The Creator As Well
Fans aren't the only people who absolutely love Itachi's character — even the creator of the series can't help but proclaim his fondness for this amazing character.
Kishimoto has gone on record to say that Itachi is his favorite member of the Akatsuki. While the bar might not exactly be set all that high given the people he's comparing Itachi to, it's still a notable point regardless.
1 His Master Plan Is Woefully Flawed
There's a reason why people love Itachi — the man built up to be this imposing villain throughout Naruto is revealed to be a pragmatic individual who culled his clan for the greater good and always loved his brother, no matter what.
However, his "plan" to manipulate Sasuke into becoming a Protector of Konoha is inherently flawed. Why would Sasuke idolize a place who's people vilified his clan to the point of exterminating them outright? To make it worse, they decided to manipulate Itachi and permanently soil his character in order to achieve this without a massive uproar. With these details, it was only a matter of time before Sasuke decided to destroy Konoha instead of protecting it.