Sasuke is one of the most well-known characters in anime, whether that's due to the worldwide success of the Naruto series or the viral Choking Sasuke meme. Regardless, he has certainly made a strong and lasting impression on fans throughout the series.
Though he started out in a friendly rivalry with Naruto, Sasuke was slowly consumed by the darkness of his efforts to become a stronger ninja. Along the way, he did some pretty questionable things, intentional or not. From having a severe obsession with killing his brother to joining the dark side, here are ten of the worst things Sasuke has ever done.
10 He ruined Sakura's friendship with Ino
Despite their heated rivalry and constant pettiness towards one another, Sakura and Ino used to be best friends. In fact, Ino was the one who saved Sakura from being bullied and gave her confidence. Everything changed, however, when Sasuke came into the picture.
When Sakura and Ino realized they were both in love with Sasuke, they decided to end their friendship and instead become rivals to see who could win over the boy. Though Sasuke himself did not do anything intentionally, his mere existence was strong enough to drive two best friends apart.
9 He broke Zaku's arms
After receiving a curse seal from Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, Sasuke exhibited ruthless and murderous intent for the first time. His victim was Zaku of the Sound Village.
With the newfound power of the curse seal that he couldn't fully control, Sasuke broke Zaku's arms in a single snap after learning that he had hurt Sakura. In Sasuke's defense, the curse seal had a strong influence over him, so he was blinded with power and revenge. But that does not take away from the fact that Sasuke took pleasure in another ninja's pain, to the point where he scared even his own allies.
8 He had a toxic relationship with anyone close to him
Though Sasuke's main priority as a ninja was to kill his brother, he also made many bonds with those around him including Naruto and Sakura. But somehow, his relationships always managed to turn toxic after a while.
As a stubborn rival, Sasuke refused to admit Naruto was his friend for the longest time, and they eventually blew up each others' arms despite being "friends". With Sakura, he married her only after insulting her on multiple occasions and attacking her with the intent to kill. And who could forget his loving relationship with his older brother, which quickly turned into hatred after the murder of their clan.
7 He went off with Orochimaru
After Orochimaru assassinated the Third Hokage, you'd think Sasuke would never want to be associated with a murderer like that. But after he failed to injure Itachi and lost to Naruto, Sasuke realized he needed to become a lot stronger in order to defeat his brother and rival.
The only way he thought he could become stronger was to join forces with Orochimaru so he could enhance the power of his curse seal. This meant that he not only voluntarily chose to ally with a villain but also abandoned his friends and village in the process.
6 He aided the Akatsuki
To take his criminal record a step further, Sasuke and his team, Taka, joined up with the Akatsuki in capturing the jinchuriki. Though Sasuke's raw emotions were manipulated and taken advantage of by Tobi after Itachi's death, joining a criminal organization was certainly not his greatest decision ever.
Perhaps it was merely to pay respect to his fallen brother, a former Akatsuki member, but Sasuke's role within the organization was short-lived and insignificant. His one job was to capture Killer B, the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, and he failed to do so.
5 He missed the whole point of Itachi's sacrifice
Itachi murdered his own clan, sparing only his little brother, in what looked like a betrayal against the village. For that reason, Sasuke spent the majority of his young life plotting his revenge on his brother and even made it his mission to kill him personally.
It wasn't until Itachi's death that Sasuke learned all of his sins were intended to protect his dear little brother. A key part that Sasuke initially missed, however, was that Itachi wanted his little brother to become a hero who protected Konohagakure. Sasuke instead did the opposite and made it his new mission to destroy the village that Itachi sacrificed himself to protect.
4 He stabbed through Karin to kill Danzo
Even though Sasuke abandoned Team 7 when he left Konohagakure, he inevitably formed a new team of comrades he could trust. As the founder and leader of Taka, Sasuke recruited Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin to help him get the revenge he sought.
In particular, Karin was very loyal to and infatuated with Sasuke. But that did not matter to Sasuke in his battle against Danzo. When Danzo caught Karin and held her hostage, he thought he had gained the upper hand in the battle. Unfortunately for Danzo, Sasuke stabbed through both him and Karin without hesitation. He would've even gone as far as killing Karin if Sakura hadn't stepped in.
3 He chose power over friendship
Ever since his clan was killed, Sasuke was obsessed with the idea of becoming strong enough to kill his brother. Itachi told him that the secret to becoming stronger was in the Mangekyo Sharingan, which Sasuke thought he had to obtain through killing his best friend.
Because of this, Sasuke had to make a decision that would forever change the direction of his life. He could've stayed with his friends, Naruto and Sakura, and found a more legitimate way to become stronger. But instead, he chose the darker path and resorted to violence and murder to satisfy his greed for more power. In doing so, he attempted to kill his closest friends on multiple occasions.
2 He said he wanted to become Hokage
Unlike Naruto whose dream was to become Hokage since the beginning of the series, Sasuke's motives shifted from one goal to another until he finally snapped and declared his shocking desire to become Hokage.
After associating himself with the likes of Orochimaru and the Akatsuki, Sasuke became one of Konohagakure's greatest enemies who did not truly deserve to be forgiven. Despite this, he was crazy enough to believe he could become the well-respected Hokage of the same village he tried to destroy. Everyone hoped he was joking, but he was totally serious!
1 He didn't recognize his own daughter
After being a power-obsessed ninja who abandoned his friends and village, he became a terrible father who abandoned his family. While he does care for Sakura and Sarada, it's apparent that he prioritizes his job as a ninja over his responsibilities as a father.
Sarada was so deprived of a father figure in her childhood that she began questioning how legitimate Sasuke's love was for her and Sakura. In order to gain some answers, Sarada had to take initiative and find her father who she barely knew anything about. But once she found him, she did not get the happy reunion she was expecting. Instead, Sasuke completely failed to recognize Sarada as his daughter and nearly struck her when he wrongly assumed she was an enemy.