Sasuke vs. Akatsuki: How Does Sasuke Measure Up Against the Groups?

As you probably know by now, the worlds of Naruto and Boruto have provided us with a series of brilliant fights that became – some of them, at least – trademark moments of the whole show. Now, some of these fights are interesting enough for us to discuss them here, and in this article, we have chosen to talk about several intriguing hypothetical match-ups. Namely, in this article, we are going to compare Sasuke Uchiha against all four iterations of the Akatsuki group.
We are going to write up a slightly different article than we usually do. First of all, we are going to present Sasuke and his powers briefly, after which we are going to go through each iteration of the Akatsuki group and make a category-by-category comparison. Of course, these comparisons will only be general in nature since some Akatsuki groups had a lot of members, so we will give you a general overview of what Sasuke could do against each group individually.
Sasuke Uchiha and his powers
In the beginning, he is presented as a positive figure as well as fundamental in the development of the plot; the young ninja is part of Team 7, but at the end of the first part of the manga, he abandons his companions becoming an antihero, consumed by hatred and thirst for revenge (these feelings, in fact, will totally change him, making him unrecognizable in the eyes of the whole village).
Since early childhood, Sasuke has been considered a genius by members of the same Uchiha clan and later also by his teacher Kakashi, so much so that he will be the best of his course at the ninja academy. The young man obsessively develops his abilities initially to obtain the strength necessary to kill his brother Itachi and later to avenge him: to this end, not only the teachings of Kakashi and Orochimaru but also the rivalry with Naruto will be fundamental.
He quickly exhibits excellent martial arts ability, forcing Kakashi to use both hands during the bell test. Later, before completing the exam to become Chunin, he strengthens his skills by imitating Rock Lee’s manner. He possesses superhuman speed, amazing reflexes, and tremendous endurance to the point where he can endure protracted bouts against extremely strong foes (like Itachi and Danzo) and even after having already endured tiring ones (such as against Kakashi and Naruto).
He also boasts exceptional skill in the use of any ninja weapon and with his Kusanagi sword, which he can also infuse his chakra.
In the first part of the manga, he is branded by Orochimaru with the cursed sign of the sky, which improves his abilities at the expense of the increasing influence on him of the chakra of the legendary ninja. After the escape from Konoha, the Quartet of Sound makes him able to use the second level of it. When Sasuke uses this version of the brand, his skin turns dark gray, the sclera of both eyes turns black, the hair grows thicker and takes on a lighter color and unfolds from the back two wings in the shape of hands.
Sasuke loses the Cursed Sign after the gory struggle with Itachi, although he still has compatibility with it, as he shows on multiple occasions when Jugo saves him using this ability, always thanks to the training with Orochimaru. Sasuke gains immunity to poisons and masters all of the snake-related techniques, but after his fight with Itachi, he loses them. In fact, the hawks now respond to his cries.
While not as skilled as his brother, he also displays a surprising capacity to use illusory arts. With only the most basic Sharingan, he was nonetheless able to defeat the king of gods and escape Itachi’s Tsukuyomi snakes in Manda. He used the hypnotic Sharingan to restrain Killer Bee, a few samurai, and Shi, as well as to conjure an illusion resembling his brother’s trick for diverting Danzo.
After obtaining the Rinnegan, Sasuke’s ability in genjutsu increases to the point of subduing all nine hunters with a single glance. Like all Uchiha, he has a natural predisposition for the fire-type chakra, learning the supreme fireball technique at the age of seven, and later also learns how to use the lightning-type chakra, learning from Kakashi the Chidori and creating numerous variations.
Now that we have explained everything about Sasuke, whose powers and abilities will be relevant here, we can continue with our group-by-group analysis of the issue.
Sasuke vs. Yahiko’s Akatsuki: Who would win?
As for Yahiko’s Akatsuki, it was the first iteration of the group, and not withstanding the test of time, it is neither the strongest nor the most famous iteration. The members were:
Name | Status |
---|---|
Daibutsu (anime only) | Deceased |
Kie | Deceased |
Konan | Survived to next iteration |
Kyūsuke | Deceased |
Nagato | Survived to next iteration |
Yahiko | Stabbed himself on Nagato’s kunai |
Aside from Nagato and Konan, the other members of Yahiko’s Akatsuki were not really that strong and were consistently ranked among the weakest Akatsuki members out of all the iterations. Sure, Konan and Nagato are formidable foes, but at this point in time, they are not as strong and would not pose a challenge to Sasuke. Yahiki and the others were never really on Sasuke’s level in the first place.
As one of the series’ most talented shinobi, Sasuke would definitely be able to defeat the first iteration of Akatsuki, even if they all went at him simultaneously; Sasuke has experience in winning against a large number of opponents. Nagato and Konan were too weak at the time, and the others were never really on Sasuke’s level in the first place, so Sasuke wins this one without a doubt.
Winner: Sasuke
Sasuke vs. Nagato’s Akatsuki: Who would win?
The second iteration of the Akatsuki was led by Nagato (Pain) and it was the largest, best-known, and strongest iteration of this group. In fact, when you say “Akatsuki,” most people immediately think of this iteration. It was composed of the following:
Name | Status |
---|---|
Deidara | Employed a suicide attack while fighting Sasuke Uchiha |
Hidan | Buried by Shikamaru Nara |
Itachi Uchiha | Succumbed to illness while fighting Sasuke Uchiha |
Jūzō Biwa (anime only) | Killed by the Fourth Mizukage |
Kakuzu | Killed by Kakashi Hatake |
Kakuzu’s Partner | Killed by Kakuzu |
Kisame Hoshigaki | Survives to next iteration |
Konan | Left organization |
Nagato | Sacrificed himself to resurrect his victims |
Orochimaru | Left organization |
Sasori | Killed by Chiyo |
Tobi | Survives to next iteration |
White Zetsu | Survives to next iteration |
Black Zetsu | Survives to next iteration |
This is a situation that is also quite clear, as there is no chance that Sasuke could – alone and against all of them simultaneously – win against Nagato’s Akatsuki. He could defeat some weaker members (like Kakuzu, his partner, Kisame, Sasori, Biwa, Hidan, and Deidara), but there’s still Itachi, Nagato at the height of his powers, as well as Konan, Orochimaru, Tobi, and both Zetsus. Some of these guys are on Sasuke’s level, some are stronger, and some are just slightly weaker.
This means that Sasuke, with all his talent, could not take on such a powerful group without help. He would probably be able to deal with most of them one-on-one, but he would not stand much chance against the whole group, which is why we have to conclude that Pain’s Akatsuki takes this one.
Winner: Akatsuki
Sasuke vs. Tobi’s Akatsuki: Who would win?
This is the second most famous iteration of the group, led by Tobi, who survived the disbandment of Nagato’s Akatsuki. They are not as famous, but they did play a relevant role in the story. They are composed of:
Name | Status |
---|---|
Black Zetsu | Sealed by Naruto Uzumaki |
Kisame Hoshigaki | Committed suicide on the Island Turtle |
Obito Uchiha | Killed by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki |
White Zetsu | Killed by Sasuke Uchiha |
And while Kisame would definitely not pose a problem for Sasuke, having to deal with Tobi and the two Zetsus would be an issue. Those three are truly powerful and challenging foes, with Tobi being on a very similar level of power as Sasuke. Individually, Sasuke could definitely take them on but were the three of them to fight at the same time, and with Kisame’s assistance, Sasuke would be in trouble.
Still, this is a match-up where the winner is not clear. Namely, although possible, the Akatsuki’s advantage here is not as expressed as in the case of Nagato’s Akatsuki, which is why there is no conclusive winner here.
Winner: Inconclusive
Sasuke vs. Shin’s Akatsuki: Who would win?
The fourth iteration is actually an embarrassment to the Akatsuki name, but we still had to cover it here. It was composed of:
Name | Status |
---|---|
Shin Uchiha | Killed by his clones |
Shin Uchiha’s clones | Left organization |
Yeah, it was just one guy and his clones. And yes, Shin Uchiha was not a gimmick villain (okay, we might be wrong on this one), and he did have some interesting powers and abilities, but one guy and his clones, really? Heck, the clones actually killed the guy! Be that as it may, Sasuke was way more powerful than both Shin and his clones and even their numbers would not give them any significant advantage against Sasuke, which is why the protagonist definitely takes this one.
Winner: Sasuke