Forget Madara: This Naruto Villain’s Arc Outclasses Every Kage
Naruto’s rogues span every ideology, but none ignite more controversy than Danzo Shimura—the clandestine Root mastermind who nearly claimed the Hokage mantle and stands as Konoha’s darkest mirror.
Naruto has no shortage of villains, but the one who still sparks arguments years later is Danzo Shimura. Founder of Root, briefly in the mix to be the Sixth Hokage, and basically the show asking: can a village have peace without someone doing something terrible in the dark, and if they do, are they a hero or a villain?
Why Danzo gets under fans' skin
Masashi Kishimoto built Danzo less like a cackling tyrant and more like a career shinobi forged by nonstop war. He is not chasing chaos or pure power for its own sake; he is convinced order survives only through strict, often brutal control. In his head, he is the adult in the room making the calls the gentler leaders will not. That self-justification is what makes him work: he does not think he is a villain at all. He thinks he is the one shouldering the burden no one else will.
The fallout of his 'for the village' mindset
Here is where it gets messy. Even if the goal sounds noble, his methods seed bigger disasters. His fingerprints are on multiple tragedies and heel turns: Root backed Hanzo as he crushed the original Akatsuki, which sets Nagato on the path to becoming Pain. Sasuke's descent into vengeance? Danzo helps light that fuse. And he plays a major part in the Uchiha clan's tragedy. The loyalty to Konoha is real, but it is warped by paranoia, manipulation, and sacrifice-as-policy.
The ethical bill that comes due
People defend him by pointing out Konoha is a target-rich environment surrounded by enemies. Fair. In a world of shinobi wars and god-tier jutsu, a leader willing to make ugly choices can look necessary. But look at the record.
- He supported the Uchiha massacre.
- He ordered secret assassinations through Root.
- He pulled strings from the shadows for years and largely dodged accountability.
That is the line he crossed over and over. The intent might be protection, but the outcomes are bigger threats and deeper wounds. That is why so many fans land on 'villain' even while admitting he is one of the series' most layered characters.
Where I land
Danzo is one of Naruto's most effective antagonists because he feels uncomfortably real: a leader who believes safety requires someone else to bleed for it, preferably out of sight. Complex? Absolutely. Necessary? I get the argument. But the trail he leaves behind makes the case that his version of peace is just a slower kind of ruin.
Watch status
Naruto (2002) is streaming on Hulu. IMDb: 8.4, MAL: 8.02. Naruto Shippuden (2007) is also on Hulu. IMDb: 8.7, MAL: 8.28.
Was Danzo a necessary evil or just evil? Tell me where you land.