5 Naruto Characters Who Would’ve Made A Better Final Villain Than Kaguya Otsutsuki

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Most action-packed anime series need a powerful final villain to give the heroes one last, major challenge. These villains should be strong, and their motivations should connect to the heroes in a meaningful way. Series like Bleach and Demon Slayer did this well with villains like Yhwach and Muzan Kibutsuji, but many Naruto fans feel the final villain, Kaguya Otsutsuki, didn’t quite fit the bill and had issues that detracted from the ending.

Kaguya was incredibly powerful and important as the source of chakra, but her appearance in the story felt forced and unwanted. She arrived too late and had no meaningful connection to Naruto’s friends, even considering her relationship to Hagoromo. Many fans believe the story would have benefited from a different final villain – perhaps someone who almost filled that role, if Kaguya hadn’t appeared.

Madara Uchiha Was Cheated Out of His Villainous Endgame

He Was On Track to Rival Blackbeard and Aizen

Image via Pierrot.

Originally, Madara Uchiha was planned to be the final villain of the Naruto anime. However, Kaguya Otsutsuki unexpectedly appeared, taking his place. This is probably why many Naruto fans dislike Kaguya – her introduction felt sudden and overshadowed Madara’s established role. The story had built up Madara as the ultimate threat to the ninja world for a long time, and he almost fulfilled that promise, even battling the Kage with incredible power. Unfortunately, the story didn’t quite follow through with him as the final boss.

  • Madara was at his strongest when Black Zetsu unexpectedly turned against him, all to revive Kaguya, and that’s when the story really started to falter. While it might have been expected for Madara to be Naruto’s final enemy throughout the series, that would have been more satisfying than the sudden introduction of Kaguya. Shonen anime fans generally don’t mind a clear villain who remains a threat for a long time – it allows for surprising twists that don’t rely on a villain appearing out of nowhere at the very end.

The Six Paths of Pain Served as Naruto’s Thematic Counterpart

Naruto Shippuden Might Have Ended With the Pain Arc

Fans still consider the Pain Arc to be one of the greatest storylines in Naruto, and for many, it’s the very best, despite later attempts in Naruto Shippuden to top it. The arc stands out because of its compelling villain, Pain, also known as the Six Paths of Pain. Pain was a truly effective antagonist, boasting a unique and powerful fighting style – six bodies controlled simultaneously with the Rinnegan.

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As a huge Naruto fan, I truly believe Pain is one of the best villains the series has ever given us. It’s not just about his power, it’s about how he mirrors Naruto. They both learned from Jiraiya, but ended up on completely different paths! It really makes you think about how many ways there are to try and achieve the same dream. Pain wasn’t just some one-dimensional bad guy; he actually had a point about the endless cycle of hatred, and honestly, it’s hard to say if his way or Naruto’s was ‘right.’ That gray area is what made the Pain Arc so incredible – it was about so much more than just saving the world from a powerful ninja. In fact, a lot of us feel like Naruto should have ended right there and then, before the Kaguya stuff happened and kind of… diminished everything.

Orochimaru Represented the Unlimited Potential of Jutsu

If It Weren’t For Sasuke, Orochimaru Could Have Threatened the World

Image via Pierrot.

In the original Naruto anime, Orochimaru was the main villain – a powerful and cunning opponent. He was responsible for giving Sasuke the Cursed Mark, and he battled and attacked the Hidden Leaf Village, facing off against Hiruzen Sarutobi. As Naruto Shippuden progressed, other characters became stronger, and Orochimaru lost his position as the primary threat, though the story could have developed differently.

Honestly, I always felt Orochimaru’s story ended a bit too soon! It seemed like they just needed to make space for villains like Sasuke, but they could have easily kept Orochimaru around. Imagine if he’d escaped again, coming up with totally new jutsu, scientific experiments, and schemes to become a major threat right up to the very end! It might have risked him becoming annoying, but Naruto really had the potential to make Orochimaru as powerful as he always wanted to be, and really showcase how resourceful a fighter he was. He was obsessed with learning every jutsu ever created, and if anyone could actually pull that off, they’d be on the same level as Madara or Kaguya, easily! Plus, it would have given Naruto the chance to finally face and defeat the guy who originally broke Team 7 apart – that would have been amazing!

Danzo Shimura Could Have Been a Villainous Hokage to Wrap Up the Story

Naruto’s Future as Hokage Hinges on Taking Down Danzo

Image via studio Pierrot.

Most of the leaders in Naruto – known as Kage – were heroes, or at least characters who ultimately fought alongside the good guys when facing major threats like the Akatsuki. While some Kage were more flawed or difficult to like than others, very few truly became villains. Rasa, the Kazekage, is sometimes seen as a villain due to how he treated Gaara. However, Danzo Shimura stands out as the closest thing to a supervillain among the Kage, as he attempted to become the Sixth Hokage before Kakashi Hatake eventually took on the role.

Had Danzo become Hokage and proven too difficult for Tsunade to overcome, he could have been a compelling final villain in Naruto Shippuden. While Sasuke ultimately defeated him, a different approach to the story could have made Danzo a truly formidable opponent, only falling to the combined strength of Team 7. This would have been a more impactful conclusion than the introduction of Kaguya, and it would have positioned Danzo as a twisted reflection of the Hokage Naruto hoped to become. Naruto would have viewed Danzo’s actions personally and fought him with everything he had to demonstrate that a Hokage represents more than just cunning and power-grabbing.

Sasuke Uchiha Was the Villain of Naruto’s Personal Arc at Times

Some Endgame Bosses Might Be Redeemed

Image via Pierrot.

The Uchiha clan in Naruto Shippuden was full of characters who could have realistically become the final villain. While many fans hoped Madara would fill that role, the story could have just as easily featured Obito or Itachi as the ultimate threat with a few changes. Interestingly, the story could have become even more impactful by making Naruto’s former teammate, Sasuke, his final opponent.

By the end of Naruto Shippuden, Sasuke Uchiha had become as powerful as Naruto, boasting abilities like Indra’s Arrow and a complete Susanoo. While the story did feature a final battle between them, it felt somewhat predictable. A more compelling ending might have positioned Sasuke as the ultimate threat, giving Naruto one last chance to save his friend after several previous attempts. Additionally, fans might have appreciated a villain who could ultimately be redeemed and become an ally again, differentiating Sasuke from other final villains like Sosuke Aizen, Muzan Kibutsuji, and All For One.

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2026-02-19 21:06