He killed (almost) his entire clan. He was an S-Rank Rogue shinobi from Konohagakure, Sasuke’s and Samoto’s older brother, the oldest son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, the great-grandson of Sosuke Uchiha, and a member of the Akatsuki — Konoha’s most notorious gang of assassins —, partnered with Kisame Hoshigaki.
Itachi Uchiha was responsible for killing (almost) his entire clan, as well as his beloved. They called him a renegade. They called him a traitor. So, how is a character like that, a man who assassinated all of his friends, family members, and lover so beloved by Naruto‘s fans? And what makes Itachi Uchiha so popular?
Itachi Uchiha: An International Fan-Favorite
While the very first global popularity poll for Naruto’s characters is still ongoing, the preliminary results have been recently released, with Itachi Uchiha as a fan-favorite, second only to Minato Namizake, who is so far leading as the top favorite, and Naruto himself in fourth place. Therefore, this proves that the older Uchiha brother is a worldwide favorite in the Naruto franchise.
As portrayed in the very first episode of Naruto, the Nine Tails caused a colossal tragedy in The Village Of The Hidden Leaf, with a high number of casualties, years ago. At the time, the village’s superiors assumed the guilty fell on the Uchiha clan, whose members, during this catastrophic event, were nowhere to be found to protect Konoha. Being permanently barred from the circle of power, the Uchiha clan then planned a coup to overthrow the village leaders. Caught in the middle of this, and believing the rebellion and coup would lead to a full-fledged war, Itachi killed his beloved and massacred almost his entire clan.
Twisted actions, not only those perpetrated by Itachi Uchiha, are no stranger to the world of Naruto. Itachi’s actions, however, reach a deeper meaning and level if his motives are analyzed, which led him to become one of, if not the biggest, tragic heroes of Narutoverse.
Itachi Uchiha: The (Tragic) Hero In The Shadows
People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. That is how they define 'reality'. But what does it mean to be 'correct' or 'true'? Merely vague concepts... Their 'reality' may all be a mirage. Can we consider them to simply be living in their own world, shaped by their beliefs? - Itachi Uchiha
Considered by some an anti-villain, according to the definition of a tragic hero, Itachi Uchiha is the textbook example of the latter, embodying all the points to be checked so as to fit within this archetype. He is indeed the protagonist of a very tragic and dramatic story, which ultimately meets his end at the hands of his own brother, suffering throughout his life because of his horrifying actions taken because of an allegedly higher purpose. Imperfect and wounded by the fraught experiences of his life, when the truth was revealed concerning Itachi’s horrific acts, he was acclaimed and celebrated as a hero. From the perspective of the Village Of The Hidden Leaf, Itachi Uchiha was a hero who performed his duty in order to protect the village, saving countless lives and helping postpone a full-fledged war from blowing up, thus allowing for the civilians to live in relative peace for a while.
As a true tragic hero, Itachi Uchiha does not lack his virtuous and sympathetic traits and ambitions, despite all the horrors the did and endured throughout his life. He sacrificed everything for his brother Sasuke and his village, inclusively his chances at love. He was loved by his parents until the very end, who told him how proud they were of their son and asked him to protect his younger brother. Shattered with guilt, he believed Sasuke would be the only person who could punish him for his crimes, which led Itachi to let his brother kill him because he felt he deserved that. Also, he was tired of living in a world full of conflicts and hatred, having been painted as a villain and living in disgrace. Even with his sacrifices, the man who was identified as a prodigy when he was just a kid, once destined for greatness, did manage to adjourn a war but was unable to fix the problems causing the impending war and constant animosity. If it was not for his feelings and his illness, Itachi would have beaten his brother. Itachi even used his life to help Sasuke escape Orochimaru’s control in the final battle.
Even if his actions are shocking and horrifying, Itachi’s decisions were made thinking of an alleged greater good. A shinobi’s life is not their own, they are instruments to serve the village and the Kage. And toward them lies their loyalty. Itachi’s decisions are hence not only philosophically justified, even if the acts themselves are horrid, or only justified in the world of Naruto, but are also in compliance with the collectivism-oriented point of view of Japanese people, the same mindset that led many people to frown upon Makoto Shinkai’s decision to spare the girl’s life instead of going for an end to his Weathering With You film that promoted an alleged greater good.
Also, even if Itachi caused a lot of emotional and mental damage to the brother he loved and spared, that was because he thought that making Sasuke hate him was the right thing to be done. Even his joining the Akatsuki was led by a good reason in favor of people. He died like he lived — in the shadows. By analyzing his trajectory, Itachi is a very complex character, fully fleshed out, and indeed a tragic hero. As such, he is remembered and loved by both those in the Narutoverse, as well as outside the screens.
Itachi’s gripping trajectory until the end surely makes him one of the best and most popular and most beloved characters in the entire Naruto franchise. The preliminary results of NARUTOP99 poll only come to attest to what we already knew. Voting is open until January 31, 2023, and the shinobi that end up ranking in the top 20 will be drawn by Masashi Kishimoto himself, and the #1 Naruto character will also be featured in a short manga. There is still time to cast your vote.