This post contains spoilers for Naruto.
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Narutois renowned for having some of the most powerful characters in the anime world. Each of them had unique abilities, making it a challenge to beat them in a fight. Kishimoto did not give all characters equal amounts of power to make things more interesting. In certain cases, the author made a character too powerful and later had to find a way to weaken them. Unfortunately, Nagato Uzumaki was a part of this group.
Nagato Uzumaki Was Supposed To Save The World
Nagato Uzumaki was orphaned at a young ageduring the Third Great Ninja War. After witnessing his parents' death, Nagato awakened the Rinnegan and used its power to kill the ninjas who were responsible. Eventually, Nagato met Yahiko and Konan, who were also orphans. Together, the three roamed the battlefields, hoping to survive. At some point, they met Jiraiya, who decided to stay behind to train them so that the orphans could survive. While training, Jiraiya realized that Nagato was special and that he could change the fate of the world.
Had fate not played a cruel trick on Nagato, it’s safe to say that he would have gone on to achieve greatness. He would have formed a peaceful community with Yahiko and Konan so that other children wouldn’t have to suffer like them. However, Hanzo’s reckless actions led to Yahiko’s death, which in turn affected Nagato’s outlook.
Nagato’s Rinnegan Made Him The Strongest Member Of The Akatsuki
Nagato Was Stronger Than Any Kage
Nagato had the Rinnegan implanted in his eyesby Madara. The latter knew Nagato would be a suitable vessel, and he wasn’t proven wrong. Not long after awakening the Rinnegan, Nagato learned to master its abilities. To make up for his lack of mobility, Nagato used chakra rods to take control of six bodies. The bodies under the control of Nagato were called the Six Paths of Pain. Each body was armed with one ability of the Rinnegan, making them extremely dangerous. Even an experienced ninja like Jiraiya struggled to beat them and was ultimately killed by them. However, it would be remiss not to mention that Jiraiya could have escaped after learning the secret of the Rinnegan.
With the help of the Six Paths of Pain, Nagato took down powerful ninjas and tailed beasts. His true power was revealed during the invasion of the Hidden Leaf. One of the bodies used Almighty Push, and it nearly flattened the entire Hidden Leaf. EvenNaruto struggled in the fight,and he required the help of other Leaf ninjas to push Nagato to the limit. Towards the end, Naruto received help from beyond, which enabled him to beat Nagato.
Kishimoto Nerfed Nagato Twice
Nagato Was Too Strong For Naruto
Kishimoto likely realized that Nagato was too strong for Naruto and the other heroes, which is why he decided to limit his strength by immobilizing him. The Six Paths of Pain were certainly powerful, but they didn’t come close to a healthy Nagato. If he wasn’t immobilized,Nagato could use all of Rinnegan’s powers. He didn’t have to wait for another body to use a skill.
The second nerf came during the early stages of the Fourth Great Ninja War. After being reanimated by Kabuto, Nagato teamed up with Itachi, and they targeted Killer B and Naruto. Despite facing two jinchuriki at the same time, Nagato was able to dominate them effortlessly. At one point, it looked like Nagato would beat both of them and help Obito emerge victorious.
So,Kishimoto decided to turn Itachi(the only character who had the perfect counter to Nagato) into a nice guy and used him to stop the Uzumaki. If Nagato hadn’t been stopped, he would have annihilated every single ninja with ease. While Nagato was certainly nerfed, his story was still quite amazing. Nagato never appeared in the story after the incident, but he left behind a powerful legacy, and it makes him one of the biggest heroes in Naruto.
