One of the greatest villains in Naruto wasn’t born with the Rinnegan, his most precious weapon; rather, it was handed to him.
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- Nagato, the head of the Akatsuki, takes possession of the Rinnegan, which endows him with terrible abilities.
- Although the exact source of Nagato’s Rinnegan possession remains unknown, it is known that Madara Uchiha gave him the strong eyes when he was a newborn.
- Nagato’s Uzumaki ancestry, which bestows upon him a vast quantity of chakra and innate skills, makes him a suitable candidate for the Rinnegan.
Since its 2002 launch, the Naruto franchise has been one of the most watched anime series ever, and it has given rise to some of the most adored heroes in anime history. But there are just as many noteworthy adversaries in Naruto as there are remarkable protagonists. Specifically, there are a tonne of excellent villains in the Naruto: Shippuden series, many of them practise their evil trade as members of the influential Akatsuki group. The leader of the organisation, Nagato (who hides his true identity behind the Pain persona), almost destroys the Hidden Leaf Village with the Rinnegan, his greatest power.
Since ocular jutsu are a prominent theme in the whole Naruto story, it makes sense that the Akatuski commander would have one of the most powerful and uncommon visual skills in the entire canon. Given that Nagato’s Rinnegan is the foundation of the Akatsuki’s activities and the primary force behind his ascent to fame, it is imperative to comprehend how his eyes acquired the extremely uncommon jutsu.
What Exactly Is A Rinnegan?
In the realm of ocular jutsu, also known as “dojutsu,” three distinct skills set the ninjas apart. The first of these two, the Byakugan and the Sharingan, only appear in members of the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans of Hidden Leaf Village, respectively. The Rinnegan, the final of the Three Great Visual Jutsu, is much more uncommon, though, as it only wakes in two people: (1) members of the space-faring Otsutsuki Clan, or (2) those who are able to gather both the Sage of the Six Paths’ chakra and two Mangekyo Sharingan. Because of this, the talent is quite rare, and the Rinnegan is fully unknown until much later in the events of Naruto: Shippuden.
Some of the most lethal abilities and strategies in the Naruto series come from the Rinnegan, especially when used by the proper person. The Rinnegan not only allows one to see chakra, but it also allows one to become proficient in all five nature transformations, which allows one to use almost any jutsu in the entire series. The Rinnegan’s Six Paths Technique, which makes use of six special and potent abilities ranging from physically absorbing the dead to absorbing chakra, is its most striking feature. All of these abilities are displayed by the Akatsuki leader Nagato during his attack on Hidden Leaf Village, but it is still unclear how he obtained them given he doesn’t appear to be a member of the Uchiha Clan.
How was the Rinnegan obtained by Nagato?
In Naruto: Shippuden, Nagato is shown using the Rinnegan from an early age in a number of flashbacks (even before losing his parents in the Second Great Shinobi War). These sequences gave rise to the long-held belief that the sickly boy possessed dojutsu from birth; however, as the evil schemes of Madara and Obito Uchiha are gradually exposed, it becomes clear that the former was mostly responsible for Nagato’s artistic abilities. Madara Uchiha, the famed Uchiha Clan member, is painfully aware that he will not have enough time to fulfil his longtime dream, even though he survives his battle with Hashirama Senju and extends his longevity using his rival’s cells.
Even with his recently awakened Rinnegan, Madara’s plan to use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to bring about world peace is far beyond the capabilities of his ageing body. Therefore, he devises a new plan to reincarnate himself at a later time by implanting the all-powerful Rinnegan and their Rinne Rebirth technique in a manipulable target. In the end, this target turns out to be none other than Nagato, who will go on to become the Akatsuki’s commander, but the question still stands: why choose a quiet little boy from the Hidden Rain Village for this position?
The Reason Madara Gave Nagato The Rinnegan
Naruto: Shippuden finally reveals that Nagato is a member of the Uzumaki Clan, despite not having the Uzumaki name. This makes him a distant relative of characters like Naruto and his mother, Kushina. This clan’s members are renowned for having an enormous quantity of chakra, which bestows upon them a variety of innate skills, such as increased durability, quicker recovery times, and longer lifespans. Nagato benefits from these characteristics despite his fragile appearance, which makes him an ideal fit for a burden like the Rinnegan. Nagato is ultimately the target of the evil Uchiha Clan member because his physique is far more suited to Madara’s schemes than that of someone like Obito Uchiha, an extraordinarily talented shinobi in and of himself.
When Nagato was still a newborn, Madara implanted his Rinnegan within the Uzumaki Clan descendent after realising that Nagato would be a suitable victim for his schemes. Madara didn’t realise that the Second Great Ninja War would break out, throwing the Hidden Rain hamlet into disarray and forcing Nagato to leave his home, believing that the peace and quiet of Nagato’s hamlet would provide for the ideal hiding place. These struggles led Nagato to ally with his two companions, Konan and Yahiko, to form the Akatsuki, an organisation that would ultimately transform the ninja world.
Before Naruto Uzumaki finally stops them, the Akatsuki almost bring down the Hidden Leaf Village with the help of the Rinnegan. Nagato ends his life by using the Rinnegan one last time to bring the residents of Hidden Leaf Village back to life while he still has the last remnants of strength. Obito Uchiha shows up after Nagato dies and steals his eyes, implanting one Rinnegan into himself and holding onto the other for Madara’s unavoidable reappearance.