Introduction:
Itachi Uchiha is the most beloved character in the entire anime universe is known for having one of the most exciting and mind-blowing personal stories. Initially, this ninja was notorious for the murder of an entire clan. However, later on, the same ninja ends up saving the entire world. Then there’s the bond between Sasuke and Itachi—what can be said about that? Everything Sasuke has done so far has been to either rival his older brother or to make him happy. No one was more traumatized than Sasuke upon Uchiha Clan Massacre..
Initially, Sasuke was becoming powerful to defeat Itachi. However, after learning the truth about Itachi, he made it his purpose to fulfill his brother’s dream. I don’t think any character as impactful as Itachi will be created in the future. Fans literally worship Itachi, but today, I might hurt those fans’ egos because I’m going to discuss whether Itachi is truly a powerful character in the Naruto universe. There are millions of people who believe that if Itachi hadn’t been sick or if he had used the power of Susanoo against Sasuke from the beginning, he could have easily defeated Sasuke.
And look, that’s true, but can he really stand up to characters like Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju? Keep in mind, I’m not referring to the version of Madara who absorbed the power of the Ten Tails and became a literal god. I’m interested in whether he could rival the strongest characters in their base forms. For Itachi to match up to these characters in their base forms, he would also need to be significantly strengthened in the current series. It’s important to remember that Itachi faced many limitations.
Illness and Limitations: The Handicaps Itachi Faced
First of all, he was extremely ill. He had a very dangerous unknown disease that made him very tired and cough up blood frequently. In a world where you have to constantly take care of your health and body to keep it active, Itachi fought handicapped. Secondly, his greatest weakness was his Mangekyou Sharingan. I admit that Itachi’s Mangekyou Sharingan was very broken, but it was also his biggest weakness. Using Mangekyou techniques repeatedly was making him blind. In fact, while fighting Sasuke, Itachi was mostly blind.
“Itachi Uchiha’s abilities are on a completely different level. His mastery of genjutsu is unparalleled, and his strategic mind makes him one of the most formidable opponents I’ve ever faced.”
– Kakashi Hatake
The Mangekyou Sharingan: Power and Weakness
When a Uchiha uses the Mangekyou Sharingan, it puts a lot of pressure on their eyes, preventing them from using it continuously every day. However, if you implant someone else’s Mangekyou Sharingan into your own eyes, you awaken the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and will never go blind again. Both Sasuke and Madara implanted their brothers’ Sharingan into their own bodies, which is why they became so powerful. Just think about a character with an unknown dangerous disease, almost blind in both eyes, still taking on and defeating top-tier characters in the series.
Genjutsu Master: Itachi’s Unmatched Skill
It’s true; Itachi was a formidable ninja whose genjutsu was unmatched in the series. Genjutsu is one of the most overpowered techniques in the Naruto series. If it works on an opponent, victory is almost guaranteed. Remember, Madara Uchiha’s ultimate goal was to put the entire world under a genjutsu. Unfortunately, towards the end of the series, genjutsu was used less frequently in fights. However, whenever Itachi Uchiha fought, the use of genjutsu was always certain.
Using genjutsu typically requires looking into the opponent’s eyes, but Itachi could cast it without direct eye contact. For example, in the first part of the series when Itachi and Kisame entered the Leaf Village and confronted Kurenai and Kakashi.
Kurenai was the best genjutsu user in the Leaf Village, but Itachi put her under genjutsu in a single moment. Kakashi’s situation became even worse. Itachi trapped Kakashi in Tsukuyomi and tortured him for what felt like hours. Tsukuyomi is a dimensional world where Itachi can show his opponent whatever he wants. Once you are trapped in his Tsukuyomi, your entire life falls under Itachi’s control.
Kakashi, a powerful ninja, took several days to recover from Itachi’s genjutsu. Even in that situation, Itachi worked for the village’s interest and didn’t attack Kakashi and Kurenai with his full power. Kakashi and Kurenai were still fine, but Itachi trapped people of Kage level in his genjutsu. We all know how he trapped Orochimaru in genjutsu with just one look. At that time, Orochimaru was one of the legendary Sannin. While fighting Sasuke, Itachi could have kept Sasuke trapped in genjutsu forever, but he didn’t. In the initial fight, we see his genjutsu moves, but later, he pulls out even more dangerous moves.
The Power of Amaterasu and Susanoo
Every Mangekyou Sharingan user has their own unique power. For example, Obito and Kakashi had the power to warp space, and Shisui Uchiha had the powerful Kotoamatsukami. Similarly, Itachi Uchiha had a jutsu called Amaterasu. Basically, with his Mangekyo Sharingan Itachi can create black flames wherever he looks. These flames can burn continuously for seven days and are much hotter than normal flames.After transplanting Itachi’s eye into himself, this became Sasuke’s most powerful move.
After Amaterasu comes Susanoo. No doubt, it’s one of the most overpowered jutsu in the series. Itachi was the first to introduce this jutsu on screen, and interestingly, his Susanoo is considered the most powerful.
It has two very powerful weapons: the Totsuka Blade and the Yata Mirror Shield. The Totsuka Blade can seal anyone, while the Yata Mirror Shield is the ultimate defensive technique, almost impossible to penetrate. Unfortunately, we never got to see Itachi’s full-power Susanoo. In fact, we haven’t seen the full extent of any of Itachi’s powers. This is why many people believe that if Itachi had all his powers, he could defeat any opponent.
“Even with all the power and knowledge I’ve acquired, Itachi’s genjutsu is something I could never surpass. His eyes see through everything, making him a terrifying adversary.”
– Orochimaru
Intelligence and Battle IQ: Itachi’s Strategic Mind
Another shocking fact is that we have only talked about his overpowered techniques. Itachi himself is one of the most intelligent persons. His battle IQ is next level. He can quickly find his enemy’s weak points and form a plan to defeat them. We saw in the battle with Kabuto how he overpowered him and changed the course of the war. He became an Anbu member at a very young age. Itachi’s thinking was ahead of his age from a very young age.
There is no doubt that he could defeat 99% of the characters in the Naruto series, and he wouldn’t even need to use his full powers to do so. Just with his Genjutsu, he can severely defeat them.However, when it comes to characters like Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, Itachi faces a different caliber of opponents. Madara and Hashirama’s physicality, mental power, and vast battle experience put them in a league of their own, making it extremely difficult for Itachi to stand a chance against them. But, I would at least place Itachi among the top seven strongest characters.
A very interesting comparison can be made with Minato. Is Itachi more powerful than Minato? In my opinion, this is a very interesting question, and I will answer it in another blog. Until then, please let me know in the comments below who you think will win. The comments section is open, so go and comment. If you liked the blog, please like it and share it with your friends.Until then, bye now.
