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Akatsuki is a shinobi organization in Naruto whose purpose changes over the course of the story. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan found it as a movement seeking peace for the Hidden Rain. The later organization, associated with Pain/Nagato and Obito, pursues a different mission: capturing all nine Tailed Beasts. The contrast between those phases is the key to understanding who the Akatsuki are.
What is Akatsuki?
Akatsuki is a group of shinobi whose role in Naruto shifts from a local peace movement to a secretive organization pursuing the Tailed Beasts. The name is most familiar from the Naruto Shippuden storyline, where the group’s actions—including the kidnapping of Gaara—bring it into direct conflict with Naruto and his allies.
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It is useful to distinguish the organization’s history from the lineup most viewers associate with it. The original founders’ stated aim was peace in their home, the Hidden Rain. The later Akatsuki has a wider and more dangerous campaign. The name remains the same, but its leadership, methods, and objective are not simply a continuation of the founders’ original plan.
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Who founded Akatsuki, and what did they want?
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan formed Akatsuki to bring peace to the Hidden Rain. The official Naruto Shippuden episode summary for “Creeping Shadow” describes their goal as realizing their dream of peace for their homeland. It also says the trio gained recognition and support before Obito, disguised as Madara Uchiha, warned them that their ideals would not be realized.
That origin matters because it prevents a common misunderstanding: Akatsuki did not begin as a group whose stated purpose was to hunt the Tailed Beasts. The original version was rooted in a specific place and an aspiration for peace. The later campaign represents a major change in what the organization does.
The founders’ goal is also more specific than a general wish for peace everywhere. The episode summary ties it to the Hidden Rain, their homeland. That local focus helps explain why it is useful to speak of an early movement and a later organization separately: the founders’ stated aim and the later campaign have different scales and methods.
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How did Akatsuki’s goals change?
The story presents a sharp difference between the founders’ ideal and the later organization’s actions. In the Shippuden overview, Akatsuki begins moving to capture all nine Tailed Beasts. Gaara’s kidnapping is the immediate crisis that draws Naruto into the conflict. That is the clearest supported summary of the later campaign’s target and its effect on the story.
So, why did Akatsuki collect the Tailed Beasts? At the level established in the official overview, the organization’s objective was to capture all nine. The available official summaries do not provide a sufficiently detailed explanation of the full plan behind that objective, so it is better not to reduce every member’s personal reason—or every stage of the plan—to one shared belief. The important point is that the later organization’s beast-hunting campaign is distinct from Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan’s original peace movement.
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For readers trying to keep the history straight, compare the phases by four things: leadership, stated aim, scale, and method. The founding movement centers on Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, seeks peace in the Hidden Rain, and gains recognition and support. The later organization is associated with Pain/Nagato and Obito’s behind-the-scenes influence, targets all nine Tailed Beasts, and takes actions that include kidnapping jinchūriki. The broad contrast is clear even though a short summary cannot describe every shift in command or what every member knows.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Phase | Leadership or central figures | Stated aim or campaign | How it operates in the story |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founding movement | Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan | Peace for the Hidden Rain | A movement that gains recognition and support |
| Later Akatsuki | Pain/Nagato and, behind the scenes, Obito | Capture all nine Tailed Beasts | A secretive organization whose actions include kidnapping jinchūriki |
The table describes the broad phases, not every change in command or every member’s understanding of the organization. Akatsuki changes over time, and its members do not necessarily share identical motives or knowledge.
Who are the familiar Akatsuki members?
For the familiar Shippuden-era organization, Pain is Nagato under the identity associated with Akatsuki’s leadership, while Konan remains a central figure. Obito—operating behind the scenes and at one point disguised as Madara Uchiha—is also central to the organization’s later direction. The best-known members are often introduced as partners:
- Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki
- Deidara and Sasori
- Hidan and Kakuzu
- Zetsu
- Tobi/Obito, a key figure in the later organization
- Pain/Nagato and Konan, central to the leadership and history associated with the familiar lineup
This is a practical guide to recognizable figures, not a complete chronological membership list. Akatsuki’s membership and leadership change across its history, and the official franchise pages cited here do not provide one exhaustive roster covering every era. The official Naruto site’s 2025 Banpresto figure-lineup article names Pain, Kakuzu, Kisame, Zetsu, Deidara, Sasori, Itachi, Hidan, Tobi, and Konan; that list is a useful pointer to familiar characters, not proof that it records every member or the group’s history in order.
It also helps to keep founders and later members in separate mental categories. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan founded the movement; the commonly recognized Shippuden lineup includes figures such as Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu, Zetsu, and Tobi. Nagato appears in both parts of the story, but the organization’s purpose and leadership context change. Treating every name as if they joined at the same time obscures the central transformation.
What does “member” mean across Akatsuki’s different eras?
When someone asks for the Akatsuki members, they usually mean the recognizable group from Shippuden. But that shorthand can blur the distinction between the original trio and the later organization. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan are founders; the familiar lineup includes other shinobi and develops under different leadership and objectives.
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Official franchise material supports some individual associations without settling the full roster. For example, the official Sasori profile describes him as joining Akatsuki, an organization of S-rank criminals. That description helps explain the later group’s reputation, but it does not mean every Akatsuki member has the same background, motivation, or level of knowledge about the organization’s plans.
It is therefore more accurate to describe Akatsuki as an organization that changes, rather than treat every character named in a familiar lineup as a member at the same moment or under the same circumstances. If you need a particular character’s place in the timeline, look at that character’s point in the story rather than relying on a single undated list.
Merchandise and character profiles are useful for recognizing names, but they answer different questions. A figure lineup shows which characters were featured in that release, while Sasori’s profile confirms his association with Akatsuki. Neither is a chronological roster. For the organization’s history, the episode summary about the founders and the franchise overview of the later Tailed Beast campaign give the clearest concise framing.
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How Akatsuki fits into Naruto’s story
Akatsuki’s changing purpose gives the group a role beyond that of a list of antagonists. Its founding ideal establishes what the organization once hoped to achieve; the later campaign shows how far its actions have moved from that starting point. The episode summary “Creeping Shadow” connects the founders, their dream, and Obito’s warning, while the official Shippuden overview frames the later capture of the Tailed Beasts as a central threat.
The franchise spans manga, anime, movies, novels, and games, so the best entry point depends on whether you want the original story or an adaptation. For the manga, the official Naruto site lists volume 54 as chapters 505–514 and describes Naruto and his allies battling Akatsuki. VIZ’s franchise page also lists manga and anime releases, including a Shippuden volume summary in which Akatsuki attempts to infiltrate the Hidden Leaf during the Fourth Great Ninja War. These are examples of where the organization appears in the wider story, not a complete viewing or reading order.
If you are looking for a focused reference rather than a reading order, the official volume listing gives you a concrete place to identify manga chapters, while the VIZ franchise page helps locate manga and anime releases. A single volume or adaptation description is not a substitute for the full story, but it can help you find the relevant format. Availability and editions can differ by region, so check the publisher or retailer listing for the version you want.
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Where to find official character and story references
For a physical reference book, Shueisha lists NARUTO [Hiden: Jin no Sho] Character Official Data Book, written by Masashi Kishimoto. Its product record gives a publication date of November 4, 2014, a length of 392 pages, and ISBN 978-4-08-880263-3. Confirm the language and edition with a retailer before buying; the bibliographic record does not establish current stock.
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The ISBN is useful when comparing listings because titles may be rendered differently across languages and stores. The product record confirms the book’s bibliographic details, not its price, condition, shipping cost, or present availability. Those details depend on the seller and should be checked on the actual listing rather than inferred from the publication record.
The official Naruto site also published a 2025 article about a Banpresto Akatsuki figure lineup. Its release schedule is historical, and the page does not establish current availability. For story context, the official manga volume listing and VIZ franchise page are more directly relevant than a merchandise lineup.
Regional details may vary across official franchise pages. The official Naruto site notes that some content may be machine-translated, so character names and other wording can differ between regional presentations.
For readers interested in merchandise, the 2025 Banpresto page documents a lineup featuring familiar characters, but it does not confirm that the figures remain in stock or state a current price. Treat it as a record of a release, not a live shopping page. Similarly, the character data book is a directly relevant physical reference, but language, edition, and retailer terms need to be verified before purchase.
Common misunderstandings to avoid
- “Akatsuki always wanted the Tailed Beasts.” The founders’ documented aim was peace for the Hidden Rain; the capture campaign belongs to the later organization.
- “Every member has one motive.” The story has different leaders, partners, loyalties, and levels of knowledge. A shared membership does not establish a shared personal reason.
- “A short member list is the complete roster.” The organization changes over time, and the official pages discussed here do not give a full chronological list.
- “A figure lineup shows who belonged when.” A merchandise list identifies featured characters, not a complete timeline of membership.
- “The founders’ peace goal and the later campaign are interchangeable.” The story explicitly presents a change in purpose and methods, so use the phase that fits the event or character you are describing.
- “A book or figure page guarantees a current price or stock.” Publisher and release records establish product details or historical releases, not current retailer inventory or costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Akatsuki in Naruto?
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan formed the original Akatsuki to pursue peace for their home, the Hidden Rain. The later organization should not be confused with that founding movement.
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What is Akatsuki’s goal?
The founders’ stated goal was peace in the Hidden Rain. The later Akatsuki campaign targeted all nine Tailed Beasts, a major change in the organization’s purpose and actions.
Why did Akatsuki collect the Tailed Beasts?
The official Shippuden overview identifies capturing all nine Tailed Beasts as the later organization’s objective. That summary does not explain every stage of the plan or every member’s personal motive, so it is more accurate to distinguish the shared campaign from individual reasons.
Who are the best-known Akatsuki members?
The familiar Shippuden-era figures include Pain/Nagato and Konan, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara and Sasori, Hidan and Kakuzu, Zetsu, and Tobi/Obito. Akatsuki’s membership changes over time, so this is not a complete chronological roster.
Did Akatsuki begin as a criminal organization?
The founders’ early movement sought peace for the Hidden Rain and gained recognition and support. The later organization is associated with S-rank criminals and the capture of the Tailed Beasts; the story treats that as a significant transformation.
Where can I find an official Naruto character reference book?
Shueisha lists NARUTO [Hiden: Jin no Sho] Character Official Data Book, a 392-page book published November 4, 2014, with ISBN 978-4-08-880263-3. Check a retailer for language, edition, current stock, and price.
The Bottom Line
Akatsuki began with Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan seeking peace for the Hidden Rain. The familiar Shippuden organization later pursued all nine Tailed Beasts under changed leadership and methods. Keep those eras distinct, and treat any short member list as a guide to recognizable characters—not a complete timeline.
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