This post contains spoilers for Naruto.
Summary
Narutois one of the few shonen anime where the villains are loved just as much as the heroes. The credit for this goes to Masashi Kishimoto, who created such stellar characters. While the antagonists are interesting and powerful, it does not exempt them from the crimes that they committed.
In fact,most Naruto villains got their comeuppance, but there is one major exception, and it’s Orochimaru. It seems that Kishimoto either forgot about the villain’s misdeeds or he wanted to exempt Orochimaru for another reason. But many fans firmly believe that Orochimaru should have been punished.
Orochimaru’s Evil Nature Knew No Bounds
For a while, Orochimaru behaved like a normal person, but his dark side soon took over. He began conducting human experiments, which resulted in the deaths of numerous children.Orochimaru felt no remorse for his actionsbecause he only cared about learning new techniques.
Orochimaru also assassinated Rasa and took over the command of the forces of the Hidden Sand. After doing so, he concocted a plan to attack the Hidden Leaf, which resulted in countless casualties. During the attack, Orochimaru fought against Hiruzen Sarutobi and mortally wounded him.
Orochimaru’s experiments harmed people, causing them immense pain. But he never stopped and instead was spurred on by the initial failures. Like many other people in Naruto, Orochimaru was obsessed with Hashirama’s cells and wanted to create a suitable vessel that would harness the power. After failing numerous times, Orochimaru finally ended up with Yamato.
Orochimaru’s Main Victims Were Kids
When Orochimaru discovered the Cursed Seal, he wasted no time in implanting it on children. Since it was highly unstable, most of them died, save for a few exceptions. Orochimaru was also responsible for grooming Sasuke Uchiha. From the get-go, Orochimaru wanted Sasuke’s body, and he tried everything to make sure that he was successful. When nothing seemed to work, Orochimaru offered Sasuke the chance to become more powerful. The Uchiha immediately became interested because he wanted to beat his elder brother.
Why Orochimaru Was Spared By The Hidden Leaf
It’s quite apparent that Orochimaru was a malevolent individual who had no morality. All he cared about was getting stronger and learning new techniques. It didn’t matter how many people had to be sacrificed for his benefit. So, why was he captured and punished for his crimes?
The only possible answer is that the Hidden Leaf believed Orochimaru was too valuable to be executed, which does make sense. He has researched for decades and knows about all sorts of techniques and how to undo them. For instance, it was his knowledgethat freed Hashirama, Tobirama, and Minato. Without their presence, the Ninja Alliance would have lost the Fourth Great Ninja War, and Madara would have reigned supreme. This could have been a factor in why Orochimaru was spared.
That said, Orochimaru does not have complete freedom. He is under constant surveillance, and it is safe to say that he will be severely punished if he breaks any rules. The same goes for Kabuto, who was put in charge of an orphanage after the war. Only time will tell if this was the right decision by the Hidden Leaf.
Did Any Naruto Villains Deserve A Better Ending?
The only namethat comes to mind is Itachi Uchiha, who was put in a difficult situation by Danzo. The Uchiha was forced to massacre the Hidden Leaf and take the blame upon himself to protect the reputation of his clan and the village. Itachi was forced to mistreat his brother, as he wanted Sasuke to grow strong and independent. Before dying, Itachi revealed the secrets of the Mangekyou Sharingan to Sasuke so that the latter would have an easier time adjusting to the new power.
Itachi was definitely a character who deserved another shot at a better life. While he won’t get a second chance to live, Itachi did mend his broken relationship with Sasuke. So, he will be happy knowing that Sasuke no longer hates him.
