Naruto: Did Obito Uchiha truly deserve a redemption arc?

Time of India

10-06-2025

The legacy of one of Naruto's most controversial characters continues to divide fans even today. In reality, was Obito Uchiha truly deserving of such a golden redemption or was it poor storytelling at best?
Forgiveness and redemption may be the most potent themes present in the world of Naruto.
The anime has resurrected a number of baddies from the brink of evil's abyss, restoring them to life — and glory. From Sasuke Uchiha to even Orochimaru, most characters stride the precarious tightrope between hero and villain. Of all of them, though, none deserved to surprise fans with how black his heart had gone as Obito Uchiha.
Once a dreamy, lovesick ninja, his turn as a villain saw Obito become one of the most formidable antagonists in the whole Naruto saga.
His crimes alienated him from the ninja community, as he became Nico's only nemesis, with his awful deeds sending ripples across the ninja world. Yet, in the dying minutes of Naruto: In Shippuden, the series provided him with a real redemption arc — leaving viewers to argue on whether or not Obito's turnaround was deserved or if it was too sudden.
The dark legacy of Obito Uchiha
Obito wasn't simply a cruel villain — he orchestrated many of Naruto's most devastating tragedies.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Удивительные Новости
Undo
After opening the series as Tobi, he manipulated the strongest ninjas ever, puppeteered entire nations, and sparked the world-destroying Fourth Great Ninja War. Here are just some of his many unpardonable sins.
Activating the Akatsuki's Reign of Terror: Traumatic events in Obito's life completely twisted his perspective. He transformed Nagato and the Akatsuki into weapons of mass destruction, and by utilizing pain and trauma he was able to control others.
To allow him more leeway, he psychologically manipulated the Fourth Mizukage into submitting, reducing the village to a culture of violence through fear and death.
Catalyzing the Uchiha Massacre As mentioned with Itachi, Obito was instrumental in ordering the Uchiha Clan's extermination.
Upon the city of Konoha, he set loose the Nine-Tails which resulted in the death of Naruto's parents and thousands of others.
Cultural Heritage and War Crimes He pretty much unilaterally launched the Fourth Great Ninja War, killing thousands in the process, enslaving the tailed beasts, and attempting to cast an infinite illusion over the entire world.
These aren't minor errors — they're monumental blunders that reshaped the world we live in today. Unlike typical villains, Obito's crimes were mass and calculated.
Obito's final redemption: Too late or just in time?
Yet in spite of all the turmoil he unleashed, Obito's end gives him a vastly different interpretation. Though he is initially consumed by hopelessness, after fighting Naruto and coming to recognize a younger version of himself in him, Obito starts to have doubts about his decisions. In Union military affairs, when he defects to the other side, his actions tip the balance of war:
Sacrificing Himself literally, as Obito dies saving Naruto and the rest of the ninja alliance from Kaguya's lethal assaults.
He extracts the tailed beasts' chakra from Madara, rescuing Naruto when he was about to die.
Forming an Alliance to Destroy the Rinnegan Obito, realizing everything, told Sakura to destroy his last Rinnegan to prevent Madara from using them, showing that he had truly redeemed himself.
As far as fans are concerned, his redemption arc is too little, too late.
Was Obito controlled by Madara? The truth behind the curse tag
Yet somehow the biggest detail overlooked in Obito's story is the cursed tag that Madara farcically made sure to stick to Obito. This seal made it so Obito had no choice but to follow specific orders, so what he did wasn't necessarily done of free will. Though he did indeed operate with free choice for the majority of his offenses, the curse of Midas indicates there was ever the sense that he was being forced — and forever monitored.
Is Trauma a valid excuse for Obito's actions?
Obito's transformation into an agent of evil started when he had to watch the dying breath of Rin, the young woman he loved. Crushed by grief and then later on manipulated by Madara, he lost faith in the world. Can the personal experience of trauma really justify this type of state-orchestrated mass murder and global epic war?
Naruto sometimes largely addresses the questions of how pain brings people into the darkness, the narrative argues that individuals need to be held accountable for their choices even if they have been harmed.
Obito's posthumous effort to make amends is admirable. It never atones for the tragic destruction and trauma he inflicted during his lifetime.
Does Obito Uchiha deserve forgiveness?
Obito's story is among the most tragic and complicated tales in the whole of Naruto. He was a beloved hometown hero, became a supervillain, then unsuccessfully attempted to return to heroism. His redemption arc may have seemed premature to many, his ultimate sacrifices weren't without purpose.
Does that make all that enough to forgive the blood on his hands? Whether or not they get moved to action by it, that's really a question only each viewer can answer.