2009-10-09, 20:34 | Link #43 |
It's the year 3030...
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Spaceport Colony Sicilia
Age: 39
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For me, Itachi is a hero, insofar as the nobility of his goal. How he chose to go about achieving that goal can be seen as villainous (as it certainly was), but the goal is what's important, in my eyes.
This is best illustrated in his fight with Sasuke, particularly the end. I suspect that, as soon as he saw Sasuke, Itachi knew that Orochimaru was inside him, looking for an opportunity to get out. My suspicion is that Itachi's thinking was something to the effect of "Well, fuck. I can't do what I came here to do, because I have to kill Orochimaru now." Had that situation not transpired, I suspect Itachi would have been able to convince Sasuke that what he did in the past was a necessary evil to eradicate the far greater evil of the present. My guess is that Itachi knew that he could not defeat Madara, but saw that ability in Sasuke. He had planned to try and explain that to Sasuke, but was unable to do so because of the whole Orochimaru situation. As it stands now, we know that Sasuke has, essentially, become Madara's pupil, which I consider to be precisely the opposite effect Itachi intended. Brutal though his tactics were, I think that his end-game had the best intentions in mind. While I realize "the road to hell is paved with good intentions," I respect Itachi's attempt to quell this evil through the means he thought most appropriate, and consider it unfortunate circumstance that his plans could not fully come to fruition.
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2009-10-09, 22:50 | Link #46 |
Senior Member
Author
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: USA
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I don't think it was a disappointment, just tragic. I don't think it's dissapointing because before it was revealed, I always found it fishy that someone that smart, calm, and caring could turn that quickly. I always figured there was a motive that was rational.
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2009-10-10, 05:40 | Link #48 |
Dreamer King
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: lost - with no intention to be found...
Age: 38
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Idk, there was definite badass points with him slaughtering his entire clan just to test out his power! He didnt need the lame goal of ruling the world, but the awesome indifference of how strong he can be...!
No one has even cared to explain why Itachi chose to mind fuck both Kakashi and Sasuke when at the time they where both devoted Konoha Ninjas - the village he was so meant to dearly love. Its kind of like Kisihi made him badass/heartless on his first appearance and then added the "twist" of him caring of the village - without the explanation of his actions with Kakashi and Sauske. Explain Kishsi! Thats why I call shenanigans or BS!!! That or hes a tragic and kinda dumbass hero... |
2009-10-10, 05:49 | Link #49 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
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As for sasuke, the explanation is that he did that to fuel sasuke's growth. He wanted sasuke to grow as powerful as possible, as soon as possible. The best way to ensure that was to fill him with the lust for revenge against Itachi |
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2009-10-10, 07:07 | Link #50 | |
Dreamer King
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: lost - with no intention to be found...
Age: 38
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The fact that Sauske hates Konoha village didnt work too well for Itachi's plan of saving the village either? lol If he could make up anything in Sauske's mind wouldnt the easiest thing to put was Madara as the person behind the massacre of his clan...after all he did help/ was behind the events of that night. Sasuke could have been training just as strong, (well lucky the 5th Hokage came back otherwise he would still be in the hospital) knowing another Sharingan user was behind his clans destruction. Logically its so messed up it could easily have been that Kishi, change his mind long after those events and decided to give Itachi a "heart"... |
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2009-10-10, 10:34 | Link #51 | |
good-natured spirit
Graphic Designer
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Who said he was a hero? ^^
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2009-10-18, 23:12 | Link #54 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
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He may had noble goals, but what he did to achieve it does not make him a hero. Joining up and helping a megalomaniac in his goals for world domination and destruction, killing his entire family and clan, destroying several lives under orders of Madara and Pein. He is not quite anti-hero or anti-villain, he seems to be in between. He cannot be a hero or a villain for certain.
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2009-10-19, 02:56 | Link #55 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Pacific Northwest, USA
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Quite honestly, Itachi does not fit the definition of an anti-hero. First of all, an anti-hero is a protagonist who achieves goals and realizes ambitions that are the antithesis to that of a hero. Kishi establishes Itachi as an antagonist from the very start of the series, ergo he does not fit the bill of an anti-hero. He does, on the other hand, fit the bill for an anti-villain:
an antagonist who achieves goals and realizes ambitions that are the antithesis of a villain. Really, all the discussion has been about is how much of a badass Itachi is, and essentially what his intentions are. This definition sufficiently establishes Itachi as an anti-villain. He is an antagonist, his goals are contrary to that of the two main antagonists of the series, which accounts for a portion of the anti-hero defintion. The outcome is not what he would have wished, that much is certain. But the implications of his chosen outcome was that he was never truly loyal to Akatsuki, or even the Uchiha clan, but rather he chose to remain loyal to Konoha; which is a direct contradiction to the where the loyalties of Madara, Orochimaru, and the rest of Akatsuki lie. |
2009-10-19, 15:56 | Link #56 | |
Gotta kill 'em all!
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Denmark
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Naruto is the main protagonist in the series. He is setting the bar. He is a naive character who would never kill an innocent person even if he was put into a difficult position like killing one to save a million. Itatchi is the oppesite of this, and therefore he is the atagonist. It's the age old question we see allot in Asian stories; Kill a few to save many? The movie Hero comes to mind, in which Jet Li plays a almost Immortal-like Warrior who has to make a choice of weather to assassinate the Emperor of the most powerful Dynasty in the east, or let the Emperor go through with his plan and unify China under one banner to end Wars. Dying for the greater good. Itatchi is tragic as he puts all the pain on his shoulders. I wondered why such a cleaver strategist and Genjutsu user did not try more, to play Danzo and the Uchiha clan up against each other, or re-concile with the Third in a way, that both would be exposed. I guess you could argue that if that would happen, there would Riots and War within Konoha, and it would end with Death. I just think that such a smart person(perhaps the smartest in the Series.. Even more than Shikamaru) would be able to find away. Killing your entire Clan is so drastic and extreme. I don't know if it was too much for his characters motivation, but I loved the way he had set everything up, and how he gave Sasuke all those things, like the black flames and set up the traps for Madera. It was a great setup that showed Itatchis genius. He was laid back, incredible skilled and admired by everybody. His demise was the fall of a person who struggled his entire life with the skills that was given to him. In that sense, Madera's fall is much more tragic. As he celebrated himself, became bitter and was a loser and nr. 2 in many ways. If you think about it, Madera is ultimately much more of a bad bad guy. There was explanations and flawed logics and ideologies for everybody from Orochimaru to Pain to Zabuza to Gaara to Itatchi... But Madera was the case who was asking for it. Anyways, I think Itatchi was a tragic honorable atagonist. |
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2009-10-20, 12:15 | Link #57 |
Kensei??
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle,WA
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Itachi seem's more like an Tragic Hero. Ultimately, everything he did was for the greater good even giving naruto a portion of his power ( in doing so, he probably anticipated Sasuke joining up with Madara). He'd tried to undermine Akatsuki and save Sasuke.
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2009-10-20, 15:37 | Link #58 |
☻1st Class☻
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Itachi is definitely a Tragic Hero. The faith of his Clan and his own upbringing is what influenced his decisions. While I do poke fun at Kish for his lack of development in most of his character, Itachi is by far the most well planned character. All in all this discussion is pointless for anyone to call him a villain that would be absurd.
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2009-10-20, 23:39 | Link #59 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Pacific Northwest, USA
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Seriously, calling Itachi a hero is like calling George W. Bush smart.
Though he may be a tragic figure, his character is anything but a hero. Arguments could be made for an anti-hero, weak as they may be. His conduct, personality, and development most suit that of an anti-villain. The intentions exhibited in this case would look to be heroic, but himself and the his methods are nothing short of villainous. Looking at the entirety of his life ex post facto you will see a heroic attempt at restoring the honor of an ashamed and secretive clan, in fact, he even set up retribution for himself in the form of Sasuke revenge. He himself knew that he was a villain and sought accountability for his crimes. A tragic hero would of had a big problem with almost all of Itachi's actions but not necessarily their outcomes. If a person is to be ascribed their worth by the outcomes of their actions, than an argument may be made for Itachi's heroism. Rather, if a person's actions define who they are, as I believe they do (and also every other deontologist ever), Itachi's character must be described in terms of what he does rather than the consequences that they produce. |
2009-10-21, 11:43 | Link #60 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
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His idea of "peace" is just as twisted as Danzou, Pain and Madara's. His mind was totally warped from the ninja war he experienced in his childhood, otherwise he would've realised that to utterly slaughter one side (including elderly and infants that couldn't fight in the first place) is worse than the war he prevented. He was a villain.
He was an awesome character, his whole life was tragic, but he was still a villain. |
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