Why and how does Sasuke Uchiha become evil in Naruto?

Was Sasuke Uchiha evil? Years after watching Naruto, this question still divides the fandom. Sasuke Uchiha is one of the best, most tragic characters in the Naruto franchise. What makes him so is his complexity, backstory, circumstances, and intentions.

His development from part 1 of Naruto and then Shippuden and onward gives us a good idea of his character on the whole.

Sasuke becoming evil is circumstantial. Initially, he’s motivated by revenge, fueled by hatred, broken by trauma, and subject to manipulation. But after he learns why Itachi slaughtered the Uchiha clan, he is consumed by grief and anger, and begins to spiral into evil.

Although he doesn’t stay that way until the end, Sasuke most definitely can be considered “evil,” especially in Shippuden when he wants to kill the only people who ever loved him. Here’s how Sasuke reached this point of insanity.

How does Sasuke become evil?

Sasuke didn’t really become evil until it was revealed that the reason his brother slaughtered their entire clan was to keep Konoha safe. Learning about the sacrifices made by Itachi to prevent civil war and protect him, Sasuke is driven into a rabid frenzy where the subject of his rage and revenge shifts from Itachi to Danzo to the Shinobi system itself.

I. Sasuke’s Thirst for Vengeance

Sasuke is an avenger. But his motive of vengeance is continuously deferred throughout the series. This isn’t done haphazardly or illogically, as some people seem to think, but in a nuanced manner that is justified by the events happening around him.

Sasuke was initially driven by seeking revenge for his family by wanting to punish his brother Itachi for choosing the Leaf over his own clan. He chose to leave village and become student of Orochimaru because he wanted to become stronger than his brother.

He is marked by the Uchiha Curse of Hatred, where his love for his brother rots into hate. He is used and manipulated by Orochimaru, and the combination of his innate power, immense training, and bubbling rage, makes Sasuke immensely dark and violent, but still understandable because of his predicament.

Until this part, Sasuke’s motivations seem well in line with what have happened; he even comes across as somewhat noble for doing what it takes to follow through with his intentions. He’s still more or less an anti-hero until this point.

II. Sasuke’s Descent into Evil

After his fatal confrontation with Itachi, things begin to deteriorate.

When Tobi/Obito tells him that Itachi chose to murder the whole Uchiha clan in order to save him, Sasuke’s blame shifts to the people who forced Itachi to make such a heinous decision in the first place. Sasuke then wishes to kill the Five Elders and the Leaf village.

This is where his revenge morphs into something else entirely. Now it is his grief that darkens his anger, the fact that it is Konoha that caused all his trauma, that caused him to kill his own brother.

He goes after Danzo, the one who put Itachi in his position, and kills him at the cost of injuring Karin. He’s even ready to sacrifice Naruto and Sakura, the two people who love him.  

After killing Danzo, Sasuke goes insane and reveals to Team 7 that his ultimate goal is to murder every member of the Hidden Leaf. He essentially becomes a terrorist after this point, joining Akatsuki and teaming up with Tobi/Obito.

III. Sasuke Becomes Unhinged

When Sasuke converses with reincarnated or Edo Itachi and the former Hokages, his rationality is fully shaken. He shifts the blame from individuals onto the system itself.

The Ninja system is the root of all problems according to him. It caused Konoha to exclude the Uchihas, and the Uchihas to plan a coup to take over the Village.

Sasuke’s objective to become the True Hokage is the goal of a madman. He volunteers to become a symbol of hatred so everyone else could unite against him.

He would become the dictator of the world, decide who should live and die, essentially become a god “that could light the darkness that plagues all five villages. One that could go through that and survive.” Doesn’t this sound exactly like what an evil villain would say?

Is Sasuke really evil? Does he redeem himself?

Sasuke is a person who was driven to becoming evil, but eventually turns good through the purging power of Naruto’s friendship.

Before the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Naruto and Sasuke have a showdown where instead of killing him, Naruto tells him that he will always be his friend.

After Kaguya is defeated, Sasuke reveals that he wants to execute the 5 Kages inside the infinite Tsukuyomi. Again, instead of killing him, Naruto admits that he would go to any lengths for Sasuke because he is his friend. Naruto refused to give up on Sasuke and was hell bent on saving him from darkness.

This is the only reason Sasuke manages to redeem himself. Sasuke comes back to the side of “good” again and breaks free of the cycle of hatred.

He chooses to work on his bonds with people and acknowledges the mistakes he made while being consumed by his hatred and thirst for revenge. He goes back to being who he was before the massacre and becomes mature, wiser, and warmer – even developing strong paternal instincts in Boruto.

Were Sasuke’s actions justified?

Sasuke’s actions are justified in context of his character and the circumstances he was put in.

Some people believe that Sasuke’s actions were totally logical because his objective – to achieve peace by any means necessary – doesn’t actually sound all that bad.

If Sasuke had defeated or killed Naruto and destroyed the Tailed Beasts and the Kages, he would have eradicated the constant struggle of power and forced an alliance between all the villages.

He would have effectively gotten rid of the horrible system that forced his brother into massacring his clan, and all the trauma that came after.

What Naruto did was shift the power struggle from between the villages to between the ninjas and the Otsutsukis. If there are stronger Otsutsukis, Konoha could be overwhelmed and destroyed.

However, Sasuke’s idealism was misguided and purely based on emotions. If he became the True Hokage, there would come a time when Sasuke would become another Madara.

While I know some people who would have loved for Sasuke to become Madara, a true big bad psycho, but Sasuke’s actions and intentions cannot be quantified as all-good or all-bad. This is why Sasuke is one character that can be considered as both, an anti-hero and an anti-villain – a heroic villain and a villainous hero.

About Naruto

Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. Its publication began on September 21, 1999, and continued till November 10, 2014, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. The manga has collected 72 volumes in tankōbon format.

Naruto Shippuden is Part II of the anime series, which follows an older Naruto as he attempts to save his friend Sasuke while at the same time – addressing the looming threat of the criminal organization – Akatsuki – who are targeting him for their grander scheme.