TheNarutoFranchise has produced some of the most iconic and well-written villains in the entire anime industry, yet it has simultaneously ruined some of these well-rounded villains through its theme of redemption. While this recurring theme may have some benefits and valid reasoning behind it, some instances were simply unjustified, in-turn tarnishing the character itself. Onesuch instance of Kishimoto’s forced redemptionis the series' most notorious villain – Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was theNarutoseries' first major villain, who started off his villainous streak by killing off his own mentor,Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. Throughout the series, his horrific misdeeds were slowly revealed, portraying the former Leaf Village shinobi as a twisted monster, making his redemption all the more controversial. A conclusion to whether Orochimaru actually deserved redemption can only be reached by analyzing his crimes and his redeeming acts, giving a complete picture of this uncalled-for vindication.
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How Did Orochimaru Redeem Himself?
A change in Orochimaru’s villainous ways was first observed when he was brought back to life by Sasuke. He bore no hatred for the young Uchiha who had killed him, and neither did he have any interest in taking over his body for his own goals. He stated thatobserving Kabuto’s actions from withinhim made him realize that his path was meaningless in the end, prompting him to try following a different path, which was in the form of following Sasuke’s orders and observing the events that followed.
While following Sasuke, Orochimaru’s actions helped the Allied Shinobi Forces quite significantly in the Fourth Great Shinobi War, such asreanimating all four previous Hokage, and even saving Tsunade and the other Kage from the clutches of death. He even fought alongside the Allied Forces to help stop Obito and the Infinite Tsukuyomi, truly establishing himself as an ally. After the war ended, Orochimari worked for the Hidden Leaf Village as a researcher, but only under strict supervision. Due to his role in the war, all his past misdeeds were forgiven, and he was accepted back into the village as a shinobi of the Leaf – something that doesn’t sit right with most fans.
Orochimaru’s Crimes
It would be impossible to list down every singlecrime that Orochimaru has committed, as his unending list of atrocities would be impossible to track down. One of his most notable offenses was his illegal and immoral experimentation of shinobi and children, as he would kidnap and perform live experiments on them to perfect and evolve new jutsu. Most of his subjects never lived to tell the tale, and the ones who survived were forced into eternal servitude.
Orochimari also enslavedpeople with unique Kekkei Genkaifrom all over the world and forced them to fight each other, keeping the remaining ones as his personal bodyguards, as seen in the case of the Sound Ninja Four. His horrid killing sprees are another reason that put him on the top charts as the series’ most heinous villain, as he killed anyone that stood in his way. Killing countless shinobi and even two Kage, Orochimaru’s murderous acts are far beyond any characters' in the entire series.
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He even tried manipulatingSasuke by giving him the curse mark, with eventual plans to take over his agile body. With the goal of immortality in front of Orochimaru’s eyes, nothing else mattered as he took countless lives just to forward his research and led many astray simply to use them as his own pawns. These crimes are just the tip of the iceberg as his endless list of misdeeds can’t be summarized, which speaks volume of the severity of Orochimaru’s actions and intentions throughout the entirety of the show.
Was Orochimaru Worthy of Redemption?
Considering the mountain of crimes Orochimaru has under his belt, it’s fair to say that redemption for a wicked character like this is pushing it, even for a series such asNarutothat has given a second chance to almost every other antagonist. His murderous streak is far too high for forgiveness, and his questionable actions are too risky to be given a second chance.
By redeeming Orochimaru, Kishimoto has set a precedent that no matter what atrocity one may commit, there will never be any dire consequences. The same could have been saidfor Nagato and Obito, however, these two characters met their demise soon after, while Orochimaru is set free without any sort of atonement. Seeing a character such as Orochimaru being off the hook seems like an extremely unsatisfying conclusion, especially considering how much of a big deal he was in the first part of theNarutoseries. It’s safe to say that Orochimaru clearly does not deserve any sort of redemption, and his vindication in the series is one of the direst mistakes yet.
