Face It, Naruto Brought Shonen's Best Villain to Anime 26 Years Ago and the Record Still Stands

Naruto has many memorable characters, but one has left a powerful and permanent imprint on the series. Pain is introduced in the climactic middle stretch of the series and represents far more than just another villain. He is cold, driven by loss, and embodies an emotional and ideological weight in the shinobi world. Every word he speaks carries a heavy weight that other antagonists cannot compare to.