| Nagato | |
|---|---|
| Naruto character | |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:NagatoNaruto.png) Nagato as drawn by Masashi Kishimoto | |
| First appearance | Naruto, chapter 238 Naruto Shippuden episode 128: Tales of a Gutsy Ninja |
| Created by | Masashi Kishimoto |
| Voiced by | Japanese Junpei Morita Ken'yu Horiuchi (Pain) Tomoaki Maeno (child) Shiho Hisajima (female animal path) English Vic Mignogna Troy Baker (Pain) Matthew Mercer (Pain episode 376 or 454 and up, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, and Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals) Dave Wittenberg (Pain in episode 135) Kari Wahlgren (female animal path in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2) Stephanie Sheh (female animal path in Naruto: Shippuden) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Pain |
| Title | Leader of The Akatsuki |
Nagato (Japanese: 長門), known primarily under the alias of Pain (ペイン, Pein), is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. Nagato is the figurehead leader of the Akatsuki who wishes to capture the tailed beasts sealed into various people around the shinobi world. After acquiring and sealing most of the beasts within a Gedo statue, Nagato's advisor advises him to capture the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed inside the series' protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki (whom he turns out to be from the same clan). Before leaving to capture Naruto, Nagato engages in a mortal battle with his former mentor, Jiraiya. His past as a war orphan, and his loss of his best friend are explored. Due to his traumatic experiences, which stemmed from human conflict, Nagato aims to create a new world, free from the chaos of war. Nagato also appears in the series' video games.
Nagato was conceived by Kishimoto as a villain, a victim of war, who would show Naruto the impact of world wars, something Kishimoto aimed to explore throughout the series. While Nagato does not fight in the story, he uses a group of corpses known as "The Six Paths of Pain" (ペイン六道, Pein Rikudō). All of them were given elaborate designs with multiple piercings across their bodies to reinforce the idea that despite his calm demeanor, Nagato is a dangerous person.
Critical response to Nagato's character has been generally positive, praising the chaos he brings to the story, including the murder of Jiraiya and the destruction of Konoha itself while chasing Naruto. His eventual fight against Naruto has been regarded as one of the best battles in the entire series.