Pain

Biodata

Background

Pain’s real body, Nagato, grew up in a small country devastated by war. After Konoha ninja killed his parents, he awakened the Rinnegan and killed the two attackers. Orphaned and starving, he met Konan and Yahiko, fellow war orphans who became his companions 17 27.

The three sought the Sannin after Nagato’s puppy was killed in the fighting. They eventually met Jiraiya, who trained them for three years and shared his hope of finding a path to peace. After he left, Yahiko gathered like-minded people and founded Akatsuki 28 29.

Hanzō and Danzo later ambushed Akatsuki, and Yahiko died. Nagato saved Konan, injured his feet in another ambush, and used the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to wipe out the surrounding ninja. He subsequently controlled the Six Paths of Pain; he also admitted to using Yahiko’s body to kill Jiraiya 26 29.

Personality and Goals

Pain presents himself as a god and treats opposition with cold confidence. He remains analytical in combat, assessing Kakashi’s traps and Naruto’s techniques even as the fighting turns against him 5 7 14 25.

Nagato believes that loss produces revenge, and revenge creates further hatred. Convinced that people cannot truly understand one another, he plans to create a Tailed Beast Weapon capable of destroying a country. He expects the resulting fear and pain to produce periods of peace, even if war eventually returns 17 18.

Despite his brutality, Nagato sees himself as pursuing Jiraiya’s unfinished wish for peace. After hearing Naruto’s resolve to follow Jiraiya’s teachings, he recognizes his own childhood ideals in him and entrusts him with that hope 17 30.

Abilities and Skills

Six Paths and Rinnegan

Nagato controls six bodies from a distant location. Each Path possesses the Rinnegan, and their connected fields of vision make surprise attacks difficult 2 5 17.

Attraction and Repulsion

The Deva Path manipulates forces around itself 6.

• Shinra Tensei repels attacks and opponents. Pain uses an exceptionally powerful version to devastate Konoha 6 11.
• Banshō Ten’in pulls targets toward Pain; he uses it against Kakashi, Fukasaku, Naruto, and the Nine-Tails 6 17 21.
• These techniques have a brief interval between uses. Katsuyu identifies a five-second opening and explains that a stronger attack requires a longer interval 6 16.

Chibaku Tensei

Pain creates a black sphere that draws surrounding rock and earth into an enormous mass, trapping the Nine-Tails. Naruto later emerges from the shattered formation after Minato repairs his seal 22 24.

Outer Path Techniques

• Demonic Statue of the Outer Path: Nagato activates Outer Path Mode after Yahiko’s death and uses the statue to wipe out Hanzō’s surrounding ninja 29.
• Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique: Nagato uses the Rinnegan to revive those killed in Konoha, dying afterward 30.

Black Rods

Pain uses Black Rods as weapons and chakra receivers. He pins Naruto with them and disrupts his chakra; at close range, Nagato can also use a rod to control his movements. Naruto later uses a rod to trace Nagato’s chakra 17 24 26.

Relationships

• Nagato — Pain’s frail real body and the controller of the Paths 17 26.
• Yahiko — Nagato’s fellow war orphan and Akatsuki companion. Nagato controls Yahiko’s body as Pain and invokes Yahiko’s pain during the attack on Konoha 11 26 27.
• Konan — Nagato’s longtime companion and ally. She searches Konoha during the invasion and remains beside him as his condition worsens 2 18 27.
• Jiraiya — Nagato’s teacher, who trained him, Yahiko, and Konan. Nagato later used Pain to kill him while claiming to pursue his wish for peace 17 26 29.
• Naruto Uzumaki — Jiraiya’s student and Pain’s target. Naruto defeats the last Path, then chooses to speak with Nagato rather than kill him 13 25 26 30.
• Kakashi Hatake — A Konoha defender who identifies the Paths’ shared vision and the interval between the Deva Path’s techniques. Kakashi dies after using Kamui to save Choji 5 8.

Story Role

Invasion of Konoha

In footage watched by a chat group spanning different eras, Pain kills Konoha patrol ninja and divides his forces between a diversion and a search for Naruto. The Animal Path enters through the village barrier and summons the other attackers 2 3.

The Deva and Asura Paths overwhelm Kakashi and his allies, although Kakashi’s observations reach Tsunade through Choji. Pain then confronts Tsunade, demands the Nine-Tails, and uses a massive Shinra Tensei to level Konoha. Katsuyu protects survivors, but many people are killed or injured 5 8 10 11.

Battle with Naruto

Naruto arrives in Sage Mode and destroys the Asura Path. He and his allies overcome Pain’s summons and several Paths, but the Deva Path recovers its strength, stops the toads’ Genjutsu, and pins Naruto with Black Rods 12 17.

Hinata intervenes and tries to free Naruto; Pain impales her, triggering Naruto’s Nine-Tails transformation. Pain fights the beast and traps it with Chibaku Tensei, but Naruto returns in Sage Mode. Using Shadow Clones to exploit Shinra Tensei’s cooldown, he defeats the Deva Path with a Rasengan 19 22 24 25.

Nagato’s Decision

Naruto follows Pain’s chakra to Nagato and Konan. Although he admits he cannot forgive Nagato, he stops himself from attacking and listens to his history. Naruto’s determination to pursue Jiraiya’s hope for peace convinces Nagato to believe in him. Nagato revives Konoha’s dead and dies after entrusting his hopes to Naruto 26 30.

Notable Quotes

“Those who do not know pain cannot understand true peace!” 11

“But if revenge is justice, that justice will give rise to more hatred!” 18