Pain

"Those who have never known pain will never know true peace." Nagato to Tsunade, moments before destroying Konoha.

Nagato was a shinobi from Amegakure, a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. Orphaned by the conflicts of the Second Shinobi World War, Nagato joined his fellow war orphans, Yahiko and Konan, to form the Akatsuki, an organization whose goal was to end the endless cycles of hatred and death. Nagato dreamed of bringing peace to the violent world of shinobi. The three were students of Jiraiya for three years, during which the Sannin taught them ninjutsu so they could pursue their goals, protect each other, and so that Nagato could control his powers, since he possessed the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Rikudou Sennin. After his best friend and leader, Yahiko, was betrayed and killed for preaching peace, Nagato became convinced that the world would never willingly stop fighting unless it knew true pain. Because of this, he adopted the pseudonym Pain and became the new leader of the Akatsuki in an attempt to change the world to a state of peace through the fear of destruction at the hands of the Akatsuki. At the end of his life, Nagato clashes with Naruto Uzumaki, his "master brother," who convinces him to bet on a future where people are able to understand each other without pain, passing on to Naruto his desire for peace.

Personality Nagato was sensitive, kind, prone to crying, and traumatized by the idea of ​​killing others, even to save his friend Yahiko. Scared and insecure about his place in the world, he wanted to help those he cared about, but didn't know how. He was always respectful and kind to Konan, whom he called his "angel" in Amegakure. He was shown protecting her without being asked or hesitating before his battle with his former teacher. Apparently, Konan was the only member of Akatsuki who addressed him by his real name.

When controlling Pain, his personality was very different, possessing a calm, distant, serious, and individual nature. Apparently believing that the traumas he suffered in his youth had clarified the true meaning of pain and suffering, he considered himself a god and believed he had evolved beyond a simple human being. He sought to show the world the meaning of pain using an ultimate weapon to stop future wars, through means similar to "mutually assured destruction," and showed no moral scruples about his actions. He was willing to kill Jiraiya to ensure the completion of his plans. He even proclaimed himself a "god of peace" who had to guide the world to maturity through pain. Finally, he felt that no one could understand true peace if they did not understand "true" pain, something his childhood friend, Yahiko, believed. Minato Namikaze believed that Tobi used this philosophy to his advantage in order to manipulate Nagato.

In the anime, Nagato is shown to be sensitive when it comes to talking about "pain," as seen when Ibiki Morino used a special jutsu for the weak and the dead. Given the insignificance of the Akatsuki members, he often calmed them down and encouraged improved relations between the members. After his battle with Jiraiya, he observed a moment of silence for his former teacher, out of respect for his power.

Appearance Nagato was a fair-skinned man with chin-length red hair (a color that is a hallmark of the Uzumaki clan), his most notable feature being his Rinnegan eyes. As a child, his hair covered his face, blocking the view of his eyes, meaning his normal eyes were never seen. Nagato grew into a tall man, but after undergoing the Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Nagato was reduced to a stunted and emaciated version with chakra receivers implanted in his back, one in each shoulder joint and smaller ones in his forearm. Nagato uses a mechanical walker for mobility, which could fire chakra rods for his personal defense. He was the only member of Akatsuki who was never seen wearing the organization's uniform. However, the Six Paths of Pain wore the Akatsuki uniform in his place.