One Naruto Villain's Many Forms Bring New Meaning to God-Tier
From extremely powerful chakra modes and overpowered villains to jutsu literally named after divine beings, there are many things in Naruto that one can consider to be "god-tier." Two villains, Madara and Pain, even go as far to declare themselves as gods, but Pain is the only one who really has a stake on the claim, and his many forms prove it. Pain's power, aptly named the Six Paths of Pain, is based on the Buddhist Paths of Reincarnation. Therefore, Pain really does bring a whole new meaning to «god-tier.»
In Naruto, Pain is an alias that denotes six corpses controlled by the ninja Nagato via chakra receiver rods and the Rinnegan. Nagato, alongside Yahiko and Konan, was a student of the Toad Sage Jiraiya, Naruto's best mentor and worst enemy. Coincidentally, every single corpse that makes up Pain is a ninja whom Jiraiya encountered in his travels, and ergo Jiraiya is able to learn the secret of what Pain really is. This information later becomes crucial to Naruto, who brings down Pain and Nagato later in the series.
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Using corpses to represent the Buddhist Paths of Reincarnation is a clever trick on the part of Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto. The Paths refer to one of six realms a being is reborn into after death, perpetuating an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth until one attains enlightenment and moves on to a higher state of existence. Here's each one of the Six Paths of Pain: who they are in Naruto, and what their Path represents.
Pain is among the Akatsuki's strongest members, and even the weakest Pain, the Naraka Path, is a force to be reckoned with. It is the Path dealing with interrogation and restoration. Using the
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