Did Kishimoto ever explain why Akatsuki members in Naruto paint their nails? Explored

Far more than just a group of antagonists, the iconic Akatsuki organization from Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto serves as a narrative engine that drives much of the franchise’s plot, sparking numerous key events. This group of dangerous rogue ninjas, who abandoned their villages to form a shadowy force, has evolved in various ways over the years, yet it has consistently aimed to reshape the ninja world.

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan founded the Akatsuki with the noble goal of ending the endless bloodshed plaguing the world. After Yahiko’s tragic death, Nagato took on the role of leader under the alias of Pain and transformed the Akatsuki into a criminal organization that gathered powerful ninjas to capture the Tailed Beasts. However, behind the scenes, the true puppet master was Tobi, also known as Obito Uchiha.

While masquerading as Madara Uchiha, Obito used the Akatsuki to execute the “Eye of the Moon Plan” that Madara himself had devised. Yet, even Obito and Madara were unwitting pawns in someone else’s scheme. The mysteries surrounding the Akatsuki have captivated fans for years, but Kishimoto never truly explains why the organization's members used to paint their nails.

Read on to find more about this fascinating detail, likely a stylistic choice to enhance the Akatsuki's ominous presence.

Naruto fans have always wondered why the Akatsuki painted their nails

One of the Akatsuki’s distinguishing traits

The members of Akatsuki in Naruto Shippuden (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The Akatsuki members move in pairs, and their affiliation is evident through certain distinctive traits that serve as stylistic elements unifying the group’s identity. The most iconic of these features is the custom of wearing long black cloaks adorned with red clouds, a poetic reminder of the Akatsuki’s original intent to pacify the war-torn ninja world, starting with the Hidden Rain Village.

With their unique appearance, the cloaks enable Akatsuki members to be recognized even from a distance. In addition to donning the same black and red robes, all members of Akatsuki wear a ring on their fingers—varying from member to member—and have their fingernails and toenails painted with nail polish. Both females and males observe this custom.

One of the typical Akatsuki pairs (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The outfit may be completed by a forehead protector featuring the village symbol slashed through to represent the severed ties, along with a conical straw hat adorned with dangling stripes.

In any case, the painted nails stand out as the most peculiar detail, particularly since they have no practical use and, therefore, no obvious purpose. While the shade of the nail polish is usually dark, the exact tone can vary slightly from one member to another.

This distinctive feature unites the group, yet its purpose remains unaddressed—whether explicitly or even subtly—in the Naruto franchise, which encompasses the original manga, the anime adaptation, and the databooks.

Just a design choice, or something more?

The nail polish complimented the Akatsuki's style perfectly (Image via Studio Pierrot)

With the series not providing a definitive explanation, the meaning behind this Akatsuki custom remains open to interpretation and continues to fuel curiosity. It's important to note that painted nails among ninjas in Naruto are not unheard of. Haku Yuki, for example, displayed this distinctive trait at the very beginning of the series.

A wide range of health issues, from chronic illnesses to acute problems, can alter the appearance of a person’s nails. Discoloration of the skin beneath the nails indicates poor health, a telltale sign that the body may be struggling to distribute oxygen effectively.

The fact that nails can reveal a person’s health may explain why the Akatsuki chose to paint theirs, perhaps to hide any potential signs of weakness from their enemies. Itachi Uchiha, for instance, suffered from a terminal illness that reduced his stamina, so hiding this vulnerability would have been useful for him as particularly skilled and observant foes could detect his health condition through his nails.

The Six Paths of Pain's Deva Path (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Similarly, the Six Paths of Pain, being reanimated corpses, might reveal their true nature through their nails. The metal rods embedded in the bodies of the Paths could be dismissed as mere stylistic flair rather than the chakra receivers they actually were, but the nails could have been a giveaway of the truth.

While Itachi’s case makes sense—he only joined the organization at a later time. Instead, the Six Paths served as Nagato’s public face since the Akatsuki was established as a threatening organization. Therefore, it makes sense for him to paint the nails of the Paths as a precaution to disguise their condition as corpses.

Following this assumption, he later had the other members adopt this habit to ensure that the Paths would remain unnoticed among the other members. That said, the bodies of the Paths are animated through Nagato’s chakra and, if needed, rejuvenated through the Outer Path, suggesting that such a superficial trick may have been unnecessary.

Both the rings and the nail polish were never really explained (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Most likely, the painted nails were just a design choice made by Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto. Each Akatsuki member is characterized by some unique detail, so the dark-colored nail polish serves as a unifying trait for the organization. Any Naruto fan seeing a close up panel of hands with dark-colored painted fingernails would immediately know that those hands belong to an Akatsuki member, providing the group with another shared marker beside the iconic black cloaks adorned with red clouds.

The dark hue of the nail polish also enhances the overall villainous vibe of the Akatsuki, reflecting their sinister actions and twisted motives. With this in mind, it appears to be nothing more than a deliberate design choice. Any deeper meaning will remain anyone’s guess, much like the unanswered questions surrounding the Akatsuki rings.

Deidara's severed hand (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Each Akatsuki member used to wear a ring with a particular kanji engraved on it, likely connected to the member’s role or assignment. Deidara’s frantic effort to locate his ring-bearing hand after Kakashi Hatake had removed the arm above and Orochimaru’s choice to keep his ring even after leaving the Akatsuki suggested a deeper significance.

However, these elements never lead to any resolution in Naruto’s narrative, implying that the author included the rings merely to add mystery to the Akatsuki’s lore. In all fairness, the painted nails likely served a similar purpose.

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Edited by Shreya Das