With the breakaway success of Naruto and Shippuden, Boruto followed soon after as a spin-off and sequel. Boruto tells the adventures of Naruto Uzumaki's son, Boruto, and his own team of lovable ninjas. Building upon the two entries in the franchise to come previously, Boruto has been praised for showing the growth of the original characters fans know and love while also introducing compelling new characters, including a new generation of villains.
The Naruto franchise has some of the most iconic anime villains ever, and Boruto has seen the rise of exciting new bad guys following in the footsteps of legends like Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha. The best villains in Boruto often pay homage to former villains from the franchise while also setting out and forging their own evil identities.
10 Koji Kashin is a Deadly Clone of Jiraiya
Boruto seemingly resurrected one of the franchise's most beloved characters, Jiraiya, with the arrival of Koji Kashin, but this time they put an evil twist on the legendary Sannin. Following Jiraya's death in Naruto: Shippuden, Koji Kashin was a clone of Naruto's sensei created with the sole purpose of killing Isshiki Otsutsuki.
As a clone, Koji was identical to Jiraiya when he was in his prime, making him quite the powerful ninja to face in battle, and he was considered one of the strongest Inners thanks to his body being modified with Scientific Ninja Tools. He possessed extreme speed and stealth and was able to tap into the Sage Mode of his genetic source to make him an even more deadly threat.
9 Amado Sanzu is an Evil Genius
Amado Sanzu was an Inner in the secret society of Kara, and he was the evil genius scientist who cloned Jiraiya to make Koji Kashin as well as the rest of the cyborgs in Kara. Amado is one of the smartest characters in all of Naruto, but he unfortunately uses his intelligence for evil purposes.
After defecting to the Hidden Leaf Village, Amado showed that he was a master manipulator, telling lies to gain citizenship in the village. His real motives remain a mystery, but with how quickly his loyalty changes and how deceitful he can be, it's safe to say Amado is up to no good.
8 Code's Powers Continue to Grow
Code was one of the Inners of Kara and is regarded as being so strong that he needed to have limiters put in his body so that he wouldn't become too powerful. He is arrogant and confident in his abilities and is an extremely vindictive person who craves revenge against Boruto's adoptive brother Kawaki.
Throughout the series, Code has continued to prove himself to be quite the intimidating villain. His army of miniature Ten Tails is a force to be reckoned with, and following the death of Isshiki, Code is intent on carrying on the Otsutsuki Clan's evil legacy.
7 Ao Betrayed Konoha for Ninja Tools
After the Fourth Great Ninja War left many older ninjas ready for retirement, Ao wasn't one of them. He saw the introduction of Ninja tools as a way to regain his strength and take on modern enemies in battle.
Ao's desire for the new technology led him to betray Konoha and suffer defeat at the hands of Boruto. In Naruto: Shippuden, Ao was a respected ninja who played a crucial part in the fight against Madara, and seeing his character devolve into villainy remains a questionable and controversial change for some fans.
6 Kawaki was Kara's Ultimate Weapon
Kawaki was raised by Kara to be a vessel for Isshiki Otsutsuki. His harsh childhood has made Kawaki extremely arrogant, aggressive, and rude, especially to those he doesn't like or trust. He's known to hold a grudge, especially against the Otsutsuki clan, and he's made it his mission to destroy them for what they did to him in his early days.
Luckily for Kawaki, he was eventually taken in and adopted by Naruto Uzumaki and raised to be a brother to Boruto. The two develop a close bond, but Kawaki's mission to end the Otsutsuki clan and his desire to protect Naruto for saving him ultimately drives him to commit some evil acts—including attempting to murder his own brother.
5 Shin was One of Orochimaru's Twisted Test Subjects
Shin Uchiha was one of Orochimaru's test subjects who developed an obsession with the Uchiha clan and Itachi. He took on the Uchiha name and left Orochimaru, plotting to sow destruction in his wake as he embarked on a mission to revive the Akatsuki and create a large-scale conflict in the process that saw only the strongest of humanity survive.
Part of Orochimaru's experiments on Shin involved creating clones, which Shin referred to as his sons despite having no attachment to them. He would sacrifice them to save his own life and pay no attention to them, which ultimately was his downfall. His clones went on to create clones of their own, banding together to kill him in one of Naruto's most brutal death scenes.
4 Jigen was a Novice Monk Turned Celestial Being
When Kaguya and the Otsutsuki clan arrived on Earth, Jigen was a lowly monk, but he soon became a vessel for Isshiki and assumed great power in the process. Isshiki went on to use Jigen's body to create the Kara organization, and Jigen was essentially Isshiki's puppet that provided him with a body to commit many evil deeds in the series.
Jigen's body would go on to be modified with the Scientific Ninja Tools, augmenting his power even further. He was even capable of fighting Naruto and Sasuke before his body began to reach the limits of its power, and he was able to endure a kick from Naruto in Six Paths Sage Mode without sustaining any lasting injuries.
3 Kinshiki Was a Self-Sacrificing Villain
Kinshiki was a Celestial Being and one of the main family members of the Otsutsuki clan, and he was a very protective guardian of his foster son, Momoshiki. Their relationship saw Kinshiki serve as a loyal servant to his own son and even refer to him with honorific titles.
Kinshiki was one of the strongest members of the Otsutsuki clan, and he carried on their belief in self-sacrifice for the greater good. He proved this by allowing Momoshiki to turn him into a chakra fruit to enhance his power in a battle against Naruto, resulting in Momoshiki getting a power boost but at the cost of Kinshiki's tragic and horrifying death.
2 Momoshiki Planned to Carry on Kaguya's Legacy
Kaguya's arrival in Naruto: Shippuden made for one of the most epic anime finales of all time, and after she failed her mission, Momoshiki Otsutsuki came to investigate what happened and continue her plans. While Kaguya was a god-tier level villain in her own right, Momoshiki claimed to be even more powerful, saying that he could have defeated Kaguya by himself.
Momoshiki was easily able to back up his claims, holding his own against multiple opponents and only growing stronger after absorbing Kinshiki. Although he suffered defeat at the hands of Boruto, Momoshiki put a Kama on him, allowing his spirit to live on through the mark and making it possible that Boruto will one day be a vessel for the villainous Celestial Being.
1 Isshiki's Evil Persisted Through Time and Space
Isshiki was one of the main members of the Otsutsuki clan, and he originally arrived with Kaguya when she came to Earth to plant the God Tree and harvest its chakra fruit. She betrayed him and left him for dead, forcing him to use Jigen as a vessel and assume his body over the next few centuries. Because of the extent of Isshiki's powers, Jigen's body was unable to contain him.
The limits of Jigen's body likewise limited the amount of power Isshiki could use, so he is always on the hunt for a new and stronger vessel, tasking the Kara organization with finding the perfect vessel. They were eventually successful in resurrecting Isshiki, resulting in one of the Boruto series' best battles ever as Naruto sought to put an end to him. Isshiki's evil mission was the driving force of much of Boruto's plot, and as one of the most powerful beings in the Naruto franchise, he's easily earned the title of Best Boruto Villain.
