It all started with a tweet . On Halloween weekend in 2023, a clip of Bryce Huff, Will McDonald IV, and Jermaine Johnson walking into MetLife Stadium dressed as members of the legendary Akatsuki from Naruto hit social media and instantly blew up . Will McDonald came through as Juzo Biwal, Jermaine Johnson as Pain, and Bryce Huff cosplaying Itachi Uchiha. For anime fans, especially Black anime fans, it was a moment. The timeline lit up, the clip went viral, and just like that, the Akatsuki were back in the spotlight, this time on the football field. Naturally, as a fan of the series – albeit a late one who first binged the series in 2021 – I had to comment on it. I tweeted, “The hold the Akatsuki has on the Black community should be documented.” Because, as viral as that NFL moment was, and how dope it was to see it break through on such a major stage, this wasn’t new to us at all. As a Black anime fan, I’ve seen the Akatsuki everywhere, long before I even watched Naruto . Even with my late introduction to the series, the symbols and insignia from Naruto were already iconic. Even if you didn’t know the lore, you knew what the symbols were from the Leaf Village headband to the iconic red cloud. If you’ve been to any anime convention, you’ll see groups of friends often cosplaying the Akatsuki, often adding their own spin. And in pop culture, from Ricochet in AEW to Michael B. Jordan’s Coach collection to an RDCWorld video, that symbol is a calling card. You know who’s a fan the second you see it. RELATED: Anime to Watch if You Like Naruto The responses came in droves and were a mix between honest and hilarious. People dropped everything from reaction GIFS to a photo of the Houston Mayor dressed up in a full Akatsuki cloak. Some nailed it with one-liners like, “It’s the cloaks. The AURA is too strong.” Others said, “A bunch of militants fighting against the established ninja village tribe? AND they got the baddest ninja to ever live? How could we not love them?” One might have summed it up perfectly by saying, “They was the best villains we seen. Everybody was strong and about it. Plus the coat was some clean drip.” RELATED: Emily Marshall on Conducting Naruto: The Symphonic Experience All of it points to a deeper truth: the Akatsuki weren’t just cool, they were built to be unforgettable. The Akatsuki weren’t just some throwaway villain-of-the-arc squad that you’d see rotate through other anime. They weren’t a break from the plot. They were absolutely the moment, especially when Naruto transitioned into its much more mature sequel Naruto Shippuden . Akatsuki wasn’t united by friendship or duty; they were a ragtag group of disillusioned super killers with matching cloaks and bad intentions. Despite each member having their own philosophy, they had a united goal of making the world “better” through their means. For all those reasons (that tormented our favorite protagonists), it’s what made them stick for viewers like me and you. The Akatsuki weren’t just the antagonists. They were the series’ best critique of itself, bringing the notion of that “peace” the Leaf Village was trying to preserve and asking, “Peace for who, exactly?” How could you not fall in love with them? And to be honest, that’s one of the reasons why they resonate so much with Black anime fans. They’re just cool. Period. Back in 2018, Atlanta rapper Father made it very clear when explaining why rappers and rap culture have always loved Naruto. “The ninja teams [in Naruto ] are like gangs almost. Real squad sh*t.” That’s the Akatsuki right there. Writer Jake Wiafe also summarized it perfectly: “Pretty much every shot of them standing together could be any hip-hop album cover if you slapped an EXPLICIT CONTENT label on them.” They move like a squad with their own code, their own politics, and their own sense of honor (even if it is twisted). That structure, loyalty and outsider pride mirrors the same energy we see in rap crews, street collectives and cultural movements often seen in Black culture. Another aspect of their coolness is the red cloud. You’ve seen it. You might’ve worn it. If you’ve ever scrolled past an anime streetwear drop from HYPLAND, Primitive, or whatever’s bubbling on your explore page, you’ve seen that cloud. RELATED: Inked Otaku: 11 Black Fans Share Why Their Anime Tattoos Are More Than Skin Deep Like the Wu-Tang “W” or the Jordan Jumpman, the Akatsuki cloud has become a shorthand for a certain kind of cool, anti-establishment, elite, and unbeatable energy. In streetwear, the symbols and iconography always matter, especially the ones you’re able to recognize without much inspiration. Think the Supreme box logo or the BAPE camo, the red cloud on black follows the same formula. And that’s why designers, wrestlers, NBA players, and your cousin at DreamCon all treat that cloud like it’s sacred. Because it kind of is. It’s not just merch, it’s almost mythology in the lore that belongs to it. But even if you stripped the drip away, the Akatsuki still hit because they’re complicated. They aren’t just chaos agents dropped in to stir the plot. These are characters built from pain and principle. Itachi killed his whole clan to stop a war. Pain literally tried to reinvent world peace through shared suffering. Konan followed a man into godhood and stood ten toes down. Hidan was like an unhinged religious zealot and comic relief. Nobody in the Akatsuki was simple. They had depth, codes, philosophies and Naruto got more interesting every time they pulled up. RELATED: The 5 Most Emotional Naruto Moments According to Fans And maybe that’s why the Akatsuki speak to Black anime fans in particular. They were outsiders by design. Rebels with a cause. Stylish, scarred, and unbothered. They operated outside the system, not because they wanted to, but because the system failed them. Sound familiar? Misunderstood, but unforgettable. Just like us. MORE NARUTO FEATURES The History of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden's Run on US Television A Beginner’s Guide to Naruto What Did You Pick as Your Favorite Anime Tournament Arc? Naruto and Its Uniquely Fascinating Ninja World Which Naruto Character Are You Most Like? Have You Heard? ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, From Naruto to ERASED All Naruto Arcs in Order from Naruto to BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS 15 Essential 2000s Anime on Crunchyroll from Ouran High School Host Club to Soul Eater
