One of the most complex characters of the entire Naruto series is Sasuke Uchiha. He was introduced as an ambitious young ninja with the goal of avenging his fallen clan, but when prompted to choose between revenge and his friends, he chose revenge. Despite being so blinded by his past that he abandoned his friends and his village to gain the strength he needed to defeat the traitor who murdered the Uchiha Clan and fled the Hidden Leaf: his own brother Itachi.
Though he ultimately came to terms with his losses and forgave those whom he thought had done him dirty, Sasuke will forever remain the edgy and savage ninja from Konohagakure fans either love or hate. Even as he's become a father to Sarada, one of Konoha's upstanding young ninjas, Sasuke remains one of the franchise's most broody, complex, and distant characters. The fact that he has a lot on his mind simply confirms that when he does speak, it's bound to be both memorable and profound.
Updated by Jenny Melzer on April 23, 2024: While the Naruto franchise may focus on the titular character, Naruto's eternal rival and best friend Sasuke Uchiha was responsible for a significant portion of the plot in both the anime and manga. His tormented past drove him to take some of the most questionable actions in the series, and all because he was driven by hatred and revenge. Even after the darkness of his past was resolved, he remained a dark avenger, traveling in solitude to make right the many wrongs he committed in his youth. Now a father himself in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Sasuke's outlook and perspective have changed some, but many of the things he's said over the years still resonate deeply with fans.
10 "It's Not The Future I Dream Of Anymore. Only The Past."
Naruto: Episode 128, "A Cry On Deaf Ears"
In the moment Sasuke says this, he is referring to the fact he constantly thinks about his past and his vendetta against Itachi for killing his family. Most people might not be able to directly relate to carrying the weight of that kind of vendetta, but a lot know the pain that comes with focusing solely on the past. Replaying every moment, analyzing it and trying to figure out how it could have been done differently, how things could have been changed, is unhealthy.
Obsessing over the past is emotionally damaging and obscures the path to the future. One significant example of this falls on the opposite side of the coin with Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. Itachi also carried around the weight of his past, constantly analyzing all the things he'd done, and over time he developed a psychosomatic illness that ate away at him. Eventually, Itachi's obsession with his past deeds destroyed him. He didn't want the same thing for his younger brother.
9 "Because That Which Is Destroyed Can Always Be Fixed And Rebuilt."
Naruto Shippuden, Episode 372, "Something to Fill the Hole"
A lot of Sasuke's quotes have different meanings depending on the context that you read them in. Some of his quotes actually have villainous and evil origins, especially when his intentions were to essentially kill everyone and destroy the known shinobi world. When he finally came to his sense, he realized that the best way to make right the wrongs the Hidden Leaf leaders did to Itachi would be to become Hokage and rebuild it all anew.
Despite the dark connotations of this quote, it has an uplifting message. It is a nice thought to consider that broken things, destroyed things can be fixed, and they can be rebuilt and grow even better over time, but Sasuke wanted things to be his way, which may not have been for the best of the village and its people.
8 "I See. I Don't Understand Even One Of These Problems."
Naruto, Episode 24, "Start Your Engines: The Chunin Exam Begins!"
This particular Sasuke quote has been made into a meme over the years by people who can completely relate to Sasuke's supposed confusion over the written part of his Chunin exam. In reality, the scene was the beginning of the Chunin exams, and Sasuke was actually being smart since he deduced that the written exam was actually about information-gathering rather than getting correct answers. He realized he was supposed to cheat without getting caught.
Out of context, the quote just seems like Sasuke is confident in not knowing any answers on his test, something everyone can relate to. As his character evolves across the series, later becoming a father in Boruto, his response to Sarada's needs is deeply reflected in this comment. While there's no cheating at being someone's dad, he learned pretty quickly that the only way to understand her was to finally take the time to get to know her.
7 "Even If I Must Take The Devil's Fruit, I Must Gain Power. I Am An Avenger."
Naruto, Episode 33, "Battle Formation: Ino-Shika-Cho"
This particular quote might not seem like something a person might hear out in the real world but in this case, it certainly applies to those who may have endured a dark or edgy emo phase in their teen years. Sasuke is so dramatic, feeling everything that happens in his life so intensely. Given the circumstances, that's certainly understandable, but even the darkest night sees the light of the moon sometimes.
Often his quotes are far more intense than they need to be in the majority of his conversations or his monologues. It's something someone in real life might say when making fun of or mocking someone they look down, and there's no doubt that for a very long time, Sasuke looked down on everyone around him—especially Naruto.
6 "I Can See No Reason Why She Would Love Me."
Naruto Shippuden, Episode 214, "The Burden"
Unfortunately for fans of the Sasuke and Sakura pairing, their path to marriage was not an easy one. Even discovering their little family in Boruto, many people still have doubts about their relationship after everything that happened. Even Sasuke couldn't understand why Sakura would love him when Kakashi berated him for nearly killing her.
He was too cocky to say this out of low self-esteem. He truly didn't understand why Sakura would want to be with him when he was never exactly kind to her, especially after he tried to kill her. That said, for many people in real life, self-doubt is a harsh reality that makes it impossible to see why loved ones feel the way they do.
5 How On Earth Could You Possibly Understand What It Feels Like To Lose All That?
Naruto: Episode 133, "A Plea From A Friend"
The dark and brutal events of Sasuke's childhood shaped him into someone who couldn't let go of the past. For a time, Naruto believed they had something in common because they were both orphans, but Sasuke saw things much differently. He had a good life, a loving family, an older brother he idolized before Itachi's betrayal. There was no one in the world who could relate to what he went through, not even Naruto.
Naruto had good intentions, and his own loneliness painted a picture of Sasuke he refused to let go of. He saw them not just as eternal rivals or friends, but brothers. Unfortunately, Sasuke had already been betrayed by one brother, and there was no way he was letting Naruto get close enough to betray him, too. So many can relate to his words here, as it's common for others to say they get it, they know how it feels, but everyone's experience is singular. Maybe they can relate, to an extent, but no one ever really gets it, and Sasuke pointed this out time and again to anyone who would listen.
4 "If Anyone Who Criticizes My Way of Life Were To Come Forward, I'd Kill Every Single One Of Their Loved Ones!"
Naruto Shippuden, Episode 152, "Sombre News"
Unfortunately, the depth of Sasuke's anger is something a lot of people can related to. Not only has he endured a tragedy of epic proportions, but during the events in Naruto and Shippuden, he was transitioning from a boy into a man. Becoming an adult is a confusing time, without the added venom of a tragic past, and coupled with hormones, it's honestly no wonder he was so hateful.
One of the interesting things about this particular quote that makes it so relevant is that no one likes to have their point of view called into question, and people tend to like it even less when critics judge the experiences that brought them to it. While it's hard to imagine most people threatening to kill those who don't understand them, many a raging teenager has made such brutal statements in a fit of rage, things that can't be taken back once they've been said. Fortunately for Sasuke, he didn't get a chance to take his threat that far, though he easily could have.
3 "Why Do You Always Treat Me Like Such A Pest?"
Naruto Shippuden, Episode 455, "Itachi Shinden: Moonlit Night"
Sasuke might have spent the majority of the series trying to kill his older brother Itachi, but the two Uchiha brothers were actually very close prior to the murder of their clan. And like any pair of siblings, they would bicker and tease one another.
On the day that the Uchiha Clan would be murdered, Sasuke asked his older brother to train with him. Itachi simply brushed aside his little brother's request, which made Sasuke upset. Sasuke asked Itachi why he treats him like a pest, but Itachi's response was a jab to Sasuke's forehead. Like Sasuke, many people have at some point felt like they were treated as an annoyance by their siblings, peers, or family members.
2 "You're Actually Worse Than Naruto."
Naruto, Episode 20, "A New Chapter Begins: The Chunin Exam!"
Sasuke and Sakura have always had an interesting relationship. When they were first placed on Team Seven together, Sakura had such a huge crush on Sasuke that she acted out of desperation to get his attention. She often berated and criticized Naruto, thinking it would win Sasuke over and endear him to her, but he didn't care for either one of them very much.
Prior to the Chunin Exams, Sakura asked Sasuke if he wanted to spend time together. But unfortunately for Sakura, Sasuke had no interest in her whatsoever. Instead, he said she should focus more on her ninja training because she's "worse than Naruto." Because Sakura is not the most well-liked character out there, many fans would agree with Sasuke's insult.
1 "I Hate A Lot Of Things, And I Don't Particularly Like Anything."
Naruto, Episode 4, "Pass or Fail: Survival Test!"
In Team Seven's introductions, Kakashi wanted everyone to tell him a little about themselves. Naruto said he liked ramen and wanted to become hokage, Sakura was too flustered by Sasuke to speak, and Sasuke's response was something a lot of people can relate to. Often times, people are more vocal about what they dislike than what they like because it's easier to complain and see the bad in things.
This quote is very fitting for Sasuke, who never really had anything nice to say about anyone or anything throughout the series. Even when his allies were kind to him, he was hurtful or spiteful, pushing them away instead of acknowledging any kind of relationship with him. It's a sad state of mind to be in, especially for someone so young, but there have definitely been times when many people can admit to identifying with his sentiment.
