Tobi is one of the main antagonists in the Naruto manga and anime series. He is the true leader of the Akatsuki organization and refers to himself as Madara Uchiha for much of the story. However, his true identity remains a mystery for quite some time. Fans have often wondered why Tobi chose to call himself Madara when that was not his real name. There are a few possible reasons explored below.
To Inspire Fear and Respect
Madara Uchiha was one of the most legendary shinobi in history. He was a founder of Konohagakure and had unrivaled power. By claiming to be Madara, Tobi immediately commands fear and respect. Madara’s name carries weight and strikes terror into the hearts of enemies. Tobi calling himself Madara likely helped recruit powerful missing-nin to join the Akatsuki and made people less likely to directly challenge or betray him. It gave him an air of authority and historical importance.
To Gain Followers From the Uchiha Clan
The Uchiha clan revered Madara as a hero who fought for their rights against the Senju clan. By pretending to be their clansman and legendary leader, Tobi could potentially gain loyalty and followers from the surviving Uchiha members. This would give him access to powerful subordinates with the sharingan. He was placing himself as a figurehead that disgruntled Uchihas could rally behind.
To Gain access to Madara’s Resources
After Madara’s presumed death, only Tobi knew where the real Madara was located. By adopting Madara’s identity, he could gain access to Madara’s secret bases, weapons caches, funds, jutsu libraries etc. Madara had spent decades accumulating resources and hiding them away. With Madara “proclaiming” himself leader of the Akatsuki, Tobi could take advantage of all these prepared resources that only the real Madara would know about.
To Take Credit for Madara’s Past Actions
Madara had a reputation of being impossibly powerful and causing incredible destruction, such as his fight with the First Hokage. By becoming Madara, Tobi could immediately take credit for these legendary acts and enhance his own reputation. It made him seem like an unstoppable immortal figure that had defeated the First Hokage rather than a largely unknown shinobi.
To Advance Madara’s Goals and Plans
Tobi was aware of Madara’s lifelong goals such as destroying Konoha and the world plan Tsuki No Me. By masquerading as Madara, Tobi could carry on with these plans seamlessly as if Madara himself had returned to finish what he started decades ago. He could rely on Madara’s existing schemes and knowledge rather than have to start from scratch on his own.
To Hide His True Identity and Abilities
If Tobi revealed he was a new shinobi with mysterious powers, he would immediately be targeted and pressured to reveal the source of his abilities. However, by only claiming to be Madara, he gave no clues about his actual self. This allowed him operate from the shadows more easily. He could also conceal the nature of his space-time ninjutsu and phasing powers.
To Exploit the Legend of the Uchiha Clan
The legend of the Sage of Six Paths had foretold that an Uchiha Madara would one day cast the world into darkness. Tobi was seeking to manipulate this prophecy to his advantage. By becoming Madara, he put himself into the legend as a pivotal figure. This added a mystique to his plans of world destruction as fulfillment of ancient prophecy.
To Avenge the Real Madara
Some fans theorize that Tobi’s motives involve getting revenge for what happened to the real Madara. Perhaps he considered Madara a mentor who had been betrayed by his own clan and Hashirama. By adopting Madara’s name, he could restore some dignity and notoriety to Madara while enacting vengeance against those who had wronged him.
Tables Comparing Madara and Tobi
Abilities
| Madara | Tobi |
|---|---|
| Mangekyo Sharingan | Regular Sharingan |
| Susanoo | No Susanoo |
| Wood Style | No Wood Style |
| Space-Time Ninjutsu | Space-Time Ninjutsu |
| Hashirama’s DNA | Hashirama’s DNA |
This table compares the abilities of Madara and Tobi. It shows Tobi lacks Madara’s more advanced sharingan techniques.
Actions
| Madara | Tobi |
|---|---|
| Founded Konoha | Destroyed Konoha |
| Fought First Hokage | Attacked Fourth Hokage |
| Rinnegan User | Rinnegan Seeker |
| Reanimated by Kabuto | Reanimation Controller |
This table contrasts Madara’s key actions with Tobi’s actions using Madara’s identity.
Conclusion
In summary, Tobi called himself Madara Uchiha in order to inspire dread, command authority, access Uchiha followers and resources, take credit for Madara’s actions, advance Madara’s plans, and conceal his true self. By adopting such a legendary identity, Tobi gained instant notoriety and an aura of power he likely would not have had using his real name. It provided him multiple advantages in creating and leading the Akatsuki towards his ultimate goal of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. However, his decision to pose as Madara would ultimately prove costly when the real Madara was reanimated during the Fourth Great Ninja War. The two Madaras coming face to face was something Tobi had clearly not anticipated when originally formulating his plan. Still, for a long period of time, pretending to be the infamous Madara Uchiha served Tobi remarkably well in shrouding his movements and building his power from the shadows.