The Akatsuki rings: what the kanji mean, and which to pick

In short: eight Akatsuki rings in the catalogue, all at 12.99 euros, totalling 145 reviews. Itachi's is the best rated at 5 out of 5 across 26 reviews. They are adjustable rings in painted plastic, and the band is stiff to size the first time: that is the one complaint that keeps coming up.

What are the Akatsuki rings for?

In Naruto, every member of the organisation wears a ring stamped with a different kanji, on a finger of their own. It is not decorative: the ten rings correspond to the ten fingers of the Gedo Mazo statue, the one used to extract the tailed beasts. Each member stands before the finger matching their ring during the ritual.

The kanji themselves follow no common logic, and that is what makes the set interesting. There are colours, cardinal directions, numbers and one zodiac animal.

Member	Kanji	Meaning	Reviews
Itachi	朱	Crimson	5/5 from 26
Kakuzu	北	North	4.7/5 from 26
Pain	零	Zero	4.7/5 from 24
Zetsu	亥	Boar	4.7/5 from 23
Konan	白	White	4.7/5 from 22
Deidara	青	Blue	5/5 from 9
Kisame	南	South	5/5 from 8
Hidan	三	Three	5/5 from 7

One point of honesty: on the exact finger for each member, sources contradict each other, particularly for Kakuzu and Kisame. The kanji, on the other hand, are established. If you are building a demanding cosplay, check against a frame from the series rather than a table found online, ours included.

What you actually receive

One Ukrainian review sums up the product page better than the page itself. Artem Kuzmenko, five stars, on the Itachi ring: "the ring is worth the money, material: painted plastic, the design is a bomb, arrived three days early, I recommend it." The important words are "painted plastic". At 12.99 euros nobody expects solid silver, but it may as well be said.

The one recurring complaint is about sizing. Laura Beatriz Torres, in Costa Rica: "I loved it, it is better than I expected, the part where it adjusts is hard so it is difficult to size, but for everything else I recommend it." The practical tip: widen the band gently, cold, with your fingers, before putting it on. Do not force it in one go, and do not try to heat it.

Once sized, it holds. Nicolas Girard, in France, on the Hidan ring: "worn all day at a convention without discomfort." And Emma Caron sums up the main use of the range: "an essential accessory to represent the Akatsuki."

Which one to pick as a beginner

Itachi's, without hesitation. It is the most requested, the best rated of the range, and the character is recognised even by people who never finished the series. The crimson kanji reads well in photos, which is not true of all of them.

If you are after the character rather than the set, the Pain ring and its "zero" kanji is the second most requested. Julien Robert confirms it: "very nice ring, perfect size for my Pain cosplay."

For a collection, note that two members are missing here: Sasori and Orochimaru are not available at the moment. Better said before you go looking.

Click the image to watch Road of Naruto on the VIZ Media channel.

The full Itachi cosplay

The ring is the entry point, but the Akatsuki lends itself to a complete cosplay on a reasonable budget. The Itachi costume at 59.99 euros is rated 4.9 out of 5 across 14 reviews, and the matching wig at 16.99 euros holds 4.9 out of 5 across 9 reviews.

Budget around 90 euros for coat, wig and ring together. It is the red-cloud coat that does all the recognition work: worn on its own over jeans, it is already enough to identify the organisation.

On the village side, the Naruto wig at 34.99 euros (4.8 out of 5 across 14 reviews) and Kakashi's book at 12.99 euros (4.8 out of 5 across 17 reviews) are the two other best-rated items in the range. The book is the funniest convention prop in the catalogue, and it costs the price of a ring.

Why these rings will be in demand in 2027

Bandai launches the Naruto Card Game in summer 2027, in a simultaneous worldwide release, and the first cards revealed include Itachi Uchiha with the "Akatsuki Organization" affiliation printed on it. The organisation will therefore have its own colour and mechanics in the game.

In practice, that means the Akatsuki range is going to regain visibility just as players discover the game. We covered the rules and the schedule in our article on the Naruto Card Game.

And before 2027, one date to circle: October 10, 2026, Naruto's birthday, when Shueisha and VIZ hold a panel at New York Comic Con to announce "a new project" and a roadmap. Our rundown of that panel, with the start time in your time zone, is here.

Wearing them day to day

This is the most common use, and the smartest. A kanji ring does not look like a costume piece: it reads as a graphic piece of jewellery. People who know Naruto spot it immediately, everyone else sees nothing unusual.

Two caveats. The painted plastic wears if you use it daily for months, especially on the kanji itself: keep it for occasions if you want it to stay sharp. And avoid keeping it on under water, the paint does not enjoy repeated washing.

On timing, the shop's usual rule: 7 to 21 days of delivery depending on destination. Several customers report receiving their order ahead of the estimate, but budget generously for a dated convention.

Frequently asked questions about the Akatsuki rings

What do the Akatsuki rings mean?
Each member wears a different kanji: crimson for Itachi, zero for Pain, north for Kakuzu, boar for Zetsu, white for Konan, blue for Deidara, south for Kisame and three for Hidan. The ten rings correspond to the ten fingers of the Gedo Mazo statue, and each member stands before the finger matching their ring during the extraction ritual.

Which finger do you wear an Akatsuki ring on?
Each member has an assigned finger, but sources contradict each other on several of them, particularly Kakuzu and Kisame. For a demanding cosplay, check against a frame from the series rather than a table found online.

Are the Akatsuki rings adjustable?
Yes, but the band is stiff to size the first time: that is the one recurring complaint in the reviews. Widen it gently, cold, with your fingers, before putting it on. Do not force it in one go and do not heat it. Once sized, it holds through a convention day without discomfort.

What are the Akatsuki rings made of?
Painted plastic, as one customer puts it bluntly. At 12.99 euros that is what makes the price possible, and the rendering of the kanji is what reviews praise most. The trade-off: the paint wears if you use it daily for months.

Which Akatsuki ring should you choose?
Itachi's, the most requested and the best rated of the range at 5 out of 5 across 26 reviews. Its crimson kanji reads well in photos, which is not true of all of them. The Pain ring, with the zero kanji, comes next.

Do you stock all the Akatsuki rings?
Eight out of ten: Itachi, Kakuzu, Pain, Zetsu, Konan, Deidara, Kisame and Hidan, all at 12.99 euros. Sasori and Orochimaru are not available at the moment.

To keep up with the universe, I also covered the Boruto manga break and the chapter 37 date.

Antoine, founder of Bakashop. Prices and reviews taken from the product pages on 5 August 2026. Images: ©Masashi Kishimoto, Shueisha, Studio Pierrot, via the VIZ Media and Crunchyroll channels.