Im going to disagree.
I think itachi was meant to represent the tragic hero. A noble hero whose journey is going to end badly but who courageously continues his journey regardless because he knows the consequences of failure.
To those saying he committed murder, did he not stop a coupe attempt by the Uchiha that could've resulted in many innocent deaths? Do we condemn soldiers who kill enemy soldiers for the same reason?
itachis actions could stand some scrutiny I grant, but as you read he takes on many aspects of the noble samurai. His loyalty to the village and its people was greater then that to anything save his brother.
He accepted permanent exile, being labeled a murderer, and the hatred of his brother who he loved more then anything.
He accepted his death at the hands of said brother as his form of atonement, and did what he felt was the best thing to do which was put his brother in a mind set of revenge so he wouldn't feel the guilt of killing him.
did he in some fashion fail in this matter? sure we can argue that given that Sasukes goals became opposite to Itachis desires.
But In the end Naruto is a product of Asian influenced story telling. One of the archetypes of such stories is that of the doomed hero. Itachi fits this role and to a T and I feel he deserves the title of hero, for his sacrifice which in the end was made for the villages sake.
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