He appears for the first time in "Part II" of the manga and the Shippuden anime adaptation(war arc), and serves as a major antagonist of the series.

This changes when Kabuto Yakushi reanimates the real Madara, who eventually defies Obito and becomes a major threat until he is disposed of by Black Zetsu.

[3] Madara appears late in the manga, as one of the masterminds leading to the fourth shinobi world war, in the final arc.

[4] As one of the central antagonists in the story, Kishimoto designed Madara Uchiha to serve as a complex figure whose methods and goals contrast sharply with the protagonists' values, epitomizing the traits of an anti-villain.

His methods, although unethical and extreme, stem from a vision of peace, setting him apart from typical antagonistic figures who pursue power or chaos for selfish reasons.

During his childhood,[9] he met a child named Hashirama, but amidst the conflicts of their respective clans resulting in war, their friendship ends.

Before dying, Madara takes Obito as his agent and transplants his Rinnegan into Nagato to be preserved for his eventual revival years later.

[17][18] By nightfall, Madara releases himself from Kabuto's contract and rebounds his soul to the modified immortal body enabling him to act on his own will.

Madara decides to reclaim the Nine-Tails creature sealed within Naruto and defeats the Kages, only to reunite with Obito while he is engaged in combat with the shinobis.

Sasuke saves Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura from this Illusionary Technique, and Black Zetsu stabs Madara, gaining control over his body.

This was distributed as part of the Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

[23] Although Obito impersonates Madara, the character made his debut in a video game in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3.

[32] Comic Book Resources also featured him on their list of "10 Anime Characters Who Got Stronger After Coming Back From The Dead" and gave him the ninth spot.

"[36] UK Anime Network felt Madara's introduction was one of the franchise's strongest developments not only for the direction he took fight scenes but because of his effect on the main storyline.

[37] His next battle against the five Kages, the leaders of each ninja village, also earned acclaim for its execution, making the final story arc more appealing.

[39] Siliconera enjoyed Madara's moves from the video game Storm 4 based on his Susanoo technique which was appealing to see in combat.

[41] Jason Thompson, also writing for Anime News Network criticized the character calling Madara a "jerk"; but he liked his perfect Sussano'o, which to him looks cooler than the others and is much more powerful.

When Hashirama tried offering him peace it gave the series more of a back story as it focused on the characters' past and the founding of the Hidden Leaf village.

[45] Another reviewer from the same site noted that these backstories also helped fans understand the chaos that occurred within the Uchiha clan, which was previously explored in the stories of Sasuke and Itachi.

Sasuke needed to resolve whether or not to team up with Madara and destroy the ninja world, leading to his decision to stick with Itachi's ideals instead.

[48] Comic Book Resources author Renaldo Matadeen criticized the handling of Madara as a villain despite appearing late in the story, and found his characterization weak.

[50] Tejal Suhas Bagwe from Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of Masters of Arts in English describes the usage of god themed techniques within the Uchihas as major references to Japanese mythology especially when awakening the stronger Mangekyo Sharingan.

The contrasting relations between these two characters is a common theme within the manga, as not only this is explored through Naruto and Sasuke but also through the two other connected ninjas, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.