Purpose of the Akatsuki Rings

The rings help the Akatsuki members in sealing tailed beasts into the Gedo statue. The rings are very important and irreplaceable. The different Kanji on their ring would appear to indicate that the sealing was taking place. The ring was made by Nagato, and due to transferring the chakra between the rings, it also acts as a communication device between the members.

The Members and their

Akatsuki

Rings

Itachi Uchiha

Itachi wears a red ring with the Japanese Kanji 朱 (Shu) which means ‘Crimson’ or ‘Scarlet’. The ring has to be worn on the right ring finger.

Sasori

Sasori wears a purple colored ring with the Japanese Kanji 玉 (Gyoki) which translates to ‘Jewel’. Sasori has to wear the ring on his left thumb. After his death, when Zetsu and Tobi go to find his ring, Tobi then replaces Sasori.

Tobi

Tobi wears the same purple colored ring with the Japanese Kanji 玉 (Gyoki) which translates to ‘Jewel’. After Tobi takes over the Akatsuki after Pain’s death and after killing Konan, he discards his ring along with his cloak.

Kisame Hoshigaku

Kisame wears a yellow ring with Japanese Kanji 南 (Nan) which means ‘South’. Kisame has to wear his ring on his left ring finger.

Konan

Konan wears a ring that is white in color and has the Japanese Kanji 白 (Byaku) which means ‘White’. She has to wear the ring on her right middle finger.

Pain

Pain wears a blue or yellow ring which has the Japanese Kanji 零 (Rei) which means ‘Zero’. He has to wear the ring on his right thumb. His ring isn’t related to a Chinese God like the other rings.

Orochimaru

Orochimaru wears a red color ring which has the Japanese Kanji 空 (Ku) which means ‘Sky’ or ‘Void’. Orochimaru wore his ring on his left little finger. After he left the Akatsuki, he took his ring with him, and that is why he could never be replaced.

Deidara

Deidara wore a ring that was blue in color with the Japanese Kanji 青 (Sho) which translates to ‘Blue’. Deidara used to wear his ring on his right index finger. After Deidara loses his arm with the ring during his fight with Sasuke, he was way more concerned about recovering the ring rather than his arm itself.

Hidan

Hidan wears a ring that is orange in color with the Japanese Kanji 三 (San) which means ‘Three’. Hidan wears his ring on his left index finger.

Zetsu

Zetsu’s ring is yellow or red in color with the Japanese Kanji 亥 (Gai) which means ‘Boar’. Zetsu has to wear his ring on his little right finger.

Kakuzu

Kakuzu wears a ring that is blue in color and has the Japanese Kanji 北 (Hoku) which means ‘North’. Kakuzu must wear his ring on his left middle finger.