Jiraiya could have won against pain.
Jiraiya has been downplayed because he got sneaked on and lost and I am tired of it.
Most people agreed that pain beat Jiraiya easily.
I don't think it would be easy at all.
This agreement that Jiraiya would lose is all mainly due to the misconception around the Jiraiya-pain fight. So let's cover them first.
- Misconception # 1: Jiraiya was scared to fight just 3 pain
this misconception comes from this panel, where Jiraiya admits he would lose to just those 3 pain
The problem is that this is before Jiraiya realizes the Pains can only use one jutsu each.
If 3 Rinnigan users Pop out of nowhere. You would be scared too.
This is proven exactly on the next page when Jiraiya runs away. He believes all three of them have actual Rinnegan. that each one of them can use more jutsu than they can.
People have twisted this panel into Jiraiya being scared of fighting just 3 paths.
Jiraiya instantly comes up with a plan to beat all three when he realizes they can only use one jutsu.
- Misconception # 2: Jiraiya struggled against the three pain.
It was low diff, mid diff at worse.
They didn't hurt Jiraiya once.
Jiraiya only expanded jutsu because he didn't know what they do(absorb) and because they had intel on him he wasn't able to kill them.
In every taijutsu exchange, they either straight up lose it or tied it (no one got hurt) because of the connected vision.
The only struggle Jiraiya had was mental because he thought they all had real Rinnegan.
He was never actually backed into a corner against just 3.
the fight against the 3 Path was 377 to 379, if you want to reread it.
Now that we have gone over some misconceptions
let actually talk about how Jiraiya could've won.
Reason # 1: Pain Can't Stop Jiraiya
One Question that I always have is
If the 6 paths would've rolled Jiraiya over instantly then
why did Nagato only send one Path and then three paths to fight Jiraiya first?
Why not all 6 paths at once?
the reason is Nagato knew He would not have been able to kill Jiraiya even with all 6.
It has been shown Jiraiya can just escape even with all 6 there.
Pain can't Kill Jiraiya outright.
He had to fake out Jiraiya, put him in a false sense of security first, sneak him, and even then he Still wasn't able to kill Jiraiya if he didn't go back.
This is important because it leads to my reason number 2.
- Reason # 2: If Jiraiya had intel on pain, the fight wouldn't be a straight-up fight.
The pains would low-diff Jiraiya if he tried to fight all 6 paths outright this is a no-brainer
but It has been shown that Jiraiya is a master at guerrilla warfare. He runs away and then takes them out one by one.
He literally did this when all 6 of them tried to jump him.
But because he was a sneak attack and hurt already.
No one seemed to realize or cared
So let me repeat again.
AN INJURED JIRAIYA JUST ESCAPED TRAPPING A PAIN WITH ALL SIX PATHS THERE.
imagine what a non-sneaked attacked Jiraiya with intel would've been able to do.
There was no reason to believe he couldn't just run around, pull each one into a barrier, and take them out one-on-one.
- Reason #3: Nagato himself admits he would've lost
If you still have doubts remember
Nagato himself famously said Jiraiya would've won if he had intel on them.
He not only says it but also acts with this information in mind.
send only 3 pain to bring Jiraiya into a false sense of security and then sneak him.
Why go through all that trouble at all?
- Reason #4: Nagato Can't use his most powerful Jutsu
The most common argument people make is that "Oh Nagato use Chibaku Tensei or almighty push and one shot jiraiya easy peasy. "
This is a dumb argument because with intel jiraiya would never confront Nagato head-on.
None of those would get a chance to be used.
On top of that, they are in the rain village(Nagato wouldn't want to nuke his own city) and Nagato himself is close by(he risks killing himself) and finally friendly fire with the other pain.
I am not saying this is a Jiraiya win against pain every time but with intel, it is way closer than people give Jiraiya credit for.
Give the pervy sage some respect.
forgot to mention another argument people make is that Naruto was stated to be stronger than Jiraiya and he lost.
Again naruto needed and tried to straight up fight all 6 at the same time.
Jiraiya didn't need to, he has the skill to run away and fight them one at a time which Naruto does not have.