Naruto: Every Character Death - And When They Occurred ~ Anime Insider

Naruto is packed with exciting, unforgettable action scenes, and while plenty of blood is spilled, few characters actually die. The Naruto franchise tends to save its best characters, so they can fight again and keep the story going in later arcs. Hardly anyone in the unofficial Konoha 11 group, for example, died in the main story.

A variety of minor, disposable villains certainly died, such as Gato the businessman and the Sound Genin, and over time, a few major cast members also died in the Naruto anime. Their deaths were shocking, tragic, and often brutal, and some deaths totally changed the course of Naruto's story. Other deaths marked the end of one era and the dawn of another, either for good or ill.

Many Major Characters Were Also Killed Off in Bleach's Anime

18 Haku Gave His Life Defending Zabuza

Episode 18: "The Weapons Known as Shinobi"

Naruto: Every Character Death - And When They Occurred

Haku was one of the first characters to die on-screen in Naruto, and his death was one of the noblest villain deaths of all. Haku had always been Zabuza's loyal sidekick, so when Kakashi Hatake was about to strike Zabuza with a Lightning Blade, Haku felt compelled to act.

Haku intercepted Kakashi's attack to spare Zabuza, and everyone was shocked. To Naruto Uzumaki's outrage, Zabuza merely shrugged it off as a typical shinobi move, but the arrival of Gato and his men would soon bring out Zabuza's good side and make him change his tune about Haku's sacrifice.

17 Zabuza Momochi Died Fighting the Real Villains

Episode 19: "The Demon in the Snow"

Zabuza Momochi the rogue Mist ninja was one of Naruto Uzumaki's first real enemies, and one of the first to die as well, along with his subordinate Haku. Zabuza had a change of heart when his employer, the shady businessman Gato, arrived with his thugs to finish off Team 7 on Tazuna's bridge.

Naruto's "talk jutsu" convinced Zabuza to turn on Gato and fight Gato's men to the death, and it was a marvelous sight to see. Zabuza suffered fatal injuries but was acknowledged as a sort of hero by Team 7, and he was allowed to die next to his one true friend, Haku.

16 Hiruzen Sarutobi Gave His Life to Stop Orochimaru

Episode 79: "Beyond the Limit of Darkness and Light"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was ready to fight the Sand and Sound ninjas to the death to defend his home, and he did just that. He personally fought his former student Orochimaru in a brutal fight on a rooftop, where jutsu like Edo Tensei were fair game. Hiruzen couldn't finish the job, but he came close.

Hiruzen used the Death Reaper Seal to give his life in return for stealing the soul of Orochimaru's arms, rendering Orochimaru incapable of ninjutsu. That allowed Hiruzen to die in peace, leaving behind a shocked and outraged Orochimaru, who soon retreated.

15 Sasori of the Red Sand Died Fighting Sakura & Chiyo

Naruto Shippuden Episode 27: "Impossible Dream"

Sakura's Fight Against Sasori Is Sorely Underrated

Naruto Shippuden killed off many more major characters than the original Naruto anime did, including most members of the Akatsuki organization. The first to fall was Sasori the puppetmaster, who fought Sakura Haruno and Chiyo with his collection of 298 combat puppets in a cave.

Sasori went all out, even using his own puppet body, but he couldn't outfight his two opponents, who pooled their talents well. Sasori spent his final minutes generously telling Sakura about the Akatsuki's next move, setting up another story arc involving a false Sasori and a meeting with Orochimaru.

14 Gaara's Dead Body Was a Shock For Naruto

Naruto Shippuden Episode 29: "Kakashi Enlightened!"

Naruto Shippuden did not directly show Gaara of the Sand's death – it happened off-screen when the one-tailed Shukaku was extracted from him. When Naruto Uzumaki and his team came across Gaara's dead body after Sasori's defeat, it was shocking and traumatizing. To make matters worse, Deidara went out of his way to be disrespectful by sitting on Garaa's dead body and slapping his face.

Naruto went into a fit of rage and chased Deidara down to retrieve Garaa's body. Before long, though, Chiyo made the ultimate sacrifice, exchanging her life for Gaara's. It was too late to get the Shukaku back, but at least the young Kazekage had returned, and he renewed his vow of friendship with Naruto and the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

13 Chiyo Gave Her Life For Gaara's

Naruto Shippuden Episode 31: "The Legacy"

Naruto was heartbroken to see Gaara's dead body, but his grief didn't last long. Perhaps it was a little contrived, but Chiyo had the right jutsu to bring Gaara back from the grave at the cost of her own life. It was a bold move that few shinobi would make, but by then, Chiyo had been inspired by Naruto's good example.

To Naruto's astonishment, Chiyo's jutsu worked as intended, and Gaara awoke, lacking the One-Tailed Shukaku but otherwise good as new. He and the other Sand ninja all prayed to Chiyo as a fond send-off and to thank her for what she did.

12 Asuma Sarutobi Tragically Died Fighting the Akatsuki

Naruto Shippuden Episode 80: "Last Words"

For a time, the jonin mentors of Naruto's best teams seemed invincible, but mentor characters can die like anyone else in shonen anime. That's what happened to Asuma Sarutobi when Team 10 ran into Kakuzu and Hidan, who survived all of the Leaf ninjas' attacks and responded with deadly force.

Asuma perished in the battle, and Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji were devastated. Shikamaru was ready for revenge, and fortunately, the desire for vengeance did not totally consume him. However, he did take up smoking to honor Asuma's memory, a move that a few characters found questionable.

11 Kakuzu Lost to Naruto & Kakakshi Hatake

Naruto Shippuden Episode 89: "The Price of Power"

Hidan and Kakuzu were introduced as an immortal duo in the Akatsuki, and they fought Teams 7 and 10 without showing any mercy. Hidan technically never died since he was truly immortal, but he did get his severed head buried. Then, Naruto Uzumaki used his Windmill Rasengan to deal a mortal blow to Kakuzu and his many hearts.

Kakashi then finished what Naruto started, and defeated Kakuzu for good. It helped prove that immortality and money are not good reasons to fight and survive after all – it's the power of friendship and hope that helps Naruto's best characters survive and win against all odds.

10 Deidara Blew Himself Up to Take Down Sasuke

Naruto Shippuden Episode 124: "Art"

Deidara Wasn't as Strong as These Naruto Characters

After a variety of filler arcs and other events, Naruto Shippuden arrived at its next major death. Deidara, an explosives expert, took on Sasuke Uchiha and used all of his exploding clay techniques to get ahead. However, Sasuke was too strong for him, and Deidara got desperate.

Like Sasori before him, Deidara used his own body as a last-resort weapon, yet it was in vain. Deidara exploded and died in that episode, and Sasuke narrowly survived within the summoned snake Manda to fight again someday.

9 Jiraiya Died Fighting His Villainous Student

Naruto Shippuden Episode 133: "The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant"

Jiraiya's Death Had a Major Impact on the FandomThe legendary Pain story arc began with Jiraiya the toad sage venturing into the Rain Village solo to discover the truth about Pain, and tragedy followed. Jiraiya indeed discovered and crossed paths with Pain, but even with toads backing him up, Jiraiya couldn't win.

Jiraiya's former student, coldly killed the toad sage and allowed him to sink into the water, never to be seen again. Jiraiya sent one last message to Naruto before he went, however, ensuring that hope could still survive even if he could not.

8 Itachi Lost His Final Fight Against Sasuke

Naruto Shippuden Episode 138: "The End"

Naruto Shippuden finally allowed the rogue Sasuke Uchiha to face his hated brother Itachi and get revenge for the entire Uchiha clan's massacre. The tragic brothers fought to the death, and Itachi claimed that he would seize Sasuke's eyes to regain his light.

However, Itachi did not mean Sasuke any harm. In fact, he died happy, glad to see his brother doing well, and Sasuke wasn't quite sure what was going on. Only later would Sasuke learn the truth of why Itachi, who had acted under orders, had slain his entire family that fateful night.

7 Nagato Gave His Life For Naruto's Dream

Naruto Shippuden Episode 174: "The Tale of Naruto Uzumaki"

Not Even the Rinnegan Allowed Nagato to Defeat Naruto

The Six Paths of Pain laid waste to the entire Hidden Leaf Village and killed many of its best defenders, only for Naruto Uzumaki to arrive and save the day. Pain was defeated, and then Naruto met the puppetmaster himself, a bony, exhausted Nagato, guarded by his friend Konan.

Naruto used his talk no jutsu once again to redeem a villain, and it paid off hugely. Nagato sacrificed his life to perform one last jutsu, reviving everyone whom he had slain to support Naruto's dream of peace and hope in a new era.

6 Danzo Couldn't Defeat Sasuke & Died a Gruesome Death

Naruto Shippuden Episode 211: "Danzo Shimura"

As the Akatsuki threat started to diminish, Danzo Shimura rose as the next great villain in Naruto Shippuden. He was the leader of Root, a secretive and conservative group dedicated to defending the Hidden Leaf Village by any means necessary. After learning the truth about his brother, Sasuke learned of Danzo's involvement and sought him out.

Danzo fought hard with all kinds of jutsu, including summoning a tapir and even using stolen Sharingan eyes to perform Izanagi. Danzo pushed Sasuke pretty hard and even took a hostage to buy himself time, but it was no good. Sasuke impaled Danzo and Karin with his Chidori.

5 Kisame Hoshigaki Chose to Destroy Himself

Naruto Shippuden Episode 251: "The Man Named Kisame"

By the time Nagato died, only a few Akatsuki members remained, including the shark-man Kisame Hoshigaki. Kisame was a brutish Akatsuki member who had defied Naruto's heroes many times, including Might Guy, and he even faked his death for the sake of his mission.

Eventually, however, Kisame's time ran out. He chose to destroy himself with his water sharks rather than be taken alive, shrinking the Akatsuki yet again. At that point, Kisame had become a loose end, so Naruto Shippuden smartly wrote him out.

4 Konan Died Fighting Tobi

Naruto Shippuden Episode 253: "The Bridge to Peace"

Konan Might Have Defeated Other, Weaker Opponents

Konan was once an idealistic girl who dreamed of world peace, along with her friends Nagato and Yahiko, only for Hanzo and other villains to shatter that dream. Konan became a villain herself for years, but after she heard Naruto's talk no jutsu and beheld Nagato's sacrifice, Konan changed her tune.

Konan offered Naruto paper flowers as a gesture of friendship and peace, and she even turned on Tobi/Obito Uchiha. Konan fought hard to take him down, but she was defeated and killed when Tobi skewered her with a metal pipe.

3 Neji Hyuga Sacrificed Himself Saving Naruto & Hinata

Naruto Shippuden Episode 364: "The Ties That Bind"

As the Fourth Great Shinobi War heated up, Obito Uchiha started using the massive Ten-Tails creature to fight the united shinobi, including a ranged attack with many spikes. Alarmed, Neji Hyuga gave his life to shield Naruto Uzumaki and his cousin Hinata Hyuga from harm, a sacrifice that shook Naruto and Hinata deeply.

There was little time to mourn, however, because the battle was only getting more brutal and intense. The Ten-Tails was a threat like no other, and Naruto kept himself busy until the war's end. Only later could Naruto, Hinata, and the others bid a proper farewell to Neji Hyuga.

2 Obito Uchiha Lived Long Enough to Die a Hero

Naruto Shippuden Episode 473: "Sharingan Again"

Obito & Kakashi Had Always Been Rivals

Obito Uchiha was once an idealistic young hero who dreamed of being Hokage, like Naruto Uzumaki after him, only to nearly die and find himself rescued by Madara Uchiha. Obito became a villain and donned his trademark mask, then assumed the identity of Tobi while fighting for the Akatsuki.

Obito was a major antagonist in the Shinobi War, but at the 11th hour, he was redeemed and fought alongside Team 7, including his old teammate Kakashi Hatake. At last, Obito could face his end and be satisfied that he really did fight for good after all, rather than be someone's tool.

1 Madara Uchiha Was Forgiven After All

Naruto Shippuden Episode 474: "Congratulations"

For a time, the mighty Madara Uchiha was seemingly unstoppable. He could take on an entire army of shiniobi alone and win, and he also wielded some of the series' most powerful jutsu and techniques as well. However, not even he was the final villain, because Black Zetsu betrayed him in favor of Kaguya Otsutsuki.

Madara died when tailed beasts and the Demonic Statue were forced out of his body, a bizarre end to one of the world's most infamous and oldest shinobi of all time. Madara did get a happy ending, though, and from beyond the grave, Hashirama Senju forgave him for everything.

Monday, November 6, 2023