When it comes to anime, few series are more popular than Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden. The adventures of Naruto Uzumaki have played a major role in the shonen genre's rise to prominence, and thanks to the events of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, the franchise is showing no signs of slowing down.
Since the Naruto franchise follows the lives of various ninjas as they complete dangerous missions, death is an unfortunate — but necessary — part of the series. However, while the show's villains often deserve their early demise, other characters are much less deserving of their unfortunate fates.
10 Hiruzen Sarutobi Dies In Battle Against His Own Student
When the Naruto franchise begins, the Hidden Leaf Village is presided over by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. The wise shinobi has been a leader in the village for decades, and as evidenced by his strong bonds with characters like Jiraiya, Kakashi Hatake, and Naruto Uzumaki, his impact can be felt across generations of the Land of Fire.
In a cruel twist of fate, the Third Hokage's closest pupil, Orochimaru, turns against his mentor and devises a plan to take down the Hidden Leaf Village. During Naruto's Chunin Exams, Orochimaru strikes, and in order to stop him, Hiruzen Sarutobi has to sacrifice his own life by initiating the Reaper Death Seal — a forbidden jutsu that kills its user.
9 Minato Namikaze Gives His Life For The Hidden Leaf Village
When Naruto begins, there is arguably no greater mystery than the ambiguous identity of the Fourth Hokage. Over time, details about the character are slowly revealed, culminating in the revelation that the Hidden Leaf Village's previous leader was none other than Naruto Uzumaki's father, Minato Namikaze.
Like his son, Minato is an incredibly kind soul, which plays a large role in his rapid rise as a shinobi. He leads the Hidden Leaf Village through the Third Great Ninja War, but when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacks years later, he is forced to sacrifice himself in a bid to save his home from total annihilation. Although his noble sacrifice is one of the most respectable displays in the Naruto franchise, it stays true to Minato's selfless nature. Unfortunately, the Fourth Hokage is not alone in his sacrifice; he is joined in death by the love of his life, Kushina Uzumaki.
8 Asuma Sarutobi Falls Victim To The Akatsuki
Asuma Sarutobi carries himself much differently than his father, the Third Hokage, but at his core, he possesses a similar desire to protect the people of the Hidden Leaf Village. Throughout Naruto, he mentors Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akamichi, and Ino Yamanaka, earning a spot alongside Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy as the village's strongest jonin.
When the Akatsuki start capturing the Tailed Beasts in Naruto: Shippuden, Asuma Sarutobi is on the front lines, and he plays a major role in battles against Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Hidan. However, the latter of these three opponents proves to be his last, as Asuma Sarutobi falls victim to Hidan's strange jutsu in one of the most heartbreaking sequences in shonen history.
7 Neji Hyuga's Death Means Little For The Series
When Naruto begins, the Hidden Leaf Village is experiencing a period of significant change, as its previous generation of shinobi is finally giving way to a new era. Of the village's up-and-coming ninja, few are more promising than the Hyuga Clan's latest prodigy, Neji. Neji Hyuga is one of Naruto Uzumaki's most reliable allies throughout Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, and thanks to his quick-thinking and masterful use of the Byakugan, he saves the series' heroes on multiple occasions.
However, in the end, Neji's tendency to risk his life for his allies leads to his death in the Fourth Great Ninja War. During the battle against the Ten-Tails, Neji sacrifices himself to save Hinata and Naruto, bringing a premature end to his story. While it's touching that he willingly gives his life to protect his friends, Neji deserved far better after everything he did for the Hidden Leaf Village.
6 Shikaku Nara & Inoichi Yamanaka Are Survived By Their Closest Friend
The Ino-Shika-Cho Trio represents the union between three of the Hidden Leaf Village's strongest clans: the Yamanaka, the Nara, and the Akimichi. For many generations, this trio has protected their village, so they naturally play a major role in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
While Choza Akimichi leads the frontlines, Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka stay back to direct the Allied Shinobi Forces. Unfortunately, the Ten-Tails becomes aware of Shikaku and Inoichi's presence, leading the beast to launch a volley of attacks toward their location that kills the leaders of the Nara and Yamanaka Clans. Although the duo had little to offer Naruto: Shippuden's narratives, their deaths also lacked a clear purpose — especially since their peer, Choza, survived the attack. Considering the strong bond between the trio, Shikaku and Inoichi deserved to ride off into the sunset alongside their close friend.
5 Itachi Uchiha Lives His Entire Life For The Good Of Others
From the very beginning of Naruto, Sasuke Uchiha's character revolves around his antagonistic relationship with his brother, Itachi. By the events of Naruto: Shippuden, their relationship festers into a deadly conflict with implications that affect not only the Hidden Leaf Village but all Five Great Shinobi Nations.
For hundreds of episodes, fans are led to believe that Itachi murdered the Uchiha Clan in cold blood, but immediately after he dies in battle against his brother, Sasuke learns that Itachi committed this heinous act to prevent a civil war in the Hidden Leaf Village. Although this doesn't change the fact that Sasuke's older brother murdered innocent civilians, it does make his death hit that much harder when it finally comes.
4 Lady Chiyo Rights Her Wrongs During Her Final Moments
The Great Shinobi Nations have traditionally been at odds with one another; however, as Naruto Uzumaki travels the world, he forges bonds that ease these tensions. This begins in earnest when Naruto earns the respect of the Hidden Sand Village's Gaara, who becomes the Kazekage by the events of Naruto: Shippuden. Because of their friendship, other Hidden Sand ninjas like Lady Chiyo also change their opinion of their former enemies.
Chiyo is initially standoffish to the Hidden Leaf Village shinobi, but after Naruto and his allies repeatedly risk their life to save Gaara, she slowly comes to appreciate their bond. Her willingness to rethink her perspective is incredibly admirable considering the fact that she lost her child in combat to Kakashi Hatake's father, making her eventual death in Naruto: Shippuden's opening arc even sadder in retrospect.
3 Rin Nohara Was Moments Away From Being Saved
The shinobi world is a brutish, harsh place, and no character knows this better than Kakashi Hatake. The Copy Ninja watches his father, Sakumo, and his best friend, Obito Uchiha, lose their lives because of the dangerous nature of their profession, which is why the death of his other teammate, Rin Nohara, hits him so hard when she passes away a few years later.
Compared to her teammates, Kakashi and Obito, Rin Nohara was a much kinder, gentler soul — a trait that likely factored into her becoming a medical ninja. However, when she and Kakashi are attacked by shinobi from the Hidden Mist Village, she sacrifices her life to prevent their enemies from obtaining vital information, bringing an end to one of Naruto's most wholesome characters.
2 Kushina Uzumaki Deserved Better For What She Endured
Whereas Minato Namikaze plies his craft as a shinobi, the Fourth Hokage's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, excels at something else: motherhood. The hot-tempered character serves as the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox for many years, so she's no stranger to housing a second entity within her body.
However, whereas Kushina's relationship with the Nine-Tailed Fox is less than amicable, her relationship with her son, Naruto, is one of the most wholesome parts of the Naruto franchise. In the end, she risks her life to save him and the Hidden Leaf Village from the wrath of the Nine-Tails, resulting in one of the most undeserved deaths in the entire series. Thankfully, she and her son get to share a touching moment during Naruto: Shippuden — even if it is only temporary.
1 Sakumo Hatake Inspired Future Generations Of Shinobi
By the end of Naruto: Shippuden, the series' titular protagonist and his allies have made the ninja world a significantly better place. However, the previous generations of shinobi were not so lucky, and in some cases, the contentious relationship between the Great Shinobi Nations led to legitimate heroes falling out of favor with their own people. Such was the case for Sakumo Hatake, the legendary White Fang of the Leaf.
Decades before the events of Naruto, Sakumo Hatake was known as one of the greatest ninja in the history of the Hidden Leaf Village. However, after he abandoned a mission in order to save his comrades' lives, he was unfairly shunned by his peers, eventually driving him to take his own life. Although his kind spirit lives on in the form of his son, Kakashi, the White Fang of the Leaf deserved far better.
