Naruto is one of the most legendary shonen anime of all time. The series is full to the brim with some of the greatest moments in anime history, ranging from Naruto’s battle against Gaara to his epic showdown against Sasuke. However, while Naruto certainly has the power to elicit a laugh from viewers, the show does end up exploring some dark and mature themes at times that can be rather tough to watch.
The world of the Shinobi is far from a peaceful one, and there are many times when good and beloved characters end up facing a death that doesn’t do justice to their brilliance as ninja. These deaths are cruel, uncalled for, and can certainly make many fans shed a tear as they come to grips with the fact that some of their favorite characters are no more.
5 Minato & Kushina Uzumaki
Dies In Naruto Shippuden: Episode 249 (Thank You)
- Killed by: The Nine-Tailed Fox
During childbirth, the Jinchuriki’s seal is at its weakest. This information is exploited by Obito Uchiha, who ends up abducting Kushina and extracting the Nine-Tailed Fox from her. This sealed her fate, and Minato wasn’t too far off either. After the Nine Tails is restrained and tries to kill an infant Naruto, both Minato and Kushina step in to protect their child and are impaled in the process.
Their last words are instant tearjerkers, and fans can’t help but feel for poor Naruto, who had no idea who his loving parents were for the longest time. Thankfully, he still managed to meet his mother and father at least once in his life, which is more than what most orphans can hope for.
4 Jiraiya
Dies In Naruto Shippuden: Episode 133 (The Tale of Jiraiya The Gallant)
- Killed by: Pain
Jiraiya is one of the members of the legendary Sannin and decides to make it a personal goal to embark on a scouting mission in Amegakure to figure out the mystery behind Pain’s powers. This leads to an all-out conflict where Jiraiya is taken off guard by the many bodies of Pain, eventually being taken out of commission after seeing his old deceased pupil within Pain’s ranks. His throat is crushed and the Sannin is stabbed multiple times, leading to Naruto’s sensei reaching the end of his rope.
However, before he could breathe his last, Jiraiya managed to reach deep within himself to reveal Pain’s secret to the village of Konoha before being submerged underwater in an early grave. The fact that Kabuto couldn’t even recover his body is a testament to how brutal his battle against Pain really was, and fans still shed tears as they witness Jiraiya’s cruel demise.
3 Neji Hyuga
Dies In Naruto Shippuden: Episode 364 (The Ties That Bind)
- Killed by: The Ten Tails
The Fourth Shinobi World War was bound to have its fair share of unnecessary casualties, but no one could’ve expected a familiar face to lose his life too. Neji had come a long way since the time when he felt like people’s destinies were carved in stone from the moment they were born. The loss to Naruto humbled him and proved that people could fight against their fate if they wished.
When Naruto is caught in a vulnerable position and is about to be killed, Neji steps in to take the fatal hit from the Ten Tails’ attack instead. It’s a somber moment that goes to show the horrors of war and how no one is exempt from losing their life, and Naruto swears to honor Neji’s sacrifice by taking out Obito and stopping this war once and for all.
2 Asuma Sarutobi
Dies In Naruto Shippuden: Episode 80 (Last Words)
- Killed by: Hidan
Asuma is one of the best characters in the show, helping Naruto become more attuned to using Wind Chakra and helping the ninja on the path to unlock the Rasenshuriken. However, before he can see the protagonist unveil his technique, an encounter with Hidan leads to his premature demise. In front of his beloved pupil, Asuma gets caught in Hidan’s twisted jutsu before slowly losing his life with each injury.
His death is a somber moment that breaks Shikamaru, only for him and the rest of the squad to bounce back as they devise an effective strategy to take down the duo of Hidan and Kakuzu. The latter is taken out by Naruto’s new technique, while Shikamaru takes revenge for his sensei and uses his superior wit to take out Hidan once and for all.
1 Yahiko
Dies In Naruto Shippuden: Episode 173 (Origin Of Pain)
- Killed by: Nagato
After learning how to be a shinobi under the watchful tutelage of Jiraiya, the trio of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan attain the means to survive in a war-torn world where the weak are swallowed up and spit out. However, despite enjoying many years of success as competent ninja, a major turning point occurs when they come face-to-face with the leader of Amegakure, Hanzo.
He managed to take Konan hostage and gave Nagato the ultimatum to either kill Yahiko and end this conflict or watch helplessly as their comrade was killed. Unable to stab his closest friend, Yahiko makes the ultimate sacrifice and pushes himself onto Nagato’s outstretched kunai, taking his life. This sparked a change within Nagato that led to Jiraiya’s pupil walking on the path of darkness instead after watching his friend die right in front of him.
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