Summary
Narutois a series full ofincredibly strong characters,exhilarating moments, and even some of the most heartbreaking moments you will ever encounter in the shonen genre, which is all thanks to its fantastic writing, character development, and world-building that allow you to form bonds with everyone.
The series also handles death exceptionally well, giving you ample time to process it alongside the characters it impacts the most, making it exceptionally painful to experience. While some deaths don’t hit the mark quite as well as some others, all of them are still memorable and gutwrenching!
8Neji Hyuga
The Freedom To Choose
Despite being one of the few controversial deaths in the series, Neji’s death still hits pretty hard,as he sacrifices his own life to save his friends,connecting it back to the OG Naruto, where he struggles with the freedom to choose your own destiny and path in life.
While it is sudden and there is almost no buildup to it, seeing the reaction from Hinata, Naruto, and Team 3 is still devastating. It could have been handled much better, sure, but even the moments in Boruto where Hinata reflects on Neji are powerful!
7Konan
The Bridge To Peace
Konan’s death impacted us way more than we thought it would, especially due to how hard she fought against Obito. She outsmarted him every step of the way,only to be swiftly defeated by Izanagi,which allowed Obito to rewrite time at the cost of his left eye.
After Obito forces her to reveal Nagato’s location for his Rinnegan, Konan’s body is left floating in the ocean, where it begins to dematerialize into a multitude of sheets of paper. A blood-soaked piece floats back to the Ame Orphans' Hideout, landing on her ‘Hop-In’ card. Soul crushing!
6Hiruzen Sarutobi
Tree Leaves Shall Bud Anew
Hiruzen’s death is the first time Naruto throws a curveball at you and makes you go ‘Wait, even THEY can die in this series?’ Putting death on the table for every character you meet, whether they’re good or bad. It also helps that this encounter was epic from start to finish.
Sealing off Orochimaru’s arms with the Reaper Death Seal at the cost of his own life is a heroic action indeed, but what really did us in was the funeral service, where you can see a young Konohamaru bawling, with Iruka consoling him, making the tears flow!
5Zabuza And Haku
How I Wish I Could Join You There
Speaking of the first deaths in Naruto, the Land of Waves arc in the prologue holds one of the best deaths in the entire show, which is saying something. Seeing how Zabuza was a castaway who was drawn into the cycle of hatred, which ultimately culminated in tragedy, is gut-wrenching to see.
Haku is also an exceptional character. He’s a kind-hearted kid who doesn’t want to fight, but will defend Zabuza at any cost. Naruto’s speech to Zabuza when Haku dies is also emotionally charged and cuts to the core, which is followed up by an even more devastating monologue by Zabuza as he collapses beside Haku. An incredible first arc!
4Asuma Sarutobi
I Believe In The Will Of Fire
One of the most devastating deaths in the series is Asuma Sarutobi’s, the leader of Team 10,who the Akatsuki’s Hidan cut down via his unique ritual curse jutsu.The moments that transpire are some of the rawest and somber moments in the entirety of Naruto: Shippuden.
As Asuma gives Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji his final words and asks for one last smoke, you can see the look of anguish, sorrow, and pain on their faces. Seeing how hard it impacted Shikamaru specifically will make anyone break down alongside him; it’s undoubtedly one of the best moments in the show!
3Jiraiya
The Tale Of Jiraiya The Gallant
Arguably, the most impactful death in Naruto: Shippuden belongs to Jiraiya, Naruto’s master and one of the three Legendary Sannin, who infiltrated the Village Hidden in the Rain to gather intel on the Akatsuki’s leader, where things quickly go south.
Without any knowledge of the Six Paths of Pain gimmicks or tricks, Jiraiya finds himself outmatched by Nagato and his Rinnegan, ruthlessly killing him before he can escape. His death leaves Naruto completely destroyed, ultimately pushing him to learn and master Sage Jutsu. Jiraiya’s death will always devastate us whenever we see it; it’s so well done and hits like a truck!
2Itachi Uchiha
I Will Love You Always
Itachi Uchiha is a fan-favorite character in the series, and it’s easy to see why. He’s well-written, extremely cool, and remarkably powerful, leading to many exceptional moments throughout the show. And even both of his deaths make you want to weep uncontrollably.
Giving Sasuke, his younger brother, one final forehead poke before he passes is haunting and downright brutal. The look of terror on Sasuke’s face is forever etched in our minds, as it perfectly captures the moment and drives home the weight of the situation.
Then, when he is revived with Kabuto’s Edo Tensei, he fights alongside Sasuke one last time, ultimately defeating Kabuto. This undoes the jutsu, having Itachi fade away with his final words, “I will love you always,” as he embraces his younger brother for the last time. Just a remarkable scene all around!
1Minato And Kushina
Plenty Of Hard And Painful Times Ahead
Finally, we have the deaths of Minato and Kushina, which are heavy to deal with. Their first death comes at the hands of Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, who pierces through both of their bodies with his massive claw, as they act as a shield to protect a baby Naruto before they seal the fox’s spirit within him. Kushina’s final words are absolutely gutwrenching here.
Much later in the show, Naruto finally gets to meet his mother, Kushina, thanks to the chakra Minato bestowed inside Naruto, leading to one of the most beautifully wholesome moments in the show, which ends with everyone sobbing as they have to say goodbye for the last time. Her “Minato, are you listening? Our hopes DID reach our boy!” line floors us every time without fail.
Minato also has an unbelievably wholesome moment with Naruto after he’s brought back with Kabuto’s Edo Tensei. When Itachi and Sasuke defeat Kabuto, Minato begins to disintegrate, leaving Naruto to ramble on to Minato, just as Kushina did to him when he was a baby. This more than pulls on your heartstrings; this moment demolishes you every single time!
