Deaths That Rocked The Anime’s Foundation, Ranked

Naruto Uzumaki from a juvenile prankster to the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village is the central focus of the Naruto manga. As a member of Team 7, Naruto is accompanied by Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha as they embark on missions on behalf of Konoha. Unfortunately, forces beyond their control start conspiring against them and their village, resulting in conflicts that greatly affect Naruto’s life.

While Naruto and his fellow shinobi have trained for such situations, the challenges they face resulted in heavy casualties. Despite their best efforts, the world of Naruto has had its fair share of devastating losses. Among those deaths, certain losses affected the very foundation of the franchise’s world and story.

10 Sakon And Ukon

Showed the Potential Of Brutality

• Episode: Naruto Episode 125
• Cause: Multiple stab wounds while inside Kankuro’s puppet

The Sasuke Retrieval Arc became one of the most focal points in Naruto. Not only did it showcase the combat potential of Konoha Eleven’s students, but also the redemption arc of the Sand Siblings. Previously horrifying opponents in the Chunin Exams, Sunagakure’s Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro wanted to reestablish ties with the Leaf now that Orochimaru had become an overwhelming threat. In one instance, Kankuro came to the Kiba and Akamaru’s rescue, when the twins Sakon and Ukon became exceptionally hard to defeat.

Kankuro had his Sand Puppets do much of his dirty work for him, and simply had to lure the fused twins into one of his puppets for a quick stabbing. Blood flowing from his puppet’s holes indicated a swift death, and this cold-blooded execution still remains one of Naruto’s most gruesome deaths.

9 Hiruzen Sarutobi

The Keeper Of Fragile Peace

• Episode: Naruto Episode 80
• Cause: Dies while sealing Orochimaru’s arms

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s second tenure as the Third Hokage came at a tumultuous time. The Nine-Tails had been sealed as a youngster, his father the Fourth Hokage had died, a prodigious ninja massacred his own clan, and his political rival was waiting for an opportunity to take power. As such, the death of Hiruzen Sarutobi while stopping Orochimaru’s invasion of the Hidden Leaf plunged Konoha into a power crisis.

The absence of Hiruzen’s stability thus fueled the motivations of nefarious forces around Konoha. Orochimaru slithered his way into corrupting Sasuke Uchiha. Pain of the Akatsuki would eventually plan to destroy Konoha. Most importantly, Danzo would conspire to hurt Fifth Hokage Tsunade’s image in the eyes of the Land of Eye to become the Sixth Hokage.

8 Momoshiki Otsutsuki

Heralded The Worst To Come

• Episode: Boruto Episode 65
• Cause: Naruto-powered Rasengan from Boruto

When Boruto used his chakra-fused Rasengan to deal the finishing blow to the injured Momoshiki Otsutsuki, he warned the youngster that he would eventually lose everything. Central to this is the Kama, an Otsutsuki DNA carrier that will let the possessor revive in the affected body. Events would soon spiral out of control with the arrival of Isshiki Otsutsuki and Kara. Their objective was to fast-track the revival of the Ten-Tails, and Isshiki’s own potential vessel, Kawaki.

When Momoshiki saves Boruto from a lethal injury, the youngster becomes a full-blown Otsutsuki and shares his body with the malicious entity. With Kawaki stopping at nothing to protect his adoptive father and the village, he causes the reversal of their lives. Today, Boruto depicts Kawaki as Naruto’s son, while Boruto is the outsider who “killed” him.

7 Danzo Shimura

Perpetrator Of Many Of Konoha’s Horrors

• Episode: Naruto: Shippuden Episode 211
• Cause: Injuries sustained in his fight against Sasuke

Sasuke Uchiha’s victory against his brother Itachi came with the realization that the Uchiha Clan Massacre was a result of the political machinations of Danzo Shimura. Not only that, but the leader of ANBU’s Root spec-ops unit had stolen Sharingan attached throughout his body, defiling the Uchiha legacy. What followed was a satisfying match that pitted Sasuke’s wits with Danzo’s own tactical acumen.

With Danzo’s death also came the end of the darker side of shinobi politics that had plagued the era of the Third Hokage. Konoha’s leaders after him worked on tying up loose ends related to the unhinged Root.

6 Neji Hyuga

Fails His Own Character Arc

• Episode: Naruto: Shippuden Episode 364
• Cause: Impaled by the Ten-Tails while protecting Hinata and Naruto

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Naruto and Kurama’s Kyuubi Chakra Mode became integral in turning the tide against Madara Uchiha’s forces. In turn, it was only natural for Ten-Tails to target Naruto. One of these was a pinpoint attack that was too fast to intercept. Hinata jumped in front of Naruto, but Neji Hyuga took the strike. He succumbed to death in minutes, much to the devastation of his peers.

Despite Neji’s heroic sacrifice, many believe his death may have been unnecessary. The point of Neji’s character arc was to get out of his supposed “destiny” of servitude to Hinata and the main clan. While some could argue that Neji “choosing” to sacrifice his life was different from mere duty, the lack of other significant deaths could make one wonder about the necessity of his demise.

5 Jiraiya

A Mentor Gone Means It’s The Student’s Turn

• Episode: Naruto Shippuden Episode 133
• Cause: Killed in combat against the Six Paths of Pain

Despite Jiraiya’s flaws, the Sannin became instrumental in Naruto’s growth as a ninja — not just through teaching the Rasengan, but in becoming a father figure to the orphan Naruto. As such, when Jiraiya left to investigate the Akatsuki leader Pain, his death became such a harrowing loss not just for Naruto, but for his fellow Sannin, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.

However, Jiraiya’s death is also important thanks to his role in the Naruto story. Without his mentor, it was up to Naruto and his mentor’s legacy, the Sage Mode, to defeat Pain. In this era of the Naruto anime, the seemingly overwhelming Pain became even more overpowered with Jiraiya gone.

4 Uchiha Clan Massacre

A Horrifying Event In Konoha’s History

• Episode: Naruto: Shippuden Episode 455
• Cause: Massacred by Itachi Uchiha, under orders of Danzo Shimura, to stop the Uchiha Coup

Among the deaths in the Naruto universe, the Uchiha Clan Massacre had the greatest lasting effect. This brutal act motivated Itachi’s younger brother and sole survivor, Sasuke, to train for revenge. Prior to the event, suspicions abounded about the Uchiha Clan’s responsibility for the recent Nine-Tails attack, as did whispers of a planned Uchiha Coup. Using this paranoia, Danzo Shimura persuaded Itachi to kill his own clan.

The Uchiha’s potential pursuit of a coup only came out of resentment. Suspicions towards the Uchiha had already isolated them to one part of the village. The resulting mistrust rekindled the clan’s animosity against Konoha’s leadership, the Senju clan. In truth, the Nine-Tails attack was orchestrated by Obito Uchiha, as Madara Uchiha, in order to extract the Tailed Beast from its present host.

3 Rin Nohara

Made Obito Lose All Hope

• Episode: Naruto Shippuden Episode 345
• Cause: Stabbed by Kakashi’s Lightning Blade upon request

Young Kakashi Hatake spent much of his youth with teammates Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara, until circumstances in the Third Great Ninja War caused their demise. Rin Nohara asked Kakashi to kill her, to ensure the Three-Tails inside her wouldn’t go on a rampage. Rin’s death activated Kakashi’s Mangekyo Sharingan, but her death had a greater impact on the secretly observing Obito.

In Obito’s eyes, Rin’s “senseless” death was a result of a cruel reality riddled with selfish systems, and it’s through Madara’s path that the world can see true peace. This fully motivates Obito to follow Madara’s instructions until his resurrection.

2 Itachi Uchiha

Retcons Damage Character Development

• Episode: Naruto Shippuden Episode 138
• Cause: Exhaustion over his fight with Sasuke

The showdown between Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha since was a focal point of the Naruto series since its conception. However, as Sasuke abandons Konoha to gather power on his own, the prodigious Itachi establishes himself as more of an antihero than a genuine villain. Only during their fight did Itachi explain his true intentions. To him, it seemed that killing the clan was the only option to avoid all-out war. Itachi dies proud of his brother, unburdened of his secret.

While Itachi’s motivations were already confusing for fans, Madara and Obito’s reveals as major antagonists introduced retcons. It turns out Obito had a more active role in slaughtering the Uchiha, weakening the impact of Itachi’s character growth. While other materials tried expanding on Itachi’s character, this retcon remained a stain on his character development.

1 Kurama

A Lifeline Gone Opens Opportunities Of Death

• Episode: Boruto Chapter 55
• Cause: Baryon Mode uses up Kurama’s life force

Naruto’s connection with the Nine-Tails let his Kyuubi Chakra Mode take on the likes of Ten-Tails Obito Uchiha. However, it still took Hagoromo Otsutsuki’s blessing to give Naruto and Sasuke a shot against Kaguya Otsutsuki. This is why Isshin Otsutsuki, the supposed partner of Kaguya, became such a dangerous threat in Boruto, as Naruto and Sasuke no longer had Hagoromo’s chakra in them. In a bid to outpace the Otsutsuki, Kurama told Naruto he could use a secret Baryon Mode in exchange for his life force.

Prepared to die to protect Konoha and his son, the Jinchuriki Naruto enters Baryon Mode and helps defeat Isshin. However, after the Otsutsuki’s defeat, Naruto realized this form used Kurama’s lifeforce, not his. Unfortunately, with Kurama’s chakra no longer augmenting Naruto, the Seventh Hokage is now more open to the prospect of dying.