A lovable protagonist, twisted and complicated villains, and heart-racing battles are just a few factors that have made Naruto one of the most popular shōnen anime of all time. Naruto set itself apart by making its characters feel human, allowing fans to form long-lasting emotional attachments. Many of the ninja viewers connected with were so well-written that they felt like real people.
And just like real people, some of these characters fell in battle, many times through self-sacrifice. Heroic and emotional, these ninjas’ deaths profoundly impacted fans. As expected, many of the saddest deaths in Naruto involved sympathetic heroes, but a few villain deaths were notably sad, too, showing how emotionally complex the Naruto story can be.
Updated on March 5, 2025, by Natasha Elder: The complexity of Naruto characters, hero and villain alike, are one of the main draws to the show. Unfortunately, that means many of the character deaths are devastating. We wanted to talk about more of the most heartbreaking Naruto character deaths, as well as changed the imagery for better readabilty.
25
Deidara’s Death Is a Loss of Potential
Though Not Tragic in the Traditional Sense, His Failure Adds a Sense of Sorrow
As one of the more gleefully violent Akatsuki members, Deidara is not one of the most heartbreaking Naruto deaths on the surface. However, there is a sadness to the fact that Deidara was so young when he died. Although he was an unrepentant villain dedicated to his craft, his youthful age makes his death bitter as it serves as a reminder of how young most of the characters in the show are. Instead of living life to its full extent, Deidara’s is instead cut short.
Related
Every Akatsuki Member In Naruto (In The Order They Died)
The Akatsuki proved a tremendous threat in Naruto, but despite their strengths, none of them were infallible or unbeatable.
Additionally, Deidara died for a cause he didn’t actually believe in. He was forced to join the Akatsuki by Itachi, and then died while fighting Sasuke in a poetically tragic way. Deidara died in a magnificent explosion that he believed would also kill Sasuke. The fact that he died believing he succeeded, buth is ultimate failure adds a bitter taste to the whole ordeal.
24
Manda’s Death Even Made Orichimaru Sad
The Way Manda Died Emphasized the Fact Sasuke Saw Him as a Tool
Shinobi clearly bond with their summons, particularly when their summons are animals. Whether it is Jiraiya with his toad summons, Kakashi with his dog summons, or Orochimaru with his snake summons, they all share their love for their summons. That is why it is surprisingly sad when Manda ends up dying. In order to escape from Deidara’s last attack, Sasuke summons Manda and uses him to escape the explosion. In the process, Manda ends up dying.
Similarly to Deidara’s death, Manda’s death on its own is admittedly not that tragic. However, the circumstances surrounding it are. Being used and discarded as nothing more than a tool is a tough way to go out. Additionally, Orichimaru is obviously upset at losing Manda, but more than likely only because of the loss of a precious resource. Orichimaru is naturally a taciturn individual, so the fact that any emotion over Manda’s death escapes his neutrality means he must care a great deal.
23
Roshi’s Death Made It Clear How Dangerous the Akatsuki Were
A Hard-Fought Battle Unfortunately Ended Poorly
Roshi is the jinchuriki containing the Four-Tails. From a young age, he proves to be a powerful shinobi, and even works specifically to better handle the power his Tailed Beast gives him. Even by jinchuriki standards, Roshi has a rough relationship with his Tailed Beast. However, after meeting Naruto, he comes to realize that he didn’t need to keep himself so distant from the being sharing his body.
This small bit of character development does a lot as far as making his eventual death at the hands of the Akatsuki heartbreaking. Kisame, the Akatsuki member that captures Roshi, quickly realizes that Roshi’s style of fighting is naturally weak to Kisame’s Water Release techniques. The lost potential in Roshi’s continuing development with his Tailed Beast makes his death even sadder than if he had died prior to seeing Naruto fight with his own Tailed Beast.
22
Sasori’s Relationship with Chiyo Makes His Death Sad
His Lifelong Loneliness Is Emphasized
Much of Sasori’s life has been defined by loneliness. After his parents die when he is young, Lady Chiyo, his grandmother, tries to teach him her puppet technique. He eventually makes puppets that resemble his parents, but this is unable to give him any true comfort. Despite his success as a shinobi, he is never able to find true fulfillment because he surrounds himself with puppets instead of people.
As an extremely skilled puppet technique user, Sasori figured out how to make puppets even out of humans. In fact, he turned many parts of himself into a puppet, as well. This didn’t save him when he is eventually stabbed through the chest, though. To make matters worse, the puppets modeled after his parents were the ones to stab him, and his grandmother was one of the shinobi to cause it. This highlights how alone Sasori has felt his whole life, not even able to connect to his family.
21
Yahiko Died to Save His Friends
However, In Doing So He Set Them on a Dark Path
As one of the founders of the Akatsuki, Yahiko was very close with Konan and Nagato, all of whom trained under Jiraiya. In a flashback, his tragic death is revealed. The Akatsuki became a rising threat, resulting in Hanzo and Danzo plotting for their destruction. To do so, Hanzo tricks Konan, Nagato and Yahiko into falling for a trap when he claims he wants to engage in peace talks. Once there, he manages to grab and threaten Konan, telling Nagato he must kill Yahiko to save Konan.
Nagato is understandably distraught, and can’t make the choice. Yahiko makes it for him, running into Nagato’s kunai and telling him that Nagato can achieve the peace they believe in. This noble sacrifice is reflective of who Yahiko was at heart – someone who greatly cared for his loved ones. While the death is impactful on its own, it is also what set Nagato on his determined, dark path, leading to much more heartache.
20
Kimimaro Kaguya Died Fighting For His Beloved Master
The Imagery of a Flower Sullied with His Blood Adds Another Bitter Element to the Death
Many villain deaths in the Naruto anime were a straightforward affair, with the villain being an excuse for a fight scene to entertain viewers. That was the case for the Sound Four’s members, but their new ally, Kimimaro Kaguya, felt a little different. Fans wouldn’t quite call him an anti-villain like Itachi Uchiha, but he did have his sympathetic side, if only barely.
Related
This Naruto Character’s Death Remains the Saddest in the Franchise
The death of Naruto’s mentor, Jiraiya, is a tragic turning point in the series that still makes fans emotional.
Kimimaro was brutal, but not 100% evil, setting him apart from the likes of Hidan and Kakuzu. Kimimaro was a strong-willed shinobi who was fanatically loyal to Orochimaru, who meant everything to him. In fact, it was Kimimaro’s willpower and devotion to Orochimaru that helped fight despite his serious illness, which shows how personal his servitude to Orochimaru was. That said, Kimimaro’s death was only a little touching, so his demise ranks last among the saddest deaths in Naruto.
19
Utakata Died as the Six-Tails Was Removed From Him
His Death Came Right When He Was Trying to Move on from His Troubled History
During the Six Tails Unleashed arc, Naruto and Sai were tasked with escorting Hotaru safely home. Through her, they meet and Utakata, whom she’s been trying to convince to be her master. Due to the violent nature of his past, Utakata wants nothing to do with being a master, but when his status as a fugitive comes to the light, he has no choice but to face the truth. He spent so much of his life believing his master was trying to kill him, which made him turn away from becoming a master to Hotaru.
Only after learning the truth, that his master was trying to remove the powerful Six Tails from Utakata, was he able to let go of his anger and embrace becoming Hotaru’s master. Unfortunately, as the pair were leaving together, Utakata was captured by the Akatsuki. He died when they removed the Six Tails from him, leaving Hotaru to believe he left her behind.
18
Shikaku Nara And Inoichi Yamanaka Gave Their Lives Fighting in the Fourth Great Shinobi War
They Chose to Save Others Instead of Themselves
Shikamaru Nara and Ino Yamanaka’s fathers, Shikaku and Inoichi, played a significant role in the Fourth Great Ninja War. Shikaku was a brilliant tactician trusted to lead the Allied Shinobi Forces, which he did so very effectively. As the Yamanaka clan’s head, Inoichi’s telepathic techniques were a great asset to mass communication. Shikaku and Inoichi combined their abilities, posing such a threat that Madara changed his tactics.
Madara Uchiha was forced to act quickly, believing that the loss of Shikaku and Inoichi would hugely affect the ninja forces’ chance of success. Aware that their defeat was moments away, Shikaku and Inoichi delivered touching messages to their children, advising them on how to live fully and reminding them of how loved they are. Seeing Ino and Shikamaru’s reactions to their fathers’ deaths is just as heartbreaking as the deaths themselves.
17
Rin Nohara Let Herself Die to Protect the Hidden Leaf Village
The Way She Died Left Both Kakashi and Obito Traumatized
Seeing Rin Nohara die by Kakashi’s hand triggers Obito’s descent into despair. Despite her limited screentime, Rin has a significant impact on both of her teammates in both life and death. Rin was a cheerful, level-headed medical ninja that Obito had feelings for, but who seemed to have more interest in Kakashi. In either case, she was clearly the one holding the team together.
She vows to watch over Obito until he grows stronger, but he “dies” before she can fulfill her promise. His reunion with Rin is unpleasant and devastating, as he’s forced to watch Kakashi accidentally kill her for what seems to be no reason. He realizes much later that Rin was forced to become the Three-Tails Jinchuriki. Rather than be used as a tool to harm her village, Rin bravely steps in front of Kakashi’s Chidori, forcing him to kill her. This sends Obito down his dark path and significantly affects Kakashi, who has flashbacks to her death throughout his childhood.
16
Konan Gave Her Life Fighting for Good
Despite Her Akatsuki Association, She Just Wanted to Change the World for the Better
Konan and her childhood friend Nagato both had a change of heart at the end of the excellent Pain arc, when Naruto Uzumaki convinced the two of them to do away with their evil ways. Konan protested at first, but then she accepted what was happening and bade her friend Nagato a fond farewell when he died. She gave him an elaborate funeral with papers, then gave Naruto a bouquet of paper flowers as a gesture of friendship.
That put Konan on the path to redemption, but unfortunately, the remaining Akatsuki members cut it short. Konan faced off against Obito/Tobi, only to lose her life fighting him, which was a real shame. Konan could have done a lot of good for the shinobi alliance later, but at least she died as the hero she always intended to be.
15
Nagato Sacrificed Himself to Undo His Horrific Deeds
His Change of Heart Is One of the Most Touching Moments
In his youth, Nagato believed in hope, just like his friends Yahiko and Konan, but then disaster struck, and Yahiko died. Nagato grew bitter and became a true villain, using Yahiko’s and other bodies to form the Six Paths of Pain persona, and he used it to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village. Then Nagato was treated to one of Naruto’s talk jutsu sessions, and he had a change of heart.
Related
Naruto: This Character’s Death Was the Most Gruesome
Many Naruto characters met unfortunate ends throughout the series, but one in particular was tortured for days leading up to their death.
Despite Konan’s objections, Nagato gave his very life to undo all the damage he had done with his Leaf Village assault. He restored the lives of everyone who had just died by his hand, and that allowed him to die as he hero he had always wanted to be. Something similar would soon happen with his friend, Konan. Thus, Nagato’s death has a place among the anime’s saddest.
14
Hayate Gekko Didn’t Deserve to Die at Baki’s Hands
His Future Resurrection and Repeated Death Are Just as Tragic
The original Naruto anime killed off relatively few characters when compared to Naruto: Shippuden, but starting in the chunin exam story arc, the anime was willing to kill off characters more often. This created higher stakes and generated more drama. Occasionally, these deaths just tied up loose ends. A notable example is Hayate Gekko, who served as one of the exam’s proctors. While Hayate oversaw the tower tournament matches, he unfortunately didn’t live to see the exam’s final phase.
Hayate Gekko ran afoul of a Sand ninja named Baki, and he attacked. Unfortunately, Hayate was totally outclassed, with his sword unable to deal a serious blow to Baki. Then, Baki used a wind-based jutsu to shred Gekko, killing him in an instant. Gekko’s body was later found, and Yugao Uzuki vowed vengeance. In an equally upsetting moment in Naruto: Shippuden, Gekko is resurrected and she is forced to “kill” him a second time.
13
Lady Chiyo Gave Her Life to Revive Her Kazekage, Gaara
Her Noble Sacrifice Is Commendable
A Sand Village elder, Chiyo was understandably reluctant to help Team 7 upon their arrival. Chiyo had a complicated history with the Hidden Leaf Village as Kakashi’s father, the White Fang, killed her son. However, when the Akatsuki kidnaps Gaara, the current Kazekage, Chiyo joins Team 7. Chiyo had a personal stake in this battle – her grandson Sasori joined the Akatsuki, and she wanted to end the suffering he caused.
Teaming up with Sakura, Chiyo was forced to end Sasori’s life after coming face to face with what she helped create. To atone for that mistake, she volunteered to sacrifice her life to save Gaara. Collaborating with Naruto and his teammates opened her eyes to change, and she now believed she could pass her legacy on to the next generation.
12
Gaara of the Sand Couldn’t Survive the One-Tail Shukaku’s Extration
Though His Death Was Temporary, It Was Heartbreaking in the Moment
Gaara undergoes significant character development, evolving from a bloodthirsty killer into an honorable and capable Kazekage. Due to this character development, fans were devastated after Gaara’s capture, Tailed Beast extraction, and death at the Akatsuki’s hands. Gaara’s death wasn’t seen on-screen, but in the episode “Kakashi Enlightened!”, the heroes confirmed his death by finding his body. Even though it wasn’t shown, Gaara’s death still devastated fans.
The Kazekage died protecting the Sand Village from the terrorist bomber, Deidara. Seeing this was especially emotional, since Gaara had just turned over a new leaf. After meeting and fighting with Naruto, he became a more caring individual who could trust others. To see him die so early on had a profound impact on many Naruto fans, and further proved exactly how dangerous the Akatsuki were.
11
Hiruzen Sarutobi Died While Fighting His Former Student, Orochimaru
He At Least Was Able to Die with Some Satisfaction
The Third Hokage and the Leaf Village’s leader, Hiruzen Sarutobi was a wise and caring elder with legendary power. Hiruzen’s role was complex, and he often had to make tough decisions to put the village’s needs before anything else. When Orochimaru launched his attack on the Leaf Village, Hiruzen bravely confronted the legendary Sannin, whom Hiruzen had taught.
The Third Hokage hesitated to fight his former student, but did what he could to ensure Konoha’s safety, demonstrating his commitment to the village he lead. Using the Reaper Death Seal to seal Orochimaru’s arms, Hiruzen sacrificed his life to atone for letting Orochimaru go years prior. Unfortunately, the sealing was undone later in the series, but it was enough to drive Orochimaru away for a time. This gives Hiruzen the somewhat rare status of being satisfied while he died, since he was at least able to hinder Orochimaru before the villain could do more damage.
10
Asuma Sarutobi Fell to Hidan, Prompting Shikamaru’s Revenge
Asuma Left a Family Behind
Asuma Sarutobi was a skilled shinobi with a horrible cigarette addiction. Throughout the anime, he’s seen nurturing his students – Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka — by giving them advice and encouragement. Although a difficult job, Asuma successfully brings out the best in his students. Additionally, he helps Naruto understand his wind transformation and is quick to help others without a second thought.
Related
10 Most Tragic Villain Deaths in Naruto
The villains in the Naruto franchise share one common trait: they are tragic characters who meet bitter ends. Redemption lies in death for most.
Despite his impressive skills as a Jonin, Asuma is brutally murdered by the Akatsuki member Hidan, who benefits from immortality. He dies in Shikamaru’s arms, but not before leaving an encrypted message about protecting the “king.” Shikamaru takes some time to contemplate his words before carrying out his revenge. He finally understands what Asuma means and continues his legacy as his daughter’s mentor. Thus, Asuma Sarutobi’s death ranks in the middle among Naruto‘s saddest deaths.
9
Kakashi Hatake Died When Pain Invaded the Hidden Leaf Village
Though Reversed, This Gave Kakashi an Opportunity to Connect with His Father
Kakashi Hatake’s death moved many fans to tears. The Jonin prodigy bravely fought against Pain to protect the village despite being outnumbered. Kakashi was determined to relay what he learned about Pain’s ability. He gave his life to do so and instructed Choji to deliver the information to Tsunade with his last breath.
Fans were able to witness a rare moment through this tragedy. While in the afterlife, Kakashi reunited with his father and received some much-needed closure. Naruto noticed he couldn’t sense Kakashi’s chakra once he arrived and asked Tsunade if he was away on a mission. Her silence diminished his small hope and confirmed Kakashi’s death. Thankfully, Kakashi was revived after Naruto’s battle with Pain, as Nagato used his Rinnegan Rebirth jutsu to resurrect those who died in the attack.
8
Fukasaku/Pa Toad Died When Pain Attacked Him
Watching Ma Toad Call for Him Is a Heartwrenching Moment
Fukasaku, commonly known as Pa Toad, become fond of Naruto very quickly. Naruto reminded Pa Toad of Jiraiya. After Jiraiya’s death, Pa Toad asserted that he believed Naruto was the only one capable of avenging him and soon invited him to train on Mount Myoboku. Though Naruto’s training was accelerated, Naruto and Pa Toad bonded. Naruto became acquainted with The Two Great Sage Toads after meeting Pa’s wife Shima, or Ma Toad – he spent his downtime in their home.
Once Naruto mastered Sage Mode and entered the battlefield during Pain’s Assault, Pa provided Naruto with support and backup. As a result, Pain labeled Pa Toad a “noisy frog” and murdered him. Fans were heartbroken as they watched Ma Toad call out to her husband and saw Naruto desperately try to save him. Luckily, Pa is also resuscitated when Pain has a change of heart.
7
Neji Hyuga Took a Mortal Blow to Shield Naruto and Hinata
Fans Were Devastated by Neji’s Death
After meeting and battling Naruto, Neji Hyuga went through impressive character growth, and could have accomplished much more had he not died. Like Gaara, he started off as an unlikeable minor antagonist who was particularly cruel toward his cousin, Hinata. Arrogant but skilled, Neji is revealed to be understandably resentful toward his status as a member of the Hyuga clan’s sacrificial branch family. This status is what lead to his bitter feelings towards his younger cousin, Hinata.
During the Chunin Exams he learned from Naruto that he could change his destiny. Thanks to this revelation, Neji promised to self-reflect, heal from his trauma, and work hard to become stronger and protect his loved ones. Neji became the strongest member of the Hyuga Clan on his own merits and died protecting Hinata and Naruto, the two people who taught him so much.
6
Itachi Uchiha Let Himself Lose to Sasuke
After Finding Out His True Motivations, Itachi’s Death Becomes Even Sadder
Itachi Uchiha has arguably the saddest storyline in Naruto. Itachi was initially depicted as a cold, heartless, and powerful warrior who massacred his entire clan simply because he could. He then left his baby brother alive and made him relive their clan’s deaths via genjutsu. Fans anxiously awaited Sasuke’s inevitable battle against his brother for years, and they were excited to see Sasuke take his revenge.
Their battle didn’t disappoint. After an epic battle that showcased some of the Uchiha Clan’s strongest abilities, Itachi died. However, Sasuke soon learned he didn’t know his brother at all. In one of the biggest plot twists of the series, Sasuke discovered that Itachi killed his clan to protect Konoha from the coup they were planning. He was following the Hokage’s orders and only agreed on one condition, that he let his little brother live. This brilliant revelation shocked fans and made what was intially a satisfying death, a tragedy.
