Naruto may not be a tragedy anime, but that doesn’t mean the series didn’t leave many fans heartbroken even years after its run. Despite the story revolving around one of the most optimistic characters in all of anime, Naruto’s tragic past lurks at every corner, reminding viewers that no matter how much fun it sounds, a world of ninjas is not all fun and rainbows. And while Naruto has a talent for making the audience laugh and cry with him, he is far from the only character viewers couldn’t help but shed tears over.
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With its diverse cast of characters, Naruto is able to explore a wide range of storylines, many of them rife with the death and destruction expected of a world centered on violence. Masashi Kishimoto’s ability to write complex characters that feel human only adds to the show’s tragedy. And with his masterful storytelling, viewers feel closer to his story, making the tragic moments all that more unbearable.
Spoiler Warning: Given the Nature of This List, Major Naruto Spoilers Ahead for Each Entry!
Rin’s Death
A defining moment for both Kakashi and Obito, Rin’s death is one of the series’s biggest tragedies. And what makes it even more unbearable is how it was all part of Madara’s carefully laid plan. Aware that Obito needed to experience the same pain as Madara to agree with him, the older Uchiha kidnapped the girl he loved and sealed the Three-Tails in her, essentially making her into a ticking time bomb.
Realizing this, Rin chose to sacrifice herself to protect her village, jumping in front of Kakashi’s Chidori. The experience of being the one to kill his teammate, one he had promised to protect, deeply traumatized Kakashi. As Obito witnessed Kakashi killing Rin, his emotional pain awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan and transformed him from an optimistic dreamer to one of Naruto’s core villains.
Uchiha Massacre
The fact that Konoha greenlit the genocide of a clan to stop a coup was bad enough, but what’s worse is that they made a 13-year-old from that clan do it. Accepting the mission only to spare his younger brother’s life, Itachi killed his own kin with a heavy heart. And when he finally goes to kill his parents, their acceptance of his mission and choice to love him even in their final moments has the normally stoic character breaking down in tears.
This is a heartbreaking moment, and the tragedy of the massacre only gets worse as Itachi must then lie to Sasuke throughout much of Naruto’s entire plot, ensuring his loyalty to the village that killed his family. When Sasuke refuses to believe his older brother would kill so many people, Itachi makes him witness the genocide firsthand with his Mangekyo Sharingan. Psychologically scarring the one person he loves most in the world as he takes the blame for a tragedy created by the adults in power.
Asuma’s Death
As the first teacher figure to die in Naruto Shippuden, Asuma’s death was undoubtedly tragic. It set a different, more serious tone, demonstrating that the series’s main cast wasn’t actually immune to the violence in their world. The fact that he died protecting his students when he was about to become a father only made the moment more heartbreaking.
Nevertheless, his death served an important narrative purpose, giving the viewer insight into his students and becoming a source of character development for them. Shikamaru’s particularly affected, especially with Asuma entrusting him to take care of his unborn child. But the normally lazy ninja steps up to the role, learning to take responsibility and maturing as a result.
Zabuza and Haku
A merciless hitman with a kind young boy as his loyal follower, the odd pair Zabuza and Haku were Naruto’s first major villains. Despite being an antagonist, Haku’s personality was more befitting of a hero, as seen when he gladly used his body as a shield to protect Zabuza from Kakashi’s Chidori. But while Haku’s death was already tragic enough, what happened next really cemented this scene as one Naruto fans aren’t going to forget any time soon.
When the corrupt Gato and his men arrived, he started kicking around Haku’s dead body. An injured Zabuza initially appeared unaffected by this, but when Naruto called him heartless, he dropped that facade. Holding Naruto’s kunai between his teeth, Zabuza attacked Gato at the cost of his own life. And in his dying moments, he emotionally asked to be laid next to Haku so he could see his face one last time.
Neji’s Death
As the only Konoha 11 member to lose his life during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Neji’s death was particularly shocking and tragic. Sacrificing himself to protect Naruto and Hinata, Neji’s last moments showed how far he had come as a character, from someone who resented Hinata for being a weak clan heir to someone who embraced his duty as her clan member.
What makes his death even sadder is how we see Hinata’s sister carrying a picture of Neji at her wedding, reminding fans of the stern but caring uncle he never got to be. Neji started his character arc as a rather unsympathetic adversary who challenged Naruto’s philosophy, but as he grew to respect Konoha’s future Seventh Hokage, viewers’ opinions on him changed. His ultimate acceptance of Naruto makes his death all the more tragic in the final moments of the saga.
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Naruto’s Childhood
Made into a Jinchuriki to save the village that hated him, Naruto’s story starts from tragedy and only gets more heartbreaking. As the Hokage, Minato made the decision to sacrifice his soul to split the Nine-Tails chakra in half and seal the Yang half inside Naruto, protecting both the village and his wife and child. But as the sealing process began, the Nine-Tails tried to kill Naruto, prompting Minato and Kushina to shield the blow with their bodies.
An orphan, Naruto then lived a life of rejection, unaware of why he was hated or even who his parents were. His only comfort was the Third Hokage, who acted like a grandfatherly figure to the boy. However, even the Hokage’s support didn’t make his ordeal any easier, with the rest of the village shunning or unsubtly resenting the boy for much of the series.
Itachi’s Last Goodbye
Itachi’s life was undoubtedly tragic, but what was even more tragic was how, despite his efforts, he couldn’t protect Sasuke from the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre. His younger brother learned how Itachi was ordered to kill their family and hated the very village Itachi sacrificed everything for because of it. But instead of trying to change his brother’s mind, Itachi accepted Sasuke’s hatred.
He assured his brother that no matter what choice he made, his love for him was unconditional. To hear that from his brother, whom he had killed and yet loved, was an emotional moment for Sasuke. Yet it was tragic these words were only spoken moments before Itachi’s return to the afterlife.
Gaara’s Childhood
Much like Naruto, a young Gaara was a Jinchuriki hated by his village. But unlike Naruto, who had the support of the Third Hokage, Gaara’s father, the Fourth Kazekage, abandoned him, forcing him to live away from his siblings with his maternal uncle, Yashamaru. When the Kazekage thought Gaara couldn’t serve as the weapon he wanted, he labeled him a failed experiment and ordered Yashamaru, who Gaara loved, to assassinate him.
Even more tragically, he further destroyed the six-year-old’s fragile mental state by having Yashamaru lie that both he and Gaara’s own mother hated him. This was the final straw that made Gaara into the monstrous character first introduced in the Chunin Exams and Konoha Crush Arcs of Naruto. Had it not been for Naruto’s friendship, he may have ended up as one of the series’s most tragic villains.
Jiraiya’s Death
A beloved but comical character, Jiraiya’s death shook the fanbase with its sudden tragedy. While confronting the villain Pain, Jiraiya recognized him as his former student. But as the two were already fighting with no hope of reconciliation, only one path remained; for one of them to die while the other emerged as the victor.
Despite going up against the legendary Rinnegan, Jiraiya gave his all in the fight. But he ultimately lost, his last act being a message to Konoha about Pain’s true identity. The last thing on his mind was thoughts of his student Naruto as the Pain’s Assault Arc began to show its teeth to the fandom with Naruto Shippuden Episode 133.
Naruto’s Goodbye to Minato
After fighting in the Fourth Great Ninja War alongside his son, it’s eventually time for Minato to return to the afterlife in Naruto Shippuden Episode 474. Naruto gets a few precious minutes to say his last goodbye to the father he never really knew, and it’s tragic to witness. But what ensues next is a different, more layered, and upsettingly sad moment for the young hero.
Minato starts by wishing Naruto a happy 17th birthday, marking the first and last time Naruto receives a birthday wish from a parent. The dam breaks, but Naruto holds back tears as he reassures his parents that they don’t have to worry about him. But much like the audience, he ultimately can’t help but let his tears fall.
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