There are various Naruto characters we grew to love—left us in shock. But was their death necessary at all?
Let’s discuss in detail whether some of the Naruto characters really had to die for the development of the story or if they left a void that could have been filled differently if they were alive.
Jiraiya
I sometimes think that Jiraiya died for nothing. His death doesn’t make sense. It is just that the creators wanted to show that like Minato and Orochimaru, Jiraiya also died at the hands of his own student.
He could have lived and he should have lived for many more years to come. He deserved to see his great pupil fulfilling his dream.
But then again if we think about why he died, there is one major plot hole that would have been empty without his death. If it wasn’t for Jiraiya’s death, Naruto wouldn’t have been able to make Nagato realize his mistakes.
Possibly Nagato would never have backed out, leaving everyone to stay dead. The pain that Naruto and Nagato shared was all because of Jiraiya’s loss.
Neji
I think all fans would believe that Neji died only for one reason. His death added to the emotional tension that all characters, especially Naruto experienced during the 4th Great Ninja War.
We all saw Naruto at his breaking point right after Neji died. If it wasn’t for Hinata, he would have given up just like Obito was expecting.
But was all this really necessary?
Honestly, Neji’s character was already put under the rumbles throughout the Shippuden. He had so much potential in the beginning but the creators just kept it all aside.
Naruto helped him change his way of life and even his uncle reconciled with him. He was all set to lead or at least help lead the Hyuga Clan. Was all that for nothing?
He was shown to be a martyr but the creators merely used him as collateral damage. He didn’t deserve to die or should I say he didn’t deserve to die the way he did. They made him look too weak.
Nagato
See I am not referring to Pain. I am talking about Nagato, the boy who lost everything he loved. Whatever Nagato endured throughout his life was enough. He didn’t have to die just like that.
I am not debating over whether he should have survived after making amends or not. He surely would have been the greatest helping hand for Naruto but it wasn’t that simple.
Somehow it makes sense for Pain to die if we think that he killed Jiraya and has been responsible for countless other deaths and brawls. But who and what turned Nagato into pain? He didn’t do all this on purpose. He was a victim himself. Tobi manipulated him, conspiring and setting the stage for all deaths.
Pain may have deserved death, but Nagato should have been given a second chance at life. Even Orochimaru got one.
Asuma
Asuma died only because the creators needed emotional tension in the story which could clear the path for significant character development.
Even I cried when Asuma died. Reason? Because it wasn’t justified. I was just starting to like him and they suddenly killed him off. But maybe it was necessary in a way.
Before Asuma’s death, all of the Leaf ninjas were fighting off the Akatsuki in their pursuit to protect Naruto and find Sasuke. It was like a responsibility without any emotional burdens. But Asuma’s death changed it all, making it extremely important for all of them to stop the Akatsuki.
Asuma’s death somehow made it personal for Leaf Village, especially, Shikamaru to fight against the Akatsuki. They were hellbent on defeating the Akatsuki just because of Asuma’s death.
But still, it was wrong on so many levels. Asuma didn’t deserve to die as he was soon going to be a father. Kurenai didn’t deserve this either.
Wrapping Up
Now I know what you’re thinking. There are many other Naruto characters who didn’t deserve to die yet we lost them. Itachi, Sishui, Kimimaro, and many more characters were killed off like they didn’t matter anymore. Or perhaps, they had to die to keep the storyline going. We’ll surely explore it later.
