Most Pointless Sacrifices In The Series

Naruto is an anime that needs no introduction, with Kishimoto’s rich world-building and amazing characters elevating this series in the eyes of many. Fans can’t help but love the brutal battles and emotional moments of this series, causing many fans to shed a tear when a beloved character meets their tragic end.

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As one would expect, Naruto is full of heroic moments where characters sacrifice themselves for the greater good. The majority of these moments will cause viewers to weep uncontrollably, but there are some sacrifices in the series that are downright pointless if fans really think about the circumstances surrounding them. Surely there was another way these characters could have handled the siutations they found themselves in.

6

Rin Nohara

She And Her Friends Could’ve Figured Out Another Way To Save Her From A Grim Fate

• Debut: Kakashi Chronicles ~ Boys’ Life on the Battlefield ~ Part 1 (Episode 119 of Naruto: Shippuden)

After being abducted by the Kirigakure shinobi, Rin was forcibly turned into the jinchuriki of the Three-Tails. The plan was for her to turn into a human nuke who would destroy the village, but Rin let herself be pierced by Kakashi’s Chidori to prevent this plan from coming to pass.

As brave as this sacrifice was, fans can’t help but wonder why Rin didn’t just isolate herself until a solution could be devised for the Three-Tails inside her. Not only was killing herself an extreme move, but it also served as the catalyst for Obito’s downfall.

5

Nagato

Could’ve Walked A Different Path Had He Remembered The Faith Jiraiya Had In Him

• Debut: Tales of a Gutsy Ninja ~Jiraiya Ninja Scroll~ Part 2 (Episode 128 of Naruto: Shippuden)

There’s no denying that Nagato is one of the most diabolical villains in Naruto, with his merciless killing of Jiraiya being hard to fathom. However, he had a change of heart after Naruto made it clear that Jiraiya believed in his powers and wanted him to save the shinobi world.

That being said, it’s still odd that this Akatsuki member had a change of heart after one single conversation, to the point where he used the Rinne Rebirth jutsu to sacrifice himself and revive everyone he killed during the assault on Konoha. One can’t help but feel that this change of heart could’ve come sooner, especially if he’d bothered to give Jiraiya the same time of day as Naruto.

4

Itachi Uchiha

His Sacrifice Was Meant To Save His Brother, But Sasuke Ended Up Destroying His Future Instead

• Debut: The Third Hokage, Forever… (Episode 80 of Naruto)

Itachi is one of the most tragic figures in Naruto. He killed the entirety of the Uchiha clan to save his brother and prevent the Leaf Village from succumbing to infighting once again. Unfortunately, not being able to justify his actions to Sasuke meant that his brother would walk down a path of hatred.

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Even after Sasuke learned of Itachi’s plans, he just shifted his hatred to the higher-ups at Konoha who allowed this massacre to happen. Despite sacrificing everything he loved and spending his last moments alive protecting Sasuke, Itachi failed in his goal to protect his brother and sent him down a dark and vengeful path instead.

3

Neji Hyuga

Surely There Was A Better Way To Deflect The Ten-Tails’ Projectile Attack

• Debut: Identify Yourself: Powerful New Rivals (Episode 21 of Naruto)

Neji is a prodigy who has incredible mastery over the Byakugan, which should’ve allowed him to deflect the Ten-Tails’ projectile attacks without too many problems. Instead, the plot decided to put his powers on a cooldown just to facilitate a sacrifice that would show the horrors of war.

For a character who did nothing of note following the time-skip, Neji’s sacrifice felt rather hollow. Fans bemoaned the loss of this character and hated how contrived his death was, adding to the list of reasons why the Fourth Shinobi World War was easily Naruto at its worst. Neji deserved a better, perhaps more heroic death.

2

Hiruzen Sarutobi

Took Away Orochimaru’s Arms, Only For His Student To Regain The Use Of Jutsu Not Long After

• Debut: Enter: Naruto Uzumaki! (Episode 1 of Naruto)

The Third Hokage was one of the strongest ninja in the Leaf Village, and the fact that he could fend off both the First and Second Hokage by himself is nothing short of extraordinary. However, by the time he shifted his attention to Orochimaru, his strength had been completely sapped.

With the Reaper Death Seal looming over him, Hiruzen decided to seal off Orochimaru’s arms to take away his jutsu in one final act before passing away as he no longer had the strength to seal away all of his foe. It was a heartbreaking moment in Naruto that didn’t matter all that much since Orochimaru took over another body and regained the use of his arms in no time anyway. All this sacrifice did in the end was delay Orochimaru’s plans a little rather than put an end to them out right.

1

Deidara

Sacrificed Himself In An Explosion That Sasuke Escaped

• Debut: The Akatsuki Makes Its Move (Episode 2 of Naruto: Shippuden)

Deidara was a chaotic member of the Akatsuki who hated the Uchiha clan, which led to him trying to take on Sasuke in battle to prove his worth when the opportunity came up. However, he’d clearly bitten off more than he could chew, leading to him being outclassed by Sasuke with no hope of beating him in battle.

He had an ace up his sleeve when he transformed himself into a bomb that would’ve killed Sasuke with ease. However, the shinobi used his wits and summoned a massive snake, using its body as a shield to avoid any major damage and survive even after Deidara sacrificed himself. Perhaps it would have been a better plan to retreat and try again another day.