Dante
Editor-in-Chief at BrandAnimeDante is Editor-in-Chief (Lord Hokage), which means he runs editorial and operations at BrandAnime. That means this whole thing was his idea, and he spends...
Last Updated on April 30, 2025 by Dante
Naruto is known for its deep emotional moments, and with that comes the heartbreaking deaths of several characters throughout the series.
While some of these deaths were necessary for the development of the plot or other characters, others felt rushed, pointless, or just didn’t live up to their potential.
Here’s a look at four of the most pointless deaths in Naruto that we’re still mad about today.
Table of Contents
1. Neji Hyuga: A Hero’s Death Without Enough Impact
Neji Hyuga’s death during the Fourth Great Ninja War is one of the most controversial in Naruto. While his sacrifice was emotional, it felt rushed and underdeveloped considering how much Neji had grown over the course of the series.
He started as a cold, fatalistic character and eventually came to terms with his own beliefs, overcoming his fatalistic outlook.
However, his death in battle, seemingly to protect Hinata, felt like a random, forced sacrifice that didn’t provide enough narrative payoff.
Neji’s potential to grow beyond his initial arc was never fully realized. Instead of a deep, meaningful sacrifice that would impact the entire war, his death felt like a missed opportunity to truly explore his character’s journey and the relationships he had with others.
2. Rasa (Gaara’s Father): The Waste of a Powerful Character
Rasa, the Kazekage and Gaara’s father, had an important role in shaping Gaara’s backstory, but his death felt like an afterthought. Killed by Orochimaru in a relatively unceremonious way, Rasa’s death didn’t give his character the significance it deserved.
Here was a character with real potential to be explored more deeply, especially considering his status as a leader and his complex relationship with Gaara.
My problem is that Rasa was killed off to simply hype Orochimaru. He died in the desert no less which is impossible.
3. Deidara: A Villain Who Died for a Ridiculous Obsession with Sasuke
Deidara’s death was certainly dramatic, but it also felt needlessly tied to his obsession with Sasuke. Deidara, an explosive expert with incredible artistic skills, could have been a formidable force in the Naruto series, but his ultimate demise came from his fixation on Sasuke.
His obsession with “destroying” Sasuke was a key part of his downfall, and he ended up dying as a result of his own overconfidence.
His death, though visually memorable, felt pointless. Deidara was more than just a one-dimensional villain obsessed with Sasuke’s abilities, but the show didn’t allow him to be anything more. If Deidara had been portrayed with more nuance, his death could have had more emotional weight, making his end feel less like a self-inflicted tragedy.
All the Akatsuki went out on their own terms, more or less. Deidara could’ve gotten a better death and than hype up Sasuke for his eventual showdown against Itachi.
And this battle didnt even matter from a power scaling perspective because Sasuke was woefully unprepared for Itachi anyway.
4. Rin Nohara: A Death That Made Absolutely No Sense
Rin’s death remains one of the most pointless and poorly executed moments in Naruto’s history. As a member of Team Minato and a character with so much potential, Rin’s death served little purpose other than to drive Kakashi into depression and push Obito further toward madness.
In a tragic turn of events, Kakashi was forced to kill Rin, not realizing she had been implanted with a tailed beast and was unknowingly a weapon. While this moment was intended to be emotional and impactful, it felt incredibly random and forced.
Rin’s death didn’t accomplish much besides leaving Kakashi traumatized and Obito broken, and ultimately, it served Madara’s plan. Rin could have died as a hero in her own right, perhaps sacrificing herself for the village, which would have been a much more meaningful and honorable end.
Obito could have still become a villain, blaming Kakashi for her death, but it would have been much more impactful if Rin’s death had been part of a more heroic or tragic arc for her rather than a shock-value moment. Her death not only felt like a plot device but also undercut the potential for her character’s growth.
Our Take on the Most Pointless Deaths in Naruto
While Naruto has some of the most emotional deaths in anime, there are several characters whose deaths felt unnecessary or poorly executed. Neji, Rasa, Deidara, and Rin all had the potential to be explored further or to have their deaths carried more weight, but instead, their ends felt rushed or lacking in meaning.
Naruto often uses death as a plot device, but in these cases, the characters’ stories were either cut short or poorly handled, leaving fans to wonder what could have been.
Dante is Editor-in-Chief (Lord Hokage), which means he runs editorial and operations at BrandAnime. That means this whole thing was his idea, and he spends his time making stuff work and covering the latest anime and games. When he's not doing 100 things at once, he's usually... watching anime or playing games. His life isn't that interesting, honestly.
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