10 Saddest Naruto Episodes, Ranked (2024)

Naruto has long reigned as one of the most beloved anime of all time, in large party thanks to the franchise's ability to capture the highs and lows of the human experience with compelling arcs & intricate storytelling. Naruto explores many uplifting themes, including perseverance and friendship, but it doesn't shy away from storylines about the importance of sacrifice, pain and conflict. These emotional moments in Naruto often come up in episodes that give fans a deep diver into the cast's struggles, backstories, and defeats in battle.

Over the course of Naruto and Shippuden, Naruto Uzumaki goes on an epic journey from an outcast child to the symbol of hope and power in his village. Along the way, he encounters many incredibly emotional and sad moments as he must deal with his own tragic past while also experiencing plenty of loss and heartbreak as he matures. Throughout the series, the saddest Naruto episodes tug at viewers' heartstrings, leaving a lasting impression and proving that Naruto's intricate storytelling makes it incredibly easy to fall in love with its large cast of characters.

Naruto Episode 134, "The End of Tears"

There are few anime rivalries as epic as Naruto and Sasuke's, and their epic clash in "The End of Tears" proved that underneath the bitterness, the two actually cared for each other more than they may be willing to admit. Naruto arrives in an effort to stop Sasuke from defecting from the Hidden Leaf Village, and the two engage in an all-out and brutal fight.

In the end, Sasuke holds firm with his intentions to join Orochimaru – but he still can't bring himself to kill Naruto. Episode 134 was a rare moment where Naruto suffered a defeat, and it was an incredibly sad moment that saw both him and Sasuke talking about their feelings & how their paths had unfortunately diverged over the years.

9 Gaara's Tragic Childhood Highlighted His Character Growth

Naruto Episode 76, "Assassin of the Moonlit Night"

In "Assassin of the Moonlit Night", Gaara of Sunagakure remembers his childhood in a particularly emotional flashback episode. Gaara reflects on growing up with his uncle Yashamaru and the close bond that the two shared – which impacted the character and gave him plenty of emotional trauma when it was revealed that Yashamaru was an assassin sent to kill Gaara.

It ended up being Gaara's father who ordered his own son's assassination, sending Yashamaru to do the wicked deed. This sad betrayal gave Gaara's character incredible depth, making it easy for fans to see why the brooding character hated the world so much until he crossed paths with Naruto Uzumaki.

8 An Early Death Proved Naruto's Emotional Resonance

Naruto Episode 19, "The Demon in the Snow"

One of the saddest deaths in Naruto took place surprisingly early on in the series, with Episode 19 "The Demon in the Snow" showing the emotional death of the orphan Haku. Zabazu is a heartless assassin known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist and had an unbreakable bond with Haku. Haku's death resulted in Zabazu letting his guard down entirely.

Zabuza used all of his might to kill the drug dealer who betrayed him before lying down to die with Haku. He expressed his wishes to join Haku in the afterlife, making Episode 19 one of the saddest Naruto episodes, beautifully highlighting the intense bond many ninjas share on their journeys together.

7 Sasuke Learns The Truth of Itachi's Motives

Naruto: Shippuden Episode 141, "Truth"

While Naruto explores the dynamic between the titular character and Sasuke in great depth, the anime also gives fans an in-depth look at Sasuke's complicated relationship with his brother, Itachi. Throughout the series, Sasuke believes that his brother killed his clan in cold blood, but when Itachi dies, Sasuke learns the truth about his motives.

Itachi never hated Sasuke, and he didn't want to kill their clan at all. Instead, he was ordered to kill the Uchiha clan to stop a civil war, and he ended up sparing Sasuke's life because he loved him too much to kill him. Naruto: Shippuden Episode 141 was an emotional episode that completely changed Itachi's legacy in Naruto, making his death even more impactful.

6 Naruto's Parents Die Trying to Protect Him

Naruto: Shippuden Episode 249, "Thank You"

Fans waited a long time to learn about Naruto's parents and his backstory. Naturally, Naruto: Shippuden Episode 249 featured a powerful and emotional moment when their deaths were shown. Minato and Kushina proved to be excellent parents to Naruto up until the very end, and they fought hard to protect both Naruto and their entire village. When the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the Hidden Leaf Village, they were ready and willing to give their lives for Naruto's safety.

What makes Minato and Kushina's deaths even more sad is their final seconds, which they spent beside one another, each impaled on the Nine-Tailed Fox's claws. They die trying to give young Naruto as much wise advice as they can possibly think of before journeying into the afterlife.

Naruto Episode 80, "The Third Hokage, Forever..."

The death of the third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi made for a sad moment as Naruto and his allies started to realize the intensity and power of the enemies they were facing. Hiruzen may have sacrificed himself, but the loss came with incredible complications for the village in Episode 80.

The land was now without its leader – Hiruzen's loss was a terrible blow to countless generations of Konoha shinobi. Hiruzen was such a powerful ninja that he was renowned as The Professor and taught Naruto's legendary Three Sannin, proving that his legendary wisdom was an important asset to Konohagakure. His death at the hands of Orochimaru ended up destroying the very peace he worked so hard to restore to the village after the death of Naruto's parents.

4 Shikamaru Breaks Down after Asuma's Death

Naruto: Shippuden Episode 82, "Team 10"

Loss is a recurring theme in Naruto, but even the most stoic of ninjas need to process their emotions. The death of Team 10's leader, Asuma Sarutobi, was emotional enough. Naruto really amped up the sadness when it came time for Shikamaru Nara to process the death of his leader.

Shikamaru tries to avoid his grief at first, but his father encourages him to confront his depression head on and mourn his losses. This crushing scene ends with Shikamaru sobbing on the floor, showing a new and more tender side to the character than fans may have ever thought was possible.

3 Naruto Tries to Process the Loss of Jiraiya

Naruto: Shippuden Episode 153, "Following the Master's Shadow"

Jiraiya is one of the most beloved Naruto characters of all time, and it was absolutely devastating to watch Naruto learn the news that his mentor had died at the hands of Nagato in Naruto: Shippuden Episode 153. "Following the Master's Shadow" features Naruto wandering the village and remembering Jiraiya and their first journey together.

At home, Naruto begins to process his grief, crying and buying a popsicle that symbolizes his bond with his sensei. Iruka reminds Naruto how highly Jiraiya thought of him before breaking the popsicle in two and taking one, similar to what Jiraiya would do. This tender moment shows that even if Jiraiya can no longer be there for Naruto, the young ninja has plenty of friends who will be there for him going forward.

2 Neji Dies Protecting Naruto and Hinata

Naruto: Shippuden Episode 364, "The Ties That Bind"

Neji's death in Naruto was incredibly unexpected, which made for an incredibly sad episode when he died protecting Hinata and Naruto. When Obito fires wooden spikes against the Allied Shinobi, he is able to cause many casualties, forcing Neji to act like a human shield in order to protect his friends.

As Neji succumbs to his wounds, the character reflects on his life and finally understands the reason why his father, who also died protecting his friends, would sacrifice himself for his allies. Neji's sacrifice was one of the most emotional deaths in Naruto, and proved to ultimately be a loyal friend to Naruto and Hinata when they needed him the most.

1 Jiraiya's Death Changed Naruto Forever

Naruto: Shippuden Episode 133, "The Tale of Jiraiya The Gallant"

While Naruto may be the star of the show, his beloved mentor Jiraiya often stole the show in any scene that he was in. As one of the most influential people in Naruto's life, Jiraiya taught Naruto many important lessons over the years, but Jiraiya's untimely death in Naruto: Shippuden Episode 133 ultimately changed Naruto's life forever.

After infiltrating Amegakure and investigating Pain's identity, Jiraiya suffers a terrible defeat, having his throat crushed and being impaled in the back by one of the Six Paths of Pain. The episode sees Jiraiya recalling his life, including his fond memories of Minato and Kushina, and how they asked him to be Naruto's godfather. Jiraiya ultimately realizes that Naruto will never give up and will keep fighting, which brings him comfort as his life draws to an end in Naruto's saddest episode of all time.

Naruto

Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village's leader and strongest ninja.