Naruto is notorious for killing off its main characters, sometimes for the sake of the narrative and at other times for shock value. There have been instances when characters have been close to death — or should’ve died — but they end up surviving to progress the story further.
Whether it’s plot armor or hidden abilities that keep these Naruto characters alive, several of them have come face-to-face with death while still managing to elude it for a long time.
10 When Obito Uchiha Was Crushed In The Third Great Ninja War
Obito Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake’s teammate, ended up as one of the main antagonists of the story. In the Third Great Ninja War, Obito fought against several Iwagakure shinobi to rescue Rin, but was critically injured when a boulder crushed half his body. After giving one of his Sharingan to Kakashi, Obito was thought to have died — it was later shown that Obito survived the ordeal because Madara ordered White Zetsu to save him.
9 When Orochimaru Fought Against Sasuke Uchiha
After Sasuke’s training was complete, he decided to turn on the severely weakened Orochimaru and kill him. This was because Orochimaru only wanted to use Sasuke as a means to get stronger. After cutting him down, Sasuke went on to create his own team to seek out Itachi. Surprisingly, it was later revealed that Orochimaru wasn’t quite dead, making an appearance shortly after this event.
8 When Sasuke Uchiha Fought Against Killer Bee
After obtaining the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, Sasuke was strong enough to fight most characters in the series. However, some of them — like Killer Bee — were quite a challenge even for him.
With his Tailed Beast powers, Bee managed to completely overwhelm Sasuke in combat, crushing the Uchiha’s throat with a powerful lariat. Had it not been for Karin and Jugo, Sasuke would’ve surely have died right there.
7 When Kakashi Hatake Fought Against Pain In The Pain’s Assault Arc
Kakashi and Pain went head-to-head when the latter attacked Konohagakure in an attempt to get his hands on the Nine-Tails. Although Kakashi put up quite a fight and could well have brought down Tendo, he failed.
Kakashi was brutally injured in this fight and died from using up all his chakra. However, thanks to Nagato using the Rinne Rebirth, Kakashi was brought back to life.
6 When Tsunade And The Five Kage Fought Madara Uchiha
The Fourth Great Ninja War saw Madara Uchiha being reanimated, and the Five Kage were among the first to go all out and try to take him down. As expected, Madara was too powerful for them and forced them on the back foot.
Once serious, Madara easily wiped the floor with the Kage and even chopped Tsunade’s body in half. Although this should’ve killed her, Tsunade ended up surviving and saved the other Kage too.
5 When Madara Uchiha Fought Hashirama Senju At The Valley of The End
Madara and Hashirama fought each other on countless occasions throughout their lives, but their greatest battle was at the Valley of the End. The two of them were evenly matched during this fierce fight until Hashirama finally stabbed Madara in the back for the sake of the former’s village. However, Madara survived as it was later revealed that he had planted an Izanagi in his right eye to activate in case he died.
4 When Obito Lost The Ten-Tails In The Fourth Great Ninja War
Obito became the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails in the Fourth Great Ninja War, only to lose it shortly afterward. The removal of the Tailed Beast meant death for Obito as expected, but he survived the ordeal thanks to the Gedo Mazou inside him.
Shortly afterward, Madara removed the Gedo Mazou from Obito, which should’ve killed him — but this time, Zetsu merged with Obito’s body to have him perform the Rinne Rebirth. Ultimately, Naruto’s Six Paths powers prevented Obito from dying due to the removal of the Ten-Tails.
3 When Naruto Uzumaki Had Kurama Extracted From His Body
After Madara’s revival, Naruto and the Tailed Beasts took him on in battle, only to fail terribly because the Uchiha’s powers were too overwhelming for them. Making use of the Gedo Mazou, Madara was able to extract Kurama from Naruto’s body, bringing him extremely close to death. Had it not been for Sakura, Obito, and a few others, Naruto would’ve died right there.
2 When Sasuke Was Stabbed Through The Chest By Madara
Just like he did Naruto Uzumaki, Madara made quick work of Sasuke. Although both Uchiha shared the power of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, Madara was far stronger than Sasuke and didn’t even need eyes to defeat him. Using Limbo, Madara was able to paralyze Sasuke for a while, before ironically using the latter’s own sword to finish him off. Sasuke nearly died, only surviving because he was healed by Kabuto.
1 When Might Guy Fought Against Madara Uchiha Using The Eight Inner Gates
Might Guy stepped up to fight Madara, becoming the hope of the world during the Fourth Great Ninja War when everyone else was incapable of turning the situation around.
Using the power of the Eight Inner Gates, Guy was able to fight and even overwhelm Madara Uchiha in certain instances. Unfortunately, his power fell short of what was required to beat Madara. However, when Might Guy’s life started to fizzle out, Naruto saved him with his Six Paths powers.
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