A central concept of the Naruto universe is that no one is beyond redemption. For better or worse, crimes such as Sasuke’s attack on the Five Kage summit and even Orochimaru’s experimentation on children were overlooked in accordance with this theme.
However, some villains weren’t so fortunate in avoiding their downfall and subsequent execution (especially since they didn’t meet their end to Naruto himself). By identifying the antagonists who died without redemption, we can better recognize how unforgiving and cold the shinobi world often is to those who partake in its affairs.
10 Gato Was Slain By Zabuza
Gato was a local crime lord who had a vested interest in ensuring the bridge builder’s work was never complete. After realizing that Zabuza failed his mission to stop Team Seven from escorting the bridge builder back home, he arrived with a small army of mercenaries, scorning the Mist Demon’s incompetence and that of his servant, Haku.
Enraged by Gato’s temerity, Zabuza clenched a kunai between his teeth and mowed down the hired goons who were assembled to protect him. Gato ultimately died in disgrace at the hand of his former henchman because he didn’t choose his words carefully.
9 Deidara Was Killed By Sasuke Uchiha
After his proposed alliance with the Akatsuki fell through, Sasuke fought Deidara immediately before confronting Itachi. Though the man’s microscopic explosive charges proved deadly, the rogue Uchiha was able to negate them by carefully shocking himself with his own chidori.
On the cusp of death, Deidara sought to take his enemy with him by turning his body into a gigantic explosive. Fortunately, Sasuke was able to retreat before its detonation and absconded to safety. When the Akatsuki member was resurrected by the Edo Tensei, he was enraged to learn that his final gambit was a failure.
8 Dosu Was Killed Instantly By Gaara
Dosu was a member of the Sound Village who attempted to assassinate Gaara in the middle of the night. Given the power and frequency his gauntlet could produce, he felt confident in his abilities and confronted the Jinchuriki on Konoha’s rooftops.
The fight’s result was predictable and remarkably one-sided. By channeling a glimpse of Shukaku’s power, Gaara murdered Dosu before he could even attempt to lay a finger on him. It was a harrowing display of the sand ninja’s resolve and the hidden form he had yet to fully reveal.
7 Kimimaro Was Defeated By Gaara & Rock Lee
Kimimaro was a Kekkei Genkai user and among Orochimaru’s most powerful disciples. During the Sasuke Retrieval mission, he fought Rock Lee, Gaara, and Naruto, proving his peerless endurance in the process.
This was in spite of the fact that Kimimaro was already suffering from a chronic illness and could not battle to the best of his ability. He survived Gaara’s sand coffin and would have even overcome his tsunami if it weren’t for the afflictions debilitating him before the battle had even begun.
6 Madara’s Dreams Were Dashed After Black Zetsu’s Betrayal
After the Infinite Tsukuyomi had been cast, the greatest obstacle Zetsu perceived to the return of Kaguya was ironically Madara himself. Using the distraction Team Seven provided, he snuck up on the tyrannical Uchiha from behind and plunged a fist through his heart.
Though Madara would reminiscence about happier times with Hashirama with his dying breath, he never had a formal redemption or even issued a proper apology. As a result, the man would be remembered as one of the most sinister and maniacal villains in all of shinobi history.
5 White Zetsu Was Hunted To Extinction & Finished Off By Sasuke
White Zetsu was often used to bolster the ranks of Kabuto’s Edo Tensei army and to infiltrate the Allied Shinobi Forces. His clones took an unsustainable number of casualties throughout the series until there were only a few dozen left.
Sasuke obliterated those who remained through the newfound powers he had unlocked. Unlike Black Zetsu (who would be banished alongside Kaguya through the efforts of Team Seven), the white half of the antagonist was wiped off the face of the earth and without any consideration for his prospective redemption. The Uchiha’s judgment was swift and punitive.
4 Hanzo The Salamander Was Killed By Pain
Hanzo the Salamander was visited by Nagato long after he engineered Yahiko’s death alongside Danzo Shimura. The war veteran was forced to face the apparition of the man he had killed, surrounded and soon murdered by the Paths of Pain.
Though Hanzo was one of the few characters who possessed enough willpower to resist Kabuto’s Edo Tensei directly, he did not do so out of benevolence. Instead, he wanted to preserve his honor and sovereignty until the end, more concerned with his dignity than claiming the lives of shinobi warriors who were only trying to defend their homes.
3 Kakuzu Was Executed By Kakashi
Kakuzu was unique among the Akatsuki’s ranks considering that he didn’t chase abstract dreams like equality through pain or the pursuit of art. Instead, he was interested solely in money, making it virtually impossible to reason with his sense of morality.
After his defeat by Naruto and the other members of the Konoha 11, Kakashi executed him by using the Chidori. When Kakuzu was finally resurrected through the power of the Edo Tensei, he voraciously craved revenge against those who had taken everything from him.
2 The Sound Four Were Slain By Members Of The Konoha 11
The Sound Four were Orochimaru’s strongest and most reliable warriors. They accompanied him during the attack on Konoha and helped to retrieve Sasuke when he finally agreed to abandon his village.
Each of them were slain by a member of the Konoha 11 (or one of the Sand Siblings), though they had no remorse for their actions. Upon being resurrected, they clamored for another chance to murder the shinobi who had killed them in their previous lives. The Four’s incorrigible malevolence is overshadowed only by Orochimaru himself.
1 Danzo Shimura Died Attempting To Run Away From Sasuke
Danzo was responsible for creating many of the Leaf’s enemies, including Sasuke, Kabuto, and to a superficial degree, Itachi. Sensing his impending retribution, he fled the Five Kage summit and forced his allies to fend for themselves.
Sasuke was not easily deceived and hunted him down alongside Obito. On the verge of death, Danzo attempted to take the rogue Uchiha along with him by detonating a blast of violent energy. Danzo never apologized for his crimes or even admitted his flaws – instead, he was simply fixated on a final act of revenge.
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