Since the world of Naruto revolves around war, death plays an important part in the story. The series begins as a story of three young people training to be warriors. The characters had been trained to use weapons from a young age. A downside of the shinobi lifestyle is that usually, it can quickly devolve into bloodshed.
There are a lot of difficult losses in the series. And some of these occur before the show even begins. Pain, loss, and death define many of the characters and shape the events of the series. One of Naruto's greatest strengths is his ability to relate to those around him and this ability to relate comes directly from his own painful losses in life.
10 Hizashi Hyuga - He Was A Lowly Member Of The Branch Family
Hizashi lived a somewhat tragic life. He had been born the younger twin. His brother got to inherit a great position in his family, but he was stuck as a member of the branch family.
He was treated as a servant until the day he sacrificed his life for his brother. His son was still a small child when he died. He never got to see his son grow up. His death would warp his son's views of the world.
9 Rin Nohara - She Died At An Incredibly Young Age
After graduating, Rin was assigned to Team Minato with Kakashi and Obito. While Rin would develop a crush on the gifted Kakashi, she would become the main love interest of Obito.
While on a mission, Rin was captured and turned into a jinchuriki. Rin decided to sacrifice herself for the sake of the village. Her actions would inspire Kakashi to place great value on the lives of his friends. Her death would also cause Obito to seek revenge.
8 Karura - Her Death Was Used To Manipulate Her Son
Karura was married to the Fourth Kazekage. She would have three children with her husband, including Gaara. The birth of Gaara was quite traumatic and ultimately resulted in her death.
Though she loved her son, he was tricked into thinking she didn't care for him. Her death was used to help turn her son into a heartless monster. If she had been there, she could have steered Gaara in a better direction.
7 Shisui Uchiha - He Committed Suicide To Prevent War
Shisui was a gifted member of the Uchiha Clan. He showed promise from a young age, quickly rising to the rank of Jonin. He received the Mangekyo Sharingan after watching his best friend die on a mission.
He would eventually meet Itachi and was able to easily relate to the younger Uchiha. The two boys bonded to the point that they were almost like brothers. Shisui would eventually take his own life, in hopes of preventing war. Unfortunately, his life was ended by Danzo in a grab for power. Danzo's actions would ultimately result in the Uchiha Massacre.
6 Fugaku Uchiha - He Never Got A Chance To Become Hokage
Fugaku was a respected shinobi within the village. He rose to a prominent position within his clan, becoming the head of the Uchiha. Many would campaign for him to become the Fourth Hokage.
Fugaku grew dissatisfied with how his clan was treated by Konoha. Instead of coming up with a peaceful solution, he and his clan began to plot against the village. The plot resulted in his death. His full potential was never explored.
5 Kushina Uzumaki - Her Death Meant She Never Got To Be There For Her Son
Kushina was born in Uzushiogakure before moving to Konoha. She was specially chosen to become the jinchuriki after the death of the First Hokage's wife.
Kushina was born with a unique chakra ability. She was also incredibly skilled at sealing jutsu. She would have benefitted from being the host of Kurama, experiencing an improvement of her natural skills. She missed out on watching her son grow up after dying on the day he was born.
4 Madara Uchiha - His Actions Would Cause Great Harm To Konoha's Future
Madara was born into an unstable world afflicted by war. His clan seemed to be involved in a never-ending fight with the Senju Clan.
Though he began life as a loving child, war hardened his heart. Even when his clan tried to forge peace with their old enemies, he was unwilling to get rid of the old grudges he held. His hatred would spark future wars and result in the deaths of many major characters.
3 Hashirama Senju - He Founded The Village Of Konoha
Hashirama was an incredibly powerful ninja. He was so powerful that he was compared to a god. He valued peace above all else. As a child, he managed to build a friendship with Madara Uchiha. Madara would eventually become his greatest enemy.
His love of peace would inspire him to establish the village of Konoha. He established offered a place in the village to the Uchiha Clan and brought the world a step closer to lasting peace.
2 Minato Namikaze - He Died Protecting The Village
Minato was considered a genius from a young age. He had fast reflexes that contributed to his fame. His incredible skill would cause enemies to flee from him on the battlefield.
He rose to such prominence that he was promoted to the Fourth Hokage. He died protecting the village, never getting a chance to raise his only child. Naruto was left all alone after Minato choose to give his life to seal Kurama into his young son.
1 Hagoromo Otsutsuki - He Is Indirectly Responsible For Many Generations Of War
Hagoromo was the oldest of a set of twins born to Kaguya Otsutsuki. While his brother would choose to move to the moon, Hagoromo would become a prominent member of the earth's shinobi.
Hagoromo would inherit some of his mother's abilities to manipulate chakra. He would use his abilities to try and spread peace. His teaching would inspire the creation of many jutsu. His favoritism of one son over another would result in generations of war.