To anyone unfamiliar with Naruto who happens to stumble upon Iruka, he doesn't appear to be anything but a happy-go-lucky academy instructor passionate about teaching the next generation. Iruka cares deeply for his students, as well as the work that he does. He's incredibly driven and selfless, as well, having inherited the teachings of the Will of Fire from the Third Hokage and following them wholeheartedly.
However, in typical fashion when it comes to the series, nothing is ever fully what it appears to be. Characters like Iruka aren't spared from this fate, and there's actually a lot of incredibly tragic details to his past, relationships, and character that aren't visible on the surface.
10 He Was A Helpless Child Who Couldn't Help Fight Against The Nine-Tails
Twelve years before the start of the series, Iruka goes through the horrible tragedy of losing both his mother and father at once. The two are called to the front lines to help protect against the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Iruka is actually present on the battlefield at the beginning, wanting to protect his mother.
He's forcibly dragged away by an unknown shinobi, and his parents succumb to the jinchuriki's strength in the end. And while there's nothing Iruka could have done at his age, there's no doubt that he blames himself for not having been there to help them.
9 Mizuki Isn't Actually Iruka's Close Friend And Only Pretends To Like Him
After the loss of Iruka's parents, there are two figures in his life that help stop him from succumbing to his anguish and sadness. The first is the Third Hokage, and the second is his friend Mizuki. However, Mizuki reveals his true colors during the first episode when he manipulates and later tries to kill not just Naruto, but his childhood friend Iruka as well.
In the anime, it's especially noted that Mizuki never actually liked Iruka. He instead pretended to like him to gain favor with the Third Hokage, as he was incredibly jealous of all the attention Iruka got from the Third.
8 He Teaches The Very Student Who Houses The Monster That Killed His Parents
While the mentor-student relationship that forms between Iruka and Naruto is heartwarming, there's also a tragic aspect to it that's easy to forget as time passes. Although it wasn't Naruto who directly killed Iruka's parents, the jinchuriki sealed within him was responsible, and the series clearly shows that Iruka has mixed feelings early on.
Iruka even goes as far as to ask the Third Hokage if Naruto can instead be taught by someone else. While Kakashi is able to dissuade him from doing so, he's originally clearly very uncomfortable being around Naruto, and it couldn't have brought back good memories.
7 He Has Naruto's Lonely Past Of Pulling Pranks For Attention In Common
Naruto isn't the only character who, as a kid, goes around the village pulling pranks and vandalizing wherever possible to gain some semblance of attention from someone. He actually has this in common with Iruka, which is why he can relate so closely to Naruto and understand why he acts out.
The only difference is that Iruka lashes out in the academy, whereas Naruto vandalizes the village. While he doesn't go about in the same way, it's from the same place of loneliness and being desperate for recognition.
6 His Actions And Intentions Don't Always Match Up, Having To Be Both Caring And Stern
Iruka's caring nature at heart often clashes with the intense desire he feels to see his students reach their full potential. The latter causes him to reprimand them quite harshly at times, as he's seen both calling Naruto an idiot as well as originally denying him a headband and the ability to graduate.
However, he's only tough because he wants his students to succeed and only denied Naruto so that he could push himself harder and earn it. This sadly means that Iruka ends up being viewed unjustly by others, as it was Naruto's frustration with Iruka's response that drew him to listen to Mizuki about the scroll.
5 He's Invited To Naruto's Wedding But Never Finds Love Of His Own
It's true that Iruka has the ability to attend Naruto's wedding - as his requested father figure, no less - and it's an incredibly emotional moment for the academy instructor.
While this is a huge milestone for Iruka, it can still be hard to watch others around him get married and start families when he doesn't have the same. In fact, almost all of the main characters within Naruto are either implied or shown to be in some kind of romantic relationship, but this isn't the case for Iruka.
4 His Sacrificial Nature Can Easily Also Be His Downfall
Iruka takes the Third Hokage's teachings of the Will of Fire to heart, which shows how dedicated he is to his village and those he teaches. However, on the other hand, it means he's much more likely to end up sacrificing himself for another, and he almost has before.
In the very first episode, he nearly gives his life protecting Naruto from Mizuki and later protects him again from Pain. Many others in the series close to Iruka have done the same for him. This includes the Third Hokage as well as his parents, and all of them inspire him greatly.
3 He's Always Expected To Cheer Up And Help Others, Even When Grieving Himself
Iruka is seen as an immense source of comfort who's always there to lean on and offer advice when things gets tough. While this sounds heartwarming, for the person in said position, it can be incredibly hard to keep up such an image when they're dealing with things themselves.
Iruka's always seen doing this with Naruto whenever the two interact, including after Jiraiya's passing- but he's not the only one. After the Third's passing, Iruka doesn't even have any time to grieve himself before having to comfort Konohamaru as well, and no one's shown checking in on him in return.
2 He Doesn't Have The Strength Needed To Stop Naruto When It Counts
Iruka views Naruto as a younger brother and cares immensely for his safety. Sadly enough, however, he doesn't possess the strength required to stop Naruto from making reckless decisions when it really counts.
The best example of this is during the Fourth Shinobi World War. When Naruto begins getting suspicious, Iruka attempts to leave the island he was stationed on to try to keep Naruto safe. Iruka tries to capture Naruto not once, but twice, and Naruto easily breaks free both times.
1 He Gets To Spend Less Time With Naruto As He Continues To Grow
Getting to see Naruto grow from a troublemaking academy student to a respected Hokage has to be heartwarming for Iruka. At the same time, though, there's a bitter undertone that even Iruka himself comments on.
Iruka doesn't have much of anyone besides Naruto left as a family figure after the Third passes. Once Naruto gets married, his own family with Hinata becomes his top priority. Iruka notes that they won't be able to go out for ramen together nearly as much due to this and seems sad upon stating so.