Naruto Why Kishimoto Had To Kill Neji Hyuuga

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This post contains spoilers for Naruto.

Masashi Kishimoto is a hugely popular manga artist, best known as the creator of Naruto. Fans praise his amazing stories, memorable characters, and detailed worlds. The success of Naruto—with over 100 million copies sold—clearly demonstrates his talent, placing it among the best-selling manga series of all time.

Despite many strengths, Kishimoto’s Naruto story sometimes stumbled, and the death of Neji Hyuuga during the Fourth Great Ninja War is a prime example of a weak or flawed plot point.

Kishimoto Wasted Neji Hyuuga

From the moment Neji appeared, he seemed poised to become a major character. He impressed everyone at the Chunin Exams with his smarts and fierce fighting style, and many thought he was sure to win. Even during his battle with Naruto, Neji was clearly in control, easily overpowering his opponent. He would have won if not for Naruto’s powerful Nine-Tails chakra.

I remember watching Neji’s fight with Kidomaru after the Chunin Exams – it was incredible! Even though Kidomaru was a seasoned ninja, Neji managed to win. After that, though, Neji mostly watched from the sidelines for the rest of the first part of the series. It was a nice surprise to learn he’d been promoted to Jonin before Part 2, but honestly, I always felt like the author didn’t give him enough to do in the bigger storylines, which was a bit disappointing.

Neji Was Ignored By Kishimoto

Neji was an incredibly gifted member of the Hyuuga Clan, and his rapid mastery of the Byakugan surprised even the main branch of his family. He also understood the Byakugan’s limitations and worked to find ways to compensate for them. Though the author didn’t focus on him much, fans enjoyed seeing him fight when he appeared. However, his death during the Fourth Great Ninja War was a major loss for many.

Why Neji’s Death Was Necessary To The Story

  • Neji was killed to improve Naruto and Hinata’s relationship further
  • It also improved Naruto’s resolve

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Neji and the Allied Shinobi Forces were battling to stop Obito’s destructive plans, but he anticipated their moves. He unleashed the Ten-Tails, a massive beast that terrified the ninja forces. Once free, the Ten-Tails began attacking, launching incredibly powerful wooden projectiles that could kill instantly.

Despite the immense power of the Ten Tails, Naruto continued to fight, repeatedly striking it with his Rasenshuriken. While his attacks did some damage, they quickly exhausted his energy, briefly leaving him unable to continue. Recognizing this as a crucial moment in the war, Obito and Madara commanded the Ten Tails to focus its attacks on Naruto. Hinata, witnessing the danger, rushed to protect him, but Neji, using his Byakugan, reacted even faster, intercepting the projectiles with his own body.

The attacks pierced Neji’s body, leaving him severely wounded. He briefly spoke about how Naruto had impacted his life before he died.

There’s no method but death to escape this horrible curse. —Nehu Hyuuga

Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the series, chose to eliminate Neji Hyuuga to strengthen the connection between Naruto and Hinata. He envisioned them as a couple and believed Neji’s death would be a catalyst for their relationship. Additionally, this event helped Naruto gain more confidence and resolve.

Neji Should Have Been Left Alive

While Neji’s death served a purpose, it would have been beneficial for the author, Kishimoto, to keep him alive, particularly with plans for a Naruto sequel. A simple use of his Rotation technique could have easily defended against the attack, even from a powerful enemy like the Ten Tails. Considering Neji was a skilled and highly-ranked Jonin ninja, it feels like a missed opportunity to have him defeated so easily.

If the author, Kishimoto, needed to eliminate a character, he could have killed Hiashi Hyuuga. This would have allowed Neji to take over as the head of the Hyuuga clan, fulfilling the storyline of breaking the clan’s curse and freeing him. Keeping Neji alive would also have given Kishimoto a great opportunity to include him in the Boruto series, perhaps even as a mentor figure for Boruto Uzumaki.

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2025-12-19 21:36