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Fire and sacrificial death seem to have a symbiotic relationship in Japanese culture, glimpses of which can be easily seen in anime. From Fire Fist Ace's death, who sacrificed himself to protect Luffy in One Piece to clan killer Itachi Uchiha, who slaughtered his own clan just so his village in Naruto, this particular pattern has repeated itself time and again.
Those who have observed any of these anime series closely, they will understand these fire users' sacrifice either contributed to their overall growth or provided a new spin to the ongoing plot. More often that not, it is usually the users of flame or fire that have to laid down their lives to give their respective anime a magnificent touch. Thus, here is a list of 10 such anime characters who sacrificed their lives for the betterment of the anime series.
Itachi Uchiha, Portgaues D Ace, and 8 other anime fire users who gave up their life to protect others
1) Kyojuro Rengoku (Demon Slayer)
The Flame Hashira from Demon Slayer was one of those people who always showed a deep passion for living through regular chores. Whether it be a meager task like eating or speaking or a fight to the death, he had always been firm in his principles no matter what.
Sadly, an anime character with such vitality died in his fight against Upper Moon Three so that the younger generation of demon slayers could see what it truly means to be true to their principles even in the face of death - a lesson that he triumphantly ingrained in the minds of Zenitsu, Tanjiro, and Inosuke.
2) Genryusai Yamamoto (Bleach)
In the Bleach-verse, the former Head Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads was a force to be reckoned with. What set him apart from and made him stronger than many other captains was his Shikai/Bankai. Whenever the old man unsheathed his blade, it was more or less a game over for the opponent.
Even though the old man seemed unkillable for a long part of the anime series, his demise came at the hands of Yhwach. However, his death became the foundation stone for Ichigo Kurosaki to reach his full potential.
3) Jiraiya (Naruto)
The sage of the Legendary Sannin was one of the best characters throughout the Naruto franchise. For the titular anime protagonist, aside from being a master, he was also a father figure who truly understood the grief and inner turmoil that Naruto had to face because of the ostracization he faced in Konoha.
When he died at the hands of his former student in a Hidden Rain village, it was a breaking point for Naruto, as viewers got to witness just how important the white-haired shinobi was to him and how losing him completely shattered him emotional state. However, it also ignited fire in him as the world peace that his master envisioned for the shinobi world became his own dream.
4) Shisui Uchiha (Naruto)
Shisui from the Uchiha clan was a child prodigy. This Konoha shinobi was wise, down-to-earth, far-sighted, and mature enough to utilize the enormous power that he was gifted with in a constructive manner.
He was a proficient user of flame techniques and master of Kotoamtsukami, one of the strongest genjutsu in the Naruto anime. This technique was so potent that the victim didn't even realize that they are being manipulated. However, he was killed by Shimura Danzo during an unsuccessful attempt to steal his eyes since the latter knew that if anyone had the caliber to stop the Uchihas from the coup, it was Shisui.
His death was a breaking point for his best friend Itachi, who considered him to be an elder brother and mentor. Moroever, it was his death that turned out to be the final nail to execute the Uchiha clan massacre by Itachi who understood that Shisui's death was in vain and that he had to kill his clan to protect the village. Although Itachi killed every Uchiha member, he spared the life of his younger brother, Sasuke.
5) Igneel (Fairy Tail)
Adoptive father of Natsu Dragneel and King of Fire Dragons, Igneel was a compassionate dragon who understood that all life is precious whether it be of a human or a dragon. At the request of Natsu's elder brother, Zeref Dragneel, Igneel took Natsu under his wings and raised him as his own. He then taught him many things, including the fire dragon slayer magic.
The dragon stayed inside his body for many years and prepared antibodies just so his son doesn't share the same fate as other dragon slayers. However, he was killed by Acnologia during his fight to save the world from its terror. His death was a vulnerable moment for Natsu. Even during his final moments, the last advice that Igneel gave his son was "march forward to a better future," which Natsu did oblige.
6) Asuma Sarutobhi (Naruto)
Asuma was the son of the third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobhi and uncle of Konohamaru Sarutobhi. He was also the master of the Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. Being a good judge of character, the Leaf shinobi was the one who raised Shikamaru into the man he is today.
However, Asuma died at the hands of an Akatsuki member named Hidan while protecting his squad. His death was an emotional and self-doubting phase for Shikamaru since not a single strategy of his was able to save his mentor. As a result, this incident made Shikamaru realize what the king (future generation) meant and why his mentor always emphasized protecting them no matter what.
7) Obito Uchiha (Naruto)
Obito was the perpetrator of the Fourth Shinobi War who was strong enough to stand against the five nations, their respective Kages, and the brigades of soldiers that they had at their beck and call in the Naruto anime.
As a child growing up, he had the closest personality to Naruto, so much so that Kushina wanted her child to be just like Obito. However, that all changed with Rin's death. All the goodwill that the boy had turned into an unending hatred for the world. Obito died in his fight against Kaguya, where he saved Naruto and his friends multiple times and provided a crucial life lesson that people can change if they are given a chance.
8) Ace (One Piece)
Fire Fist Ace was many things: the son of the King of Pirates, adopted son of the King of the Sea, brother of the second in command of the Revolutionary Army, and the future pirate king and a renowned pirate who was also the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Ace was known for his strength, fearlessness, and charisma. After a certain point, even fans were in constant dissonance that Ace might end up in the Pirate King spot before Luffy. However, One Piece mangaka Eiichiro Oda had something different planned as even the strongest of the pirate crew wasn't able to stop his execution.
Though his demise was heartbreaking, Luffy was the one that got affected the most. The latter literally had to turn off his consciousness just to stop himself from losing his sanity. However not all was in vain, his death also gave his younger brother a valuable life lesson to protect the people that he cherishes even if it means laying down their life.
9) Madara Uchiha (Naruto)
The ghost of the Uchiha was probably the most feared Uchiha to ever be born in the entire Naruto anime series. His name was enough to send shivers down the spine of anyone, so much so that even after his death only an utterance of his name could cause disarray in any nation.
If one looks closely, Madara and Hashirama weren't much different since both were powerful and loved their brothers more than anything. The only difference was that Madara lost his last brother, but Hashirama was able to save his. If it wasn't for the unending desire to meet his deceased brother, the Fourth Shinobi War wouldn't have taken place or Kaguya wouldn't have been unsealed.
10) Itachi Uchiha (Naruto)
A scourge for both the Uchiha clan and Konoha, Itachi was considered an antagonist for a long time in the Naruto anime. He single-handedly annihilated his whole clan, including his parents, and put his younger sibling under a genjutsu that traumatized the anime character. However, it was only after his demise that Leaf shinobis and Sasuke got to know who Itachi really was and why he massacred his clan. It was just as Obito said:
"He accepted disgrace in the place of honor and hatred in the place of love."
Even at the age of eighteen, Itachi's mind was mature enough to gauge the repercussions that the coup will bring involving not only on his village but also the entire shinobi world. The revelation of Itachi's full story was the biggest plot twist in the Naruto anime as fans got to witness how the most hated character became the most loved one in the blink of an eye.
