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[SPOLIERS AHEAD] The entire Naruto saga features some of the most tragic characters in anime.
There is rarely a character in the series who has not had a dark past, and that is what makes it so interesting. Almost every character in the franchise has had their fair share of tragedy, but some have had it worse than others.
5 characters who suffered the most in Naruto
There are many characters in Naruto whose actions have been impacted by the lives they have had to live. In the words of Madara Uchiha:
“The longer you live, the more you realise that reality is just made of pain, suffering and emptiness…”
With that in mind, here's a list of five characters who suffered the most in Naruto.
1) Itachi Uchiha
Undoubtedly one of the most tragic characters in Naruto, Itachi Uchiha shouldered the burden of killing his own brethren to stop a coup d'état in the Uchiha clan, orchestrated by his own father. All this, in order to protect the village.
Itachi had to live a life in shadows, while giving Sasuke the incentive to grow stronger, and ultimately sacrifice his life to make Sasuke awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan.
It only makes sense that Itachi Uchiha has a separate fan base.
2) Kakashi Hatake
'Kakashi of the Sharingan' had to go through some unimaginable tragedies throughout his life, to the point where he even called himself a failure.
He had to watch his father commit suicide while he was merely a child. He lost his friend Obito under tragic circumstances (and under a rock). Moreover, Rin committed suicide by walking into his Chidori, a death that haunted him for the rest of his life.
He had to bear this burden with loneliness, and if that was not enough, he had to watch his favorite student turn against the Leaf and basically into another Madara.
3) Naruto Uzumaki
The series was not kind to its protagonist either.
Since the Nine-Tailed Beast, who massacred the Leaf village, was sealed inside Naruto, the villagers shunned him and did not let their children play with him either.
Naruto was truly alone in his childhood, as glaring stares did everything possible to alienate this child, who had no idea why. When he finally gained the recognition he had always desired, he had to bid a hasty and unexpected farewell to his mentor and father figure, the "ero sennin" Jiraiya.
4) Gaara
Gaara's transformation from a monster in Naruto, to the revered kazekage in Naruto Shippuden was a pleasant surprise. However, he had to face the same tragic childhood as Naruto, maybe even worse.
He was basically a "Frankenstein's monster" for the Hidden Sand village, and was treated as a weapon. He was isolated by the villagers not in disgust, but in fear.
His change was definitely one of the greatest accomplishments of Naruto's "talk no jutsu".
5) Obito Uchiha
Obito's turn to the dark side was a huge surprise to fans, and it was truly heartbreaking. Life has never been fair to this broken antagonist, as he truly spent it "in hell".
After watching Rin die, he snapped and took his first step into the shadows by becoming an instrument for Madara Uchiha. However, he found his true calling toward the end as fighting Naruto made him realize what he was about to do.
He died a hero's death, giving his life for his friends in arms.
Note: The list is subjective and reflects the views of the writer.
