Even if you have only started watching Naruto, it is easy to tell Kakashi Hatake is on the list of strongest characters, but he did die at some point.
So… how does Kakashi die? Who has the strength to defeat him? How is he still alive by the end of the series? Read on to discover more.
Contents
Who Is Kakashi Hatake?
Kakashi Hatake is one of the most well-known protagonists of Naruto. He was directly in charge of Team 7, where our trio learned the very first lessons about fighting and living like a true ninja.
Despite being a kind instructor for the kids and a great fighter for the village, his name sows fear wherever it goes. Enemies refer to him as The Copy Ninja and Sharingan Kakashi.
Kakashi is not part of the Uchiha clan. His special eye is the final gift from Uchiha Obito, whose death and idea led to an important improvement in Kakashi’s character. Nonetheless, it is not the end of this friendship.
When Does Kakashi Die? Which Episode?
The Kakashi death scene belongs to the Pain arc of Naruto Shippuden. If you are following the manga version, you can find this part in chapter 424, “Decision”. For the anime, skip to episode 159 of the 8th season.
As an overpowered antagonist with a solid background, Pain’s Assault was the best arc of the series for a lot of fans. He had a purpose, he had a plan, and most importantly, he had the strength to wreak havoc in Konoha all by himself. The whole village members gathered to defend, including Kakashi.
How Does Kakashi Die?
In short, Kakashi died in the hand of Pain, specifically because he ran out of chakra, and they had a memorable battle. The power Pain showed during his assault was something audiences have never seen before in the series, which forced Kakashi to drain the last bit of his energy.
The principle of Pain’s ability is to distribute 6 different types of power to 6 bodies and control them all from a safe distance. These 6 bodies share the same vision and the source of chakra from Pain through Rinnegan, and they utilize this advantage to stir up combats at several spots at once while gathering intelligence about Naruto’s location.
As an experienced and acute ninja, it doesn’t take too much time for Kakashi to realize that a few versions of Pain are only drawing attention to themselves and giving the others more chances to find Naruto. Kakashi decided to track down the spies first and ran into Deva Path.
Being a phenomenal ninja himself, Pain immediately figures out Kakashi is a tough opponent and sends reinforcement to Deva Path. However, Kakashi also receives assistance from Choza and Choji, and they all entered a 3v3 combat.
It almost seems like the Konoha ninjas have the advantage when they eliminate the opponents and render Deva Path alone, but it turns out they have underestimated Pain’s capability.
By now, Pain has been convinced that Kakashi will become a threat to his lifetime ambition, so he decides to ensure Kakashi’s death by spearing through his throat with a nail. On the other side, the copy ninja tricks him with an illusion created from his Sharingan and fakes his death. Meanwhile, he has got the deadly nail warped away.
Trapped under heavy masses, Kakashi has to rely on Choji to deliver his message and information. Their attempt didn’t escape Pain’s eyes, and he repeated the projectile move to stop Choji.
Left with no choice, Kakashi uses up his chakra to distort the projectile and let Choji escape. Although he is an excellent ninja, when running out of chakra, it’s the end for him.
Does Kakashi die permanently?
Many fans sighed in relief when they find out Kakashi wasn’t gone forever. He roared back to life in front of surprised eyes. Afterward, he learned the details about Naruto’s fight with Pain and rushed to the destination in time to catch the exhausted protagonist.
How many times does Kakashi die?
Kakashi has only been through this experience once in Shippuden. Although he is still part of the Boruto series, he is not playing a big role and currently still living well.
How Does Kakashi Come Back To Life?
Fortunately, Kakashi’s death was due to exhausted chakra and not serious physical injuries. The disconnection from life sent him to a limbo wherein he met his father and gave the old man the peace he needed to move on, while Kakashi is embraced in a glow indicating his resurrection.
Not only is Kakashi revived, but every single ninja who has died during Pain’s attack has a second chance to live. The miracle happens because of Pain’s sacrifice. After Naruto wins the fight against Pain, he insists on having a conversation and trying to understand Pain better.
The ninja behind the six paths of Pain is Nagato, whose idea of peace has become twisted and thus resulted in extreme methods. In the end, he entrusts his only goal in life to Naruto and pours everything he has into a unique “Jutsu” to revive the dead villagers. One life in exchange for many lives – it was an epic scene for an awesome arc.
How Important Is Kakashi’s Death?
Kakashi’s death has a special position in the series.
First of all, it was emotional. Not every author thinks of letting a favorite character die and puts it to action, and Kishimoto Masashi successfully makes fans anxious and satisfied by taking Kakashi away and sending him back to life.
Furthermore, it pushed the plot. The way Kakashi sacrificed himself once again showed us the virtues he has as a leader. We question why he behaves and carries himself as he does, and we soon receive an answer.
Through the conversation between the two Hatake ninjas, it is clear that Kakashi also cherishes the lives of his teammates, and he finally understands what his father had been through.
Last but not least, as Kakashi goes to hell and returns to life, he gets to see Naruto become stronger in power and more mature in teamworking even without his instruction. A true teacher will be extremely proud of their student for surpassing them.
Final Words
How does Kakashi die? In short, he sacrificed himself fighting Pain in the 159th episode of Naruto Shippuden and got revived in episode 175. After the series ended, Kakashi appeared in Boruto in episode 13 too, though more as a cameo and an interesting gift for fans.