The Fourth Great Ninja War was the greatest war that the world of Naruto has ever seen. Triggered by Obito Uchiha and Kabuto Yakushi, the ninjas fought this war to gain control of the Eight and the Nine-Tails. Obito planned to use them to awaken the Ten-Tails and then put the world under the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
To prevent this, all the shinobi villages banded together to stopped them. While they did succeed in the end, the war took countless lives, including those of some very powerful shinobi. These characters may be gone, but their strength and bravery is not forgotten.
Updated January 1, 2022 by Rei Penber:Naruto’s Fourth Great Ninja War saw countless shinobi fall in the attempt to protect the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails from the grasp of the Akatsuki, and to maintain world peace. Both sides suffered great losses, and among those who died were some mighty shinobi who fought for their cause. While most well-known deaths have already been mentioned in the list, there are others that were important but went under the radar. With that in mind, we’ve decided to expand further upon the list of characters who gave their lives up in the war.
10 White Zetsu, Killed By Sasuke
White Zetsu’s main body was left a very important task during the Fourth Great Ninja War. As Black Zetsu took to the battlefield, White Zetsu was asked to surpervise Sasuke Uchiha who, at this point, was recovering from his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan implant. Zetsu also monitored Kabuto Yakushi to see if he’d try to abduct Sasuke while he was recovering.
Sasuke’s Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was completely ready on the second day of the war — and that’s when White Zetsu met his end. Having been completely consumed by his hatred, Sasuke had no qualms in crushing White Zetsu. To test his new eyes, Sasuke used him as a test subject and decided to impale him with a sword made of Amaterasu flames, burning him to death.
9 Black Zetsu, The Force Behind The War
Black Zetsu was the main perpetrator of Naruto’s 4th Great Ninja War. Although he was once thought to be the will reincarnate of Madara Uchiha, in reality, he was a manifestation of Kaguya Otsutsuki’s will. For centuries, he worked on a plan to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki, and in the Fourth Great Ninja War, he finally succeeded in doing so. Zetsu tagged with Kaguya as she fought Team 7, and aided her greatly.
Thankfully, Naruto separated Zetsu from her rather effortlessly. When Kaguya Otsutsuki was sealed, Naruto took it upon himself to ensure that Zetsu didn’t set his plans into motion ever again. As such, he was thrown into the core of the massive Chibaku Tensei that ended up becoming a satellite. Black Zetsu remains stuck there forever, and most has died.
8 Kussaku, The Skilled Kirigakure Shinobi
One of the lesser-known ninjas in Naruto, Kussaku was said to be a fantastic shinobi from Kirigakure. His skill was enough to earn Ao’s praise and earn a spot among the significant people of the Shinobi Alliance HQ, alongside Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Ao himself. Kussaku appeared in the story shortly before the Fourth Great Ninja War, and he helped the alliance greatly with his expertise in sensory arts. It is believed that he was also a skilled user of Water Release, but he didn’t get to use much of that in the series.
Towards the end of the war, Kussaku ended up dying due to the massive Tailed Beast Bomb that the Ten-Tails aimed at the Shinobi Alliance HQ. By this time, however, he had already made an impact on the war and helped turn the tides in the favor of the alliance for good.
7 Mabui, The Fourth Raikage’s Assistant
Mabui was a Jonin from Kumogakure, and was known to be incredibly skilled as a ninja. Over the years, she had earned the full confidence of Ay, the Fourth Raikage, and even knew his father, the Third Raikage.
Mabui possessed a very special power, called the Heavenly Transfer Technique, which made her incredibly special to the Kumogakure ninjas. This ability allowed her to transport things or even humans to anywhere at the speed of light. Using Mabui’s power, the Third Raikage was able to reach any location instantly. The same power was utilized by Tsunade Senju, the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, and Ay during the Fourth Great Ninja War to stop Madara Uchiha. Unfortunately, Mabui was killed when the Ten-Tails unleashed its fury towards her and the other members at the HQ.
6 Ao, The Kirigakure Sensor
Ao was one of the most skilled shinobi in the Fourth Great Ninja War, especially when it came to the art of sensory ninjutsu. As the assistant of the Fifth Mizukage, it’s no surprise that Ao was strong as he was. His skills were enough to earn him a placethe leader of the entire sensor division of the Allied Shinobi Forces, which just goes to show how proficient he was as a sensor-type ninja.
Furthermore, Ao also held the powers of the Byakugan, which he gained in the Third Great Ninja War. This, coupled with every other skill that he possessed, made him an extremely unique ninja. Just like Mabui, Ao ended up dying in the Ten-Tails’ attack on the headquarters of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
5 Inoichi Yamanaka, Konoha’s Elite Shinobi
Inoichi Yamanaka was a member of the 15th generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and a legendary figure in Konohagakure. He was the Intelligence and Analysis expert of Konoha, and his skill in these arts was so refined that he was made the Captain of the Intelligence Unit of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Throughout the War, Inoichi led his team to gather what little information he could find, relaying it successfully to all the shinobi. The intelligence that Inoichi collected was one of the biggest reasons that the Allied Shinobi Forces managed to keep their losses as low as they did. To prevent him from further hindering his plans, Madara Uchiha had him taken out with the power of the Ten-Tails.
4 Shikaku Nara, The Brains Of The Shinobi
Shikaku Nara was quite possibly the most important person at the Allied Shinobi Forces headquarters. Just like his son, Shikaku was extremely smart and was responsible for coming up with various strategies to stop the likes of Madara and Obito Uchiha. Using his many strategies, the shinobi of the Allied Shinobi Forces managed to win many victories on the battlefield, making him essential to their victory.
Shikaku proved to be the biggest thorn in Madara’s side, which is why he had him taken out quickly during the final phases of the war. Before dying, he passed on the mantle to his son, Shikamaru Nara.
3 Neji Hyuga, The Genius Jonin
Neji Hyuga was one of the most powerful shinobi in the Naruto world, and much of his skill was thanks to his genius as a ninja. Even as a Genin, Neji was powerful enough to take on the adults of the Hyuga clan, which goes to show that he was on a completely different level.
His skills far surpassed those of the Main Family members of the clan, despite hardly training with them. Neji possessed tremendous control over the Byakugan and had a calm and calculating mind, making him the youngest Jonin of his generation in the series. Unfortunately, he chose to sacrifice himself for Naruto and Hinata, and fell to Obito Uchiha’s lethal attack.
2 Obito Uchiha, The Redeemed Villain
Obito Uchiha was one of the two main figures who started the Fourth Great Ninja War. After acquiring the Rinnegan, he planned to use the Project Tsuki no Me to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi over the entire world.
Obito was extremely skilled as a shinobi, and his power reached a whole new level when he became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. To defeat him, Naruto and Sasuke had to combine every ounce of their strength and seek help from the entire Shinobi Alliance. Obito later realized his follies and vowed to right his wrongs. He ended up sacrificing his life for Naruto Uzumaki.
1 Madara Uchiha, The Legend Reborn
Madara Uchiha was brought back to life during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Although his first appearance in the war was as an Edo Tensei, his life was returned to him when Obito used the Rinne Tensei. Madara Uchiha then went on to gain tremendous power, the likes of which surpassed even Hashirama Senju’s skills.
He managed to defeat all the Five Kage effortlessly, and if that wasn’t enough, he took down all nine Tailed Beasts when he was blind. Madara then went on to become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and reached godly levels of power, only to be struck down by his own ally, Zetsu. After Kaguya’s defeat, Madara Uchiha’s body was released, and he finally passed away next to his friend, Hashirama Senju.
