Neji Hyuga's demise is one of Naruto's saddest moments, with fans grieving about it to this day. Neji was a strong character who had a troubled past, thinking his life was bound to a fate of servitude. Thanks to Naruto Uzumaki, Neji embraced a new path to create a better future for himself and the Hyuga Clan.
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Even though it has been years since Neji's death, both past and current elements make his death resonate with anime fans. A lot of work had been put into Neji to make him an honorable comrade and ninja, and Negi's legacy is still honored by the Naruto franchise.
10 Kishimoto Killed Neji To Progress Naruhina
According to Masashi Kishimoto, he killed off Neji to bring Naruto and Hinata closer. To many fans, this was a spit in the face of Neji's character development. Kishimoto's reason for killing off Neji ironically parallels why Neji used to be so angry. Neji hated fate and the idea that his family was inferior to Hinata.
Neji's death being used to move Hinata forward felt like a betrayal to Neji's character development. Fortunately, Kishimoto also showed that Neji was important to the characters. Regardless of why Neji was narratively killed, his death had a big impact on the story.
9 Neji Appears Before The Naruto & Sasuke Fight
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In the Naruto anime, fans got to see Neji one last time before Naruto fought Sasuke. Naruto sees a vision of Neji repeating something from the past: "Naruto, sometimes your eyes are better than mine. Sasuke is in the darkness. Now get going. You are the only person who can save him."
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When Neji was in his own darkness, Naruto gave him hope. Afterward, Neji gave Naruto hope that the latter could save Sasuke. Even though he died, Neji was still able to give Naruto hope, motivating the blond ninja to keep trying. Fans felt Neji's connection to the characters, but sadly also remembered that he wouldn't be alive to see Naruto and Sasuke reconcile.
8 Neji Motivated Boruto
Many fans enjoyed Boruto's Time Slip Arc because they got to see Neji meet Boruto. Unbeknownst to Neji, Boruto was his nephew from the future. Sadly, Boruto couldn't warn Neji about the war or his death.
Neji and Boruto got along great, with the latter confiding about his troubles with Naruto. Neji was surprisingly empathetic, sharing his own past with Naruto. Neji admired how Naruto always tried his best despite the latter's hardships. In the end, Neji motivated Boruto to keep trying with Naruto, and they parted ways happily. Fans were happy that Boruto not only got to meet his uncle, but form a bond with him as well.
7 Shippuden Shafted Neji
A big complaint about Naruto Shippuden is that characters were left by the wayside, including Neji. Throughout dozens and dozens of manga chapters, Neji was barely there, leaving fans clamoring for his return.
Of course, Neji died during the war arc. Fans already felt that they practically lost Neji due to his underutilization. His death just made the fan base lose him permanently, upsetting many readers. Fans believe Neji deserved a proper build-up to his death and were angry that he did not receive one.
6 Neji & Hinata Grew Closer
Neji started Naruto by hating Hinata, even trying to kill her out of revenge. He hated that his family's side served hers, and his frustrations had reached a boiling point. After Neji went against his fate, he finally befriended Hinata.
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Neji trained Hinata, teaching her how to use her abilities. He also took care of her like a big brother, secretly helping her when she was momentarily blind. Hinata found out that Neji tried to help her, and respectfully kept it a secret. Their friendship grew, and they became great partners during the war. Despite their rocky start, they truly saw each other as both friends and family.
5 Hiashi Felt Guilty
Neji's dad, Hizashi, gave his life to save Hiashi, leaving Neji alone. Neji harbored resentment towards the Hyuga Clan for sacrificing his father. Neji presumed the clan let his father die because Hizashi was the branch house, while Hiashi was in the main house. After Neji learned that Hizashi willingly sacrificed himself out of love, Neji respected his father's decision and became happier.
After Neji sacrificed himself during the war arc, Hiashi became very sad and guilt-ridden. By failing to save Neji, Hiashi felt that he hurt his family and failed Hizashi. Along with Naruto and Hinata's despair, Hiashi's own remorse made Neji's death more tragic.
4 Filler Showed More Of Neji
In the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, Neji almost died defeating one of Orochimaru's henchmen named Kidomaru. It was a pivotal moment in Neji's life when he pushed himself to his limits and believed in Naruto.
While the Naruto manga's war arc shafted Neji, the anime's filler actually fleshed Neji out more. The anime revived Kidomaru, pitting him and an older Neji in a rematch. Neji had learned from the last battle, improving his own strengths and learning more about the Byakugan. Neji won the rematch, showing fans just how far he had come since he was a genin.
3 Rock Lee Was Devastated Over Neji's Death
Neji used to dismiss Rock Lee, deeming him weak and inferior. Rock Lee always trained hard to compete with Neji and prove that the former was indeed a worthy opponent. After Naruto's match with Neji, the latter became open-minded and gladly accepted Rock Lee as a rival.
Rock Lee and Neji's friendship grew over the years, and Neji promised to always be his rival. When Rock Lee found Neji's dead body, he was heartbroken and cried with Neji in his arms. Rock Lee almost lost the will to fight, but he carried on to honor Neji's sacrifice and wishes.
2 Neji Wasn't In The Final Opening
Fans adore Naruto Shippuden's 20th opening due to its sense of peace, nostalgia, and finality. Opening 20 really made fans feel like they had finished a long and emotional journey. Naruto and his friends completed their arcs and could finally enjoy peacetime while reflecting on their pasts.
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However, Neji wasn't in the opening, reminding the audience that he died in the war. Neji is the only one of the Konoha 11 who didn't get to enjoy world peace and interact with future generations. Still, the final opening alluded to Neji's sacrifice, and the anime's final episodes found ways to reference Neji. Even though he was dead, Neji was never forgotten, and fans can always appreciate that.
1 Neji Almost Made Naruto Go Back On His Word
Naruto was fighting to stop the Infinite Tsukuyomi, which was meant to trap everyone in their dreams. Naruto had promised to protect all his comrades, but he failed to save Neji. Neji's death made Naruto momentarily lose his motivation to fight, tempting him to allow the Infinite Tsukuyomi to happen.
However, Hinata and Kurama convinced Naruto to keep fighting. Naruto realized that if he gave up, Neji's sacrifice would've been for nothing. Since Naruto and his comrades won the war, Neji's sacrifice helped save the world and his memory was able to live on.
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