Shippden (& Which Episode It Happens)

Warning: Spoilers For Naruto and Boruto Jiraiya’s death in Naruto: Shippūden was one of the most shocking moments, with the episode it happened in being a major series highlight. Alongside Jiraiya’s former teammates Lady Tsunade and Orochimaru, Jiraiya was one of the “Legendary Great Three Students of the God Shinobi.” Unfortunately, Jiraiya is also one of the few Naruto characters to die and not be fully resurrected, making his death sting all the more.

Also known as the Toad Sage (thanks to his toad summoning abilities) and the Pervy Sage (thanks to his peeping tom tendencies), Jiraiya made his debut in the first season of the Naruto anime series and soon took the titular character under his wing. He played a huge part in molding the anime’s hero into a powerful ninja and was the first of Naruto’s mentors to attempt to teach him how to control his Nine-Tails power. Jiraiya also taught Naruto how to summon animals and helped him master the Rasengan technique which would become one of Naruto’s signature attacks. Unfortunately, Jiraiya and Naruto’s happy days together were doomed to end in tragedy.

Jiraiya Dies in Episode 133 of Naruto Shippuden

The sixth season of the anime saw Jiraiya depart Konoha for Amegakure (aka the Rain Village) on a mission to infiltrate the village and investigate the whereabouts of Akatsuki’s leader Pain. Jiraiya soon comes face-to-face with Pain and learns the Akatsuki leader is none other than his former mentee Nagato who – like Naruto – he took under his wing and trained.

Jiraiya and Nagato’s reunion was not a happy one and the two engaged in a battle that resulted in Jiraiya’s death in Naruto: Shippūden episode 133, “The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant.” As Jiraiya and Akatsuki leader Nagato fought each other, the latter unleashed his Six Paths of Pain which proved too much even for an accomplished ninja like Jiraiya to overcome. Still, that didn’t stop the mentor from putting up one of the best fights in the Naruto Shippuden series.

Nagato’s Six Paths of Pain severed Jiraiya’s arm and crushed his throat before impaling him in the back multiple times with a volley of black chakra rods. In the moments before he died, Jiraiya used the last reserves of his energy to write a coded message on his toad friend Fukasaku’s back that would provide Naruto with clues as to Pain’s real identity. A version of Jiraiya would make his way back to the series, but not in the way fans had hoped.

Why Jiraiya Had To Die In Naruto Shippuden

The Death Of Naruto’s Mentor Triggered Great Change In The Ninja World

Despite Naruto’s mentor figure being so beloved, his death was what was best to propel Masashi Kishimoto’s story to the next level. In terms of strength and emotional progression, the loss of Jiraiya triggers a dramatic change in the story and its main character in many ways. An interview with Kishimoto, translated by Utapurinsesu and KirinNOTKarin98 on the Naruto Wiki, shared more insight into why Jiraiya had to die and why he was not brought back as a Reanimation jutsu during the Fourth Shinobi War arc.

“Kishimoto said he didn’t want Jiraiya to come back, because he couldn’t possibly write it in a good way. Jiraiya’s death was a big part of Naruto’s development and brought him closer to understanding Sasuke’s feelings, so bringing Jiraiya back would undo that.”

Naruto’s years of training helped form the parental bond with Jiraiya, which taught the fledgling ninja many things. Kishimoto’s interview reveals that a tragic narrative reason for the mentor’s death was to teach Naruto a sense of loss that he needed to experience to help understand Sasuke, who famously lost his entire family and clan. That suffering changed Naruto’s often carefree character into one who was more focused and less silly. Jiraiya’s death forced Naruto to grow up into the shinobi he needed to be to save the world and break the cycle of hatred that infected Pain and Sasuke.

Jiraiya Made His Return in Episode 132 of Boruto

Although Jiraiya wasn’t resurrected during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Jiraiya does reappear in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations episode 132, “Jiraiya’s Assignment,” in which Boruto and Sasuke go back in time. Aiming to better sync his chakra with Naruto’s, Boruto meets a Genin Naruto training in the past with Jiraiya. In one of the anime’s most entertaining filler arcs, the young ninja team up with the Toad Sage to battle the mischievious Urashiki Otsutsuki.

Furthermore, it’s also revealed that Kashin Koji, a member of Isshiki Otsutsuki’s deadly Kara organization, is a clone of Jiraiya in Boruto episode 214, “Predestined Fate.” Created by Amado to infiltrate the evil Kara faction and take down Isshiki, Kashin Koji continues to play a key role in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. While Kashin Koji cannot hope to match Jiraiya’s charisma, he does succeed at keeping Jiraiya’s legacy alive through his similar array of ninjutsu.

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Boruto’s Real Teacher During The Time Skip Explains Why He’s So Powerful Now

Boruto’s return to Konoha has shown him to be a much-improved shinobi, and this is due to his work under his father’s trainer – well sort of.

Is Jiraiya Coming Back In Boruto?

Jiraiya’s death in Naruto: Shippūden was crucial, allowing Naruto to grow into the independent ninja he came to be, but this doesn’t rule out another Jiraiya reappearance in Boruto. During Boruto‘s Time Slip Arc, it’s implied that Jiraiya knows that Sasuke and Boruto are from the future and is aware of their true intentions, which means there’s a chance that Jiraiya could somehow travel to Boruto‘s timeline.

While it’s pretty clear that Kashin Koji is not actually Jiraiya, the clone’s continuing story could eventually answer certain key questions about Jiraiya in Naruto: Shippūden. From a narrative standpoint, the finality of Jiraiya’s death is a crucial turning point in Naruto’s evolution, which means that it’s highly unlikely that Jiraiya will somehow be reanimated or resurrected in Boruto.

Jiraiya Was One of Naruto’s Most Important Characters

Though he is almost assuredly gone for good, Jiraiya still left a lasting legacy on Naruto. His greatest legacy is, naturally, Naruto himself. Jiraiya not only trained Naruto, but also Naruto’s father Minato, inspiring the Fourth Hokage to name his future son after the hero of Jiraiya’s book. This plays perfectly into Jiraiya’s character as, ironically given his own bombast, he’s always been a supporting character. He’s the great point of connection between plenty of disparate characters such as his fellow Sanin, Konoha’s new generation of ninja, and their greatest threat in the Akatsuki. These connections to others all add up to making Jiraiya a pivotal character, with his death in Naruto: Shippuden episode 133 being a heartbreaking but fitting end.

Source: NHQTV/YouTube, Naruto Wiki

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Set two and a half years after the events of Masashi Kishimoto’s original anime, Naruto Shippuden continues the titular hero’s attempts to become the best ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village and bring his former friend Sasuke Uchiha back to the light. The 500-episode series features the return of allies such as Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki’s mentor Jiraiya, as well as the villainous organization Akatsuki.