What Episode Does Itachi Die and How?
Itachi Uchiha has been one of the characters in Naruto that fans often look for. He was one of the main driving forces as to why Sasuke Uchiha strived hard to become stronger and why he could activate the Sharingan. People are curious about the fate of this character. Did he die at the end of Naruto?
Itachi died twice in the anime. The first time he died was in episode 138 of Naruto Shippuden, in a fight against his younger brother. However, he got revived in the succeeding episode, episode 139. He died the second time on the same episode after breaking a reincarnation jutsu.
Why did he get revived only to die in the same episode? If you haven’t caught up with Naruto over the years, the situation might be unclear. This article will help clear up the reasons for Itachi’s death, reincarnation, and permanent death in the series.
How Did Itachi Die the First Time?
Itachi died in the Naruto Shippuden Episode titled ‘End.’ In the episode, A repressed portion of Orochimaru that Sasuke absorbed started to take over his body and attack Itachi. This causes Itachi to use the Sword of Totsuka, which causes souls to be trapped possibly forever in a genjutsu.
Itachi managed to free Sasuske’s possession and his cursed seal after defeating Orochimaru. However, the back-to-back fights have already begun to take a toll on Itachi’s body. At his current state, Itachi has little-to-no chakra left to fight. A bloodied Itachi makes his way towards Sasuke and says his last words to his younger brother. He added an affectionate poke on the forehead, an act he used to do in his younger years before his injuries and his illness finally caught up to him, and he eventually died.
Why Did Itachi Poke Sasuke’s Forehead?
Other than it being a symbolic part of their childhood as blood brothers, the poke actually seals Amaterasu in Sasuke’s eyes. The seal was specifically set to activate against Tobi’s Sharingan in order to protect Sasuke.
Why Did Itachi Die Easily?
According to the original manga Naruto in chapter 401, Itachi contracted an illness and was already aware of his imminent death while he was an Anbu. Itachi wanted to help Sasuke become the strongest, so he painted himself as the villain. He kept himself alive through medication so Sasuke would have the opportunity to kill him and awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan.
The specifics of his disease were never explained in the manga or anime.
How Did Itachi Get Revived?
In episode 139, Itachi and the rest of Akatsuki members got revived to be part of Tobi’s plan. However, Itachi manages to break free of Kabuto’s control and team up with Naruto and Killer B to defeat Nagato.
After the fight, Itachi leaves Killer B and Naruto to deal with Kabuto personally. Along the way to the lair, he encounters Sasuke, who pursues him.
How Did Itachi Die the Second Time?
After teaming up with Sasuke, the two siblings agree to work together to dispel the Impure World Reincarnation. However, Kabuto tries to turn Sasuke against his brother during the fight. Kabuto points out all of the evil deeds his brother has done to him in the past. Instead of denying anything, Itachi admits his faults and promises Sasuke that he will tell him something after Sasuke can successfully summon his Izanami.
After a long battle, Itachi manages to use a genjutsu that affects Kabuto and forces him to perform the hand seals to stop the Impure World Reincarnation.
While Itachi begins to fade, he gives Sasuke a head bump and fully dispels all the lies he’s told his brother. He tells Sasuke that he does not seek forgiveness and promises that he will love him no matter what he decides to do. Eventually, his reincarnated body dissolves, and his soul goes to the afterlife.
What Was Itachi’s Influence on Sasuke?
Itachi probably poses as the most significant influential figure in Sasuke’s life. From being an older brother Sasuke looked up to, to someone he had to ultimately overpower and defeat.
After the two brothers fought and made amends during Itachi’s reincarnation, Sasuke regained admiration towards his brother. Itachi’s eyes would also allow Sasuke to activate the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and Rinnegan.
Eventually, after fully forgiving his brother, Sasuke would fight for Konoha again and decide to work against Tobi and Madara to stop the Fourth Shinobi World War.
In Boruto, Sasuke has adopted Itachi’s habit of poking foreheads as a means to show affection. He does this often towards his wife, Sakura Haruno, and his daughter Sarada.
How Does Konoha View Itachi?
Itachi has been viewed by Konoha as a villain throughout the series. However, after the World War, Naruto has been attempting to restore Itachi’s honor. Naruto would try to convince Konoha that Itachi fought for the village during the time of Itachi’s reincarnation.
While it took time for the village to accept it, eventually, Itachi’s name as a villain began to slowly fade to something only written in history books.
Itachi’s Influence Beyond Sasuke
Itachi has influenced characters other than Sasuke in the story. Hiruzen realized that kind-hearted people like Itachi are not suited to be in the Anbu because of the nature of their mission. This prompted Hiruzen to remove Kakashi from being an Anbu and instead made him a commander of a genin team. He did this to avoid a repeat of the Uchiha Clan Downfall.
Itachi also played a significant role in Shin’s character. The character became immensely intrigued by the Uchiha clan, Itachi in particular. Shin went as far as adopting the clan name and customary garbs worn by the family. This obsession caused Shin to hold a grudge against Sasuke, blaming him for Itachi’s death.
However, Sasuke noted that with the way Shin was acting, Orochimaru’s experiment never truly knew who Itachi Uchiha was.
Does Itachi Show Up in Boruto?
So far, Itachi has not shown himself in Boruto. While some familiar characters may have seemingly come back from the dead in the series, Itachi is not one of them. While he does not show up in the anime, his name has been mentioned every now and then throughout the series.