Why did Kakashi Kill Rin? (Explanation)

Updated November 7, 2022 by erice

Would you kill the person you love?

For a Yandere, then the answer is yes anytime. It’s ironic and confusing but love is already complex to begin with. Today we’re going to talk about   one of the saddest ships that sank in the Naruto Series. I’m talking about Kakashi and Rin.

To some people who haven’t dug into the story of Naruto, then the question might fumble them. After all, they were good friends, and there was the spark of romance despite Kakashi’s attitude. It might have changed as time passed by.

But instead came to an end.

Why Did Kakashi Kill Rin Nohara in Naruto? Well, let’s find out why!

FIND OUT WHY KAKASHI KILLED RIN

WHY DID KAKASHI STAB RIN?

 

Kakashi and Rin’s background

Rin (First appeared on Episode 119)was the pleasant girl that the fans love, she is kind and cares deeply for her teammates and even the village. She is like Sakura of Minato’s team. For whenever the two (talking about Kakashi and Obito) argue or fight, Rin would take the role of a peacemaker.

She is also smart and was known for her high-level medical ninjutsu despite her age. Which is really reminiscent of Sakura.  She is an observant character, and was dedicated to her mission but will keep her ethics and beliefs first. As seen when she refuses to leave Obito even if it would risk her life. 

She is honestly strong in terms of mental strength as she did not break when she was under genjutsu.

Kakashi on the other hand was a prodigy in his generation, he is already recognized at the age of five after graduating from the academy as the top student in their class.  He was a selfish and manipulative character who didn’t care for his teammate but rather would prioritize his mission. It was Obito who had an impact on his life, and also Rin following the death of Obito.

Kakashi would then carry Obito’s eye as a gift for his birthday. He was allowed to wield it despite a lot of Uchiha members being against it. The head, Fugaku Uchiha chose to let Kakashi keep it, with respect to Obito’s dying action.

 

Why did Kakashi kill Rin?

It’s quite misleading to say that Kakashi killed his friend, when in fact Rin herself requested Kakashi to end her life simply because they had no choice. It was Rin who killed herself leaping in front of Kakashi who at that time was on the verge of stabbing an enemy with his Chidori.

Rin rushed in order to avoid the chaos that would eventually be brought upon if she stayed alive. You might be wondering, what was the reason why she wanted to die? Well, it is because of the Three–tailed beast that was implanted inside her. As we all know, this tailed beast monster is quite nefarious and being a host of it means a threat or a powerful weapon.

For context, the hidden mist imbued Rin with the tailed beast, the plan was that if she returned to the hidden leaf village, the beast would rampage and cause chaos possibly leading to the destruction of her town.

Rin cared a lot for her Village; thus, she willingly chose to give her own life to ensure its survival rather than risking becoming a major factor in its demise.

Fearing that she might destroy the village of Konoha, she wanted to destroy the seal before the threat of her rampaging occurred. Obviously, Kakashi, caring for Rin, disagreed with that decision. Which led to Rin making a hasty decision.  

Leading to a run and leaping in front  of his Chidori, this is a highly concentrated chakra transformed into a bolt of lightning, it’s fatal to get hit by it. Thus, led to Rin’s tragic death.

This, therefore, concludes that Kakashi did not kill Rin! But rather assisted her suicide without his consent. Honestly, that’s kind of messed up. Because technically he did kill her, but we can’t really accuse him as a murderer. Kakashi never wanted it, he did not want to kill. To be known as Friend Killer in a murder you didn’t technically commit, and losing two of your friends, man Kakashi had it rough!

 

Which Episode Did Rin Die?

The tragic ending of Rin all occurred in Episode 345, this is one of the saddest Naruto  moments and a major turning point for Obito’s character as he saw how Rin died at the hands of Kakashi. It broke up, and changed him, after all, Kakashi made a promise to protect Rin and he failed to do it.

Who wouldn’t to begin with? Obito had feelings for Rin even though it was one-sided. At his death, he still cared for her and asked Kakashi to protect Rin. It was noted that it’s kinda weird for Rin to confess after the death of her friend, it’s like implying the nuisance is finally gone, therefore I can confess to my crush.

But let’s break that topic intensively. Because within the 345th episode of Naruto Shippuden, we saw how the oath was broken. Even though it wasn’t Kakashi’s fault, and it was all Rin’s act. He still failed to keep her safe, nor done anything to avoid her death.

 

Reason Why Rin requested Kakashi To Kill Her

For background, it all started with the conflict towards Hidden Mist. Rin wasn’t a carrier of the 3 tailed Isobu to begin with. She started a blissful childhood. She spent her days with her childhood best friend Obito.

The two cared for each other, and Rin was encouraging her friend whenever he struggled with something. They were very close, she helped Obito a lot and the story implied that he had feelings for Rin.

However, Rin was in love with someone else. . She liked Kakashi, and was present during his graduation at the academy, known to be ahead from the rest of his class. All that was thanks to his amazing performance on using shadow clones, therefore he earned his forehead quicker than most students.

They were assigned under Minato (Naruto’s dad). One of their missions was to destroy the Kannabi Bridge; these events happened back in the Third Shinobi World War. Unfortunately, Rin was kidnaped by a guy named Taiseki, and Kakk (That sounded weird to say xD).  

They attempt to extract information which they failed because of Rin’s loyalty. This led the kidnappers to use Genjutsu against her. But they all failed because of Rin’s strong will, proving that she is powerful enough to be put into hypnosis or illusion. Or maybe their genjutsu was just weak?

Afterwards she was rescued by Kakashi and Obito. However, the success ended up in a tragedy as it led to Obito being crushed by Tsunade’s th- I mean a giant boulder. Before he dies, he requested Rin to pass his sharingan to Kakashi’s left eye. She was asked, and despite the tragedy they had no choice but to leave their dying friend before the enemy caught up to them.

 

Rin And Kakashi Ship

This is the couple we failed to protect. One of the Naruto couples that didn’t have a happy ending.

But that’s all just a speculation, however we can confirm that Rin has feelings for him. This was proven, and we can say that it was a bit one sided. Kinda like Sakura having a crush on Sasuke and Tsunade liking Orichimaru when they were young.

Her feelings for Kakashi have been proven. Although it is never confirmed whether Kakashi reciprocated her feelings, Rin’s feelings played an important role in Kakashi’s life, he had regret and sadness at the death of the girl that liked him.

There’s a lot of proof that Rin liked him, the girl blushes a lot whenever Kakashi does something good, or knowledgeable. There’s also the fangirl clapping that she does whenever she thinks Kakashi needs her help. She does a lot of things for him.

Rin’s feelings for Kakashi can be labeled as a feeling for a lover. On the other hand, Obito who has crush on her is only seen as a friend, #Friendzone, tag someone lol. There isn’t really much of a sweet moment between them, but rather just some fangirl moments. This is due to the fact that Rin spent more time with Obito compared to Kakashi, but despite it, the girl has a preference.

On the other hand, we have Kakashi on the ship. Who never really had feelings for her. I think in the anime, it was shown that he cared for them as a team mate. Even when Rin requests, instead of saying I can’t do that, you’re my teammate. Kakashi’s response was that he made a promise to Obito.

I believe if it weren’t the death of Obito (Episode 120), if this happened earlier, then Kakashi would have killed her.

But this event was all tragic at the perfect time.  The Death of Rin had an impact on his life.  

 

RIN STARTED THE 4th NINJA WAR (THEORY)

Rin Ruined Kakashi’s Life

Now the death of Rin might sound heroic, after all she sacrificed herself to prevent the potential threat of the tailed beast. But clearly, she did not think of her actions before committing it. Her decisions could have led to the 4th Ninja War (Episode 262).

This is a theory on how one’s death caused a domino effect to the events leading to the 4th Ninja war. But before we talk about it, let’s turn our attention to Kakashi. Losing a friend is not a good memory, a dying friend in your arms? That’s tragic. But what about seeing your friend jump in and die at your hands. That’s messed up indeed.

Oh boy, if only Rin knew about the consequence of her actions. Clearly, she wasn’t thinking about Kakashi that time. The death of Rin is known to have an impact on Kakashi as he developed what is known to be PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder which happened after the death of Rin in the unfortunate hand of his.

Rin’s death has caused nightmares in his sleep as he is reminded of her death and how she died in his arms. The impaled scenery of Rin, and whispers to his ears which is followed by nightmarish yells to wake him up. This intensified his fear and guilt.

The nightmares were known to linger from his youth days until his adulthood. Kakashi would visit Rin’s cemetery regularly, and would take care of it. He would talk to her tombstone all the time and would even tell highly contained information, for example: The birth of Naruto, which would leak information to Obito who was hiding in his shadow.

There’s a lot of death around Kakashi surrounded by loved ones and allies but it was Rin who dealt a huge blow in  his life. There’s a lot of proof leading to it. In the Pain Arc, as Kakashi was on the verge of his death, he recalled the past and showed how much he regretted failing in protecting Rin.

He implied he would get to see her soon and the rest of the team. The romance between them has always been one sided, after all Kakashi was known for his principles. If Naruto has , “My ninja way.”  And Obito is known for his, “Those who abandon their friends are even worse than scum. If I’m going to be called scum either way, I’d rather break the rules! And if that’s not being a proper shinobi, then I’ll destroy that idea!” quoted on Episode 119.

Then Kakashi adhered to his words that, “a shinobi must not reveal any weakness”. Love is known to be a weakness to some, and he is aware of the effect of falling in love. Which is why we see him trying to avoid it.

He understands the feelings of not only Rin but also Obito. Kakashi has told Rin about Obito’s feelings, this results in Rin attempting to tell her feelings for Kakashi. But got shut down. So we know for a fact that he declined her feelings, to abide with his rules and this is just basically disrespectful.

Imagine taking your friend’s crush after he dies. That’s out of line bro!

The relationship between Kakashi and Obito after Obito’s death, was once seen as slack, is now acknowledged as a hero. The death of Obito had a positive impact on Kakashi.

But to be clear, the main reason why Kakashi refused to kill Rin, was because of Obito and simply was not based on his personal feelings.  

The Importance Of Rin’s Death To The Story Line

Rin’s death was written by the writer to create a chain of events toward the story of Naruto. Rin’s death is the trigger moment for Obito, the start of the villain arc, and the events that led to the fourth ninja war.

It brought trauma to Kakashi. He was hated by people around him and carried a bad name for being a friend killer. It kinda sucks that Kakashi has to deal with those troubles in action that he never wanted, nor decided to partake in. Rin acted hastily without his consent thus ruining Kakashi’s life.

But I think it was thanks to Obito’s values that changed him as a person. He valued teammates and carries Obito’s philosophy and even legacy. He may have been a bad friend to him and lived a life of regrets, but Obito changed him for the better.

This is also a good storytelling from the writer. It’s a bit messed up because we can also say that if Rin didn’t die then Naruto would have had a good childhood, he would have had a family at that point or Minato could have seen his grandson and granddaughter but that would have been a different road or path towards the story.

Honestly, I’m on board with the writer’s choice, after all, we get to see a glimpse of illusion and what if in the Fourth Ninja War when Minato almost succeeded in his plans.

But I’m still appalled by how one’s death could create an amazing story. Kishimoto, you are a genius!

How did Rin start the Fourth Ninja War?

It’s weird how one death resulted in a series of events but if it weren’t for the death of Rin, then the fourth Ninja war could have been avoided, at least there’s a strong possibility.

The death of Rin was the switch to Obito’s choice to start a war. He never really blamed Kakashi, although there’s hate for his friend after failing to keep his word. But it was the world and society they lived in. He wanted to change it, a euphoria under illusions, which started the chain of events, from attempting to steal the nine tails, to creating Akatsuki and other major events leading to the climax of the story.

If Rin chose a different path, if she had the desire to live, and thought about how jumping to die in Kakashi’s hands would impact his life. Then the story would have been different. It would have been pleasant. Obito could have returned and achieve his dream as a hokage, Rin could have lived and maybe have a married ending with Kakashi.

Because think about it for a second, clearly, she didn’t think about asking for Minato’s help. The dude is married to Kushina, someone with a Nine tailed beast. She didn’t really need to go to Konoha, they could have hid, they could have relayed the message. Kakashi could have protected Rin as he promised to.

But Rin acted out of a sense of loyalty for her village, she acted hastily without considering other options. But that doesn’t make dumb guys. It’s a moral dilemma after all. There is no wrong choice in a dilemma, it could be bad, but it’s subjective.

But personally, I feel like it’s a bit of a selfish thing to do.

What Rin could have done?

Well to avoid the catastrophe, it would be best if Rin avoided making rational decisions. She could have let Kakashi end the life of their enemy before thinking of optimal choices. But at the end of the day, Rin carried a heavy responsibility, she isn’t that mature to begin with.

I think Kakashi had a better solution, and it would have been best if she trusted him. If only she respected Obito’s promise and believed in her teammate. But we shouldn’t blame Rin at the end of the day. The storytelling of Kishimoto was spot on and great!

We could have seen the birth of a hero, there could have been an Obito Prequel before Naruto and that would have been a great anime!  But these dilemmas are not a joke, we shouldn’t clown on Rin because of her actions.

Utilitarianism or hedonism, it’s a difficult decision to make.  But It’s moral topic that we could talk about in a different blog.

It was out of caring for her village that led Rin to sacrifice herself, and a sense of moral responsibility that led her to choose the option of giving her own life for the sake of the sake of the many.

But did she really protect the village because of it? When her actions led to a bigger catastrophe. Could we call her sacrifice worthy or vain?

I want you guys to answer this question.

The backstory showed a domino effect, a timebomb that led to the climax. This is solid story telling from Kishimoto, and we should give him the praise he deserves.

 

Conclusion

There you have it guys! I’ve answered the main question and provided a deeper insight on the death of Rin. We concluded that Kakashi didn’t technically killed Rin but rather assisted a suicide. Rin’s death has caused a domino effect in the story, and ignited the villain inside Obito.

So, if ever you encounter a moral dilemma, take a deep breath and make sure that you are calm. Because anxiety leads to making a lot of hasty decisions. Remember that you are not alone, so if you feel down or know anyone who’s been feeling low–don’t hesitate to talk to your friends. You matter.

Our choices might be right in the present, but will they affect us in the future? It’s a good thought to ponder on before making any decision.

That’s all and see you next time.

In the meantime please check out one of my blogs, if you don’t then you will see my villain arc (Nah I’m just kidding xD).

References 

All the references are from Naruto Shippuden.

Episode 119

Episode 345

Episode 120

Episode 262