Most of the Hokage’s deaths in naruto are accounted for: Tobirama Senju died acting as a distraction; Hiruzen Sarutobi perished using the Reaper Death Seal, as did Minato Namikazee. However, there is one Hokage whose end remains a mystery: Hashirama Senju.
No one knows how the First Hokage died, as neither the anime nor the manga address the details of his ultimate fate.. With nothing official to go on, fans have been left to speculate on possible causes of death. Using the available information about Hashirama, all sorts of theories and conclusions have been formed.
Who was Hashirama Senju in Naruto?
Hashirama Senju was the leader of the powerful Senju clan, the only one strong enough to rival the Uchiha. He was also a co-founder of the Hidden Leaf Village, along with his old enemy, Madara Uchiha.
The biggest tools in his arsenal were his signature Wood Style Jutsu and his mastery of Sage Jutsu. He later became the first person to hold the title of Hokage, the leader of the village and the best ninja in it. He is responsible for much of the running of the modern ninja world, including the village system and rank-based assignments. He was a kind, humble and simple man, but he would also kill anyone who threatened him, his clan or his people.
Why Hashirama’s death is a mystery
A big problem in discerning the circumstances of Hashirama’s death is just how powerful he was. During his lifetime, he was the strongest ninja in history, earning him the title of “God of Shinobi”. His power would not be surpassed until Naruto’s era, which came long after his demise. The only person who came close before that was Madara, who was put out of commission by Hashirama himself. As powerful as he was, he’s a wonder what or who even could kill him
What are the best theories about Hashirama’s death?
If Hashirama somehow died in battle, there are a few ways it could have happened. He could have been taken down by overwhelming numbers as the Third Raikage; if he is truly stronger than this Raikage, that would require a strength of over 10,000 shinobi. He could have been killed as well, but seeing how Kakuzu canonically failed at that, that seems unlikely as well. Madara could have severely injured him during their final battle, which affected his performance in future fights and cost him his life. He might have made a noble sacrifice, which would definitely fit his character. Strong or not, there are many ways to die in a fight.
Many believe that Hashirama died a natural death, either due to old age or illness. Such a quiet death wouldn’t have a reason to be shown on screen, which would explain why it was never covered. It is also comforting to think that a man who dedicated his career to the pursuit of peace was allowed to die in peace.
However, natural death is often rejected due to the Reanimation Jutsu. Apparently, this technique returns people to the state they were in at the time of death; this includes their age and the clothes they were wearing. Because Hashirama returned looking quite young and fully armored, it is assumed that he was killed in the battle. Once again, for how strong he was, that’s hard to believe.
There may be another explanation for Hashirama coming back the way he did. After all, Madara was reanimated in a similar state, but it is confirmed that his death was as a robed old man. It is possible that under the right circumstances, the user of the Reanimation Jutsu has some control over how subjects recover. That would fit, because Orochimaru and Kabuto brought Hashirama and Madara, respectively; one is a scientist and the other is his successor. These two are likely trying to modify Reanimation to bring Hashirama and Madara back to when they were in their prime. That would also explain why Hiruzen was reanimated as an old man; no one had time to modify his body, so he returned precisely when he died. If all of this is true, then Hashirama’s true cause of death would remain a mystery.
Some have theorized that Hashirama suffered an ironic death due to his healing ability. According to Madara, he had regenerative abilities and didn’t even need a hand signal to use it. However, the same technique could have shortened his life by causing Hashirama to reach his Hayflick limit or creating malignant tumors.
It is also possible that Hashirama died of illness. Just like Itachi and Kimimaro, he could have contracted something that ultimately cost him his life. Even the God of Shinobi is not immune to diseases.
Hashirama’s true cause of death may never be revealed. For all the things that could kill him, there is a way to say that he could survive. That’s what really makes it so hard to imagine him dying.
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