Madara Uchiha is one of those characters who shows up, owns the room, and then leaves you arguing about him years later. He is a top-tier Naruto villain by any measure: terrifying, consistent, and relentlessly committed to his vision. And yet his exit is grim in a way the series rarely lets happen to major antagonists. The twist? He never gets the redemption beat Naruto gives other big bads, which makes his death hit harder and, yeah, a little unfair.
The loneliest final scene
When Madara dies, there is no crowd around him, no soft-focus farewell. It is just him and his old rival, Hashirama Senju, and that silence says everything. His life was one long grind of war and betrayal, and those scars followed him all the way to the end. For a character who helped shape the world of the story, he leaves it essentially alone.
How he got there (the quick version)
- Childhood during the Warring States Period: he watches brothers and clanmates die, which hardens him early.
- Founding Konoha with Hashirama: he actually tries peace, but the village never truly trusts him. That cold shoulder pushes him away from the dream he helped build.
- The grand plan: convinced only his way can end the cycle of war, he commits fully to a world-remake scheme.
- The rug pull: after finally getting what he wants, Black Zetsu literally stabs him in the back and reveals his life’s work was never his. The entire plan existed to revive Kaguya.
- The aftermath: Naruto and Sasuke seal Kaguya, and Madara realizes his dream, his effort, and basically his purpose were just fuel for someone else’s agenda.
No redemption, no mercy
Here is the part that sticks with people: he never gets a chance to make a final choice for the right side. Obito goes out with a clear act of atonement and is forgiven. Nagato gets reflection and change. Madara does not. Nobody on that battlefield mourns him, and the only person who sits with him at the end is Hashirama, the one person who ever fully understood him. For a character this important, that is a brutal send-off.
Would a redemption arc have helped or hurt?
This is where fans split. One camp says Madara’s legend comes from his absolute commitment to his ideals. Water that down and you weaken the scariest, most formidable antagonist Naruto has. His history of loss plus his belief that only his plan could bring peace is exactly what makes him so imposing.
The other side argues that giving him even a sliver of redemption would have deepened the character and the story. If Nagato and Obito get room to reconsider their paths, why not Madara? Denying him that moment feels lopsided, and a final turn could have given Naruto’s saga a more emotional, meaningful capper for fans who wanted closure on its most complex villain.
Where I land
I get why the story keeps him unbent to the last frame; it preserves the myth. But the way he is used, discarded, and then left without a final choice stings on purpose. It is effective, it is tragic, and it is also frustrating in a way that keeps the debate alive. Which, frankly, might be the point.
Do you think Madara deserved a redemption arc? Tell me where you land.
Naruto is streaming on Hulu and Crunchyroll.