In Naruto, the fictional anime and manga world created by Mashashi Kishimoto, many characters die whom the devout viewers have become greatly attached to.
Choji is a much loved character in Naruto for his conscientious objection to fighting in general.
He goes through a great character arc when he is bullied during the Chunin exams for his large stature, but eventually grows into a powerful warrior alongside Shikamaru and Ino under Team Asuma.
The simple answer to this question is no, but there are a few scrapes with death that will lead fans to wonder if Choji does die in Naruto.
Choji is a member of the Akimichi clan of Konohagakure, or the ‘Hidden Leaf’ village in the English dub. Choji, like most of the Akimichi clan, is quite a large boy.
The clan’s own techniques are a use of Yang release whereby they can manipulate their body weight and size. Choza, Choji’s father is the fifteenth head of this clan and Choji is up next to become the head of his clan.
Both the pressure of being expected to fight and to be the next of the clan causes Choji to become quite anxious and usually ‘shells up’ when in a combat situation.
However, when the Fourth Shinobi World War comes around the Akimichi’s battle-made powers are called upon to defeat the reanimated shinobi of Kabuto Yakushi’s Edo Tensei or Reanimation Technique.
During this war Choji really comes of age and this is not demonstrated more clearly than when he and his fellow teammates Ino and Shikamaru must overcome their honor in order to defeat their reanimated sensei Asuma Sarutobi.
So, Does Choji Die?
As mentioned, no. However, there are a few scrapes with death worth covering. One in particular is Choji’s battle with his sensei Asuma.
Let’s rewind a bit back to part one of Naruto first as there is an even closer scrape with death involving the powerful Kakashi Hatake, who also led Team Asuma to avenge their sensei death when he dies in Part II.
Pain’s Assault
During Pain’s assault on Konohagakure, Kakashi enters a battle with Pain’s Deva Path who eventually calls back up for Pain’s Asura Path.
The explosive missiles fired by the Asura path, which are eventually Kakashi’s demise, cause enough commotion to attract the attention of Choza and his son Choji.
They make a few plans to try and defeat the Pains with the knowledge Kakashi has gained but fail before Kakashi can deliver the fatal blow with his Chidori.
Inevitably, Pain’s Rinnegan proves too much and his Almighty Push technique traps Kakashi and sends Choji and Choza away from the battlefield.
The Asura path attempts to deliver a fatal blow by firing a nail at Kakashi’s head. Kakashi, already pretty stripped of his chakra, uses his Kamui to teleport the missile into another dimension, but feigns death.
While Kakashi thinks the Asura path is dead, he confides to Choji that he must tell Hokage Tsunade about the Pain’s powers so the village can defeat him.
However, as soon as Choji hears this the Asura path, not yet dead, fires one more projectile at the running Choji. Kakshi realises he must save Choji if there is any chance of saving the village, and again he uses Kamui to save Choji but this depletes all his Chakra and causes him to die.
Choji is super close to dying in this scene as Pain, or Nagato, is a seriously powerful shinobi, evidenced in his defeat of Kakashi the Copy Ninja.
However he is saved by Kakashi and successfully returns to the village to report to Tsunade, his actions are pivotal in the village’s eventual victory. Kakashi is later revived when Pain is defeated as Nagato casts the Rebirth Jutsu.
Fourth Shinobi World War
Now in part two, Choji comes close to death once more when he, alongside teammates Ino and Shikamaru, are forced to defeat their reanimated Sensei.
Kabuto Yakushi, having built on Orochimaru’s research, successfully carries out the Edo Tensei, or Reanimation Jutsu, which can reanimate those who have already died and use their bodies and powers like puppets while the conscience of the reanimated individual still remains.
Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji have to defeat Asuma as they are the ones who understand his powers best. However, Choji is extremely reluctant to fight his old sensei as it is a serious dishonourable thing to do.
While Shikamaru and Ino understand the necessity brought upon them by war, Choji is still reluctant. Asuma, controlled by Kabuto, but still conscious of himself,
must convince Choji to defeat him and reminds him of what he taught him while he was alive. Choji’s father even has to enter the battle in order to protect Choji who reflects on his duty as a shinobi and an Akimichi.
Understanding that his teammates are in danger, as well as his village, Choji resolves to fight Asuma. Frankly, Asuma calls him fat and makes him angry.
A combination of these two events lead Choji to use Butterfly mode, but without the pills he has had to use previously. With his new resolve Choji, while in Butterfly Mode, enlarges himself to a gigantic size and in coordination with his teammates plans successfully defeats Asuma and seals him.
So Choji doesn’t die in this situation either but gets pretty close, it takes some serious resolve to get him to fight his sensei but once he activates his Butterfly Choji Mode successfully he can save himself and defeat his enemy.
After this resolve, Choji is a pretty big proponent in defeating the White Zetsu clones as well as other reanimated Shinobi on the battlefield. From this point on Choji’s resolve changes to protect those close to him rather than shelling up as he used to in Part I.
Conclusion
So, no, Choji doesn’t die in Naruto, or Naruto Shippuden. His original objection to combat does get him in some sticky situations but he comes through them stronger and once he defeats his master Asuma he truly becomes the shinobi he needs to be.
Choji is even a character in the sequel to Naruto, Boruto, where he becomes the sixteenth head of the Akimichi clan.
