Among the many characters that came to their untimely end in Naruto Shippūden, Jiraiya’s death was one of the most painful ones. This came as a big surprise to a lot of fans because he was one of their favorite characters in the series. Some had even hoped he would be revived somehow, though he never was.
What was the series of events that led to his death? Who did it affect the most, and what episode does Jiraiya die in? Let’s explore who Jiraiya was, his impact on the show, his unfortunate demise, and which episode he met his end in.
Jiraiya was a member of the Sannin, a group of three legendary ninja from the village of Konohagakure. He was also known as the Toad Sage and Naruto’s godfather. He was a tall man with fair skin and was very agile even when he was past his youth.
He had long, waist-length, spiky hair usually up in a ponytail with two shoulder-length bangs covering most of his face, with a wart on the left side of his nose. He had red lines under his eyes that extended further as he grew older.
He had a tattoo on his left palm and wore a forehead protector. The symbol on it is ‘abura,’ which means oil. It was worn as a representation of his involvement with Mount Myōboku, the land where all toads have been summoned to live.
He was often dressed in green pants, and a green short kimono shirt, with handguards and a mesh armor on his wrists and ankles. His feet were mostly covered with wooden sandals, and he carried a big scroll on his back.
What Was His Character Like?
Jiraiya was often fond of making jokes at his own expense. While he was mostly fun to be around, he would often pretend to be smug, selfish, or try to annoy the people around him.
He was also over-the-top and didn’t hesitate to show off, even in battle. If someone dared to interrupt him while he was showing off his moves, he would become extremely annoyed with them.
Despite his laid-back and fun personality, Jiraiya could be serious when needed. In his youth, he lacked intelligence but made up for it when he was older. As he aged, he became very philosophical and always sought knowledge.
Jiraiya was also a very good writer. He had written a series of novels called Icha Icha inspired by his love interest, a beautiful woman named Tsunade, who was also a member of the Sannin group of ninja. Although they never got to be together, he always admired her.
In addition to his wit, humor, and intelligence, Jiraiya was also tremendously loyal to those he cared about. Despite leaving his village, he never stopped fighting for his people and protecting them.
He traveled, mentored, taught, and trained many people, including Naruto (his godson and the series protagonist) and Nagato (a poor orphaned boy from the Second Shinobi War).
During one of his travels, the Great Toad Sage from Mount Myōboku told Jiraiya of a Child of Prophecy. He explained that he would be a student of Jiraiya, and depending on how well he taught this pupil, he would either bring the world destruction or salvation. Jiraiya believed it was Nagato who was the Child of Prophecy.
What Were His Abilities?
It would be almost impossible to list all of Jiraiya’s skills and abilities because there were so many of them, but let’s go over some of the most important skills he had.
Chakra
He was a master at chakra control. Chakra is an energy that can be transformed into the nature of the five elements. He could even carve messages with his chakra.
Jiraiya possessed great strength and could easily launch Naruto far away with a single tap. His strength was emphasized when he faced Nagato (his former student and later a villain in the series) and put up a very strong fight.
Elements in Fighting
Jiraiya could use the elements of fire, water, earth, wind, yin, and yang to his advantage. He also made use of the Toad Oil Flame Bullet, a technique performed by a fire user and a toad who work in harmony with one another to deliver a devastating attack. This technique was first seen in episode 96 of the anime and volume 19, chapter 170 of the manga.
Jiraiya also had the ability to summon toads when fighting. The toads would either fight by him, give him the ability to spew oil from his mouth, or allow him to hide himself from the opponent within their shadow. This unique and amusing ability is where his nickname, Toad Sage, was derived from.
What Episode Does Jiraiya Die In?
Jiraiya dies in the 133rd episode (The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant) in Naruto Shippuden. He leaves his village to search for the whereabouts of a villain who goes by the alias ‘Pain’ and controls six corpses to carry out his will, known as the Six Paths of Pain.
When he finally crosses paths with Pain, he discovers that he’s the boy, Nagato, who he used to mentor after the Second Shinobi War. Jiraiya had first met Nagato when he was still reeling from the loss of both his parents during the war.
Unbeknownst to Jiraiya, Nagato (Pain) had strayed towards the path of evil due to all the losses he had faced, especially the loss of his parents and his best friend. Jiraiya and Nagato’s reunion is not a joyful one, as they engage in a battle that costs Jiraiya his life.
Nagato releases the Six Paths of Pain, who are too strong for Jiraiya to overcome. Even with his skills, abilities, and strength, he can’t best them. The Six Paths of Pain end up killing him in the most vicious way.
In his final moments, Jiraiya uses the last of his strength to send a coded message through Fukasaku, his toad friend. The message contains clues to help Naruto decipher Pain’s identity.
Conclusion
The answer to the question “what episode does Jiariya die in” is Episode 133 (The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant). Characters such as Naruto and Tsunade were greatly affected by Jiraiya’s death, and so were many fans of the series. Despite one of the most beloved characters dying, Naruto Shippuden continues to have a faithful fan following.
