Hashirama Senju was one of a kind and exceptionally skilled ninja. He was considered the God of shinobi. Unmatched fighting abilities, chakra reserve, and skillfully in all mainstream chakra nature made him a fearful opponent. But how did the first Hokage die? Who killed Hashirama?
The first Hokage Hashirama Senju died a natural death. He could constantly regenerate his body cells and keep on fighting days after days. Overusing his exceptional healing ability shortened his life.
That is why despite being a Senju who was known for having a powerful life force and being the reincarnation of Asura, he lived a short life.
Table of Contents
How Did the First Hokage Die?
Since it was an era of war, he had to fight constantly in several wars. Sometimes it was against the Uchiha clan, sometimes it was against Madara & 9 tails, sometimes it’s against the other villages. And fighting all his life continuously took its toll.
The First Hokage was considered the God of Shinobi. No one could put a challenge against him 1 vs 1. Even EMS Madara with 9 tails couldn’t defeat him in his lifetime. He was simply invincible.
But how did the first Hokage die though? That’s a question every naruto fan comes across. Considering Tobirama became the 2nd Hokage after the First Hokage’s death, it is evident that the First Hokage didn’t live a prolonged life.
One of the things that made Hashirama literally invincible was his healing prowess. He could heal his body on the battlefield without waving hand signs, unlike Tsunade.
So, no matter how powerful his opponent was and in how many numbers they came, he could fight them without worrying about his wounds. And thanks to his unparalleled chakra reserve he could fight days after days.
The first Hokage lived in an era of constant wars. Fighting in so many wars, he had to use his exceptional healing ability over and over. And doing so he shortened his life.
But wait, didn’t Senju have a powerful physical body and life force, to begin with? And wasn’t Hashirama the reincarnation of Asura?
Let’s think about it this way.
Think about a lighted candle, that is constantly burning. Imagine its average life span is about 1 hour. Now think about a huge candle, that is supposed to last 7-8 hours.
But it is kept in a very hot place. That extra heat will shorten the candle’s life no matter how long the candle is.
And just like the candle, the same thing happened to the First Hokage. Though he was the God of shinobi, the reincarnation of Asura and a Senju, the endless battles and facing countless enemies shortened his lifespan.
When Did Hashirama Die?
Hashirama died during a small war shortly before the First Great Ninja War. However, it was a natural death caused by the overuse of his healing abilities.
Who Killed Hashirama?
No one killed Hashirama. More importantly, no one could kill the first Hokage. He died naturally. Besides, no one even came close to Madara who actually possessed what it took to challenge the First Hokage. And even with the 9 tails, Madara was defeated utterly.
How Old Was Hashirama When He Died?
The first Hokage Hashirama died at the age of 50-60 years of his life. He lived a fairly short life. Hashirama was 25-30 when he and Tobirama trained Hiruzen Sarutobi. And when Tobirama named Hiruzen the 3rd Hokage, Hiruzen was 20-25 years old.
And Hashirama died a little before Tobirama died. So, all things considered, we can say, Hashirama was 50-60 years old when he died.
Besides, he saw his granddaughter Tsunade in his lifetime. That also gives a hint that he lived past his 40 and died long after that.
How Did Hashirama Die the Second Time?
After getting reanimated by Orochimaru in the original Naruto (2002) series, the First Hokage Hashirama was forced to fight the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage fought both of the previous Hokage and sealed them using the Reaper Death Seal. So, the second time he died by the Reaper Death Seal.
Hashirama was reanimated by Orochimaru once again in the 4th Great Ninja War. And he died for the 3rd time when the Reanimation Jutsu was released at the very end of the war.
Conclusion
The First Hokage Hashirama didn’t die at old age despite having a powerful life force, an enormous amount of chakra, a strong body, and unparalleled healing ability.
And as it is clearly stated in Naruto and Naruto Shippuden that he died a natural death, it is quite self-evident that he wasn’t killed either.
He died because of the repetitive use of his unmatched healing and regenerating ability during the countless battles that he had had.