Was Madara’s death execution really fitting for both him and the story?

So I had a debate with someone the other day who argued that Madara’s death was “fitting for his character” and “good for the story” because it was meant to be a poetic failure, showing his hubris and the fact that he was destined to fail. The reasoning was that his entire character arc was about him trying to transcend humanity, and ultimately, he was betrayed by Black Zetsu and played by forces he thought he controlled.

But I’m having trouble seeing this as a fitting or meaningful conclusion to his arc. Madara had so much buildup, his philosophies about peace, his tragedies, his immense strength, yet his death felt more like a plot twist rather than a moment that challenged or gave closure to his ideals. It wasn’t a final confrontation with Naruto or someone who could confront the core of his beliefs or at least have the likes of Naruto understand how he got to this dark path. Instead, he was essentially dismissed and overshadowed by Kaguya, someone we barely knew at that point. I actually believed before she was introduced, this was the perfect opportunity to fully flesh out the emotional side to his character before the let’s say a hypothetical fight out between him and team 7.

Was this really a fitting end for a character with so much philosophical weight and build up, or did it undermine everything he represented? Shouldn’t his downfall have been tied to his beliefs being challenged by Naruto or another character, not a random betrayal by Black Zetsu?

I’m curious to hear what others think. Was Madara’s death truly fitting for his character and “good for the story,” or was it an unsatisfying end to a major antagonist?

So I had a debate with someone the other day who argued that Madara’s death was “fitting for his character” and “good for the story” because it was meant to be a poetic failure, showing his hubris and the fact that he was destined to fail. The reasoning was that his entire character arc was about him trying to transcend humanity, and ultimately, he was betrayed by Black Zetsu and played by forces he thought he controlled.

But I’m having trouble seeing this as a fitting or meaningful conclusion to his arc. Madara had so much buildup, his philosophies about peace, his tragedies, his immense strength, yet his death felt more like a plot twist rather than a moment that challenged or gave closure to his ideals. It wasn’t a final confrontation with Naruto or someone who could confront the core of his beliefs or at least have the likes of Naruto understand how he got to this dark path. Instead, he was essentially dismissed and overshadowed by Kaguya, someone we barely knew at that point. I actually believed before she was introduced, this was the perfect opportunity to fully flesh out the emotional side to his character before the let’s say a hypothetical fight out between him and team 7.

Was this really a fitting end for a character with so much philosophical weight and build up, or did it undermine everything he represented? Shouldn’t his downfall have been tied to his beliefs being challenged by Naruto or another character, not a random betrayal by Black Zetsu?

I’m curious to hear what others think. Was Madara’s death truly fitting for his character and “good for the story,” or was it an unsatisfying end to a major antagonist?