The Byakugan in Naruto: What It Does & Who Can Use It

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Anime expert Ishaan Kaushal explains Byakugan’s powers & how it compares to other dōjutsu in Naruto

Co-authored by Ishaan Kaushal and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: July 3, 2026 Fact Checked

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• What is the Byakugan?
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• Byakugan Abilities
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• Characteristics
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• Byakugan Users
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• Impact on the Hyuga Clan
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• Byakugan vs. Sharingan vs. Rinnegan
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• Video

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There are a lot of powerful special abilities worth remembering in Naruto, one of which is the Hyuga clan’s iconic Byakugan. The Byakugan is a type of dōjutsu recognized by its users’ white and lavender-colored, pupil-less eyes…and, of course, supernaturally enhanced vision. In this guide, we partnered with an anime expert to explain everything you need to know about the Byakugan, including its powers and notable characteristics, as well as the anime’s most notable Byakugan users and how it stacks up to other dōjutsu abilities.

Naruto’s Byakugan & How It Works

Anime expert Ishaan Kaushal says the Byakugan is a powerful, hereditary dōjutsu (ocular ninja ability) that’s most associated with the Hyuga clan. It appears as a white, pupil-less eye and has 360° vision, the power to see across long distances, and X-ray vision. Users can see inside objects and detect chakra pathways.

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Section 1 of 6:

What is the Byakugan?

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   The Byakugan is a type of dōjutsu (ocular ability) inherited by bloodline. It’s one of the “Three Great Dōjutsu,” along with the Sharingan and the Rinnegan. In Naruto lore, dōjutsu are ninja abilities that revolve around the eyes. Kaushal says the Byakugan is kekkei genkai, meaning it’s a genetically shared ocular jutsu amongst those of the same clan. More specifically, the Byakugan is all about enhancing the user's vision to a supernatural degree.

   • The term Byakugan literally means “White Eye” (referring to the Byakugan’s appearance). In the manga, it’s also referred to as the “All-Seeing White Eye.”
   • The kanji for Byakugan is: 白眼.
   • The Byakugan originated from the Ōtsutsuki clan, but Kaushal says it’s more commonly associated with the characters of the Hyuga clan.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Ishaan Kaushal is an anime expert and digital creator. He is known for thoughtful, engaging content at the intersection of media, culture, and identity.
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Section 2 of 6:

All Byakugan Abilities in Naruto

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   360-degree visionOr rather, the Byakugan offers nearly 360 degrees of vision; there’s still a small blind spot right at the back of the user’s neck, Kaushal explains. But it’s a useful ability: Byakugan users can see almost entirely around themselves, which means an ambush is easier to spot, whether it’s coming from above, behind, or underneath. It’s like standing at the center of a sphere, with the sphere representing one’s field of vision.

   • Of course, being able to look in any direction doesn’t mean the user can peer in two different directions simultaneously. They can still be overwhelmed or distracted.
   • Furthermore, targeting the Byakugan user’s blind spot basically allows for a sneak attack, so long as the perpetrator is precise.
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   Long-distance visionByakugan users can focus their vision, like they’re peering through a telescope or a pair of binoculars! Moreover, the Byakugan itself has no distance limit, meaning a skilled user can see very far away (whereas less skilled users can’t see as far). The distance a Byakugan can see is determined by the user’s chakra output, so it’s just a matter of training and skill.

   • For example, the base distance the Neji can see increases drastically as he rises through the ninja ranks from Chuunin to Jonin.
   • Kaushal adds that Byakugan users also have an increased field and depth of vision.
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   X-ray visionWith this ability, Byakugan users can look through (and inside) solid objects, says Kaushal. This includes buildings to living bodies, human and otherwise. Imagine being able to see the world as though through an X-ray machine; Byakygan users can view a person’s bones, muscles, organs, blood flow, and much more! Combined with the Byakugan’s other abilities, it’s easy to see how perceptive wielders can be.

   • The Byakugan’s x-ray vision is great for combat, and for scouting or reconnaissance, allowing users to look inside enemy strongholds.
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   Chakra-detecting visionJust as Byakugan users can peer inside a creature’s body, they can also detect the flow of chakra and its pathways through the body, explains Kaushal. This includes ninjutsu activation, which Byakugan users can sense. That’s how the Hyuga clan developed their trademark “Gentle Fist” technique! Users can strike chakra "pressure points" and disable the flow of chakra, says Kaushal.
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   Additional rare abilitiesThere are a few extra Byakugan powers that don’t necessarily apply to every Byakugan user, or are only really seen in a specific episode in the Naruto series. Thus, they can’t really be counted as universal abilities for a Byakugan, but they’re worth mentioning nonetheless! These abilities include:

   • Infrared vision: The Byakugan can detect creatures by distinguishing their body heat.
   • Chakra development: The Byakugan can determine the development of someone’s chakra (or if they can manipulate chakra at all).
   • Mind reading: That’s right—the Byakugan has been used to peer into people’s minds and see their thoughts, feelings, and memories. When Kaguya Ōtsutsuki did this, fellow Byakugan user Hamura Ōtsutsuki couldn’t even stop her.
   • Precognition: Some Byakugan users can’t actually see the future, but they can analyze opponents’ tactics and predict their attacks.
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Section 3 of 6:

Byakugan Characteristics in Naruto

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   The Byakugan has a unique eye color that manifests at birth. The Byakugan is very easy to identify: it’s characterized by white (or lavender-colored) enlarged irises and no visible pupils at the center of the eyes. However, upon activating a Byakugan, the user’s pupils become slightly more visible; additionally, increased blood flow causes the veins around their eyes to bulge outward. Some Byakugan have unique appearances:

   • Himawari Uzumaki (Naruto and Hinata’s child) inherits her mother’s Byakugan, but it’s only visible while being used; otherwise, she has Naruto’s blue eyes.
   • Isshiki Ōtsutsuki only has a Byakugan in his left eye, when Byakugan are usually present in both eyes.
   • Momoshiki and Urashiki Ōtsutsuki both have Byakugan that change to a golden color when chakra is absorbed.
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   Byakugan don’t activate automatically. Although they’re passed by bloodline, having one isn’t the same as using one. Anyone possessing a Byakugan has to train extensively before they can actually tap into the Byakugan’s power, and some ultimately fail to activate their Byakugan at all!

   • However, it’s also established that a Byakugan can activate independently when the owner is in a particularly stressful situation.
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   Byakugan can be stolen and transplanted into non-Hyuga bodies. On a more disturbing note, Byakugan can work for other people—even when they aren’t born with one. But since the Hyuga clan has a monopoly on Byakugan, “acquiring” one as a non-Hyuga typically calls for transplantation; that’s what happened when Ao of Kirigakure managed to defeat a member of the Hyuga clan and take their Byakugan.

   • The “transplantation” is literal: a Byakugan (the entire eye) must be surgically extracted and then implanted into a new eye socket.
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   A Byakugan can be evolved into a Tenseigan. The Tenseigan is an especially rare type of dōjutsu, one that can only be acquired by implanting an Ōtsutsuki with a Hyuga clan member’s Byakugan. When the two chakras meet, a transformation is triggered (over the course of several days). With a Tenseigan, users gain access to the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, a state of heightened power with several new abilities.

   • For instance, Toneri Ōtsutsuki gains a Tenseigan; upon entering Tenseigan Chakra Mode, he gains the ability to fly and receives several Truth-Seeking Balls (controllable orbs of black chakra).
   • However, if a Tenseigan user is depleted enough in battle, the Tenseigan will revert to a Byakugan.
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Section 4 of 6:

Notable Byakugan Users in Naruto

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   Neji HyugaNeji and his cousin, Hinata—both members of the Hyuga clan—are Naruto’s main Byakugan users, and Neji arguably uses his to a far greater degree (at first, anyway). We first see the pair of them dueling in the Chunin Exam arc, with Neji winning and using his Byakugan extensively in a subsequent duel with Naruto. Overall, Neji just doesn’t hesitate to tap into his Byakugan’s powers, no matter the situation.

   • For instance, Neji also activated his Byakugan in a later duel with Naruto (the Byakugan vs. Shadow Clones fight)—and very nearly won by using Gentle Fist to strike every last one of Naruto’s chakra points.
   • Neji used his Byakugan in his fight with Kidomaru, enabling him to keep track of Kidomaru despite them battling in a thick forest. Unfortunately, Kidomaru was able to find Neji’s blind spot and use it against him.
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   Hinata HyugaHinata (Neji’s cousin) is the former heiress of the Hyuga clan—and she, too, has a Byakugan. Over the course of the series, she uses it to track or scout for her comrades (by focusing her vision in a particular direction and scanning far ahead). She’s also able to use the Hyuga clan’s Gentle Fist move in battle, attacking with perfect accuracy.

   • Hinata is also the one capable of infrared vision with her Byakugan, detecting hidden targets through their body heat.
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   AoAo is a Mist ninja, and he didn’t acquire his Byakugan naturally. As we’ve already mentioned, he steals the Byakugan from a defeated Hyuga opponent and goes to great lengths to keep the clan from reclaiming it. He keeps his right eye—the one with the Byakugan—hidden under an eyepatch, allowing him to use it without drawing attention to himself.

   • If that wasn’t enough, Ao also uses talismans to protect the eye, just in case someone tries to take it.
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   Kaguya ŌtsutsukiThe Ōtsutsuki clan is the original owner of the Byakugan, and Kaguya is a resurrected clan matriarch brought back during the Fourth Shinobi World War. Of course, she’s immediately up to no good and tries to claim all of the world’s chakra for herself! And she’s shown using her naturally inherited Byakugan more than once, including to read Hamura Ōtsutsuki’s mind.

   • Despite her skill with the Byakugan—which Kaguya herself claims is particularly powerful—she’s eventually defeated by Team 7.
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Section 5 of 6:

The Hyuga Clan’s Byakugan in Naruto

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   The Hyuga clan is fiercely protective of its Byakugan gift. They don’t want anyone stealing it, and go to great lengths to keep the Byakugan within the family. To maintain the Byakugan, the Hyuga clan (one of the four major clans) split themselves into the “main” family and “branch” families; main family members get more privileges and power within the clan, while branch members are treated as less than and expected to protect the main family.

   • To that end, branch family members are required to have curse seals placed on them; should a branch member die, their curse seal will automatically destroy their Byakugan.
   • Even more disturbingly, the main family members can use a hand seal that can cause the branch members pain—or even destroy their minds entirely.
   • In one instance, Hinata’s father Hiashi (a main family member) killed someone of the Cloud Village to save his kidnapped daughter, and when the Cloud Village demanded blood, his brother Hizashi (a branch member) was killed in his place.

Section 6 of 6:

The Byakugan vs. Other Dōjutsu

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   The Sharingan and Rinnegan grow in power; the Byakugan doesn’t. That’s not to say the Byakugan isn’t powerful—we’ve already covered its powers and the many ways they’re used. Still, the Byakugan can get anticlimactic after a while; other dōjutsu continually power up and unlock new abilities in Naruto, but the Byakugan just…stays the same. It does what it does, period. And for that reason, it starts seeming underpowered compared to other dōjutsu.

   • For instance, the Sharingan and Byakugan seem pretty evenly matched at first, with the Sharingan able to copy jutsu and the Byakugan able to shut it down by detecting chakra.
   • However, the Sharingan gets progressively stronger, turning its users into total powerhouses with insane levels of attack power—and by contrast, the Byakugan doesn’t introduce anything new.
   • “Though strong, the Byakugan is seen as the least powerful of the ‘Three Great Dōjutsu,’” agrees Kaushal. “The Sharigan and Rinnegan have much greater expansive abilities granted to the wielder, with the caveat being the limited accessibility of such dojutsu.”
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   Byakugan could outshine other dōjutsu, depending on the situation. Although the Byakugan doesn’t come with power boosts, it still provides the best visual boost out of all the dōjutsu by far. It’s the only dōjutsu that can detect chakra within a body, which is extremely useful in a fight, and its range is far greater than other dōjutsu. Many fans on the r/Naruto Reddit point out that with outside-the-box thinking, the Byakugan’s visual enhancement can be applied in some really powerful ways!

   • For instance, a Byakugan has canonically (in the Naruto novels) been used to disperse jutsu, striking a fireball’s weak point and splitting it in half.
   • A Byakugan could also be used for a long-distance precision strike against an enemy, targeting their weak points from afar and taking them out without even needing to engage in a proper fight.
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