What Is the Sharingan In Naruto & How Is It Acquired?

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Learn all about the Sharingan (& the other dōjutsu it rivals)

Co-authored by Grant Cunningham and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: August 3, 2026 Fact Checked

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• What is the Sharingan?
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• Acquisition
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• Evolution & Types
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• Abilities
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• Powerful Users
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• Other Dōjutsu
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

No eye is as iconic as the Sharingan from Naruto. Instantly recognizable, Sharingan eyes are a powerful jutsu that grants the wielder tons of incredible abilities; so many that it can be hard to keep up. That’s why we’re here. In this article, we do a deep dive into the Sharingan, explaining what it is, how it’s unlocked, what abilities come with it, and more. Read on to learn all about the eyes that practically every Naruto character wants to get their hands on.

Sharingan Eyes Explained

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The Sharingan eye is a powerful visual jutsu within the Uchiha clan that grants them increased chakra and ocular perception, as well as genjutsu abilities. Unlocked during extreme emotional stress, it comes in various forms, with the Mangekyo Sharingan being especially coveted for its user-exclusive abilities.

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Section 1 of 6:

What is the Sharingan?

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   The Sharingan is a powerful visual jutsu available to the Uchiha clan. Known as one of the ‘Three Great Dōjutsu’ alongside the Rinnegan and Byakugan, the Sharingan is a kekkei genkai that manifests in members of the Uchiha clan who undergo extreme emotional stress. Once acquired, wielders of the Sharingan gain increased physical and chakra perception, the ability to put opponents under genjutsu, and various other enhancements and abilities.

   • The Sharingan also evolves into different stages, with each advancing stage granting the wielder increased power and unique abilities.
   • Although naturally exclusive to the Uchiha clan, the Sharingan can be physically implanted into someone who isn’t a member of the clan. However, non-Uchiha members expend much more chakra when using the jutsu.
   • Anime expert Grant Cunningham says genjutsu is an illusion-based jutsu that messes with the opponent’s senses. It can trap them in a fake, nightmarish reality and make them see things that aren’t there.
   • According to Cunningham, kekkei genkai are specific genetic abilities that are passed down through family lines.
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Section 2 of 6:

How the Sharingan Is Acquired

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   The Sharingan is awoken by profound distress and emotional turmoil. When an Uchiha goes through a powerful emotional trigger, such as grief or witnessing a loved one get hurt, special chakra is released in their brain and travels to their optic nerve, resulting in the red eyes and tomoe pattern. Initially, the Sharingan only features one tomoe (a comma-like pattern), but through ocular training, the user can progress to three tomoe, which signifies mastery.

   • When the user first acquires the Sharingan, their timing and chakra control are thrown off due to the eye’s enhanced perception and higher chakra demand.
   • When the Sharingan begins to develop in emotional situations, the flood of chakra can cause the vision to blur until it fully manifests.
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   The Mangekyo Sharingan is awoken by intense trauma. It was initially thought that the only way one could unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan was by witnessing the death of a loved one, but Boruto: Naruto Next Generations revealed that it can also be triggered by the thought of losing a loved one. In Boruto, Sarada Uchiha unlocked her Mangekyo Sharingan by desperately trying to convince her father that Boruto Uzumaki wasn’t a murderer, even though the rest of the village believed otherwise.

   • Typically, when a Uchiha unlocks the Mangekyo Sharingan, they fall into the Curse of Hatred, wherein the more suffering an Uchiha endures, the more abilities they can unlock, cursing them to sadness and hatred.
   • Sarada’s acquisition of the Mangekyo Sharingan shows that the Uchiha can avoid the Curse of Hatred (a cycle of vengeance for deceased clan members) and still unlock powerful abilities.
   • Sarada’s acquisition is also thought to be one of love, as she desperately wanted to protect someone she cared about.
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Section 3 of 6:

How the Sharingan Evolves Into Different Types

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   It starts with one tomoe before progressing to three. When the Sharingan first awakens, it features one tomoe. However, as the user continues to use it and go through more emotional experiences, it progresses to two tomoe, then three (which shows complete mastery). The abilities of the Sharingan depend on the number of tomoe, generally increasing in power as the user unlocks more.

   • Each tomoe comes with enhanced movement analysis, the ability to replicate an opponent’s jutsu, genjutsu, and chakra visualization, but for the first tomoe, the user’s abilities are much weaker.
     • For example, a person with one tomoe in their Sharingan can only read chakra if they focus on the opponent.
   • The second tomoe is a middle-of-the-road indicator for Sharingan mastery. It comes with increased abilities, but it still isn’t as powerful as a three-tomoe Sharingan.
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   After three tomoe, users can progress to the Mangekyo Sharingan. The Mangekyo Sharingan has all of the same abilities as the standard Sharingan, albeit more enhanced. On top of that, it also grants the wielder jutsu that are unique to them. For example, Itachi Uchiha’s Mangekyo Sharingan came with the exclusive Tsukuyomi ability, a mind-shattering genjutsu that traps them in a time-distorted world where he controls everything.

   • With each use of the Mangekyo Sharingan, the eye gets progressively blinder.
   • In some cases, if a user goes through a traumatic enough event, their Sharingan can evolve into the Mangekyo stage even if they haven’t mastered its basic form.
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   To avoid blindness, users must acquire the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan (EMS) is acquired by transplanting the Mangekyo Sharingan of a relative (typically a sibling) into the wielder’s own body. This negates the natural bliding effect and allows the wielder to use the EMS with minimal drawbacks.

   • Only two people in the Naruto universe have unlocked the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan: Madara Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha.
     • Madara acquired the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan after implanting his brother Izuna Uchiha’s eyes into his own after Izuna’s death.
     • Sasuke acquired the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan after implanting Itachi’s eyes into his own after Itachi’s death.
   • The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan is considered the most powerful version of the Sharingan.
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   If a user has Six Paths chakra, their Sharingan can evolve into a Rinnegan. The Sharingan doesn’t naturally evolve into a Rinnegan, but as shown with Madara and Sasuke Uchiha, when the wielder acquires chakra from the Six Paths, it can progress into one. Madara acquired the Rinnegan after implanting Hashirama’s cells into his body, while Sasuke acquired it after being bestowed Six Paths chakra from Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths.
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Section 4 of 6:

Abilities of the Sharingan

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   The Eye of Insight The Eye of Insight allows the wielder to see chakra and its composition, which is colored to help differentiate chakra types. It also provides increased perception, allowing the user to read lips and see (and mimic) movements down to the cellular level. These abilities let them to predict movements by reading subtle muscle changes, making it seem like they can predict the future.

   • When skilled enough, Sharingan users can also read into the mind to see or erase memories.
   • The Eye of Insight also allows users to copy practically any jutsu, so long as it’s based on physical hand signs or movements.
   • When trying to copy a jutsu, the wielder must have previous information about the technique. They cannot copy kekkei genkai or nature transformations they aren’t familiar with.
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   The Eye of Hypnotism The Eye of Hypnotism grants the wielder genjutsu through their Sharingan. With this genjutsu, users can influence targets’ thoughts and actions, make them divulge information, and in extreme cases, control their bodies completely. Uchiha like Madara and Obito have used the genjutsu granted by this ability to control Tailed Beasts and access their subconscious minds.

   • Controlling others requires great control over one’s chakra. Multiple targets can be controlled under the Sharingan’s genjutsu, but divided attention makes it easier for the targets to break free.
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   Izanagi The Izanagi is a forbidden jutsu in the Uchiha clan that allows the user to warp and alter reality for a short amount of time. This lets them negate injuries, change what’s real and what’s not, and rewrite destiny to fit their own image. Once the Izanagi’s time is up, the changes remain and the user permanently loses sight in the eye it was activated with.
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   Izanami The Izanami is another forbidden jutsu that was developed to counter the Izanagi and punish those who abuse it. It traps the target in an infinite loop, disregarding their five senses and keeping them stuck until they repent for their mistakes and accept their true fate in life.
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   Susanoo The Susanoo is a powerful chakra avatar that an Uchiha gains access to when they unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan in both eyes. It comes in different stages, with the base form featuring a small avatar that springs from the user as a torso, arms, and head. Once the user masters the Susanoo, it rises to a full-bodied avatar known as the Perfect Susanoo.

   • The Perfect Susanoo comes with incredible destructive power that rivals that of tailed beasts.
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   Amaterasu The Amaterasu is a jutsu that summons inextinguishable black flames when Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha activate it via their Mangekyo Sharingans. The flames are summoned when they look at their target, and they only burn out when the target is burned to ash. While powerful, the Amaterasu also uses a massive amount of chakra.

   • The Amaterasu can cause strained, bleeding eyes if it’s overused.
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   Tsukuyomi Exclusive to Itachi Uchiha’s Mangekyo Sharingan, the Tsukuyomi is a powerful genjutsu that manipulates space and time. Once an opponent gets caught in it, they’re transported to a world that Itachi controls. He decides how long a person is trapped within it and what happens to them. He can force opponents to relive their worst traumas or endure repeated attacks from clones of himself.

   • Itachi often uses the Tsukuyomi to torture and break down his enemies.
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   Kamui Exclusive to Obito Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake’s Mangekyo Sharingan, Kamui grants the two the ability to transport things to a pocket dimension. Obito’s Kamui is much more powerful than Kakashi’s, as it allows him to teleport himself or other people into the pocket dimension. It also allows him to become seemingly intangible in the process.

   • Kakashi’s Kamui isn’t anything to balk at, however, as it allows him to send targets to the Kamui dimension by looking at them.
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   Kotoamatsukami This ability is exclusive to Shisui Uchiha’s Mangekyo Sharingan. It takes a standard Sharingan genjutsu and turns it up to 12, putting anyone within Shisui’s sight under a potent genjutsu that allows him to manipulate their thoughts and actions and affect them at the subconscious level.

   • What makes the kotoamatsukami so powerful is that the opponent believes their thoughts and actions are completely their own, affecting them at a subconscious level.
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Section 5 of 6:

Powerful Sharingan Users

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   Sasuke Uchiha Sasuke is one of the main characters of the series, so it’s fitting that his Sharingan capabilities are some of the most incredible in the show. While initially starting with one tomoe, Sasuke’s eyes evolve all the way to Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, granting him jutsu like the Amaterasu and Susanoo.

   • Sasuke even unlocked the Rinnegan alongside his Sharingan at the end of the series, showing how powerful he’d become since his days at the Ninja Academy.
   • Sasuke Uchiha is the reincarnation of Indra Otsutsuki, an ancestor to the Uchiha clan and the son of the Sage of Six Paths.
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   Madara Uchiha Madara Uchiha is often considered one of the most powerful Uchiha to have ever lived, and he has his Sharingan to thank for that. He was the first ninja to unlock the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, which granted him incredible ocular and genjutsu abilities, such as the ability to control all tailed beasts, summon a Perfect Susanoo, and rival Hashirama Senju in battle.

   • Hashirama is considered the God of Shinobi. Alongside Madara, he founded the Hidden Leaf Village.
   • Madara and Hashirama are also reincarnations of Indra and Ashura Otsutsuki, respectively, predisposing them to incredible power.
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   Itachi Uchiha Itachi Uchiha is arguably the most proficient user of genjutsu in all of Naruto, having become proficient with the ability at a young age. He’s able to use the genjutsu granted to him by his Sharingan to completely incapacitate enemies, trap them in false realities, and significantly change the tides of a battle whenever he sees fit, making him someone few ninja willingly engage in battle with.
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   Obito Uchiha Obito Uchiha has one of the most powerful Sharingan abilities, Kamui. Not only does he get all of the standard chakra reads and perception buffs that come with the regular Sharingan, but he is also able to transport himself and others in and out of a pocket dimension at will, making him an incredibly formidable threat.

   • Obito uses Kamui with great proficiency, as well, having been able to hold his own with the Fourth Hokage at just 14 years old due to the intangibility that comes with it.
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   Kakashi Hatake Kakashi Hatake is one of the only non-Uchiha to wield the Sharingan. It was implanted into him by Obito Uchiha, who gave it to him after having one half of his face crushed by a boulder. As a non-Uchiha, the Sharingan requires Kakashi to use a lot more chakra to maintain it, which is why he keeps it covered with a mask until it’s time to shine.

   • Kakashi was able to unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan alongside Obito after being forced to kill one of their best friends, Rin Nohara.
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   Indra Otsutsuki Indra Otsutsuki is the son of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and the first wielder of the Sharingan (in the manga at least—in the anime, Hagoromo briefly wields it). As the first wielder, he was able to manifest a Susanoo, Amaterasu flames, and a host of other abilities now exclusive to Sharingan users, paving the way for the Uchiha clan’s powerful ocular jutsu.
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   Sarada Uchiha Sarada is the daughter of Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, and as their daughter, she has an especially powerful Sharingan. Her Mangekyo Sharingan grants her the Ohirume ability, which creates up to four black spheres with incredible gravitational force that allows her to levitate, manipulate opponents, and fly at high speeds.

   • On top of being powerful, her Sharingan is particularly unique, as it was awoken through positive emotions and her love for Boruto, rather than the grief or death.
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   Shisui Uchiha Shisui was a powerful member of the Uchiha clan and the best friend of Itachi Uchiha. Like his best friend, he had incredible genjutsu abilities thanks to his Sharingan. His most powerful technique, the Kotoamatsukami, has the ability to put the target into a genjutsu without them even knowing, giving Shisui incredible advantages in battle.
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Section 6 of 6:

Other Dōjutsu from Naruto

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   Rinnegan The Rinnegan is a powerful dōjutsu that’s acquired by recreating the chakra of the Sage of Six Paths. While the abilities granted mostly vary from user to user, each wielder gains incredible chakra and ocular powers upon unlocking it. Some can create planetary boulders, while others can transfer from one point in space to another or control multiple bodies.

   • According to anime expert Ishaan Kaushal, characters can acquire the Rinnegan if they have a specific DNA mixture or if a Rinnegan eyeball is implanted into their body.
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   Byakugan Kaushal says that the Byakugan is kekkei genkai that’s inherited in the Hyuga clan. It grants the wielder incredible ocular abilities, including 360° vision, the power to see across vast distances, X-ray vision, and the ability to detect chakra paths and peer inside of objects. Like other dōjutsu, it originated from the Otsutsuki clan.
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   Rinne-Sharingan Often regarded as the peak of dōjutsu, the Rinne-Sharingan is an extremely rare ability that manifests as a third eye on the wielder’s forehead after they use the power of the Ten Tails. Combining the powers of the Rinnegan and the Sharingan, this jutsu can be used to travel between dimensions, cast worldwide jutsu, see chakra paths, and has tons of other capabilities.

   • The Rinne-Sharingan has only been wielded by two people: Kaguya Otsutsuki and Madara Uchiha.
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   Senrigan The Senrigan is the latest dōjutsu in the series. It’s wielded by Eida, a cyborg who can witness everything happening in the world via its clairvoyance ability. The Senrigan also grants her the ability to view past events from within her lifetime, so long as they’ve occurred in the physical realm.

   • The Senrigan isn’t a standard ninjutsu, it’s actually a shinjutsu. Shinjutsu are the techniques that ninjutsu are based on, and often hail from the Otsutsuki clan.
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