Jeremy enjoys anime when not working as a chemist or building manager.

What are Dōjutsu in Naruto?

Dōjutsu are rare ninja skills that utilize the eyeballs, some being passive effects, others activated abilities. Dōjutsu can be implanted, but are usually attained genetically, often restricting them to a specific family.

While many of their effects deplete chakra, dōjutsu leave the shinobi's hands free, letting them simultaneously use other ninjutsu or martial arts—which reign supreme? These are the ten best dōjutsu in Naruto! Spoilers ahead.

10. Jōgan

User: Boruto Uzumaki

Like many dōjutsu, the Jōgan helps Boruto see chakra, letting him easily track opponents across a battlefield. The enhanced vision helps predict and respond to enemy attacks, and it likely harbors other abilities Boruto has yet to awaken.

9. Shion's Dōjutsu

User: Shion

Shion's unnamed dōjutsu lets her see people's futures. Although Shion believed these visions were set in stone, she eventually learns they can be altered with enough action. The dōjutsu doesn't seem to provide any combat-related abilities, but its power to foresee—and prepare for—the future makes it an invaluable tool.

8. Byakugan

User: Neji Hyūga

Regarded as one of "The Three Great Dōjutsu", the Byakugan grants a nearly- 360º vision, with only a small blind spot at the back of the neck. This lets users witness everything around them and react accordingly. Newcomers can expand its range to around 50 meters, but once mastered, the Byakugan can project over 20 kilometers!

It can also be used aggressively by allowing the user to target enemy chakra points with martial arts, either forcibly opening or sealing them.

7. Ketsuryūgan

User: Chino

The Ketsuryūgan casts genjutsu just by making eye contact; once struck, victims become hypnotized or have their minds probed for information. Ketsuryūgan also enables control of iron and thus blood (think blood-blending in Avatar).

The Ketsuryūgan also highly resembles...

6. Ranmaru's Kekkei Genkai

User: Ranmaru

Similar enough to the Ketsuryūgan that some fans believe them one and the same, Ranmaru's eyes bestow similar hypnotic powers. If that weren't bad enough, they can also negate other dōjutsu, like hiding from the Byakugan's enhanced vision.

5. Sharingan

User: Sasuke Uchiha

The infamous Sharingan bestows two prominent effects: the "Eye of Insight" and "Eye of Hypnotism". The former provides a vision-enhancing power similar to but weaker than the Byakugan, letting Sasuke track opponents, read lips, and see on a microscopic level.

The latter enables a genjutsu ability to plant suggestions into a target's mind. Essentially, the Sharingan mixes and slightly dilutes the effects of the Byakugan and Ketsuryūgan, and it can eventually develop into...

4. Mangekyō Sharingan

User: Madara Uchiha

An advanced version of the standard Sharingan, the Mangekyō awakens after witnessing the death of someone close. In addition to retaining a usual Sharingan's power, the Mangekyō manifests several new abilities that change for each individual.

For instance, Itachi's let him use the time-distorting Tsukuyomi genjutsu, Obito's unlock the dimension-warping Kabui technique, and Sasuke's let him summon Amaterasu's black flames.

3. Rinne Sharingan

User: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

Unleashed by Kaguya (arguably the strongest character in the series), the Rinne offers a standard Sharingan alongside the ability to use Infinite Tsukuyomi, a technique that traps the entire world in an illusion. This awesome power can only be countered by the combination of the nine-tailed beasts' chakra alongside the…

2. Rinnegan

User: Sasuke Uchiha

Hailed as the strongest of the Three Great Dōjutsu, the Rinnegan tracks chakra similarly to the Byakugan. More than that, users gain access to incredible chakra reserves and quickly master any jutsu plus all five nature transformations.

The Rinnegan is also the only dōjutsu able to fully decipher the Sage of Six Paths' stone tablet, containing valuable knowledge about the Mangekyō, Kaguya, and other secrets.

1. Tenseigan

User: Toneri Ōtsutsuki

Introduced in The Last: Naruto the Movie, the piercing-blue Tenseigan forms when an Ōtsutsuki receives the Byakugan of a Hyūga, essentially serving as the Byakugan's final form. It grants control over the moon and apparently some ability to create life; using the Tenseigan, Toneri planned to crash the moon into Earth, then build a new population.

But the technique's strongest ability triggers Tenseigan Chakra Mode—a form roughly on power with Naruto's Sage Mode-boosted Nine-Tails Chakra (letting Toneri pressure perhaps the strongest ninja of all time).

Other Eye Powers in Naruto

Today we examined the ten best dōjutsu, but you'll often see their powers fluctuate between users, especially with the Sharingan, leading to debates over which Mangekyō users reign supreme.

We'll undoubtedly encounter more eye abilities in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, but for now, as we await the franchise's next dōjutsu, vote for your favorite and I'll see you at our next anime countdown!

© 2019 Jeremy Gill