The eye has significant meaning in South and East Asian folklore. As such, superpowers and abilities being tied to a character's eyesight is a favorite trope featured throughout Japanese anime. Shonen series are particularly fond of giving magical eyes to both heroes and villains. As such, more than a few anime eye powers have proven to be deadly weapons over the years.

Anime characters are known for their highly expressive eyes, and in certain anime series, looks really can kill. Many anime heroes and villains alike have supernatural gifts related to their eyes, often to see things that others cannot perceive. Further, their eyeballs might cast magic spells, control other people, or even view the future before it happens. There are just so many possibilities that we've whittled them down to the most powerful choices out there.

Updated on February 7, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Dozens of anime characters with special ocular powers have become fan favorites, and keeping track of them all helps any anime fan realize just how diverse the seemingly niche field of eye-based abilities can really be. We've updated this list to review some of the best anime eye powers with up-to-date information so fans can learn why seeing really is believing in every sense.

20 Ciel Phantomhive's Faustian Eye Is A Potent Demonic Symbol

Black Butler

Ciel Phantomhive with his faustian eye exposed in Black Butler

Eye Abilities

Symbolic power

Demonic wish-granting

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While Ciel of Black Butler's marked eye isn't powerful in and of itself, it's a potent symbol. The marked eye is proof of Ciel's contract with the demon known as Sebastian, whose dangerous abilities and charm Ciel utilizes as a means to avenge his family. Ciel keeps his eye hidden not to contain its power but to keep this contract and his true intentions secret. Deeper Black Butler lore explains that the Faustian contract may appear anywhere on the body and absolutely bind the human and demon together.

The human is totally unable to escape the demon's reach. In return, the demon may never lie to the human and must obey orders that begin with "I command you." In fact, these summoned demons are capable of providing a wide range of services, effectively granting the wish of the summoner. That said, the end of the Faustian contract allows the demon to take the summoner's soul.

19 Ryuk's Shinigami Eyes Can Perceive Anyone's Name And Lifespan

Death Note

Eye Abilities

Name & Lifespan apprehension

Super Vision

In Death Note, the villainous Light Yagami decided to never accept Ryuk's deal to get Shinigami eyes, though some fans can still see the appeal. In exchange for half of one's remaining lifespan, a human may get Shinigami eyes to see the name and lifespan of anyone in their visual vicinity. This ability is otherwise restricted to the Shinigami, who rarely offer this deal in the first place.

Light didn't make that deal, but several other characters did, including his lover, Misa Amane, and even his own father, Soichiro. In fact, Misa made that deal twice, first with Rem and then with Ryuk, implying that she may have very little time left to live. That said, she clearly thought it was worth it. While there are minor drawbacks with the Shinigami eyes, humans using them are blessed with extremely superior vision, far beyond the standard range of 20/20.

18 Viola's Glare-Glare Fruit Can Easily Observe Faraway Events

One Piece

Viola is using her Devil Fruit in One Piece

Eye Abilities

Peeping Mind

Senrigan

One Piece's Devil Fruit system has granted countless characters completely unique abilities. The Glare-Glare Fruit, for example, is possibly one of the most underrated support Devil Fruits in One Piece. The fruit offers its users an array of abilities that all revolve around the eyes. After eating this Devil Fruit, Viola gained the ability to observe distant objects, as far as 2,500 miles away.

She also gained some telepathic tendencies and the ability to attack an enemy directly using her eyes alone. Further, Viola can even see events taking place behind solid objects. This made her incredibly useful to the Straw Hat pirates and their allies when the final battle for Dressrosa began one fateful afternoon. Viola probably has one of the most impressive anime eye powers out there, especially since she can also spawn literal whales from her teardrops.

17 Evergreen's Stone Eyes Can Petrify Almost Anyone

Fairy Tail

Evergreen is staring at someone offscreen in Fairy Tail

Eye Ability

Instant Petrification

Evergreen's unique brand of magic in Fairy Tail is called Stone Eyes. As the name suggests, her eyes were evidently inspired by the petrification ability wielded by Medusa of lore. The petrification effects, however, aren't as absolute as an opponent might fear. For example, they can be bypassed simply by wearing protective glasses.

At the same time, anyone petrified by Evergreen's Stone Eyes and then ignored will eventually become gravel and dust. One major drawback of this power is that it can be unstable at times, making it risky when there are allies around. Evergreen's Stone Eyes ability has immense potential, though she only rarely uses it for positive outcomes. Under Laxus Dreyar's orders, Evergreen turns several Fairy Tail guild members to stone to take them hostage.

16 Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes Allow Him To Specialize His Nen

Hunter x Hunter

Eye Abilities

Specialization Nen

Emperor Time

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In Hunter x Hunter, Kurapika's eyes are a constant reminder of the torment experienced by his beloved Kurta Clan. While the Scarlet Eyes do enhance Kurapika's strength and focus once he becomes enraged, the eyes of his family were harvested as curiosities in the past. In fact, due to their radiant color, the Scarlet Eyes were long sought after by cruel treasure hunters. Eventually, all of the Kurta Clan was massacred so the Phantom Troupe could obtain their precious eyes.

Only Kurapika still remains alive, his eyes red and furious as he seeks to avenge his murdered kinsfolk. After gaining the ability to use Nen, Kurapika develops a technique known as Emperor Time. This can only be used when the Scarlet Eyes are active, but it also impacts the user's lifetime. Nevertheless, Emperor Time is potent enough to give Kurapika an advantage over physically stronger enemies.

15 Yoki's Ginko Of The Tokoyami Can View And Draw Various Mushi

Mushishi

Ginko of Mushishi with his hand on his face in a forest

Eye Ability

Mushi Perception

Possibly more a curse than a blessing, Yoki/Ginko of Mushishi is named after the same mushi that infected him as a child. After being engulfed by the Tokoyami, 11-year-old Yoki's hair becomes white. This infection also blacked out one of his eyes but gave him the ability to see mushi forever thereafter with his new green eye.

Unfortunately, mushi are now drawn to Ginko and his eye, and he must live a nomadic existence or risk causing trouble if he ever lingers in any one place for too long. As people are terrified of mushi despite their relative innocence, Ginko spends most of his time trying to understand everything about these mysterious and wonderful creatures. Most importantly, however, Ginko's green eye helps give the story structure, the protagonist a defined purpose, and the audience a fantastic gem of a series.

14 Wrath's Ultimate Eye Can Foresee His Opponent's Moves

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Wrath and his red eye in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Eye Abilities

High detail apprehension

Combat move prediction

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's Wrath, publicly known as King Bradley, is a deadly fighter who benefits greatly from having the Ultimate Eye. Through it, Bradley can foresee opponents' movements and react accordingly. As such, his already masterful swordsmanship becomes legendary, allowing him to cut down practically anyone in his path. His Ultimate Eye is the reason he was able to defeat the original Greed so easily. It's almost like the Sharingan from Naruto, minus the Mangekyo part.

Wrath's left eye has the Ouroboros tattoo on it, though he tends to keep that hidden in his daily life. He was born human, but was eventually injected with a small Philosopher's Stone. This experiment morphed his left eye into its current form, forever marking Wrath as a supernatural being of immense power. Very few anime eyes are as impressive as Wrath's Ultimate Eye.

13 Leo's All-Seeing Eyes Of God Can See Hidden Truths And The Future

Kekkai Sensen

Leo's All-Seeing Eyes Of God in Kekkai Sensen

Eye Abilities

Plain Eyeballs

Vision Transmission

Kekkai Sensen is a show that's not afraid to be different. New York has blended with another dimension, aliens and monsters are denizens of the city, and the characters are far from ordinary people. Among them is Leo, who boasts a pair of eyes that make him a prized target. That said, he only obtains them because his own sister loses her vision.

Leo hosts the All-Seeing Eyes of God, which allow him to perceive hidden truths and sometimes even visions of the past and future. He can also see through the eyes of other people. The All-Seeing Eyes can even be used to project hallucinations and false visions into the sight of outsiders, often to devastating effect. The level of perceivable detail with these eyes is also extraordinary, not to mention their potential for self-healing.

12 Aizawa's Erasure Can Negate Every Other Quirk In Existence

My Hero Academia

Eye Ability

Quirk nullification

In My Hero Academia, Erasure is an eye-based Quirk that allows the Pro Hero Shota Aizawa/Eraserhead to temporarily cancel the Quirk of a target located within his field of vision. More importantly, Erasure's effects remain even if the target later leaves Eraserhead's field of view. Though incapable of directly dealing damage to the said target, the effects are still profound and almost omnipotent in most scenarios.

Aizawa supplements the usage of his Quirk with advanced martial skills for maximum efficiency. After tedious trial and error, Aizawa eventually uses this Quirk to help him become one of the most formidable heroes in MHA. There's no doubt that Aizawa has one of the strongest eyes in anime. Having lost one of his eyes, however, Aizawa has become considerably weaker than before, forcing him to rely on students like Neito Monoma.

11 Neji Hyuga's Byakugan Helps Locate And Strike The Opponent's Chakra Points

Naruto

Neji Hyuga using Byakugan in Naruto

Eye Abilities

Chakra location

360 degree vision

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One of the best anime eyes, Byakugan is an eye technique exclusive to members of the Hyuga Clan in Naruto. The term "Byakugan" roughly translates to the all-seeing eye. Members of the Hyuga Clan are able to see across vast distances and sometimes see right through walls and objects, though the Byakugan is also useful up close. It also gives him nearly 360-degree vision, as opposed to the standard 200-degree field of view available to ordinary humans.

In melee battles, Hyuga ninjas like Neji Hyuga can use the Byakugan to locate the opponent's chakra points and strike them with great precision. Naruto fans saw that for themselves in the Chunin Exam arc when Neji struck all of Naruto's chakra points, one after the other. Neji even gained greater mastery over the Byakugan, increasing his range of view significantly over time.

10 Lelouch's Geass Has The Ability To Control People's Minds

Code Geass

Lelouch Lamperouge with his geass eye in Code Geass

Eye Ability

Conditional mind control

Code Geass is a famous science fiction anime that mostly focuses on politics and futuristic warfare, though the series still has room for fantasy-style elements. One of them is protagonist Lelouch Lamperouge's signature ability, the Geass, which appears in his left eye. Geass grants Lelouch the ability to control people's minds, an ability known as "The Power of Absolute Obedience."

However, there are several conditions that need to be met before he can exploit the Geass, such as verbal commands, eye contact, and a limited range of effect. Eventually, Lelouch uses this ability to subjugate his enemies and establish himself as a supreme leader. Aside from the Geass, Lelouch can also use his formidable intellect to stay ahead of his opponents and advance his plans.

9 Sasuke's Sharingan Comes With A Range Of Phenomenal Abilities

Naruto

Sasuke awakens his Mangekyo Sharingan in Naruto

Eye Abilities

Eye of Insight

Eye of Hypnotism

Sharingan is the Uchiha Clan's signature eye, which was first awoken during the Uchiha Clan Downfall when he was only seven years old. Unlike the Byakugan, which exists only in one state, the Sharingan can evolve into a wide variety of forms based on the user's individual experiences. For example, Sasuke's relationship with the Sharingan will be different than that of his brother.

While most Uchiha Clan members only manage to awaken the basic form of Sharingan throughout their lifetimes, the Mangekyo Sharingan and Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan are rare cases that are only awakened a handful of times during Naruto. Both these techniques are among the most powerful eyes in anime, being capable of using both Amaterasu and Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi. Furthermore, the Mangekyo Sharingan allows Sasuke to spawn a massive Complete Body - Susanoo.

8 Zommari Rureaux's Brujería Can Take Control Of Whatever They See

Bleach

Zommari Rureaux using Brujeria in Bleach

Eye Abilities

Amor

El Embrion

Bleach's combat system supports an astonishing variety of powers, including the eye-based power of Zommaru Rureaux, the 7th Espada. In his one and only fight, Zommari first demonstrated his extreme speed with the Gemelos Sonido move, then released his Resurreción Brujería. In his released form, Zommari can open the enchanted eyes all over his body to take control of whatever they see, such as the enemy's arms and legs, or even their head.

Although he could defeat an exhausted Rukia, Zommari fared quite badly after challenging her elder brother Byakuya. The 7th Espada revealed two unique techniques, Amor and El Embrion, both of which managed to keep the Shinigami Captain on his toes for some time. However, Zommari ultimately lost the fight against Byakuya Kuchiki, however, implying that he doesn't have the strongest eyes in anime.

7 Sir Nighteye's Foresight Offers Near-Flawless Visions Of The Future

My Hero Academia

Sir Nighteye using Future Sight with blood on the side of his face in MHA

Eye Ability

Future Prediction

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Sir Nighteye is a sharply-dressed Pro Hero who bears the Quirk Foresight, a powerful and unique ability by any measure. Using Foresight allows Sir Nighteye can see the future as though watching reels of film, typically through the eyes of a target he's made physical and eye contact with. While Nighteye's ability does have limitations in My Hero Academia, such as only being able to use it once a day, the visions he sees are supposed to be perfectly accurate.

This means he recognizes the future as a terrifying, unmoving object, and he has to deal with that disconcerting notion for years. Then again, his prediction that Deku would die failed when the young hero managed to defeat Overhaul, showing that Nighteye's Foresight has limitations. On the other hand, some fans argue that Eri's Rewind Quirk might have played havoc with the timeline, explaining Foresight's failure.

6 Nagato's Rinnegan Is The Pinnacle Of Strength And Rarity

Naruto

Nagato with his Rinnegan eyes in Naruto

Eye Abilities

Chakra apprehension

Seal shattering

The Rinnegan is an eye with godlike power. This eye is the very definition of overpowered, and it seems almost unfair even in a series where many villains already feel way too stacked. Even a taboo like the revival of the dead is nothing but a hitch for the Rinnegan. In the wide universe established by Naruto, the Rinnegan stands as the pinnacle of strength and rarity.

Only an iconic villain like Pain can bring out the very best of the Rinnegan, though other characters have also been known to use it, such as Sasuke and Madara Uchiha. In fact, it seems that Pain's diverse ninjutsu skillset is related to his Rinnegan. In addition, this eye offers him the ability to exploit every single one of the Six Paths Techniques, as well as providing access to the Preta Path, the Deva Path, the Naraka Path, the Asura Path, and the Animal Path.

5 Gojo's Six Eyes Allow Him To Fully Exploit His Limitless Technique

Jujutsu Kaisen

Eye Abilities

Cursed Energy Manipulation

Flawless Vision

Jujutsu Kaisen features the popular hero Satoru Gojo, an exorcist and the inheritor of the Six Eyes, an ability that appears once every few centuries and is limited to members of the Gojo bloodline. The Six Eyes allows Gojo to utilize his Limitless technique to its fullest extent. While this may sound like babble to those unfamiliar with the show, this is actually a stunning ability since it lets him redefine reality.

By using his eyes to reshape reality, Gojo can distort time and space within the confines of a pocket universe. Gojo wields this incredible power skillfully, and he is unlikely to ever face any opponent who can outwit the power of those omnipotent anime eyes. The Six Eyes can perceive the movements of Cursed Energy, allowing Gojo to read his enemies' moves well in advance. Most interestingly, however, Gojo can see through the Six Eyes even when they're blindfolded.

4 Yahaba's Koketsu Arrow Can Throw Items And People Around

Demon Slayer

Yahaba smirks while using his Koketsu Arrow in Demon Slayer.

Eye Ability

Arrow manifestation & control

In Demon Slayer's first season, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado and his sister Nezuko had a 2-v-2 battle against the aggressive, ball-throwing demon Susamaru and her partner, Yahaba. The latter never opens his actual eyes, but he does use special eyes on his palms to fight. Yahaba is known as the Arrow Demon because his special eyes have arrows for irises.

With this Blood Demon Art known as Koketsu Arrow, Yahaba can throw items and people around with magical arrows. He can disrupt his enemies' movements that way, or even bolster Susamaru's own style. More importantly, he can produce any number of arrows at a given time. Yahaba might be weak, but he has one of the strongest eyes in anime. That said, he stood no chance against an enraged Tanjiro Kamado.

3 Hiei's Jagan Eye Can Summon The Dragon Of The Darkness Flame

Yu Yu Hakusho

Eye Abilities

Jaganshi Form

Dragon of the Darkness Flame

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Yu Yu Hakusho's Hiei is referred to as the Jaganshi, or Master of the Evil Eye. Although he doesn't have this power at birth, Hiei later obtains the Jagan through a highly complex and magical surgery. The Jagan gives him the opportunity to exercise a range of fantastic techniques, such as deleting memories, telekinesis, and making telepathic links.

Hiei's greatest technique, the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, would have been an uncontrollable mess without the Jagan's near-flawless guidance. At one point, the Dragon of the Darkness Flame frows strong enough to grapple with Mukuro herself, a testament to the Jagan Eye's overwhelming power. Furthermore, Hiei can access the so-called Jaganshi form, transforming him into a green monster with some of the most powerful eyes in anime.

2 Pegasus' Millennium Eye Can Comb Through The Recesses Of A Target's Mind

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Pegasus reveals his Millennium Eye in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Eye Abilities

Mind Reading

Illusion casting

Yu-Gi-Oh!'s Maximillion Pegasus begins his character arc as a major villain, but eventually atones for his mistakes. He obtains the Millennium Eye, one of the Millennium Items that people have been hunting for thousands of years. Maximillion notices his dead wife upon receiving this power, explaining why he exploits the Millennium Eye as much as possible.

The Millennium Eye can essentially comb through the darkest recesses of a target's mind, giving Maximillion the upper edge in most battles. In addition, this special eye is capable of perceiving secret memories, spawning illusions, triggering Shadow Games, and sensing hidden spirits. Although this doesn't happen in the anime adaptation, the manga version states that any Millennium Eye user would be granted a single wish.

1 Yhwach's Almighty Can Pick And Choose The Most Suitable Future

Bleach

Yhwach introduces himself in Bleach

Eye Abilities

Future timeline control

Absolute Precognition

Yhwach is the most powerful character in Bleach, arguably stronger than the protagonist himself. While he doesn't have access to the Almighty at the beginning of the Thousand-Year Blood War, he wouldn't have won the fight against Ichibei Hyosube without activating his omniscient eyesight. Yhwach's single iris splits into three, allowing him to perceive every possible future imaginable.

If this isn't overpowered enough, he can also cherry-pick the least threatening future and make it a reality. This is what happened when Ichigo released his final Bankai — Yhwach was so terrified that he quickly manifested a future in which Tensa Zangetsu was broken. Yhwach later gains dozens of eye-like organs on his body after absorbing the Soul King, making the villain effectively invincible. He would have unquestionably won the final battle had it not been for Aizen, Uryu, Renji, and Ichigo working together.