Naruto: Obito’s Mangekyo Sharingan may not be a plot hole

Obito’s Mangekyo Sharingan is controversial among Naruto fans for being riddled with plot holes. However, there’s a valid reason why he can use it without facing the side effects.

Despite being a Shonen classic, Naruto is riddled with plot holes. Whether it is something related to the heroes or the villains, Naruto leaves behind dozens of questions that fans never get the answers for.

One of these plot holes is the Mangekyo Sharingan, one of the legendary powers in the series. It is an advanced form of Sharingan that can only be activated by talented Uchiha who have witnessed a traumatic event. 

However, the constant use of this power results in the loss of eyesight, and yet, Obito somehow overcame that weakness. Fans always believe it’s another one of the series’ plot holes, but there’s a reasonable explanation. 

The major drawback of using Mangekyo Sharingan in Naruto

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The price of using such a terrifying power is loss of eyesight. The series never clearly mentions how long it takes for the user to lose their eyesight. Therefore, it may depend on the user’s innate talent or the number of times they use it.

Itachi had this power for almost eight years, and it did affect his eyesight. Over that time, he gradually began losing his vision until he went nearly blind. Had he been alive for a few more days or months, he would have gone completely blind.

On the other hand, Sasuke only used Mangekyo Sharingan for a short while, but it was enough to completely ruin his eyesight. In the end, he had no choice but to transplant Itachi’s eyes and gain Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. However, Obito’s Mangekyo Sharingan had no side effects despite using it for over fifteen years. 

Why wasn’t Obito’s eyesight affected?

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Obito gained his Mangekyo Sharingan during the Third Great Shinobi War along with Kakashi Hatake, who had his right eye. Comparing that time to the time of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Obito had been in possession of this power for over 15 years.

Furthermore, unlike Sasuke and Itachi, Obito constantly used this power for transportation. Obito’s Kamui has been in continuous use since the day he awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Some of its most significant uses occurred during Obito’s fight with Konan and Minato and during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Therefore, the only reasonable explanation behind Obito not going blind is his unique body composition.

When a boulder entirely crushed his left side, Madara used Hashirama’s cells to replace the missing body parts. As Naruto fans are aware, Hashirama’s cells have unique healing abilities.

Throughout the series, Hashirama’s cells have impacted countless lives, depending on how they’re used. Considering that the cells merged with Obito’s body, it is highly likely that they delayed the side effects of the Mangekyo Sharingan, allowing him to use it infinitely.

Naruto can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll. In the meantime, check out our other anime coverage below:

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