The Most Iconic Anime Eyes

Highlights

• Japanese artists create iconic anime eyes that are exaggerated and serve as memorable traits for characters.
• Saitama’s deadpan stares in One-Punch Man add comedic value, making them an iconic part of the show.
• Unique eye techniques like the Jogan in Boruto and the Kakugan in Tokyo Ghoul hold significant power and visual appeal.

The designs of many anime characters have become iconic for a whole host of reasons. Everything from outlandish outfits to crazy scars has led to many anime characters to become the most recognizable parts of their respective series. Of course, it would be impossible to talk about the recognizable physical traits of anime characters without mentioning their larger-than-life eyes. Eyes in anime are almost always exaggerated and are typically the most striking aspect of a character’s appearance.

More often than not, these eyes are pretty massive and make their roots pretty clear, with Japanese artists often leaning heavily toward making anime characters have the most noticeable and memorable eyes around. This trope has been lampooned quite a bit by people who don’t understand what anime is all about, and understandably so, but it’s still hard to deny how cool anime eyes can be in certain shows.

Updated on August 1, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Character design in anime can go down some wild routes, with fans loving the idea of enjoying how their favorite anime characters look regardless of what they’re doing. These unique character designs are always fun to look at, and many fans love the idea of their favorite characters having eyes that are unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. The coolest anime eyes either serve a purpose, hint at a character’s potential, or just become an iconic part of their character design that viewers will love looking at time and time again.

18 Saitama’s Deadpan Stare

Contributes To The Hilarity Of One-Punch Man

One-Punch Man is one of the most popular anime of all time, even if the gap between seasons has been so long that fans have been left salivating for new content. Saitama’s adventures are a blast to witness firsthand, and fans can’t wait to see what later seasons of the show have on offer, especially for those who are up-to-date with the anime and want to see some of the best fights in the series be adapted after an agonizingly long wait.

The comedy in this series is a huge reason why so many people love it, with Saitama’s deadpan stares becoming an iconic part of the experience. To call it one of the coolest anime eyes would be a stretch, but the protagonist’s gaze will always elicit a laugh from viewers and help the comedy of this title stand out even more in the eyes of many.

17 The Iconic Green Super Saiyan Eyes

A Saiyan’s Eye Color Changes To Green When They Transform

One of the coolest anime eyes of all time that accompanies an iconic transformation, the green-hued eyes of a Super Saiyan are intimidating to look at whenever these fighters transform to lay waste to their enemies. Goku’s icy glare sent chills down the spine of both Frieza and fans lucky enough to witness the moment he transformed into a Super Saiyan for the first time.

These green eyes may have been replaced as the Saiyan transformations changed colors, but that doesn’t take anything away from the iconic green eyes and how they continue to enthrall fans whenever this form is accessed in Dragon Ball. These green eyes will continue to be one of the most recognizable parts of a transformation that is amazing to witness no matter how many times it’s pulled off over the course of Dragon Ball.

16 Mob’s Unemotional Gaze

Shows How Hard It Is For This Character To Experience Emotions

Mob Psycho 100 is a short and sweet anime series that fans loved for how it portrayed psychic powers, with the protagonist adding to the series’ unique nature. Mob himself tries to go through life without relying on his psychic powers, especially since his emotions get the better of him and make him lose control over and over again. This causes him to recede into his shell, unable to fathom the depth of his psyche.

By repressing his emotions, Mob’s stare is usually pretty unemotional and does a good job of hiding his true nature. His stone-cold eyes are incredibly cool to look at because of how much power is hidden behind them. Whenever Mob’s emotions peak, they lead to some of the greatest moments in the series that have established Mob Psycho 100 as one of the best shonen anime that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

15 The Control Devil’s Eyes

Hypnotic Eyes That Hint Towards Makima’s True Nature

Chainsaw Man‘s twelve episodes may have been a bit too brief for one’s liking, but there’s no denying that people were more than invested in what is easily one of the most unique shonen anime of all time. The characters in this series have become pretty iconic in their own right, with Makima being an obvious mention.

Fans of the manga are well aware of the fact that Makima is the Control Devil, with her eyes being a dead giveaway. Given the events that have transpired in the manga, it’s clear that the Control Devil will play a major role in Chainsaw Man for quite some time indeed.

14 The Foresight Quirk

Lets Nighteye Predict The Future With Relative Accuracy

Sir Nighteye was a pretty unique character in My Hero Academia, with his presence elevating the stakes during the arc where the heroes initiated an operation to take out Endeavor and save Eri from his abuse. One of Nighteye’s students, he parted ways with his mentor after finding out that he was going to pass on his powers to a Quirkless child instead of Mirio, who was seemingly groomed for the role.

His Foresight Quirk let him predict the future, assuring him that there was always a way to defeat a villain no matter how much the odds were stacked against him. Unfortunately, this reliance on his Quirk sowed the seeds of doubt that led to his demise. After seeing no hope against Endeavor, Nighteye lost his cool and was impaled by Endeavor’s powerful Quirk. Despite everyone’s best efforts, the man and his powers faded away after a tearful farewell. His purple eyes looked stylish, and it’s a shame that they were only featured in a solitary arc.

13 The Attack Titan

A Terrifying Gaze That Struck Fear In The Heart Of Marleyans

For the first three seasons, no one could’ve assumed that the Attack Titan’s eyes would be special in any way. After all, Eren was a classic shonen protagonist who would always strive to do the right thing, and this translates to his Titan form that went berserk a few times early on before he managed to control his powers. However, in Season 4, things changed in a way that no one could’ve expected.

The assault on Liberio was a turning point in Eren’s life, repeating the events of Shiganshina as he transformed into the Attack Titan as a declaration of war and killed numerous innocents in cold blood. There’s a shot where Eren gobbles up Willy Tybur before looking at the crowd, and his sadistic gaze makes it clear that he is taking no prisoners. It’s one of the more sinister shots of the Attack Titan in all of Attack on Titan.

12 Jogan

A Mysterious Eye Technique Unique To The Otsutsuki’s

Boruto is a series that is hated by many since it feels like an unnecessary continuation of a story that should’ve ended with Naruto’s final confrontation against Sasuke. Instead, while the idea of witnessing an age of peace was pretty engaging in its own right, fans hated Boruto as a protagonist for being a crybaby despite having everything handed on a silver platter to him.

However, Boruto does go through his fair share of strife, including the link he shares with the Otsutsuki after receiving the powers of the Jogan. This mysterious eye technique has a suite of powers, and Boruto has finally attained the means to activate this ability at will after the time skip. It can perceive the flow of chakra and has predictive abilities that will allow Boruto to reach greater heights of power as the series unfolds.

11 Jagan

The Evil Eye That Requires A Ton Of Demon Energy

Before working on the critically acclaimed Hunter X Hunter, Togashi penned another iconic shonen manga that became all the rage early on before the mangaka’s lack of belief in his own work translated into a poorly-paced final arc, discarding everything that was carefully built up in the series for a hasty conclusion that allowed him to take a break from penning manga to focus on his inner strife. Despite this disappointing ending, YuYu Hakusho is still a brilliant series that deserves a ton of praise.

One of the best characters in the series is Hiei, a cynical being who initially appears as an antagonist before becoming a major part of the four-man group that bands together to tackle the many threats that come their way. This character implants himself with the Jagan to prepare for the Dark Tournament, unleashing the full power of this third eye when he summoned the Dragon of the Darkness Flame to completely obliterate his foe in no time at all.

10 The Byakugan

The Kekkei Genkai Of The Hyuga Clan

The Byakugan is one of the most powerful eye techniques in Naruto. It has been described to be superior to the Sharingan despiite the latter having more powers over the course of the series. However, many fans of Naruto understand just how powerful and impressive the Byakugan is, with its importance rearing its head in the movies and a new show released after the events of Naruto.

It helps that the design of the Byakugan is pretty visually striking and memorable. These clear-white eyes remain dormant until the full potential of the Byakugan is activated, following which the veins near the user’s eyes pop out in a pretty remarkable fashion. The Byakugan is a pretty intensive visual jutsu that has become a staple of Naruto, a series that is known for featuring eyes with incredible powers.

9 The Erasure Quirk

Aizawa Can Nullify Someone’s Quirk Temporarily

Quirks can take on various forms and shapes in My Hero Academia, but one of the most visually memorable ones featured in the anime is Shota Aizawa’s Erasure Quirk, which is one of the simplest yet best powers in the entire series.

Given how much both heroes and villains rely on their Quirks in My Hero Academia, it’s easy to see why losing one’s Quirk for even a few seconds can prove to be so debilitating. Aizawa’s eyes look especially cool when pulling this Quirk off, shining a bright red and leaving a streak of color if he’s in motion while using the same.

8 The Sharingan

The Kekkei Genkai Of The Uchiha Clan

Naruto is the first thing that comes to the mind of many people whenever the topic of anime eyes is discussed. After all, there’s a reason why people who aren’t even remotely familiar with anime still know about the look and iconic nature of the Sharingan.

These powerful eyes helped the Uchiha become one of the strongest clans around. While this clan was annihilated in one of the darkest moments of Naruto’s timeline, the surviving members have still done a great job of proving time and time again why this eye power is so amazing.

7 Brock

Two Simple Yet Charming Lines

In a medium where pretty much every character has exaggerated eyes of their own, it’s odd that one of Brock’s defining visual characteristics is that his eyes don’t show at all.

This comic relief character is quite a pervert, but his comedic nature and surprising competency in battle still make him a fan favorite. It helps that his drying pan comment has become one of the most hilarious lines in the Pokemon anime history as well.

6 The Geass

Unique Powers That Differ From Person To Person

Code Geass is one of the greatest anime of all time. Viewers shouldn’t be fooled by this anime being a part of the mecha genre, as the multi-layered story and great social commentary are what place Code Geass in a class of its own.

Each character has their own version of Geass powers that are activated mainly through their eyes. The intricacies and well-thought-out nature of these powers are what make Geass one of the most riveting parts of the show time and time again.

5 Shinigami Eyes

Lets Users See The Name And Lifespan Of People At The Cost Of A Halvened Lifespan

Death Note sees two of the best anime characters of all time in a battle of logic and wits that is simply incredible in more ways than one. The ritual Death Notes are owned by Shinigami, who can only be seen once somebody touches their Death Note, and these Gods of Death are easily one of the best parts of Death Note by a country mile.

A rather interesting power afforded by the Shinigami is letting other humans have their eyes in exchange for a contact that shaves away half of their lifespan. This lets users see the name and lifespan of everyone around them, which is pretty useful for a person who uses the Death Note for nefarious purposes.

4 The Six Eyes

A Technique Unique To The Gojo Family

The Gojo family has an ocular jujutsu that is unique in their bloodline and one of the most powerful abilities in the series as well. This ability is so powerful that Satoru Gojo has to keep his eyes hidden at almost all times, with the powerful sorcerer only whipping this ability out when completely necessary.

It helps that this Six Eyes ability looks downright gorgeous in the anime adaptation of Jujutsu Kaisen. Watching Gojo pull this ability off is a visual spectacle that further hammers home just how big the power gap is between Gojo and the rest of the jujutsu sorcerers.

3 The Twelve Kizuki

Each Demon Has Their Rank Imprinted On Their Eye

Demon Slayer has exploded in popularity in recent years, courtesy of Ufotable’s incredible adaptation. The animation is simply in a class of its own, and the eyes of the Twelve Kizuki look extremely alluring and intimidating at the same time.

The members of the Upper-Rank Kizuki are especially daunting, and seeing the rank appear in their eyes never ceases to be fear-inducing for both the Demon Slayer Corps and the viewers themselves. Thankfully, with the deaths of Daki and Gyutaro, it seems that the Demon Slayers finally have what it takes to defeat these powerful threats once and for all.

2 The Kakugan

A Distinct Ocular Phenomenon Seen In Ghouls

It’s a shame that Tokyo Ghoul failed to live up to the massive expectations set by its first season. Tokyo Ghoul:re rushed through its source material at a blinding pace, and the mere mention of Tokyo Ghoul √A makes the blood of many fans boil due to the liberties it takes with the source material.

That being said, the excellent base of Tokyo Ghoul still makes it a great manga to read for many fans. The visual appeal of the Kakugan is excellent, with Ken Kaneki shining in his lead role as the One-Eyed Ghoul.

1 The Rinnegan

The Strongest Of The Three Great Dojutsu

Dojutsu plays a key role in Naruto time and time again. The Sharingan has already received the praise it deserves, and the fact that the most powerful villains in Naruto actively sought out the Rinnegan makes the most powerful dojutsu in the series earn its mention on this list.

Aside from augmenting a user’s power, the Rinnegan also grants access to the Six Paths Technique. It’s a truly powerful dojutsu that, when combined with the Sharingan, forms the all-powerful Rinne-Sharingan.