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Kakashi Harake has remained a fan-favorite character throughout theNarutoseries’ run, with his most compelling features being his Sharingan. Known as the Copy Ninja, Kakashi was renowned forhis thousand copied techniques, along with a number of other feats he achieved through the Sharingan. With the Sharingan being such an integral part of Kakashi’s character, it truly came as a surprise when Kishimoto decided to strip Kakashi of his prized dojutsu altogether by the end ofNaruto.
With a major source of his power gone, fans wondered what direction Kakashi would take afterward to make up for the loss of his Sharingan. Kakashi was able to successfully adapt this fighting style by incorporating new techniques into his arsenal, along with making use of his previous battle intellect. With several instances in theBorutoseries, Kakashi has been witnessed to be stronger than ever, even without his sharingan. This feat can be attributed to Kakashi’s long strategic wit and genius intellect, along with a few other tweaks in his arsenal.
Air Date
May 18, 2025
While Kakashi’s Sharingan has remained an iconic part of its characterization for the most part, the very last moments of the Naruto series saw his Sharingan being snatched away from his arsenal. His Mangekyou Sharingan was first stolen by Madara, who plucked out the eye in a mere instant and then used it to access the Kamui Dimension. However, this wasn’t the last instance of Kakashi’s Sharingan. He receivedthe Double Mangekyou Sharinganfrom Obito after he imbued his last remaining chakra into Kakashi before passing away, though it would be more accurate to state that Obito granted Kakashi the eye from the afterlife.
After Obito’s Chakra was entirely used up, the Sharingan vanished from Kakashi’s eyes, leaving him permanently without the Dojutsu. The moment marked a turning point in Kakashi’s character, as he was now left without his trump card and his most powerful asset. Without the Sharingan, Kakashi is unableto use his Raikiri, since the technique causes tunnel vision and unpredictability, an aspect of the power that was controlled by the Sharingan.
However, it’s also worth noting that Kakashi losing his Sharingan holds significant symbolic value, which adds to the overall nuance of the narrative. Since the Sharingan was a gift from Obito, it made sense for the Sharingan to vanish with him. It also symbolizes Kakashi finally losing his friend Obito, with the last remaining piece of him also disappearing alongside his passing. This monumental event further led to Kakashi adapting his fighting style altogether, since he could no longer rely on theSharingan’s prowess in battle.
Reliance On Long-Range Attacks
Kakashi Adapted to a Long-Range Fighting Style to Counter the Loss Of His Sharingan
After the loss of his Sharingan, Kakashi Hatake had to improvise and adapt his fighting style to make up for the disadvantage of losing his strongest asset. Since Kakashi would primarily use close combat in the form of his Raikiri, he could no longer use the same fighting style again due to the Raikiri’s reliance on the Sharingan’s powers. With the Sharingan now gone, Kakashi was forced to adapt a medium to long-range combat style. This primarily involved using jutsu and techniques that can target the enemy from a longer distance.
While Kakashi never exactly had any specific jutsu for this purpose,he developed Purple Lightning, a derivative technique of the Raikiri, to make up for the loss of his Sharingan. With Purple Lightning, Kakashi can strike his enemies from a distance at pinpoint accuracy without relying on the movement-tracing abilities of the Sharingan. Moreover, his Purple Electricity technique doubles as a close-range jutsu as well, as he can simply manifest Purple Electricity in his arms and strike at his opponents from a short distance. Kakashi was witnessed using this technique in his fight against Koji Koshin in the Boruto series, where he simply manifested Purple Lightning in his hands to strike Koji Koshin’s Shadow Clone.
In some ways, Purple Lightning seems more akin to a rebrand of the Raikiri, albeit one that has more proficiency as a long-range attack. The technique works on almost similar principles, with Kakashi even using the jutsusimilar to Chidori Current, allowing him to exude purple electricity from all over his body. Purple Lightning can also be imbued into a weapon, such as a katana, making it the perfect technique for both short and long-range attacks.
Kakashi Adopted a More Team-Centered Fighting Style
The Loss Of Kakashi’s Sharingan Forced Him to Rely More on His Allies
While this change in Kakashi’s fighting style is rather subtle, it’s worth mentioning that throughout theNarutoseries, Kakashi had a more solo approach to his battles. From hisinitial battle with Zabuzato his latter fights inShippuden, such as his faceoff with Itachi or Pain, Kakashi relied more on himself and his own powers, which was only possible due to his Mangekyou Sharingan and Raikiri.
Without two of his strongest powers, however, Kakashi is now forced to rely on those around him more often. Apart from his skirmish with Koji Kashin, Kakashi Hatake has mostly been witnessed fighting in unison with his allies throughout most of Boruto, something that wasn’t quite apparent in the Naruto series. It’s worth mentioning that he did take on a more team-centered approach in theFourth Great Ninja War, though this was due to the nature of the battle.
Even during the war, his solo battles are much more memorable, such as his one-on-one battle against Obitoinside the Kamui dimension. With his Sharingan no longer in his possession, this aspect of his fighting style has changed drastically. This subtle change reflects not only a change in his fighting style, but also growth in his character, as he is now forced to rely more on his teammates, something that he struggled to do from his early days as a genin.
Higher Endurance and Chakra
Kakashi Is No Longer Limited By the Sharingan’s Constant Chakra Drainage
It’s a common notion that Kakashi losing his Sharingan led to him being weaker than before. However, this is far from the truth, as Kakashi has grown even stronger than he was before, despite losing the Sharingan. This can be attributed to hishigher endurance and chakra reservesafter the Sharingan was no longer in his possession. Since Kakashi is not an Uchiha, his body is not accustomed to the Sharingan’s extreme chakra requirements.
Moreover, his perpetually active Sharingan drained an even larger reserve of his chakra, leaving him incapacitated after minimalusage of the Dojutsu. With the dojutsu no longer in his possession, Kakashi has a much higher chakra reserve and considerably more endurance, allowing him to last much longer in battle without the debilitating effects of using his Sharingan abilities. In some respects, this change in Kakashi’s overall arsenal may have even made him stronger, since his only weakness in theNarutoseries was his constant chakra drainage and lack of endurance.
