Why is Sasuke's Rinnegan constantly active?

Important takeaways

• Sasuke's Rinnegan is unique with six tomoe, making it superior to others in Naruto.
• His Rinnegan is always active due to being a borrowed power from the Sage of Six Paths.
• Unlike other implanted dojutsu, Sasuke's Rinnegan does not drain chakra, allowing him to keep it visible.

The Naruto the franchise's complex power system has led to all sorts of complications, but the most curious of these relates to dojutsu. As the pinnacle of all power i NarutoDojutsu or ocular techniques are a complex aspect of the series, with each Dojutsu having unique functions. Sasuke's Rinnegan is a prime example of this phenomenon, as his Dojutsu works on some fairly new principles.

Probably the most intriguing obscurity of Sasuke's Rinnegan is its perpetually active state. While most Dojutsu users can voluntarily activate or deactivate their eye techniques, Sasuke's Rinnegan remains permanently active. Also, Sasuke's dojutsu is not technically a transplanted eye, as is usually the case for those who cannot turn off their dojutsu. Still, some reasonable explanations can demystify the reason behind Sasuke's permanently active Rinnegan.

How did Sasuke get his Rinnegan?

Sasuke's Rinnegan is a result of Hagoromo's Chakra

Achieving the Rinnegan has been considered the pinnacle of power within Naruto series. But reaching this peak has several paths, with some being more unorthodox than others. The primary method of awakening the Rinnegan is by acquiring Asura and Indra's chakra, which can only be achieved when the chakra of both their reincarnations are mixed. Only two characters have been able to awaken the Rinnegan through this method i Naruto; Madara and Sasuke.

But even these two characters got the Rinnegan in completely different ways. Madara obtained his Dojutsu by forcefully implanting Hashirama's cells into his body, resulting in Asura and Indra's chakra becoming one. Sasuke, on the other hand, gained his Rinnegan after the Sage of Six Paths gifted him with his chakra. Since a mixture of Asura and Indra's chakra results in Hagoromo's chakra, Sasuke bypassed the process Madara had to go through.

Why Sasuke's Rinnegan is different

Sasuke's Rinnegan is the most unique Dojutsu in Naruto

With Sasuke receiving the Rinnegan directly from Hagoromo, his dojutsu is quite unique. Unlike the rest of the Rinnegan users witnessed throughout Naruto, Sasuke's Rinnegan is the only one to have six tomoe imprinted on the Rinnegan's base design. Since the number of tomoe is a direct indicator of a dojutsu's strength, Sasuke's six tomoe Rinnegan is clearly superior to its counterparts.

But the tomo on the Rinnegan isn't the only quirk of Sasuke's Dojutsu, as it carries another quirk. Unlike Madara's Rinnegan, which can be deactivated, Sasuke's Rinnegan remains constantly active. This becomes even more bizarre given that he can deactivate his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan at will, but his Rinnegan remains active at all times. This dimness of his Rinnegan is one of Naruto's many mysteries, although some speculations can be made that explain this.

Sasuke's Rinnegan is a borrowed power

The Rinnegan cannot be disabled due to its status as a borrowed power

Every character in Naruto who can't turn off their dojutsu is because the technique is a borrowed power, whether it's Nagato and Obito's Rinnegan or Ao's stolen Byakugan. Likewise, Sasuke's Rinnegan is also a sort of borrowed power, as he received it as a power-up directly from the Sage of Six Paths. Instead of awakening the dojutsu himself, like Madara, Sasuke immediately got the Rinnegan in his left eye.

Madara's Rinnegan was awakened over the years, as his body took its time merging the Hashirama cells with its own DNA. This drawn-out process resulted in Madara awakening his Rinnegan in a somewhat more natural process, which in turn allowed him to deactivate the Rinnegan at will. Sasuke's Rinnegan, on the other hand, awakened in a more abrupt manner, as it was given to him by the Sage of Six Paths himself. These events clearly mark his Rinnegan as a borrowed power, meaning that Sasuke can never deactivate his Rinnegan.

Why doesn't Sasuke cover his ever-active Rinnegan?

This explanation begs the question of why Sasuke is not forced to cover his ever-active Rinnegan, since implanted dojutsu is a source of continuous chakra drain. Kakashi is a prime example, a character plagued by his borrowed Sharingan's incessant chakra drain. To combat these effects, Kakashi was forced to cover his ever-active Sharingan with his mask. Fans often believe that Sasuke's Rinnegan is truly his due to the fact that he can keep his dojutsu active without chakra draining.

However, every character with the Rinnegan, whether implanted or awakened, has been able to retain the Rinnegan without losing much chakra. This indicates that the Rinnegan itself does not drain much chakra from its base form, meaning that Sasuke can maintain his base Rinnegan at all times without covering it. Some speculate that Sasuke can consciously keep his Rinnegan active at all times. However, this perception is marred by the fact that Sasuke has been seen deactivating his Eternal Mangeko Sharingan i Boruto several times, but his Rinnegan remains powerfully active at all times.

Naruto is available to stream on Prime Video.