As much as I love Byakugan, it was irrelevant for Orochimaru in Naruto

With the Naruto series being one of the most popular series, fans often discuss and look for facts and theories from the story's vast narrative. The series has so much to offer in terms of plot that it may become overwhelming at times.

Among the several characters of the series, one of the most important is probably Orochimaru, one of the overarching antagonists of Naruto. Orochimaru is also probably one of the most intricately written characters by Kishimoto, as the character has a lot of depth and narrative behind his presence.

Orochimaru is a scientist whose ultimate goal is to become immortal and master all ninjutsu in the world. While his keenness was shown in every other justsu and visual prowess, particularly the Sharingan, he seemed to lack interest in the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Naruto anime and manga series.

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Orochimaru did not need the Byakugan for his ultimate goal in Naruto

Orochimaru, one of the most prominent antagonists of the Naruto series, is famously known for his scientific experiments with several jutsu techniques. He was also shown to be very intrigued by the dojutsu, Sharingan. The Sharingan is a Kekkei Genkai visual prowess exclusive to the Uchiha Clan.

While his excessive interest in the Sharingan was seen throughout the series, he showed zero interest in the Byakugan. The Byakugan is another Kekkei Genkai associated with the Hyuga Clan. However, it was later revealed to originate from the Otsutsuki Clan, one of the strongest celestial beings in the entire series and the main protagonists of the sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generation.

Orochimaru's lack of interest in the Byakugan is due to multiple reasons, with the primary reason being its irrelevance to Orochimaru's ultimate goal. If considering his ultimate goals in the series, to obtain immortality and master every ninjutsu technique, the Sharingan is a more viable route than the Byakugan.

While Sharingan allows the user to copy any ninjutsu techniques observed using the dojutsu, the Byagukan's application is more or less limited to being able to observe chakra flow in someone's body allowing the user to strike them at the vital points, as seen with Hinata, Neji, and other Hyuga Clan members.

Although the evolution of the Byakugan was later seen in the series, at the time Orochimaru pursued his goal in the Naruto series, it was limited to only the use mentioned earlier. The Sharingan also has a dual, unique ability varying with different users known as the Mangekyo Sharingan, which are some of the strongest dojutsu abilities in the series.

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Final thoughts

Orochimaru is one of the most intriguing characters in the Naruto series, who not only serves as one of the main overarching antagonists in the narrative, but also plays a pivotal role in the Fourth Shinobi World War arc. He also plays a key role in the character development and plot of Sasuke Uchiha, the deuteragonist of the series.

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